Adhi Potoba

Keli chya baaga maama chya. Pivlya ghaada ni vakaychya. If you were in an English medium school and Marathi was a second language, you'd remember this poem from your Bal Bharati text book in Std II. It was a poem about the poet's uncle who apparently had some large banana plantations. The poem goes on to describe the how each member of the family tended to the banana plants and it all climaxed in a domestic orgy of Shikran. One may conclude that the uncle's family really, really loved their bananas. Had this poem come in at a slightly later year I am sure one of the pupils would have surely questioned such a banana centric lifestyle. Actually, it was a very sweet poem and whenever I think of Shikran, I cannot help but think of the nicely illustrated yet slightly exaggerated banana plants weighed down by large clusters of ripe yellow bananas. A well prepared bowl of Shikran never fails to transport me back to my mom's kitchen where she'd serve me Shikran and chapatt...

At the far end of Apte Road lies a tin shed that looks like the aftermath of an eager pyromaniac's unsuccessful experiments. This is the legendary Santosh bakery and the last time I saw it, the walls inside were black from being baked all day, everyday for the last couple of decades. I have fond memories of Santosh Bakery growing up. I remember my dad on his way back from work would make a stop at Santosh Bakery to bring home some hot vegetable pattice. The evening batch would come out at exactly 5:00 p.m. and there would be a huge line to get your hands on a dozen of these bad boys. The veg pattice (not to be confused with meat patties) is a spicy vegetable mixture in a puff pastry. The one thing I absolutely loved about Santosh Bakery was that it appealed to all classes. It was really nice to see a bullock cart parked behind a Mercedes. And their respective drivers standing close to the furnace in the hot Indian sun, in a line where they are all the same. Santosh Bakery serves so...

If there's one thing the great city of Pune lacks, it's a beach and an abundance of fresh seafood. Sure there are a few fish markets and some scattered fish mongers , but the seafood is always expensive and unless you're really tight with the fish monger, not really that great. This would also explain the lack of good seafood restaurants in Pune. Growing up, I couldn't recall a single restaurant that was known for great fish. But in the last two years that I still lived in Pune, a restaurant by the name of Kalinga had just opened it's doors on the small road whose only claim to fame was a quick access to the Mhatre Bridge . A restaurant that tried too hard with a seating capacity of 500 and was decorated with baroquean excess . Hopefully they've toned down the decorations a bit. The only saving grace to this eyesore was the great food. And great seafood. During my limited number of visits to Kalinga I had the only acceptable prawn curry served to me in any res...

In Maharashtra the word Pavta is slang for a village simpleton. Or more precisely a term used by city folk to describe a simple person from a village who has moved to the city. Someone who sticks out like a sore thumb. Much like the wonderful people in Times Square who are not locals. Moving at their own pace, always looking up in awe at the tall buildings. It is also the Marathi word for Lima Bean. The Lima Bean we get at home is much smaller than the one found here in the US. Each bean is no bigger than the nail on your little finger. It also packs more flavour. Probably because most of the vegetables available in our markets in India are locally grown. Pavta was a staple in my mother's kitchen and she'd always a maintain a bag of fresh beans in her fridge. Pavta usal (stir-fried Lima Bean) was something she cooked very often. It was a quick, easy and delicious meal and I found it in my tiffin almost every week. For some reason none of the restaurants I know served Lima Bean...

I followed the one day international between India and England all day today and once again in true Indian fashion the 'Men in Blue' snatched defeat from the jaws of victory. If I had a dime for every time the Indian team let me down this way, I wouldn't be here writing this blog. Back home, news like is taken seriously and involves hours of pointless analysis over tea, rum or some comfort food. This analysis is usually done by people whose latest cricketing experience has been stumps drawn on a wall by means of a broken brick. A bat with a bare handle because the rubber went missing within the first week. And an MRI faux tennis ball that used to be some some what white when it was bought. And yes—the grand rule of 'one tuppa out'. Ah, I miss being a drawing room cricketeer. The absence of someone who even knows what cricket is, leave alone understands it, is really hard on a depressed fan such as myself. So today, I decided to make some comfort food for myself tha...

It was the early nineties and the ladies had just started noticing the dating potential of yours truly. It was also a time when 'pubs' had just started turning up in the 411001 pin code. Black Cadillac (which is now closed) and Ten Downing Street with their 200 Rupee cover charge were the first to arrive. I have always been a non-drinker, but for some reason ladies would always insist on visiting the pubs. Even the ones that couldn't hold down their gimlets to save their lives. For a reasonably broke person such as myself, the 200 Rupee cover charge was a bit steep and left little to spend in the way of dinner. Thankfully, there was one great option, just down the street. Hip enough and cheap, too. Steaming hot, authentic Punjabi parathas at Nandu's. Crisp, flaky, cheap and downright delicious. Seating was optional and the waiter would bring your order right up to you. Whether you were parked in a car or just standing by on the footpath. One of the 15 varieties of par...

Before I left Pune, one of my favourite spots to hang out on a lazy evening was the Pune University fountain. This spot was especially fun during the brief Pune winters as it served great, hot food. What started as three small carts when I was in Std X had become a mini Chowpatty in just a couple of years. (Not to be confused with the mini Chowpatty near Farazkhana). You could find all kinds of food here to match your mood and budget. Chinese, Vada Pav , Pav Bhaji , Dosas and last but not least, awesome Egg Bhurji. The fact that there was a steady traffic of pretty, young girls coming to enjoy the lively atmosphere didn't hurt business either. I loved hot bhurji at Univ. fountain on a crisp winter evening. One egg, onions, tomatoes, questionable oil, spiced to perfection and served with 'pavs'. Heaven for 3.00 Rupees (approximately 7 cents). I remember spending many an evening with my friends at the University Fountain watching the St Joseph's girls returning from Hock...