Qutb Minar in Monochrome

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Qutb Minar, the iconic monument of Delhi, on a warm November afternoon, against the sun.

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Sankat Mochak Hanuman

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In Awe of ACT!

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People may feel they're not earning enough or aren't rich enough to donate or feed strays. All I can say is you need a heart to donate, nothing else.
Animal Care Trust. A name I heard every now and then, but never ever visited. Till the need to visit arose. The Lockdown period saw us feeding the stray dogs in our area, including four female pups who mysteriously appeared one day. I still am sure they were left there by some hard-hearted people who did not want 'female' pups! (I hope there's a special place in hell for people who resort to such activities!). 
Feeding our furry friends became a highlight of the day. So when one of the pups began to look sick, we were at a fix, and took her to the vet. The vet suggested taking her to ACT, and this is where our involvement with ACT began. One visit to this place, just one, left me with myriad emotions.
What happens at ACT? At any given point of time, there's a flurry of activity. As you step inside, you'…

HOT Alert: Phanna-upkari!

Phanna-upkari is a favorite dish among fish-eating Konkanis. Phanna means tempering (tadka). Basically this is a spicy dish that uses little coconut, lot of dry red chillies and tamarind. Usually coriander seeds are used as flavoring agents. However, this is a lesser known version of Phanna-upkari from my native village, modified a little by my Aunt.I'm sure you'd love this once you've had it. So here it goes! 
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Dangar: Frying up leaves!

After the Knotty Affair, another recipe post so soon? Well yes. That's because I tried this last evening, and it turned out so nice (much better than what I expected), that I couldn't resist putting it up here.  A friend would often remark that we konkanis like to fry anything available; if someone in Carstreet fried grass and sold it, we'd relish that too! Now, I realise he's right!
What you need: -Two handfuls of roughly chopped leaves*  -Masala: Toor dal (1/2 cup), Rice (1/2 cup), Red chillies (15-18, depends on how spicy you want it to be), Tamarind (grape sized lump), Hing (raisin sized lump) (*leaves: traditionally prepared with tora leaves called Thaikilo in Konkani, or drumstick leaves. Last evening, I used red amaranthus and spinach/palak) Masala Preparation: -Soak the rice and toor dal together, for about an hour -Grind it along with chillies, tamarind and asafoetida -It should be as dry as possible, using minimum quantity of water -If it ends up too watery, you can ad…

Sarkari Hi. Pra. Shaale, Kasaragodu, Koduge Ramanna Rai

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It's been a long-ish break, with the multiple festivals and celebrations. Ganesh Chaturthi was wonderful, about which I'll be writing later. This post was meant to be written about a month ago, soon after I watched the movie Sa.Hi.Pra.Shaale Kasargodu, Koduge Ramanna Rai. Yes, that's the name of the movie, short isn't it?
Watch the trailer here: 
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The Answer is Spinach!

Malabar spinach (vaali in Konkani, basale in Tulu) is a much loved vegetable at home. Apart from being rich in various nutrients and fiber, it tastes quite nice compared to other green leafy vegetables. Konkani cuisine has multiple preparations using Malabar spinach. The vegetarian ones include the garlic flavoured 'bendi' (addition of jackfruit seeds or horse gram makes it tastier), or the onion flavoured, dal enriched version called 'vaali-daali ambat' (raw papaya can be added).
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             See also:Kichdi (Konkani style)  Mar…