Wanderberry Tales

It is the peak of the summers in Dubai and my heart longs for the monsoons in India. Waking up to the sound of rains.. A rainy evening with a mug of hot coffee.. A walk in the rains.. Getting splashed - ugh!! Sounded annoying back then, but now! I need that one splash.  And of course, the hot fried bajjis that lifts your spirits. That is something I can do in Dubai too! My thoughts went scrambling and this is what it resulted in. Cheers to Goli Bajji/ Mangalore Bajji with hot tea that sent me down many memory lanes. While I get nostalgic, why don't you guys have a sneak peak at what is below -  Ingredients All purpose flour - 1 cup Yogurt - half cup Rice Flour - 2 tbsp Onion - 1 medium chopped Ginger - 1 tbsp grated Green Chilly - 1 sliced thinly Curry Leaves - 1 sprig finely chopped Coriander Leaves - a handful finely chopped Asafoetida - 2 pinches Baking powder - 1/4 tsp Sugar - 1 tbsp Salt to taste Oil for deep frying Method ...

Brahmavar - that is where I was brought up. A lovely place with even more lovelier people and amazing food. It is a small town along the Udupi coastline, 70 kms of Mangalore. No prizes for guessing my favorite Mangalorean meal. Boiled Rice and Fish Curry - That is definitely a marriage made in heaven:) Attend any weddings in the Mangalore region and you will realise that people are least bothered about the fish in the curry, all they need is the gravy for a sumptuous meal. My earliest memory, is the fish curry we constantly order at Hotel Ashraya - a restaurant in Brahmavar along the National Highway. Our favorite waiter at the restaurant told us that the flavour of the curry increases if it is kept over night and then served. My cooking experiments proved the same. Try making this curry with sardines, mackerel or even anchovy, it would taste as good! Flavors do not necessarily come from complicated recipes - you will know this once you read this recipe, try it ...