The Pav cuisine

The Marathi cuisine, also known as the maharashtrian cuisine, shares a lot of dishes with other parts of the country, while having its own distinctive properties.Basic breakfast dishes in a marathi family would include poha, misal, upma, vada pav, sabudhan khichadi, etc. Other dishes that are quite popular are, Modak, Thalipeeth, etc. In this blog, let's see some special dishes from the Marathi cuisine.

A plate of Misal pav

1) Vada pav

I think every Indian has heard of this delicacy at least once in their life. It is a simple dish made by stuffing a spherical potato fritter(Aloo Vada) between Pav(Bun). It's available at literally every corner in Maharashtra and is quit cheap. Not to forget, it is very delicious and filling. It came existence in the late 1960s and was invented by a street vendor named Ashok Vaidya whose idea was to make a affordable, easy to carry snack for daily commuters. Vada pav has come a long way since then and I am quite sure we all enjoy this creation of Mr.Vaidya.

2) Bhakarvadi

Bhakarvadi is usually consumed as a snack and has a tangy yet sweet flavour at the same time. The dual nature of its taste is probably why it's so famous. It is made of gram flour and the stuffing contains poppy seeds, coconut,etc. It can be stored for weeks together. There is a conflict with the origin of the dish between Gujarat and Maharashtra but the credit for it's popularization goes to A Marathi businessman Raghunathrao Chitale through his brand Chitale Bandhu.

3) Kothimbir Vadi

A perfect Maharashtrian tea time snack and an easy to make dish at the same time. It is made using Gram flour and coriander in addition to different spices. It can be steamed as well as fried for a crunchy crust. It would also make a great dish for the rainy days.

4)Misal Pav

This all time available delicacy is consists of misal ( a curry based on moth beans ) and pav ( an Indian bread roll or bun ). The presence of moth beans make it very healthy. It is consumed at all times of the day and is available in all snack corner in the state. According to me, it is the most undermined dish of the marathi cuisine. In 2015, it was also name as the tastiest vegetarian dish in the world at the FoodieHub awards London.

5) Pav Bhaji

Another Pav based dish. It has become quite clear by now that the state loves Pavs. This dish surely needs no introduction and is famous all over the world. The Bhaji is a curry made with mashed Potatoes, Tomatoes and a lot of Indian spices. It originated in late 1850s as a fast lunch time dish for the textile mill workers in Mumbai. 

The list will go on and on and surely has no end. I hope I have been successful in drawing your attention towards these delicacies. Now it's your turn to try these and treat yourself.

- Uditi Naagar

Manipur- One of India's Sisters

Now that we have explored the food culture of sweet Kolkata, let's move towards the east to explore the spice of the state of Manipur. Manipur's cuisine is almost the same as that of the Meipei people who for a majority of the population.

The meal is based on the staple food rice which is accompanied by a few sides that include vegetables and fish. Other than these, three other main components are as follows:

• Ensaang or athongba- vegetable stew flavored with fish
• Kanghou - a vegetable stir-fried item and
• A spicy item that is usually morok metpa (a chilli paste) or iromba(a mixture of vegetable and fermented fish) or singu( a piquant salad)

The base of Meipei diet is fermented fish which is also called Ngaari. Fish is another staple food that generally appears in all meals either as a side or as Ngaari. Due to an increase in the price of fish, fish curries are made only occasionally. Most of the Manipuri households, however, tend to grow their vegetables and fish in their kitchen garden and ponds near their houses respectively. 

The taste is distinct from the rest of the country due to the use of natural and aromatic herbs and roots that are peculiar to their region. 

Merely reading about Manipuri food is not enough. Their food deserves to be tasted. Besides, it is not unhealthy and you do not have to worry about it. So next time you head to the northeast, make sure to try their delicacies.

- Uditi Naagar

Duty beyond Death

Can someone come back after death? Can a soldier serve for his nation after his death also? If yes then let us look into the story of a brave soldier who still continues to guard the country border

Captain Harbhajan Singh known as Baba Harbhajan Singh was a soldier in the Indian army ..but why he is called Baba?...This is because even after his death Harbhajan Singh was never off duty and continued to serve his country. Can't really believe this. He is admired as "Hero of Nathu La".They also built a temple to honour him and he is also being paid

One night he was lost while moving with his mates from one location to another in a dangerous climate. Next day every one tried to search for him but weren't successful. They thought he had run away.But after few days he came in the dreams of his soldier friend and told him the location of his body. After this, his body was found.

Everyone was shocked about his return from death to tell where his body was. Although, this was just a beginning. After few months he came in the dreams of others and told them that my body has only died but my spirit is still on duty. I will continue to serve my nation after death. It is also believed that Baba warns the soldiers of upcoming attacks at least 3 days in advance

- Lakshmi Priya.K

The Indian Tales of Tails

Our country is a hub of weird and unexplained occurrences. This week, we have come across so many unusual temples and practices some funny and some purely horrifying. Today, let's know more about our fur-friends or man's best friend and how they are worshiped.

Dogs have a special place in Hindu mythology. They are considered the mounts of various fearsome gods such as Kalbhairava. It is believed that they guard the gates of hell and heaven. In this modern era, with the evolution of the internet, love for these fur-friends has multiplied among people across the world.

Little did we know that they have been loved for ages and are worshiped in many parts of India and the world. Some of the spots in India are the Dog Temple, Channapatna and the Kali Singh Temple, Muzaffarnagar, etc.

Dog Temple, Channapatna:

The city of Channapatna also called 'town of toys' is located in Karnataka. The existence of this temple is not well known but it records a decent footfall every year. According to the locals, once two dogs mysteriously disappeared from the temple and the goddess of the village(Agrahara Valagerehalli) temple appeared in someone's dream and told them to place two dog statues next to her for the protection of the village and villagers.  

Other such places:

The Kali Singh temple, located in Sisauli, Uttar Pradesh, was built in the memory of a very talented local veterinarian Kali Singh. People from all over the country go there to pray for their pets. It is believed that Kali Singh blesses their pets. This temple is very famous among local farmers who pray there for their cattle. 

Other temples in India dedicated to/famous for animals include The Bull Temple in Bengaluru, Ananthapuram temple tank for its Vegetarian Crocodile, etc.

It is said that a real bull turned into stone- Bull temple,Bengaluru

Isn't it great to know about these kinds of temples dedicated to animals?

https://youtu.be/RdbbLFOgv_g

- Uditi Naagar

Jai Shri Amitabh !!

Certain rituals like the baby-tossing ritual are horrifying and have to be stopped immediately. On the other hand, there are certain ideas or places that are purely hilarious and leaves us in awe both at the same time. One such place is the Amitabh Bachchan temple in Kolkata. Yes, you read it right. The Amitabh temple was constructed in 2001 by his presumably biggest and craziest fan Mr Sanjay Patodia.

We all have at least one superstar who we look forward to and sometimes they become our role model. Mr Sanjay Patodia, the secretary of All Bengal Amitabh Bachchan Fans' Association, the founder of this temple and the priest in the temple, took his love for the star to the next level with this temple. The temple started in 2001 as a symbol of love for the star in the city of joy.

By looking at various pictures and videos, we can see that the temple is just like any other temple in India with daily aartis and other rituals but with an unusual deity. The aarti includes Mr Bachchan's parents' names and concludes by praying for his long life and prosperity. 

According to Mr Sanjay, when the star was badly injured(in 1982) and was in a coma, the fans realized that they are not just his well-wishers but they share a much deeper relationship. That's when they got the idea of starting a fans' association, which was later established in 2000.

His shoes from the movie 'Agneepath' and his portrait from the movie 'Mohabbatein' can be seen placed on a throne making him the 'Shahenshah' that he is. 

They celebrate all of his special days like the release of his movies, where they give roses to everyone who watches his movie on the first day across various theatres in the city. His Birthday is no lesser than Holi or Eid or Christmas to them. The association also does social work in the name of Mr.Bachchan where they donate various articles like clothes, books, etc to the poor and needy.

His pictures and portraits can be seen on all walls of the temples and the inner shrine has a wallpaper with 'Jai Shri Amitabh' written on it. Apart from this, slogans like 'sorry god we worship Amitji more than you' and 'thank you God for being among us as an actor'.

While some people consider this as a waste of time and find it hilarious, some people really appreciate the idea behind the temple and the social work the association does. 

Do check out this video!

https://youtu.be/FFaohy8b-no

- Uditi Naagar