The Sixties, Sobre las Olas and Raja's Special It was the early sixties. Father took us on long drives almost every day, inspite of his multifarious activities. His blue coloured Companion van was perfect for our family. The four of us brothers and sisters fitted well in the long back seat, while father drove with mother by his side. My brothers monkeyed around by jumping back into the open boot and hopped back to the back seat as and when they liked.
A picnic dinner at the grand
Lalitha Mahal Palace (it was not a hotel at that point of time!)which stood at the foot of
Chamundi hills was a frequent agenda. Mother packed our favourite sambar rice and curd rice, with
vadams (rice crispies) and pickles for the much awaited dinner. But the high light of the dinner was the
special parcel and a
crate of Fanta Orange which we picked up from the Sports club on our way.
There was a sprawling lawn and a grand fountain in front of the palace. On the opposite side huge flights of steps landed us in different levels of gardens. The domes on the lamp posts at frequent intervals shed cool dim light like the moon. We parked our Companion Van in front of the stairs and carried all our paraphernalia to one of the landing which again had a huge fountain in the center.
Father took out the gramophone from the boot and turned the handle to play our favourite
records. We loved to dance to
“Chinkey Butterfly” which was a fast number, and
“Over the Waves or Sobre Las Olas” which was a waltz. Father joined us in the fun while mother filled up our dinner plates. The lone watch man or the occasional wild wolves which came down the hill did not interrupt our merriment. The cool breeze and the privacy in the expanse of nature, under the star lit sky is most unforgettable.
And then it was time to open
the parcel ! All of us pounced on it to take a big helping of the
Raja's Special and
Peas on Toast. Raja's Special of yore is
masala nuts of the present day. It seems this was the
Raja’s favourite dish prepared at the Sports club, and hence goes by the name
Raja's Special.
INGREDIENTS:Peanuts – 500 gms
Onion – 2
Green chillies -3
Salt – 1 tsp
Lime – 1
Cooking oil- 1tsp
Mustard seeds – ¼ tsp
Fresh chopped coriander leaves -1/2 cup
METHOD:1. Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds.
2. When it splutters add finely chopped green chillies.
3. Add peanuts and roast till they crack, and allow to cool.
4. Add finely chopped onions, salt and the juice of lime.
5. Shake all ingredients in a vessel covered with a lid to blend well.
6. Top it with coriander leaves.
Munch along as you watch your favourite movie, or as you watch this quaint version of
Over the Waves or Sobre Las Olas!
I've been using this recipe for years and now I would like to share with you. I suppose many of you might have your own recipe already but just a sharing. I used 2/5 of the ingredients from the original recipe just for both of us.
I like this recipe because it don't need to be stirred all the time so that I can continue with other stuffs while cooking it. With the double boiling cooking method I always got a very smooth kaya. I reduced some sugar from the original recipe as I found it's too sweet for me. But it's very depends on you.
This suppose to be a large burger but I intentionally make it into small portions to match with the little homemade buns I've made.
