Vangi Bath

Grandfather was a gardening freak. He spent most of his time in the garden after retirement. Various types of crotons, roses and hibiscus looked happy and healthy under his care and supervision. He could not stand even one weed or a small tuft of grass on the neatly laid path around the pond, where he liked to walk in the mornings and evenings. A gardener was especially employed to keep the weeds out of sight. He had so much become a part of the garden, that the garden looked virtually incomplete on the days he took off.

Grandfather had a vegetable patch and many fruit trees in our garden. His love for the garden had rubbed off on us too. So we decided to grow our own vegetable garden during our Dasara holidays. Since grand father was too possessive to lend out his gardening tools which he guarded safely in a very huge iron box, my youngest brother successfully pestered father into buying a small gardening set from the Dasara exhibition. We also picked up a few seeds packets from the flower show.

Grandfather graciously lent his gardener for digging and preparing the soil. We were highly excited on the day we sowed the seeds. We took turns to water our vegetable patch, after we returned from school, without even caring to change out of our school uniforms. There was jubilation when the first shoots showed up, and later when the plants had flowered.

We harvested our vegetables on a Sunday morning, and mother promised to cook the same for lunch. Beans, tomatoes, brinjal and spinach were glowing fresh as mother washed them under the tap. It so happened that our old Granduncle landed at our home n the same day. The moment he arrived, he announced a list of food items and vegetables he would not eat, either due to the vows he had made to various deities or due to his personal whims. Mother had prepared a delicious Vangi Bath and she had to skip Granduncle’s leaf while serving, as he would not eat brinjal. All of us enjoyed the garden fresh vegetables and the aromatic Vangi Bath mother had prepared with great expertise. Granduncle saw us smacking our lips, and when Grandfather and father demanded for more helpings, Granduncle could not control his curiosity. Grandfather encouraged him to taste a spoon of the delicacy, he reluctantly allowed mother to server him a ¼ spoon only. Later on he requested a large serving of Vangi Bath and relished it sheepishly, while the four of us hid our grins. Granduncle had to admit, that brinjal was after all not that bad a vegetable, when mother prepared it and he even decided to score off the vegetable from the ‘not-to-make’ list whenever he visited us.

Here is mothers recipes for a lip smacking Vangi Bath.


For Vangi Bath Masala
Ingredients
Coriander seeds – 2 tbs
Bengal gram dal – 2 tbs
Black Gram dal – ¼ tsp
Asafetida – a pinch
Cinnamon stick – 1 inch
Cardamom – 1
Cloves – 4
Dry red chillies – 12
Dried coconut gratings – 1 TBs
Method
1. Heat ¼ tsp oil
2. Add asadfoetida
3. Next add cinnamon, cardamom and clove and fry
4. Next add the dals and coriander seeds and roast till golden in colour
5. Add red chillies and roast for few more seconds until chillies are crisp
6. Allow to cool and then dry grind to coarse powder.
7. Add copra and grind for fre more seconds

This powder can be stored in air tight containers and stored for a week to 10 days.
The powder looses aroma on prolonged storage

To prepare Vangi Bath
Ingredients
Rice – 250 gram / 1 cup
Tender green brinjal -= ¼ Kg
Mustards seeds ½ tsp
Curry leaves – a few
Turmeric powder - a pinch
Salt – 11/2 to or to taste
Lime – 1 small
Cooking oil – 3 tbs
Cashew Nuts – 50 grams
Method
1.Cook rice in just enough water. Do not over cook. Cool the rice.
2. Cut brinjal into 1’ strips, and keep immersed in cold water to prevent discoloration
3. Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds
4. Drain the brinjal and add to the oil, along with turmeric and salt and store
5. Cover and cook in low fire, stirring occasionally. Brinjals cook very fast, so take care not to overcook, and the pieces retain their shape.
6. Add the prepared masala powder and blend with the vegetable
7. Squeeze in the line juice and remove from heat.
8. Loosen the rice until the grains are separated.
9. Add the rice to the vegetable and mix well, until the spice coats the rice
10. Serve hot, topped with fried cashew nuts.

Raita, curd, avail, papad and chips go well with Vangi Bath. The choice is yours!

Mango Rice

The morning breeze slapped the pleasant fragrance of the mango flowers on my face, as I stood in my balcony on the third floor. I could behold the tree top which was thickly covered with whitish green mango flowers, reminding me of a bride’s veil.
The bees hovering over the flowers, the butterflies fluttering around and the birds which flew in and out of the tree cover, were all celebrating Spring. I could view a koel which landed on a branch, and it started to hum a sweet tune.
The age old story goes that the mute koel finds its voice only after eating the mango flowers. It could have been the imaginative expression of the poets of yore, but it is true that the bird is heard during the mango season.
I remember the time when we had a great time mimicking the stupid koels. The five of us – the four siblings and the koel – would go on and on and on with the kuhooo, kuhooo,kuhooo,until the song reached a high tempo as the decibels increased. We alternated with the koel one by one ,taking turns, for a long time, until finally the pleasing song ended up with the hysteric shrieks of the duped koel..
We were very patient when it came to waiting for the mango flowers to turn into small mangoes. But we were definitely not willing to wait until it reached its full growth. We ganged up under the tree and pelted stones at the baby mangoes which dropped down unable to withstand our attack. While two of us picked up the tiny mangoes, the other two sneaked into the kitchen to fetch chilly powder and salt.
Mother was against us eating raw mangoes since she feared that it would trigger the onset of heat boils in our body. Hence we took refuge under the green canopy of the mango tree on our terrace, where the tree had extended its branches. We savored the bitter sour mangoes with chilly powder and salt, as we laughed about each others distorted facial expressions caused by the unique taste.
There were occasions when we got caught and reprimanded or even beaten up for having broken the glass of a window or the glass dome on the lamp post which stood in the garden in our endeavor to secure the tiny mangoes.
All the houses in our locality had many or at least one mango tree in their respective gardens. It had become a customary friendly gesture to exchange mangoes with pleasantries among the neighbors during the mango season. Thus our house was flooded with all varieties of mangoes, gifted as well as our own,
Mother and grand mother had a hectic time sorting and segregating them for different purposes. Some were packed up in hay and stored away for ripening, some were used in different types of pickles. Some were diced, salted and sun dried for future use. Mother even made jam out of a few, which we enjoyed with our dosas and rotis.
We were never tired of the mango rice which mother prepared every other day until the mango season lasted.
Here is a simple method of preparing a delicious mango rice which I would like to share.
MANGO RICE
Ingredients :
Rice – 250 gms/1 cup
Medium size raw mango – 1
Asafetida - 1 pinch
Red chillies - 6-8
Ground nuts – 50 gms
Turmeric powder – 1 pinch
Mustard seeds – ¼ tsp
Black gram dal – 1 tsp
Bengal gram dal – 1tsp
Salt - 1 ½ tsp or to taste
Curry leaves – a few
Cooking oil – 2 to 3 tbsps

Method :
1. Cook rice with enough water and cool it.
2. Heat oil in a pan. and add asafetida.
3. Add mustard seeds and let it splutter.
4. Add black gram dal and Bengal gram dal and roast till golden in colour.
5. Add ground nuts and roast until it cracks.
6. Add red chillies and curry leaves and toss for one more minute.
7. Add the grated raw mango followed by turmeric powder and salt.
8. Cook in low fire until the oil separates, remove from flame.
9. Break up the cooked and cooled rice and blend it with the cooked mango.
10. Enjoy the hot mango rice with raita or plain curd ,papad or chips as you wish.

Nannari Sarbath

Nannari known as Indian Sarasaparilla, is a wonder herb, with its natural cooling property. It has the medicinal properties to protect one from common summer ailments. Nannari root is used to prepare the concentrate. Shall blog about the syrup preparation later. To know more about nannari sarbath's cooling effects, read The Hindu's metroplus article.

Nannari Sarbath /Sarbath is a very popular summer drink in Kerala and TamilNadu. Here, the word Sarbath is synonymous with Nannari. Many temporary shops selling sarbath come up, under the tree's shade near roads. The existing shops will add a new shelf lined with bottles of home made nannari syrup. I bought one bottle from a nearby shop. All the shops in my place, use home made syrups, with no preservatives added. Here we have started feeling the heat and through out the summer, I never fail to stock my fridge with a bottle of the syrup. Nannari syrup with fresh lime juice and ice soda will be really a treat on a hot summer day. You can use cold water instead of soda. I have a soda maker at home.

Nannari syrup - 3 tbl spn
Juice of a medium sized Lemon
Water/Soda - 1 glass

No need to add any sugar, since the concentrate has adequate sugar in it.
Mix all the three in a bowl with a spoon and serve in a tall glass.

This refreshing summer drink goes to cool Coffee, who is hosting JFI this month, which is the brain child of Indira of Mahanandi.