Hot kitchen powders power Software leapfrog Of late, Bangalore has grown so much even Kempe Gowda, is sure to lose his bearings if he dared to set foot on a city which he once founded. If he came across the BMC rechristened to BBMP or more likely known as Owners and Slow-Disposers of Garbage the city creates in a day, week or a month and, one look at his statue would be enough to make him run away never to return. KG had named it Benda kaLooru which translates to boiled grams in Kannada from which came Bengaluru which the British twisted it into Bangalore which again is going through a metamorphosis thanks to URA, lending one of his initials U to make it Bengaluru. Since the original name started with food, much of Bangalore’s fame came from the eats which the city came to be known for. But nobody visualized one-day it will spark off some kind of international heart-burn at far off places. Whether it was the Masala dose in Vidyarthi Bhavan, Puri – Sagu and coffee in silver cups in Mavalli Tiffin Rooms ( MTR), BeNNe Masale Dose in Udupi Krishna Bhavan, Rava Kesari in Malabar Lodge, Idli vada coffee in Malleshwaram Tiffin Rooms, also an MTR, in another part of the city, crowds milling around a table at anytime of the day to get a seat was commonplace. More often, the incumbent gulped his coffee half-standing as vice-like grip held his waist from next customers inching to grab his seat. Most of these eateries stole a Bangalorean’s heart with the fare they served and the way it was served. Bisi Bele Anna came with boondi, Pappad or sandige, Mosaranna or curd- rice on a banana leaf with lemon- pickle in the corner for the afternoon lunch which made way to aloo bonda and by- two coffee in the evenings when most Bangaloreans walked their cycle in one hand with an arm over their friend’s shoulder like a modern day Gene Autry walking his horse for a drink of water from a pitcher! Later the Darshinis, the Stand-Alone and Eat concept still followed the same menu adding gobi Manchurian cooked in 50-50 Punjabi-Kerala style. Another feature was the late night fare for students studying into the wee hours or for workers coming from a night shift. A late night dash to Harsha Stores for a badami haalu or for the ones who came later to Ganesha Stores next to Revanna stores for sweet Bun and badaami Haalu. At the other end, Thom’s and Koshy’s served bread, biscuit and pastry always fresh from an oven which had never seen an off day having to supply Cox, Fraser and Cook’s Towner’s non-stop. For in-between snacking round the clock are items from famous Subbamma’s condiments stores! Located in H.B. Samaja Road opposite Medico Surgicals Ltd. and nudging next to Siddoji Rao cloth stores in Gandhi Bazaar, Subbamma’s wares like Rave Unde, HurigaaLu, Chakkli, Kajjaaya, kharada KadLe kayi crossed Vindhya Mountains even in Sixties only to become a rage and craze in cities in U. S. Competition to Subbamma came just a mile away from V.B. Bakeries who made equally mouth-watering fare which way they served their customers with the speed of an auto assembly line. Maiyas and Haldirams now upholding the snacking tradition are really the grandchildren of famous Gallery of Eateries. How did Bangalore contribute to Indians in US which has become a heart-burning issue with President Barrack Obama? In fact the question should be asked in a different way that is , when did eating become some kind of springboard for Bangaloreans ultimately to pose a direct challenge to US Presidents’ policies regarding loss of jobs? True Bangalore’s colleges like UVCE, BMS, M.S.Ramiah and several more produce Engineers and more recently Software Engineers by thousands. When the first and second wave of engineers went to USA for higher studies they had to make do with meager foreign exchange provided those days which were similar to what a prisoner kept in isolation cell serving hard labour got, and looked for low -paying campus jobs to keep their brains, brawn going. It is the Rasam and Sambhaar powders and ‘Dhideer’ Idli powders, ‘Bisi Bele‘ mix that came to their rescue. MTR, Subbamma and V.B. Bakeries and others made easy to carry, easier to make Rasam and Sambhaar, ‘just like your mother did’. Rasam and Sambhar are such versatile dishes you can eat rice, chapatti, even an old shoe soaked in snow and sleet, and chopped into pieces Charlie Chaplin style! Originally US Customs were suspicious that it was some kind of a bomb making ingredients which brought slow death by inducing bouts of incessant sneezing but soon learnt it was the life line of an Indian studying abroad. Now of course, we have mothers who go with a rolling pin in hand to conjure culinary wonders to take care of her pregnant software daughter-in- law and can dish out a pizza as well as akki rotti at will. This has become an additional source of worry to President Obama along with his pet worry of Indian kids doing math sums in a jiffy or cracking spellbee contests as more and more Ajjis / Naanis /Dadis are storming US cities from Bangalore. With Chief Minister Siddaramiah declaring his intention to make Bangalore numero uno Software center in the world, it can only mean more Ajjis will go to US and prepare their own Sambhar, Rasam, batata poha and Sarason ka Saag which may find huge market in US. Clearly more worries in years to come for Obama and his successors. Just by eating one Indian meal a week on Sundays at Iskon Temple Steve Jobs went on to make such mind-boggling inventions, President Obama could be excused for worrying over Indian food packets storming US cities from Bangalore along with their engineers. …..
Posted on: Thu, 03 Jul 2014 05:49:23 +0000