Green Papaya or raw papaya(Popashphal in Konkani) is considered as a vegetable rather than a fruit, and is widely used in cooking. It is full of medicinal properties. Having high concentration of Papain, an enzyme that tenderises even the toughest meat, raw papaya paste is used as one of the ingredients for marinating mutton, mostly for making kebabs. We GSBs either prepare a stir fried curry adding garlic called talaasani or we add that along with Malabar spinach to make 'Vaali Popashphala Aambat. However, when papaya plant becomes heavily loaded with raw papayas and suddenly starts leaning, we have to think about other alternatives. We got 4 medium size raw papayas from our friend Uma Shenoi's garden last week. I made some halwa, some cake and also some salad with them. I had seen recipes online to make 'Som Tam', a Thai salad, but one of the ingredients being fish sauce is a big no for me. So I decided to make salad with raw papaya somewhat like the Aambuli Pachodi or raw mango spicy salad found mostly during summer in Car Street Mangaluru. This pachodi is a very simple salad made by mixing red chilli powder, salt, asafotoeda and coconut oil with chopped raw mango bits. It is relished as it is, with plain rice and curd, or with congi. The pachodi salad I made has a twist, adding capsicum, tomato and roasted peanuts, if not lemon squeeze. The masala powder I used to make this has many spices like red chillies, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, black peppercorns, mustard seeds, asafotoeda and turmeric powder. It is the same masala powder made for the exotic Aambuli Chutney)Spicy Raw Mango Chutney exclusively made in our family. My idea was to blend our traditional masala with the similar ingredients that go into making the Thai salad while adding coconut oil for the authentic coastal Mangalorean touch. Added roasted peanuts appear occasionally and add to the crunchiness as you take bites. Raw papaya is tougher than cucumber or raw mango, and it needs either parboiling or should be lightly pounded in a mortar before mixing into the salad. Make this salad and instantly serve as a side dish with rice and daal, roti and curry or just savour with choice of fried fish or kebabs. It is tasty and full of flavours. Uma Shenoi gave a high five, and she ate it straight. She said, nothing can beat Mangalorean GSB style Som Tam from my kitchen!
Ingredients: Raw Papaya - 300 Gms peeled and cut into julienne Tomato - 1 medium cut into julienne Capsicum - 1/2 medium cut into julienne Roasted Peanuts - 2 Tbsp peeled and halved Aambuli Chutney Masala - 2 Tsp Salt - 1/3 Tsp(or to taste) Sugar - 1/2 Tsp(Optional) Coconut Oil - 2 Tsp Lemon Squeeze - 1/2 lemon Coriander Leaves - 1 Tbsp chopped Method: Soak the papaye julienne in ice cold water for 1 hour. Drain and pound lightly in a mortar and keep aside. Alternatively, blanch them for 10 mins in hot water, drain and keep aside. Mix the papaya with other ingredients, check for salt and serve immediately. Aambuli Chutney Masala Powder: Aambuli Chutney Masala Powder is a versatile masala powder that can be used to make spicy chutney with raw mango, star fruit or bilimbi. It can also be used to make seafood preparations like fish tawa fried, chicken pulimunchi and Prawn Achari. Ingredients: 1. Red long chillies - 12 2. Red short chillies - 16 3. Coriander seeds - 3 tsp 4. Fenugreek seeds - 1 tsp 5. Cumin seeds - 2 tsp 6. Black peppercorns - 1 tsp 7. Mustard seeds - 1 tsp 8. Asafotoeda - 5 gms 9. Turmeric powder - 1 tsp 10. Oil - 1 Tsp Method: Roast the ingredients 1 through 8 with little oil separately and keep aside to cool. Powder in a blender along with turmeric powder. Store in an airtight jar.
Note: 1. Do not chill this salad in a fridge because coconut oil tends to solidify and loses its flavour. 2. You can also make this salad by just adding red chilli powder if you can't make Aambuli Chutney Masala Powder. 3. You can also add 1 Tsp tamarind extract instead of lemon squeeze.
I am a lover of bread since I was a small boy. Those days in the Sixties we mostly got local bakery breads that were soft and spongy, made with refined flour or maida. We were conditioned to eating soft breads applying butter, sprinkling sugar over them. In Mangaluru, Vas Bakery, City Bakery, Ganesh Bakery, Prabhu Bakery, Harish Baker, PR Bakery and Famous Bakery were a few popular bakeries that make our daily bread before merchandised bakeries like Spencer's, Gyp Gyp Gee and Narans started making and supplying bread in big quantities. Nilgiris with their solo outlet in Balmatta sold some excellent breads. Back in Bengaluru during the early Eighties, my cousin Premakar Shenoy used to hunt for French Loaf and whole wheat bread at Nilgiri's or similar merchandised bakeries. I had a taste of it all and I was graduated one step higher in appreciating hard and crusty breads as well! Around early Nineties, Manjarun Cakes and Bakes opened a sales counter in Joofri's in Saibeen Complex and started selling exotic breads like the Brown Bread. Our friend Rati Mahaveer, a foodie and also an expert cook used to tell us that they don't make it with whole wheat flour but they just add caramel to make it brown. Later we got very good brown bread at Cochin Bakery outlets in Mangaluru. Rati's observation in the Nineties about caramel being added while making brown bread has helped me to come out with my own recipe for whole wheat brown bread recently, an improvement over the whole wheat flour paav bun that I've made many times. This is easy to make and very tasty to eat. It is crusty and stiff outside but soft inside. You can relish this as an alternative to chapatis, with any veg or non veg curry, as sandwich or just applying fresh butter or jam. Tastes good and good for health, as it contains wheat husk. I added little refined flour so that more gluten forms and the bread turns out soft like natural sponge inside. This recipe makes a standard size loaf of bread when baked in a 7"x3.5" tin.
Ingredients: Whole Wheat Flour - 1.5 Cups Refined Flour(Maida) - 1 Cup + 2 Tablespoons Salt - 3/4 Tsp(or according to taste) Sugar - 1 Tbsp + 1/4 Tsp for milk wash Active Dry Yeast - 2 Tsp Lukewarm Milk - 3/4 Cup + 1 Tablespoon for milk wash Lukewarm Water - 1/2 Cup Caramel - 1 Tbsp(Or 2 Tsp sugar caramalised with 2 Tsp water) Honey - 2 tsp(Optional) Refined Vegetable Oil(Preferably Olive Oil) - 2 Tablespoons Method: Take the warm milk in a glass tumbler or a non metallic bowl, mix in sugar and yeast, cover and keep for 10 minutes to proof/activate. Mix 1.5 cup wheat flour, 1 cup maida and salt in a mixing bowl. Make a pit in the center and pour the yeast milk mixture. Add caramel, optional honey, and knead well adding the oil, and water little by little, for 10 minutes, or until you get a sticky but firm dough. Grease the bowl, apply oil over the dough ball, cover with kitchen cloth and allow to raise for one hour at warm room temperature. The dough will have doubled by then. Sprinkle little flour over the dough, punch it to release the air and knead again adding little flour for 5 minutes. Roll the dough into log, tuck the edges to shape well into a bread loaf and place in a greased/lined 7"x3.5" baking tin. Cover with an aluminum foil or cloth for another hour or slightly more, when the log doubles up and a dome like shape raises above the edge of the tin. Preheat oven at 180°C for 10 minutes. Mix 1 tablespoon warm milk with 1/4 Tsp sugar, brush this milk over the top surface of the log. Place the tin on wire rack, cover with aluminum foil and bake for 10-15 minutes. remove the foil and bake for further 15-20 or until the bread gets crusty and brown on top Remove from oven, allow to cool down on the rack for 10-15 minutes, detach bread from the baking tin. Allow to cool down further, until the bread feels just warm and then slice into 1/2 inch thick slices using a bread knife. Enjoy eating fresh and hot home baked whole wheat brown bread.
It was year 1980 and the month was December. In the biting winter cold, I was walking towards Shanker’s Book Library in Basavangudi Gandhi Bazaar area along with my cousin Premakar Shenoy, who was going to introduce me to Shanker, the owner of the library. Shanker ran his library in the garage of a home near Basavangudi Police Station, and he had many books and magazines of interest to me, especially Asterix comics and Mad magazine and books. Premakar also introduced me to a traditional Udupi restaurant perched in a small old house on Gandhi Bazaar Main Road named Vidyarthi Bhavan. He said, the Perfect Masala Dosa takes birth there, and conquers the gastronomy of those who wait in line outside to get into the restaurant on a busy evening, such as the one that day.
I was peeking through the iron rods embedded in the closed painted wooden doors and windows and drooling over the divine smell of melting butter mixed with onion potato curry stuffing as people gorged on the crisp and hot masala dosas dipping them in a pool of spicy chutney. I had also determined to go for two of them, even before I had tasted them for the first time! Finally the doors opened and we were allowed to enter. All those who were waiting with us ran quickly and occupied available seats in the lengthy dining hall that resembled the chair car of Indian Railways. Premakar said “Let’s go inside and sit on the bench outside the kitchen. That’s the only place where we can get a chance to sit and eat, unless you prefer to stand and eat!” So we went inside and sat on a wooden bench next to a grinder in which chutney was being ground nonstop. As one batch of chutney was ready, a kitchen helper came out and collected it in steel buckets and poured soaked gram daal, green chillies, herbs and spices into the grinder to make more chutney. I could also make out most of the ingredients but not the proportion. Each batch of chutney tasted the same because they added right amount of green chillies, mint leaves, coriander leaves and salt, if not some secret spice! Then they served us dosas without even us ordering them! It was understood that those who came there mostly came for eating masala dosa and very few who could not resist drooling over their neighbours hogging on hot dosas ordered a rava vada, medu vada or a khaara bhaat. That’s the usual scene in the evenings even today at Vidyarthi Bhavan, haven for the ‘Perfect Masala Dosa’. I became a fan of Vidyarthi Bhavan instantly, and needless to mention here, that my first and the subsequent visits were incomplete without gobbling up two of those lovely masala dosas at a go! Sometimes my cousin Premakar would get dosas home packed in banana leaf, when I or my brother Dr Radhakanth Shenoy visited his home. Those of course never remained as crispy as we get them served hot at the restaurant. Now why is it called as ‘The Perfect Masala Dosa’? Masala Dosa at Vidyarthi Bhavan is a big half moon shaped dosa which is thick, crispy dark red outside and soft and spongy white inside. It is stuffed with a simple but tasty potato onion bhaaji(dry curry) and fresh melting butter oozes out as we break the dosa, scoop a little potato curry and dip it in a pool of chutney. As we relish the dosa, an array of flavours dance on our tongue and invigorate the senses, if not elevate the mood! The crunchy sound of dosa being masticated between the jaws releases juices in the mouth of the watchers by, making their hunger multiply and decide to go for at least two dosas at a time! Thus I think, the title ‘Perfect Masala Dosa’ suits the dosa at Vidyarthi Bhavan, which has been a phenomenal restaurant, rather a heritage restaurant for the connoisseur of fine dining over the last 7 decades! Bengaluru without Vidyarthi Bhavan could be somewhat like Bengaluru without Lal Bagh! There may be hundreds of restaurants serving masala dosas in Bengaluru, but Vidyarthi Bhavan has been an iconic restaurant not only in my heart, but also for at least a hundred thousand other people settled all over the world!
As per information available on official website of Vidyarthi Bhavan, this hotel was started by Venkataramana Ural from Saligrama near Udupi in the year 1943, in a small house in Gandhi Bazaar. It first used to cater to students (Vidyarthis) but later it was let open to public. His brother Parameshwar Ural then took it over and ran the business. No wonder noted Kannada scholar and Yakshagana exponent Dr Shivarama Karanth’s birth place has also given birth to able people, who have perfected the art of making masala dosa! Later in 1970, Ramakrishna Adiga hailing from Shankarnarayana near Kundapur took over and started managing the restaurant. What changed was just the management, but the name, tradition and recipes remained the same, so was the service standards of many of the employees. The overflowing demand and its profound popularity should be the prudent evidence for its unchanging taste, flavour & delicacy. Vidyarthi Bhavan has seen noted scholars, actors, artists, politicians and philanthropists frequenting there for the Perfect Masala Dosa. Few years ago the restaurant was refurbished and dining area can now accommodate more people, at the same time old grandeur has been maintained with Coastal Karnataka style high terracotta tiled roof with natural light and air allowed through proper ventilation. A waiter named SV Murthy has drawn sketches of scholars and scribes during his pastime, which are framed and displayed on the walls from end to end. Arun Kumar Adiga, a young Engineer who quit his technical job and joined his father in running the show, manages almost everything about Vidyarthi Bhavan today. I met him online while browsing through Facebook one day when I saw my brother Dr Radhakanth Shenoy, another fan of Vidyarthi Bhavan liking a post on Vidyarthi Bhavan’s page. I posted the link to the video I had made two years ago about Vidyarthi Bhavan which I had uploaded on youtube, and Arun immediately recognized my work and communicated with me via message, inviting me to Vidyarthi Bhavan during my next visit to Bengaluru! I accepted his invitation and visited there recently, but I also made it a point to take my cousin Premakar along with, who had introduced me to Vidyarthi Bhavan way back in 1980 December.
My nephew Darshan Pai took us to Vidyarthi Bhavan in the morning
at around 10:45am. It was as crowded as always, and I sent my business card
through the gentleman at the main door controlling the crowd. Arun Kumar Adiga
appeared after 10 minutes, and after formal introductions and exchange of
greetings, I went around with my camera clicking the photos of people gorging
on masala dosa and other delicacies. Arun permitted me to enter the kitchen
which is now in a different location within the premises and I had a chance to
see how 25-30 masala dosas are made at a time by two experienced cooks and how
expert waiters stack plates with 14-20 masala dosas balanced in one hand at a
time and serve them without any effort! That phenomenon has been in vogue even
when I first saw those serving dosas in 1980. Nothing has changed much as far
as quality control and cleanliness are concerned. The old mosaic flooring, the
wooden tables and seats, the plates and tumblers are all maintained clean and
shining. Clean filtered cooled water is served and billing is done by machine.
Arun led us to the corner table and ordered masala dosas and coffee for us. Premakar said he will take a dosa packed for consumption at home and was happy with a cup of strong filter coffee. Premakar also insisted that he will pay for the packed dosa for old time’s sake. Arun could not stop him from paying for that dosa anyway! Arun spoke at length about how they manage the show in this millennium when availability of labour is scarce. He explained how they refurbished the house without demolishing any permanent structure and that too retaining the old grandeur! He also mentioned about the heritage walkers of Bengaluru who periodically take a long walk visiting various restaurants and tasting one item at each place, he proudly expressed his feelings about the accolades and awards won by Vidyarthi Bhavan for maintaining standards and also about their place of family origin Shankarnarayana near Kundapur.
"It gives us immense pleasure and makes us feel good, when someone from a far away place or abroad visits us, relishes the dosa and reminisces over the past! Many bloggers and media people come here and cover the place for articles. We get motivated by them and carry forward the 70 year old trend set by the founders of Vidyarthi Bhavan." Arun sounded candid and contented.
Premakar had some fond memories to share with us, especially about the day in summer of 1961, when he visited the restaurant with his father as they were coming back with the prospectus for his admission into BMS College of Engineering in Basavangudi. He said “Well, that day as my pop told me he will take me to Vidyarthi Bhavan and buy me a masala dosa which is a specialty there, I told him, look! Vidyarthi Bhavan is for students, and they may not allow you in! Contrary to my apprehension, my pop was not only allowed inside but he also relished the dosa with me that day! Then I started frequenting here and have been a regular here since last 5 decades"
After clicking a few photos with our host Arun Kumar Adiga, we also met Ramakrishna Adiga, Arun’s father who mostly manages the cash counter. He is a silent and friendly person with a broad smile. He was impressed to know that I had covered Vidyarthi Bhavan for a youtube video documentary titled ‘Bombaat Bengaluru - Part1’, two years ago. With the taste of the Perfect Masala Dosa and strong filter coffee lingering on our taste buds, we left Gandhi Bazaar and reached home.
As Premakar opened the parcel, we were in for a big surprise! The Masala Dosa was a tubular one as against the half moon shaped dosa we ate at Vidyarthi Bhavan and it was neatly packed in a carton lined with waterproof material. Chutney was sealed in a disposable plastic tub, which ensured zero spillage! Not a single drop of oil had dripped in the box, nor did the dosa lose the crispness, which signifies the quality of packaging. I said hats off to Arun Kumar Adiga in particular, and Vidyarthi Bhavan in general, for the innovation!
There ended revisit to my favourite hangout for the Perfect Masala Dosa, this time with more meaningful time spent with Arun Kumar Adiga who made us feel good. Needless to mention, that leap of The Perfect Masala Dosa from the kitchen of Vidyarthi Bhavan to the dining table of Premakar’s home was pretty neat! With inputs from: Vidyarthi Bhavan official website.
Address: No-32, Gandhi Bazar Main Road, Basavanagudi,
Bengaluru - 560 004 INDIA Email:contact@vidyarthibhavan.in Phone:+91
80266
77588
Timings:
Monday-Thursday: 6.30AM to 11.30AM - 2.00PM to 8.00PM
Saturday,Sunday & Public Holidays: 6.30AM to 12.00PM - 2.30PM to 8.00PM
