Chef Kavan Kuttappa shares a simple recipe you can try at home when social distancing

April 20, 2020Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Business & Economy, Famous Personalities of Kodagu / Coorgadmin

Akki roti with eggs and greens by chef Kavan Kuttappa | Photo Credit: Special arrangement

The Head of Creative Culinary at ph4 Food and Beverages, which runs The Permit Room and Toit, talks about learning from the expert in traditional Coorgi cuisine: his mother.

Chefs don’t usually get a lot of time at home. I live in a family home in Bengaluru so I am spending a lot of time with my parents. It has given us the time to bond better.

At home, it is traditional Coorgi food that we are cooking. My mom is the expert at making it. I am helping her out, brushing up (my skills) and being hands-on like never before.

My father cooks once in a while. He has his signature dishes, like pork ribs. He has not had the time and we are not getting things very easily. So, we’re trying to cook with what we have and what we saved, instead of trying to go out and buy things.

Chef kavan Kuttappa | Photo Credit: Special arrangement

The most famous staple Coorgi dish is a pork dish called pandi curry which I have been making for a while now. There are also a lot of rice accompaniments that we do that need a little bit of experience to perfect.

There is a flat rice cake called paputtu. It is like idli, but made with coarser grains of broken rice and topped off with freshly grated coconut. We made that for breakfast. Then there is a rice ball, called kadambuttu, which we are making at home.

We had preserved some small mangoes (sakkare guthi variety) in the freezer. We do that as a family; we get them in season and we keep them for the whole year. So, we made a mango curry with some mustard, curry leaves (just a basic tadka) with a bit of jaggery and some spices.

Once in a while, I whip up something with what we have at home. The other day I had a packet of instant noodles; I think it was a very mellow-flavoured one. I had some elk sausage in the fridge so that added some depth to the noodles. I had done it once before; it turns out great. I think a friend got the sausages for me from Germany a long time ago. That stuff is nuclear-war proof. Nothing happens to it (laughs).

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Akki Roti with eggs and greens

Ingredients:

2 eggs; 1 cup cooked rice (day-old is also okay); 1/2 cup rice flour; salt to taste; 1/4 bunch spinach (can use any local greens); 1/2 sliced onions; 1 dried red chilli; a pinch of mustard; 2 tsp oil; 5-6 chopped cashews; 1 dry red chilli; 5-6 curry leaves; a pinch of mustard; 2 tsp ghee

Method:

For the akki roti : Mix the cooked rice and rice flour (in increments) to make a evenly mixed dough where you can still lightly see the rice grains. Make small rotis using a roti press and cook on a tava and finish on open fire to get the char.

For sauteed greens:

Heat oil in the pan, saute mustard, onions and chilly. Add the greens, cook till done.

To temper:

Heat the ghee in a small pan, add the mustard, red chilli and cashews. Heat till cashews turn slightly brown and crispy. Add the Curry leaves and finish.

Finally, Make a soft scramble with the eggs, once all the other components are ready. Assemble the greens and scramble on the akki roti and garnish with the cashew tempering.

Recipe by chef Kavan Kuttappa
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Regarding work, we had just finished trials and were about to launch a new menu at The Permit Room and then this happened. So, what I am doing right now is spending the time documenting. As chefs, we don’t like to really sit down and document recipes but I have been getting more time, so that is what I have been focusing on.

A lot of focus has also been on taking care of the staff, which I feel is very important.

Overall, our company (pH4 Food and Beverages) has about 450 employees. In Bengaluru, The Permit Room has about 50 employees who stay in staff housing and Toit, owned by the same company, has over 100 employees.

The staff stay in accommodation that the company provides. We are cooking meals (rice, dal and vegetables with egg once a week) for them at the restaurant everyday and delivering it. They are not hungry, if nothing else, and they have a roof over their heads. [Ensuring] this has been a major responsibility and task.

In this series, India’s popular chefs and restauteurs share their lockdown cooking habits and recipes with us.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Life & Style> Food – The Lockdown Chefs / by Aparna Narain / April 16th, 2020

Kodagu district administration offers telemedicine facility

April 20, 2020Business & Economy, Records, All, Science & Technologyadmin

Soon after launching an online supermarket for door delivery of essentials to the people confined to their houses during lockdown, the Kodagu district administration has taken its e-initiative forward by offering telemedicine facility.

Making use of technology, the Kodagu district administration has started a website www.kodaguedoc.letstart.in for the benefit of dispensing telemedicine at a time when most health facilities, including clinics, across the State have shut.

People feeling unwell or having flu symptoms need to sign up, fill in details, sign in, and register before making appropriate selections for self or a family member and call the doctor. Patients or their attendants registering on the website through a mobile phone can make use of the option to call the doctor available on the website or call 9480610807.

The doctor, who will receive the call at the control room of the telemedicine facility, will provide consultation to the caller after taking the registration ID and prescribe necessary medication through an SMS. The prescription can also be downloaded from the website.

Though the doctors offering telemedicine facility will mostly address common complaints of flu and cough, necessary guidance will also be provided to patients with symptoms of COVID-19.

The telemedicine facility is also aimed at checking the rampant practice of self-medication among the people since the neighbourhood clinics have been closed.

After a large number of people begun taking medicine over the counter, the district administration has directed drug stores in the district to stop dispensing medicine without a prescription that is less than a week old.

To popularise the telemedicine facility, the district administration has come out with a short video which provides new users with details on how to sign up and register.

The facility offered by the Kodagu district administration follows the launch of an online supermarket to deliver groceries, vegetables, fruits, and milk to doorsteps by involving grocery stores and other establishments dealing with essentials.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Karnataka / by Special Correspondent / Mysuru – April 17th, 2020

Ashwini Ponnappa creating past performances’ database to be ready for Olympics

April 16, 2020Famous Personalities of Kodagu / Coorg, Sportsadmin

Ashwini Ponnappa and N Sikki Reddy, doubles specialists, after an underwhelming season last year, have started analysing their past performances.

N Sikki Reddy and Ashwini Ponnappa had reached the finals at Hyderabad Open Super 100 and Maldives International Challenge, last year.

India shuttlers Ashwini Ponnappa and N Sikki Reddy have finally got some time to pause and reflect due to the COVID-19 pandemic and they are making the most of it by creating a database to analyse their past performances while waiting for another shot at Olympic qualification.

The coronavirus outbreak has left over 1.2 lakh people dead and infected nearly two million globally, and brought all sports activities, including badminton, to a halt after countries imposed lockdowns.
Ashwini and Sikki are doubles specialists and endured an underwhelming season last year. The time at hand has given them a chance to analyse the past performances.

“We don’t have any one to sit and do analysis for us, so now that we have time, I’m doing some analysis of our performance. I am jotting down points, about areas where I can improve. I started with my matches and then other players on tour,” Ashwini, who represented India at the London and Rio Olympic Games, told PTI.

“You can always watch and analyse and understand the patterns but it is different when you see things on paper. It is more concrete. So trying to set up a complete database. My brother will help me out. He made an app for me in the past.”

Ashwini and Sikki fell at the first hurdle 13 times in 20 tournaments last year, and exited from the second round thrice.

Ashwini also picked up a calf injury during the Syed Modi International but the duo was still confident of qualifying by performing well in the remaining Olympic qualifiers.

But with Badminton World Federation (BWF) cancelling all tournaments due to the pandemic, their fate remains uncertain.

“The problem is we don’t know the new BWF rules regarding the qualification. There is one year left now, you can’t take a two-year-old performance to select for Olympics, it has to be present performance, so we have to wait,” said Sikki.

“In badminton, there is a ranking cut off, so how will they accommodate the cancelled qualifiers, how will they count the ranking points, everything is too messed up now,” she added.

Sikki and Ashwini had reached the finals at Hyderabad Open Super 100 and Maldives International Challenge, last year.

The Indian pair is ranked 28th and will need to be inside top-16 on April 29, 2021 — the new Olympic cut off date.

Ashwini said: “Me and Sikki were confident of doing well in the 4-5 tournaments left but now no one knows what would be the criteria of Olympic qualification and BWF can’t really say anything with things changing every moment.”

They are using the coronavirus-forced break to learn cooking, besides doing some wall practice and exercises for physical fitness.

Talking about the effects of the lockdown on mental health, Sikki said: “We have been travelling a lot all these years and now for a month, we are at home, it is fine. But what if it is for 2-3 months, then it will get tough to stay away from the game.

“So it is important to stay motivated till the lockdown is lifted because you will be in a comfortable zone in the break and then all of a sudden you will need to push yourself.”

Ashwini added: ”…now that Olympics have been postponed, nothing is certain and it is tough, you have to be really strong.”

The economic fallout has hit sports hard and Ashwini said badminton too will be affected.

“It will hit in terms of sponsors, in terms of tournaments being conducted because countries need sponsors to host events, and after this, I’m not sure what the economic status of many countries would be.

“The way things are, it is will be tough to host tournaments, it will not be easy for countries to have tournaments with many big companies shut and struggling to survive,” she signed off.

source: http://www.sportstar.thehindu.com / Sportstar / Home> Badminton / by PTI / New Delhi – April 15th, 2020

CNC Celebrates Edmyar-1 Kodava New Year Day By Ploughing Paddy Fields

April 15, 2020Agriculture, Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Famous Personalities of Kodagu / Coorg, Green Initiatives / Environment, Nature, Records, Alladmin

Madikeri:

Codava National Council (CNC), which is aspiring for Codavaland Geo-Political Autonomy and ST tag for Kodava tribalism, celebrated its 26th Annual Codava (Kodava) New Year Day Edmyar-1 as per Kodava tribal almanac by ritualistic ploughing of paddy fields.

CNC President N. U. Nachappa offered prayers to Guru-Karonas at Koopadira clan and reverential prayers to Mother Earth, Sun, Moon before two bullocks named Karianna – Kulla, ploughed a few rounds in the wetlands of Koopadira clan.

To herald the unbreakable bondage of Kodava tribal world with mother soil to entire universe, CNC is determined to showcase and display the age-old folkloric cultural traits and genus of Kodava tribal ancestry. In other words, all these ancient festivities enriched the civilisation of Kodava martial tribe.

CNC also prayed for the well-being of all the people of this world that is reeling under the pandemic COVID-19. Koopadira Sabu, Koopadira Mohan Muthanna, Lt. Col. Parvathi, Kompulira Myna Purandara and Koopadira Pranam participated in the celebrations.

Due to Corona pandemic, CNC’s Annual Edmyar-1 evening’s torchlight (pombolak) procession at Gonikoppal, is not being celebrated today. Speaking on the occasion, Nachappa said, “All Codava folkloric festivities and rituals mirror the agro-pastoral commitment, hunting skills and warrior hood of Codava tribal folk from time immemorial which depicts that we are above the tenets of caste and religion who are living in the rustic hills, mountainous terrain in the midst of rivers and rivulets.”

“We are happy that the Founding Father of the Constitution of India, Dr. B. R. Ambedkar’s birthday coincides with Codava New Year. We are ever grateful to Dr. Ambedkar for his yeomen contribution of accommodating space for expressing grievances of micro-minority tribes like Codava tribe,” he observed.

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> Covid News / April 14th, 2020

Telemedicine fever clinic launched in Kodagu

April 15, 2020Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Business & Economy, Inspiration / Positive News and Features, Records, All, Science & Technologyadmin

The district administration has launched an online telemedicine fever clinic, for consultation with doctors.

The website is www.kodaguedoc.letstart.in

A control room has also been set up with a doctor and the number is 9480610807.

People having fever and other symptoms of Covid-19 can log into the website and register. Later, with the help of the registration ID number, the person should call the control room number.

The doctor in the control room will obtain the registration ID and will prescribe the medicine through the website.

The person should later log into the website again and download the prescription and consult the doctor online.

The website will be operational soon, Deputy Commissioner Annies Kanmani Joy said.

source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> State> Karnataka Districts / by DHNS / April 15th, 2020

Judge inspects facilities in hospital

April 13, 2020Inspiration / Positive News and Features, Records, All, Science & Technologyadmin

District and Sessions Judge V V Mallapura and Legal Services Authority Member Secretary Noorunnisa visited district hospital in Madikeri.

District and Sessions Judge V V Mallapura and Legal Services Authority Member Secretary Noorunnisa visited the district hospital and Ashwini Hospital in Madikeri and inspected the facilities at the hospitals.

The judge collected details about the measures taken to check the spread of Covid-19 from doctors, paramedical staff and nurses.

Following the directions of the High Court, the judge also gathered information on stock of medicines, masks, hand gloves, sanitisers and ventilators at the hospitals.

Kodagu Institute of Medical Sciences Dean Dr Cariappa and others were present.

source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> State> Mangaluru / by DHNS, Madikeri / April 11th, 2020

Good Friday observed inside houses

April 12, 2020Arts, Culture & Entertainmentadmin

People pray at their residence in Kodagu on the occasion of Good Friday.

People observed Good Friday in their houses in Kodagu as no masses were held in the Churches, owing to the Covid-19 outbreak. The day marks the sacrifice of Jesus.

Devotees offered prayers in their houses, as directed by the Bishop. Prayers were performed by the priest at St Antony Church in Suntikoppa, in the absence of people.

In some Churches, the prayers were broadcast live on social media.

St Sebastian Church, St Annamma Church and other churches wore a deserted look.

In Chikkamagaluru

Churches have started conducting prayer services online to encouraging people to stay at home following the Covid-19 outbreak. Catholics observed Good Friday by praying inside the house itself.

Following the lockdown, mass prayer was cancelled in churches. The church gates remained closed to prevent the entry of devotees.

A candle was lit in front of the statue of Jesus as part of Good Friday. All the religious rituals inside the church were streamed live using YouTube.

source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> State> Mangaluru / by DHNS, Kodagu/Chikkamagaluru / April 10th, 2020

For safe collection of throat swab samples from patients

April 11, 2020Records, All, Science & Technologyadmin

COVID-19 hospital in Madikeri gets novel sample collection kiosk; doctors claim it saves on the use of one-time PPE kits by the sample collector

In a bid to make collection of throat swabs from persons with COVID-19 symptoms secure, a walk-in sample kiosk for the collection of samples has been developed in the COVID-19 hospital of the Kodagu Institute of Medical Sciences (KIMS) in Madikeri.

The box-shaped see-through structure has been set up in a separate room at the hospital’s isolation ward where a health worker collects samples from each person from inside the protected compartment, without exposing himself or herself to the patient.

A pair of gloves is attached to the booth from outside through which the sample is drawn. This evades the person from wearing a Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) kit to collect the sample as the kiosk’s protective shield minimises the use of PPEs during sample collection, a doctor claimed.

The waste generated from the use of the one-time kit was reduced as well.

The frontline medical worker enters the kiosk under protection wearing mask, gloves and shoes as per the sample collection guidelines and inserts his or her hands into the sticking out gloves. The patient with symptoms will be sitting on a chair in front of the gloves. Using the collection tubes, the throat secretions are collected. The patient has to throw the disposable items into the dustbin kept next to the kiosk before leaving the sample collection room.

After each patient gives his or her throat secretion, the room is disinfected and the gloves are changed before the next patient gets in. The sanitizing is done by a person wearing PPE.

KIMS Director and Dean K.B. Cariappa told The Hindu that the kiosk gives a kind of confidence to the health worker collecting the sample from the patient since the cabin had a sealed protective shield.

“The kiosk saves on the PPE kits used while collecting the samples. If necessary, the health worker can also wear the PPE kit for additional safety. Even without the kit, the kiosk is safe and prevents the possible threats of infection,” he said.

The kiosk in Madikeri has been set up at a cost of ₹20,000.

The teaching hospital of KIMS has been converted into the 250-bed COVID-19 hospital and the in-patients of the hospital (non-COVID-19 cases) had been shifted to a private hospital taken over by the district administration in view of the pandemic.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States / byShankar Bennur / Mysuru – April 10th, 2020

Koodige dairy supplies milk to 3,000 families free of cost

April 10, 2020Business & Economy, Inspiration / Positive News and Features, Records, Alladmin

Koodige dairy near Kushalnagar. DH Photo

Koodige milk dairy in Somwarpet taluk, which is a branch of Hassan Milk Producers Union Ltd, has been supplying milk to 3,000 families in the district free of cost.

Financially deprived people who are affected by the lockdown will benefit from the scheme.

Koodige dairy has been supplying 860 litres of milk to Madikeri, 656 litres to Virajpet, 685 litres to Kushalnagar and 715 litres to Somwarpet.

The free supply of milk started from April 4 and will continue till the end of the lockdown, said Koodige dairy marketing officer Mallesh.

Currently, free milk is supplied to destitutes, migrating labourers and construction workers. Health inspectors, civic workers and volunteers from the Red Cross have been supplying milk to the houses, under the supervision of taluk level officers, he said.

MLA Appachu Ranjan, while distributing free milk to people in Kushalnagar on Wednesday, said that the district is now free of Covid-19 as the person infected by the disease has been cured.

However, it is mandatory for everyone to follow the rules of lockdown, he added.

source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> State> Mangaluru / by DHNS, Kushalnagar / April 09th, 2020

Assistance sought from DCC bank for coffee growers

April 9, 2020Business & Economy, Coffee, Kodagu (Coorg), Famous Personalities of Kodagu / Coorgadmin

Coffee Growers Association President M B Devaiah said that the association will make proper arrangements for the storage of coffee if the District Central Cooperative Bank provides a loan of Rs 1 crore.

Addressing reporters in Madikeri on Wednesday, he said that following the lockdown, coffee growers in the district are not able to sell the coffee they have cultivated.

He further said that the raw coffee has not been supplied to the coffee processing unit in Hunsur, in the required quantity.

“Therefore, coffee warehouses have been given to coffee growers on rental basis, to store coffee. Still, there is a shortage of warehouses. A request has been made to provide APMC godowns in Madikeri and Gonikoppa for the growers to store coffee, free of cost.

Also, there is a requirement of an interest free loan of Rs 1 crore, through the DCC bank. The chief minister should come to the rescue of coffee growers,” he said and added that transport facility should be provided from Hunsur.

source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> State> Karnataka Districts / by DHNS, Madikeri / April 08th, 2020

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