KM Cariappa was the first Field Marshal of the Indian Army in independent India who was made the Chief of Army Staff on 15 January 1949. He started his job with the appointment of a Second Lieutenant in the Rajput Regiment of the Indian-British Army. Along with being the first army chief, Cariappa was the first five star rank officer of the Indian Army. KM Cariappa served the country by serving in the army for 30 years and retired in 1953. But it was not at all that after retirement he stopped his service. Even after retiring, he continued to contribute to the army in one form or the other. On 15 May 1993, KM Cariappa merged with the Panchatattvas.
There is a very popular story about KM Cariappa when he told Pakistan not to release his son and treat him like other prisoners of war. But why did he say this, let us know. The talk is about the 1965 war when it was the last day of the Indo-Pak war. On this day Squadron Leaders KC Cariappa, AS Sehgal and Kukke Suresh were given orders to bomb Pakistani positions. But in the first round of bombing, Pakistani soldiers attacked the aircraft of AS Sehdal with anti-aircraft guns. Although AS Sehgal survived the attack, he had to go back to the base camp.
After his departure, KC Cariappa and Kukke remained in the field and were busy destroying the positions of their enemies. But in the meantime Cariappa’s plane became a victim of continuous Pakistani bullets. Cariappa’s plane got damaged and landed like a ball of fire in Indian territory but Cariappa’s body fell on Pakistan side. After falling, Pakistani soldiers surrounded him and took him into custody. When KC Cariappa was caught, he was asked if he was a relative of KM Cariappa, he told the Pakistanis only his name and rank.
As soon as the President of Pakistan Ayub Khan came to know that KM Cariappa’s son had been taken into custody by Pakistan, he immediately made an announcement over the radio that KM Cariappa’s son had been taken into custody. He conveyed information to KM Cariappa through the Pakistani High Commissioner in India that his son could be released if he wanted, but KM Cariappa, a firm believer in his principles, refused. He said that KC Cariappa is not only his son but the whole country, so he should also be treated like other prisoners of war, but if he wants to leave then other prisoners of war will also have to be released. Other prisoners of war are also like my sons. KC Cariappa remained in the custody of Pakistan for several days and was later released along with other prisoners.
source: http://www.newsdayexpress.com / Newsday Express / Home> Career / by Bhagyashree / August 17th, 2022
Stylist Prasad Bidapa and model Irene Augustin talk about what Independence Day means to them and how they plan to celebrate it.
From the chance to indulge in a long weekend to celebrating national pride – each of us has a different meaning for Independence Day. Taking a cue from this, we talked to two celebrities in Bengaluru about what Independence Day means to them and how they plan to celebrate it.
For city-based Fashion choreographer and stylist Prasad Bidapa, Independence Day is an occasion to honour our freedom fighters. He said, “What is Independence Day without remembering all the great men and women who have fought for our independence?” He extended his gratitude towards freedom fighters, from Mahatma Gandhi and Rani Laxmibai to Subhash Chandra Bose and many other unsung heroes, whose contributions have guaranteed the liberty with which we walk as free citizens of this nation.
In a similar spirit, Bengaluru-based model Irene Augustin expressed her gratitude towards the freedom fighters who had sacrificed their lives to safeguard our liberty. When asked about her plans for the day, she said, “I’m gonna be celebrating Independence Day by hoisting the flag in the morning and going to work and following my passion because I can do that. Thanks for the freedom fighters and thanks to being independent.”
source: http://www.indulgexpress.com / The Indulge Express – The New Indian Express / Home> Culture / by Prattusa Mallick / August 15th, 2022
The Annual General Body Meeting (AGM) of Kodava Samaja will be held on Sept.18 (Sunday) at 10.30 am at Gurumane Hall of Kodava Samaja, Vijayanagar 1st Stage in city.
Samaja President Mechanda M. Shashi Ponnappa will preside, according to a press release from Samaja Hon. Secretary Mukkatira B. Jeevan.
source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> In Briefs / August 18th, 2022
The 16th Annual General Body Meeting (AGM) and get-together of Gokulam Kodava Sangha was held on Aug. 7 at Kodava Samaja (Ground Floor), Gen. K.S. Thimayya Road, Vijayanagar 1st Stage, Mysuru.
Sangha President Nayakanda U. Appaya presided. On the occasion, Sangha members’ children who have excelled in the field of education and achievers were felicitated.
Sangha Secretary Mynda-panda A. Thimmanna read the annual report while Treasurer Chendanda Navin Aiyappa presented the financial report.
On the occasion, Ammatanda K. Chinnappa was unanimously elected as the new President of Gokulam Kodava Sangha.
Annarkanda Prathima Thimmaiah compered and conducted games along with Pulianda Narien Uthaiah.
Committee Member Bollachanda Jhansi Subbaiah rendered the invocation. The get-together concluded with a cultural programme by Prathima and troupe which enthralled the gathering.
source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore /Home> News / August 18th, 2022
Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai has released a grant of Rs. 1 crore towards the celebration of Madikeri Dasara.
MLA M.P. Appachu Ranjan had requested the Chief Minister to announce funds for Madikeri Dasara and the CM subsequently recommended the Finance Department to release the grants. The CM also released Rs. 50 lakh for Gonikoppa Dasara.
The Dasara Committee, which was facing a fund crunch as there was no significant contribution from people or corporates, is elated by the grants and is planning to celebrate the festival in a grand manner.
A delegation led by Virajpet MLA K.G. Bopaiah met the CM yesterday in Bengaluru and requested him to sanction funds which were agreed upon.
Gonikoppa Sri Cauvery Dasara Committee Honorary President and former ZP Member C.K. Bopanna, B.N. Prakash, Gonikoppa Sri Cauvery Dasara Committee President Ramakrishna and General Secretary Jimma Subbaiah were present.
source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> News / August 18th, 2022
The Annual Kail-Poldh Festival get-together will be held on Sept. 11 (Sunday) from 9 am to 5 pm at Kodava Samaja premises in Vijayanagar 1st Stage here.
The day-long programme comprises Ayudha Puja, Sports and Games, Lucky Dip, Honouring eminent Kodavas and distribution of Scholarship to meritorious children. In all, 42 scholarships will be awarded to Kodava students who have studied in Mysuru and passed the respective exams.
Details of Scholarship:
Highest scorers in final exam of 7th Std., SSLC (English), SSLC (CBSE), SSLC (Economically Weaker Section), PUC, BA, B.Com., B.Sc. (Computer Science/Maths), BBM, MBA, Law, MA, M.Com., M.Sc., (PCM/CBZ); BE, BE (Mech), BE (Arch), BE (Computer Science), BDS, MBBS, B.Sc./M.Sc. (Ag.), Diploma in Commercial (Secretarial) Practice, Best sports students in PUC; CBSE XI & XII and ICSE I & II; SSLC (CBSE)
Highest marks in Science; PG in Medicine, MD or MS;
Achievers in Sports at State-level, Graduation in Home Science or Hotel Management; Highest marks in SSLC for Kodava Police Family, Sportsperson in Kodava Police Family representing University of Mysore, must be Kodava Samaja Members.
Applications for the award of Scholarship and Honouring of eminent Kodava Members of Samaja for their achievements in various fields should be sent to Hon. Secretary, Kodava Samaja, Mysuru, to reach before Sept. 2 by 5 pm along with Xerox copies of relevant marks card, certificates, family name and contact phone/mobile number.
source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> News / August 17th, 2022
A new bilingual title of 21 poems deep-dives into the culture and literature of Coorg, hoping to become a tool to revive their language after UNESCO listed it as a Definitely Endangered Language.
Duditaptkaras, bards of Kodagu, singing traditional songs of the land
“Come and see the ainmanes of old where our ancestors lived as one.”
This line is extracted from Ainmane, a poem in A Place Apart: Poems from Kodagu, by Bacharanianda P Appanna, is dedicated to one’s ancestral home and sums up the core of this seminal literary project. For the first time, poetry by this authority on Kodava takkë (language of the Kodavas) has been translated and transliterated into English by cultural researcher Kaveri Ponnnapa. Apart from home, family, culture and tradition, forest and prayer are the other subjects from everyday life that find their way here.
The language spoken by an estimated 1.25 lakh Kodavas, it was listed by UNESCO as a Definitely Endangered Language. With her studied knowledge, Ponnapa swung into action to resurrect the language of her community. She collaborated with Appanna and his wife Ranu, an educator and poet, and together they released this ode. In the transliterations that appear in the third section of the book, Ponnapa uses the Roman script to relay Appanna’s poetry and creates an exhaustive glossary, thereby paving the way to familiarise it to the larger audience. This was after she realised that it was easy to read for Kodava speakers like her and those with limited or no knowledge of the Kannada script. The accompanying illustrations by Rupesh Nanaiah act as cultural markers of identity and though they are not directly illustrative, the essence of what it means to be Kodava reflects through this seamless symphony of poetry and art, making each poem read like a love letter about the land and its people.
Edited excerpts from an interview with Ponnapa.
What led to Kodava takkë being identified as one of UNESCO’s listed Definitely Endangered Languages of the world? There are multiple, complex reasons why our language finds itself in this position today, including the lack of good educational facilities and economic opportunities for Kodagu [Coorg], its people. The young continue to migrate out of the district. When this happens, there are far greater pressures for them to learn and use a dominant language such as English to secure their place in a new environment. Historically, the Kodava population has been extremely small. This kind of migration for an already small population implies that ultimately, we have an even smaller number of speakers.
The second contributing factor is that ours was an oral tradition. The historical method of oral transmission broke down to be replaced with formal education using the Kannada script, which was then also used to write Kodava takkë. It has limited the expansion of the language to those with access to a Kannada education. The diaspora in particular, who do not have the opportunity to learn Kannada, have no access to written works in their language which would enrich and expand their knowledge of Kodava takkë and encourage them to keep up with their mother tongue.
A woman carrying poliya, a basket of assorted food items which seals a new relationship between two clans at a marriage ceremony; (right) Stag horn dance of Kodagu. Hunting, a sacred activity, was once an integral part of life. These dances exist to this day. Pics courtesy/Kaveri Ponnapa
What did you discover while working on the project? I was deeply struck by how the language ideally expressed our specific experiences as a people, and like so many aspects of our culture, was embedded in the landscape, which we hold sacred. Appanna was born and lived in Kodagu when it was still an independent state, when our cultural identity was more strongly defined. His understanding and knowledge of the Kodava language, culture and landscape makes him an invaluable repository of our heritage, a great deal of which has passed into history, but needs to be documented for our future.
Since we were dealing with poetry and song—the traditional ways in which all our cultural knowledge was transmitted across generations—it was fascinating to explore the rhythms of unfamiliar poetic expressions spun out of familiar words, which, in the simplest of ways, became capable of expressing a great deal of meaning and emotion.
Ross Perlin of the Endangered Languages Alliance, had observed: “It’s hard to maintain the full richness, depth and complexity of a culture without its languages.” This depth and richness was revealed while writing the book.
All of Bacharanianda P Appanna’s writing projects are collaborative efforts with his wife Ranu Appanna
How did you overcome challenges of translations and transliterations? The use of the Kannada script for Kodava takkë comes with a series of compromises and challenges, reflected in a loss of linguistic nuance, loss of vocabulary as well as distinct changes in pronunciation and speech for the Kodava language.
While transcribing the words of the poems, many of them sounded different from the original. People habituated to viewing Kodava takkë through the lens of Kannada find it difficult to make a shift, and are content to stay with inaccurate renderings, until the nature of the language itself changes. It took repeated readings, clarifications, and consultations with the Appannas, as well as other native speakers and elders before setting anything down on paper.
Creating audio recordings—which will soon be accessible on my website—was another important way to access the linguistic sounds and rhythms that are lost when written in a script that cannot encompass many of its sounds.
Kaveri Ponnapa
How can Kodava takkë stay alive? One of the ways is to provide a more universally accessible script that is available to the greatest number of speakers. This is where Romanisation comes in. The idea of the transliteration came from my personal experience of being part of the diaspora, and despite being a fluent speaker, having no means to enter into the written works in my language to be able to expand my cultural and linguistic knowledge.
To order a copy : www.coorg.com
source: http://www.mid-day.com / mid-day / Home> Sunday Mid-Day News / by Fiona Fernandez, Mumbai / May 22nd, 2022
The day India attained freedom is etched in my memory. I was a young boy then. My friends and I were playing on the ground behind the revenue office in Ponnampet, a small town in South Kodagu. Even in the 1940s, the town was important as it had primary and secondary schools, a revenue office, a treasury, a police station, a veterinary hospital, an inspection bungalow, a club and rice mills.
It was around noon when we heard patriotic slogans drifting from the road across the police station — ‘Bharat Mata ki -Jai, Mahatma Gandhi ki – Jai, Jawaharlal Nehru ki – Jai, Vallabhbhai Patel ki – Jai; Vande Mataram’. My friend Ponnappa, about four years older than me, and I rushed towards the road, leaving others in the field.
What a sight! About 8-10 open trucks and a few cars, all held up on the road. Trucks were decorated with flags and buntings and filled with people waving flags and shouting slogans, which raised to a crescendo! An unusual scene in the otherwise sleepy Ponnampet. We joined the onlookers lining up on either sides of the narrow road.
To our surprise, two elderly boys in the truck in front of us, called us to come nearer to the vehicle. As Ponnappa approached the vehicle, the boys signalled to raise his hands. They then bent over and gently pulled him up into the truck. When my turn came, I was reluctant but Ponnappa egged me on to join. We were nervous until the others assured us that we would be dropped off at the same spot on the return journey. We too joined others in shouting ‘Jai’.
The procession moved slowly towards the town centre, greeted and cheered by the crowds on the way. It then reached Ramakrishna Ashram, on the outskirts of the town. Many went inside the Ashram, probably to seek blessings from the gurus. Our guardians helped us to get off the truck, but instructed to stay nearer to the vehicle. We were glued to our vehicle lest we miss our return journey. An hour later, our guardians returned with two donnes filled with delicious payasam. Soon the procession was on its way back. It crossed the town centre and was moving towards the club. Then, on instructions from our friends, the vehicle stopped, and we were dropped off where we started. We heaved a big sigh of relief. We waved our friends good bye.
Now, a greater fear gripped us — how to face our parents since we disappeared without their permission. Wishing each other good luck, we parted ways. To my great surprise, at my house, instead of an angry face, a happy smile of my parents welcomed me. Perhaps, they thought their young son could participate in the very first Independence day celebration.
Every August 15, my memory goes back to Ponnampet and revisits the first Independence Day celebration. ’Bharat Mata ki – Jai, Mahatma Gandhi ki – Jai, Vande Mataram’ resonates in my ears. I pay my grateful thanks without fail to the two unknown friends who made that unique day possible.
Long live India!
source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> Opinion> Right in the Middle / by Odiyanda K Muthappa / August 15th, 2022
The troops and peasants controlled the Amara Sullia region, Puttur, Bantwal and Mangaluru for nearly 13 days. (Photo credit: Twitter/ @girishalva)
Historians say the foundation for the Amara Sullia Uprising was laid in the early 1830s.
Highlights
In 1834, Chikka Veera Rajendra of the Haleri dynasty, the king of Kodagu, was deposed by the British
After capturing the entire Mangalore city, the British Union Jack was lowered and the rebel flag was hoisted
Many are unaware of Coastal Karnataka’s role in the fight against the British: Dayananda Kathalsar
Bengaluru:
In 1837, 20 years before the 1857 Sepoy Mutiny – the First War of Indian Independence – and nearly a hundred years prior to the Civil Disobedience Movement, the people of coastal Karnataka and Kodagu led an armed rebellion against the British and were successful in holding the port city of Mangalore (now Mangaluru) and other regions for nearly 13 days before the rebellion was crushed.
Dr Peter Wilson Prabhakar, a renowned historian from Dakshina Kannada, who narrated the timeline of events of the Amara Sullia Uprising to News9 opines that the foundation for the uprising against the British was built in the early 1830s.
In 1834, Kodagu king Chikka Veera Rajendra of the Haleri dynasty was deposed by the British leading to an immediate revolt in the region. (The British controlled Dakshina Kannada – South Canara – after Tipu Sultan’s death in 1799, while Kodagu was an independent state until 1834).
Swamy Aparampara started the revolt in Kodagu along with Hulikaadida (the one who killed a tiger) Nanjayya. But within two weeks, Aparampara was arrested in Manjarabad and hanged.
Another revolt led by Kalyanaswamy in 1835, who claimed to be a descendant of the former king of Kodagu, was crushed by the British. He was imprisoned and hanged to death in 1836.
This is when soldiers, who belonged to the army of Chikka Veera Rajendra, chose one among them named Putta Basappa and presented him as Kalyanaswamy to the people. They needed a figurehead as the real Kalyanaswamy was dead.
The soldiers trained Putta Basappa at a hill in Kodagu and presented him to the public as Kalyanaswamy.
Varying reasons for rebellion in South Canara-Kodagu
While the invasion of Kodagu resulted in a rebellion in the region, for the people of Sullia and Puttur in Dakshina Kannada the administration and revenue changes made by the British lit the fire.
“Earlier the Amara Sullia and Puttur Magane (revenue divisions) were under the control of the king of Kodagu. In 1834, it was separated from Kodagu and added into the Canara district,” Prabhakar told News9.
Earlier, in 1830-31, the British had made a major change to tax collection.
“Up to the 1830s, the revenue tax was in kind (payment in the form of goods like pepper etc). But in 1830-31, the people were asked to pay tax in cash and not in kind,” the historian said.
The high tax was a burden on the people, which sparked agitation.
“Separation of Sullia and Puttur from Kodagu, high taxes and payment in cash instead of kind, were the main reasons,” he added.
Before the rebellion in Kodagu in 1834, due to the imposition of these high taxes and change in the revenue system, there was a rebellion in South Canara.
It was popularly called “Koots” – meaning a group – rebellion. Almost the present Kasaragod, Dakshina Kannada and Udupi revolted against the British in 1830-31.
“While the Civil Disobedience Movement by Mahatma Gandhiji began in 1930, a hundred years before in South Canara, the no tax movement was started,” Prabhakar said.
1837 – The Amara Sullia Dange (Uprising)
In 1837, when the soldiers of Chikka Veera Rajendra, led by Kalyanaswamy (Putta Basappa) along with the people of Kodagu started moving towards Sullia. They travelled through the Bisle Ghat and not through the present route of Sampaje.
Through the ghats, the troops first entered Bellare and destroyed the British Treasury in Bangle Gudde.
The British Treasury in Bellare. (Photo credit: Anindith Gowda Kochi Baarike through a special arrangement)
After that, the troops were divided into three divisions. One was sent to Dharmasthala and Uppinangady. Another was sent to Kasaragod and Kumble.
The third division was sent to Puttur, through Bellare and Kumbra.
The first battle between the troops of Kalyanaswamy and the British took place on March 30, 1837, on the outskirts of Puttur.
The British were defeated. Those who survived retreated to Mangalore (presently known as Mangaluru) – it was where the British Collector was seated.
On March 31, the British Treasury in Puttur and the entire city were under the control of the peasants and soldiers led by Kalyanaswamy.
On April 5, the troops, who had gained military aid from the kings of Vittla and Belthangady, entered the port city of Mangalore and started capturing the city.
At the time the district headquarters of the British was located at the present-day Balmatta. After destroying the British buildings and plundering the district treasury, the entire Mangalore city area was captured.
The troops controlled the Amara Sullia region, Puttur, Bantwal and Mangalore for nearly 13 days. The British Union Jack was lowered and the rebel flag was hoisted in Bavuta Gudde – the hill with the flag – in Mangaluru.
This is also noted in the Dakshina Kannada District Gazetteer. Many believe the flag to be of the Haleri dynasty since the troops belonged to the Kodagu king Chikka Veera Rajendra.
Rebellion crushed by the British
The rebellion angered the British, who brought in reinforcements from Bombay and Madras Presidency.
The British then crushed the rebellion led by Kalyanaswamy and the peasants of the Amara Sullia and the surrounding regions. The movement was labelled by the British as the loot of Kalyanappa – Kalyanappana Katakayi – to lower its significance in the region.
“Kalyanaswamy, Beeranna Banta, Guddemane Appayya and Laxmappa Banga Arasa – the king of Nadavara – were hanged to death in present-day Bikarnakatte in Mangaluru,” historian Prabhakar said.
The others, who were captured, were deported to Singapore and other islands.
Anindith Gowda Kochi Baarike, who has authored the book on the uprising titled Recalling Amara Sulya that will be published soon, told News9 that not many know that in May-July 1837, a court marshall took place and the people who led the uprising were charged with treason.
“It was not a mutiny. It was a mass movement led by the people of the region,” he added.
Rich history forgotten
Many are unaware of the rich history of coastal Karnataka and its role in the fight against the British, says Dayananda Kathalsar, the president of the Karnataka Tulu Sahitya Academy.
“All the youth should love their mother tongue. Tulu, the ancient Dravidian language spoken by people in coastal Karnataka, should be included in the 8th schedule of the Constitution of India,” Kathalsar told News9.
Now, a ‘youth revolution’ for the Tulu language, Kathalsar added, is underway in Mangaluru.
“Nearly 25,000 people in Mangaluru have learned Tulu and its script after a ‘revolutionary’ effort by youth of the region,” he added.
“This shows that when the youth are led in the right directions, the impossible can be achieved.”
Kochi Baarike, the author of Recalling Amara Sulya, said that several areas in present coastal Karnataka could be called the “cradle of the Indian freedom movement”.
“Despite a mass movement, they were charged with treason. And till we got independence in 1947 – 110 years after the uprising – there was no avenue to discuss this,” Kochi Baarike said.
“The least we could do now is document what happened,” he added.
(Note: The timeline of the events of the Amara Sullia Uprising has been reported in this feature as narrated by historian Peter Wilson Prabhakar)
source: http://www.news9live.com / News Nine / Home> State> Karnataka / by Prajwal D’Souza / August 14th, 2022
The iconic Pandicurry is the most emblematic and popular food people identify from Coorg. But the kadi (good food) and kudi (liquor) of the Kodava region in Karnataka are as wide and wild as they could get.
The Kodava Cuisine
“Pandicurry please!”
The allure of the tangy-spicy curry keeps calling me back to Coorg, every time. Of course, I am a lover of coffee too but if I were baring my heart to you, I would tell you that pork takes precedence every time I visit the Scotland of South India. No other style of pork has made such an impact, not even the sorpotel!
Let’s agree that the iconic Pandicurry is the most emblematic and popular food people identify from Coorg. But the kadi (good food) and kudi (liquor) of the Kodava region in Karnataka are as wide and wild as they could get. From wild mangoes and mushrooms to tender bamboo shoots, the food here is full of organic ingredients that establish its supremacy over other cuisines emerging from the state.
Wild Mushrooms
In this context, it’s important to mention that Coorg was in fact a state itself, landlocked and rich with biodiversity that attracted foreign attention almost immediately when the British came to India. Ruled as a kingdom established originally by the Nayakas, the state was self-sufficient and housed a clan-based community of warrior tribes. It was the hunted boar, that actually led to the pandi curry’s foundation.
For centuries Coorg was quite inaccessible, a landlocked region. It explains the heavy reliance on locally sourced ingredients. On a recent visit to the Evolve Back Coorg which sits pretty in a 300-acre coffee plantation and traces the traditions of the valley efficiently, I found peppercorn growing carelessly creeping around jackfruit, silver oak and mango trees among the robusta coffee the estate produces.
Robusta Coffee
For the uninitiated, Coorg is also the rice bowl of Karnataka, it grows in abundance here thanks to plenty of rains and rich soil composition. Upon finding The variety of rice items alone is quite humbling at The Granary, the main restaurant at Evolve Back so I had to turn to a specialist who could explain better. Sudhansu Sekhar Jena, the senior sous chef helps me out – “Kadambuttu, Thaliya Puttu, Paaputtu, Noolputtu, Koovale Puttu and various seasonal pickles are signature dishes of Coorg cuisine, just to name a few,” he explained.
While small dumplings of steamed broken rice make the Kadambuttu, Noolputtu is a fine lump of pressed rice noodles and what makes Paputtu stand out is the addition of coconut milk and a dash of shredded coconut which is steamed together with rice. With this newly acquired knowledge, I settled for lunch with paputtus and a delicious koli curry (chicken curry).
Sudhansu Sekhar Jena , Senior Sous Chef – F&B Production, Evolve Back Coorg, shares the recipe of Paputtu and also tells the detials of the dish.Paputtu is generally known as palputtu ( pal means milk and puttu is steamed rice cakes). It’s made of akki thari (coarse ground rice rava), grated coconut, salt and water. It’s steamed in a special kind of steamer called sekala and goes very well with non-veg curries.
Ingredients:
2 cups thari or coarse rice rava 1 – 1 1/2 cups fresh grated coconut 2 cups whole milk / light coconut milk 2 cups water 1 tsp cardamom powder Salt to taste Oil to grease
METHOD:
Wash the rice thari and soak for 1/2 an hour in the 2 cups of water. Add the milk, cardamom and salt and mix well. Squeeze the freshly grated coconut to extract a little milk and add it all to the mixture. Grease the plates with little oil. Pour the prepared mixture into the greased plates till two-thirds full to allow room for the thari to expand. Divide equally between plates and steam for 25-30 minutes or until done. The puttu should look firm, with no soggy bits in the centre. Cover the plates with a clean tea cloth and allow the puttu to cool a little before cutting them into pieces.
Clean & wash Crabs, add salt, and turmeric powder, and keep aside. In a vessel heat oil, add chopped garlic, mustard seeds, ginger julienne, slit green chilli, and curry leaves. Then add onion slice and fry till light brown, add sliced tomato and all Masala powder, salt and little water and sauté till oil comes up. Now add coconut paste & simmer gently, cooking till coconut paste is well cooked. Then add Crabs and salt, and bring to Cooked. When Crabs are tender, remove them from the fire, add temper and serve.
For tempering:
Heat a little oil and add mustard seed, curry leaves, and red chilli whole. when mustard seed crackles pour into the Crabs Masala. Serve hot.
Monsoon brings even more joy for the tribe that used to be reliant on hunting-gathering in forms of mud crabs and fresh fish from the opulent rivers running through the forests of Kodagu. Mahseer, rohu, tilapia, katla, giant gourami are some of the fish which can be caught in river Cauvery, India’s fourth largest and the lifeline to this side of the peninsula.
Anjali Ganapathy, a Chef who calls herself an armchair ethnographist, has been tracing and presenting Coorg cuisine at her estate home, after running a successful catering service in Bengaluru for years. I reach out to her for more information and trivia.
“Traditionally we were hunters”, Ganapathy affirms.
“Our farms and forests had no boundaries and weaponry such as firearms and machetes were a part of every household. They were used for protection as well as hunting to provide for the family,” she tells me. It was the norm.
Meat from wild boar, venison and wild fowl came from the forests according to Ganapathy and though fast disappearing, mud crabs, river and paddy-field fish can still be found in a Coorg home kitchen, she informs. Bush meat has been replaced by commercially available chicken, mutton and pork.
I wanted to taste the Kaad Maange curry (wild mango curry) but Sudhansu informed me that the season just got over. Ruefully I decide that it’s never too late to plan another visit to Coorg. So I head to the Sidapur Coffee & Culture Museum to sharpen my coffee knowledge instead, since it is housed within the property. Welcoming a group of excited guests, Jenny starts her session with a smile and a question – “How many of you know the difference between Arabica and Robusta?
Assisted by a very skilled Barista, we embark on an aromatic journey of coffee produced in the estate, presented in a variety of concoctions including the famous Moroccan Nous-Nous (half and half) edition and Vietnamese Cold Coffee (with condensed milk to sweeten it). The beauty of a great coffee is not the design you see, but the firmness of the froth that doesn’t allow a spoon to dip, Jenny informed us with a demonstration. After six shots of coffee, I am convinced that I shall never have instant coffee again.
I still don’t know what makes the curry of the pandicurry, so I head back to Peppercorn, the specialty restaurant by the lake at Evolve Back to sit down with the sous chef.
What follows is a deep dive into the organic ingredients that make Kodava cuisine a secret.
A unique souring ingredient, Kachampuli, (Coorg’s version of a Balsamic/black vinegar) is extracted from the ripe fruits of the Garcinia Gummi Gutta tree, commonly known as Brindle berry or Malabar tamarind. The fruits are usually placed in baskets over large vessels to allow the juice to gently drip down (over a few days) as the fruit gradually becomes pulp through natural fermentation. The extract is then reduced over a woodfire to make the vinegar like black smokey sour liquid.
“It is typically used towards the end of the cooking process in many Kodava dishes (including the Pandi curry) and accentuates the flavours of the meat and the colour of the dish,” shared Jena.
Enriched with this information, I wander into the reading room where the resort serves free coffee all day long. Looking over the rice fields being pattered with relentless rain, my mind wanders to the visual of an Ainmane, the Kodava-style clan house. I can almost smell the Baale Nuruk (a fritter made with rice flour and ripe bananas) in the kitchen in my virtual visit when my thoughts are interrupted by a gentleman dressed in khakis. I take him to be a naturalist at the resort. Sweetly he offers a glass of ‘Coffee Wine’, a dark amber-coloured liquid kept at the coffee counter. Intrigued, I take a sip and instantly, a wave of delight hits my throat. It smells of coffee and leaves the aftertaste of pepper, a unique combination indeed.
Coffee Wine
“Pigout has helped me achieve a deeper understanding of how the cuisine took shape, its evolution and a study of how to preserve and as well as prepare for what could possibly be the future holds for a micro cuisine, that is rooted in a wild landscape”, shared Ganapathy.
She has been running Pigout Coorg Kitchen from her family home (also an AirBnB) since the pandemic. “Your best bet at trying fresh ingredients with homegrown produce would be in someone’s home,” she chimes.
On my last day in Coorg, walking around the pool villa with a glass of Chukku Kaapi (also known as Bella Kaapi – coffee made with jaggery and ginger extract) I made a vow to come back to this wild land of delectable fares, soon enough.
source: http://www.firstpost.com / FirstPost. / Home> Arts & Culture / by Chandreyi B / August 12th, 2022
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