ALL THE SHRAVAN FASTING AND FEASTING!

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The classiest of all GSB Shravan veg thali! Where else but at Sapna Sardesai’s Kokum Curry at Porvorim and Panjim…features a host of much loved monsoon time favourites such as “khatkhatem, ambaddeachi uddamethi, kaarathyache kunvoll, moogachi oosli, ghossalyachi kaapa, varan, anasaachi karamm…” and some more, including my top favourite “aambe dal.” Take your time to savour this prized ceremonially presented thali meal and yes, you may pack up and take home what you cannot eat!

IT’S an old story which has become mod con if there’s money burning in your pocket and a desire to entertain your friends at least once in a year when the rainy days Shravan-ka-mahina comes around anew with all its Hindu religious mythological stories of various gods and goddesses, the crore strong pantheon of deities dedicated to the various elements of the good Mother Earth. How we make Her life a constant misery with the kind of attitudes and ways of thinking, we entertain in our variegated yet more or less similar life journeys…to eventual dust!
Don’t laugh. For once I was thinking of all this in the last quarter of my life – ironically, while relishing some of Panjim’s most celebrated Shravan thali meal deals, last week. Thoughts which I’ve never entertained before are being entertained now for in a first time ever, I fasted and feasted — and my normal cast iron stomach decided to rebel to teach me a lesson in overeating! No matter what the rationale, raison d’etre, justification, excuse, etc.
Not everyone behaves like me of course, I’ve always been an emotional eater, throwing caution to the wind and thus far my digestive system has indulged me. But (sigh) not any more.
THERE I was one Monday noon at where else but Sapna Sardesai’s Kokum Curry looking happily at my Shravan meal thali or platter put before me by service boys in a hurry, a platter meal replete with all kinds of born again or brought back to life recipes from the iconic Gaud Saraswat Brahmin traditional kitchen…since the price of the meal was up by almost Rs500 this year, there were more items added in. Like apart from the usual standard staples like wheat flour chapatti, bowl of rice, varan dal, monsoon season veggie dishes…also sabudana kichdi (which is a fasting special), something tantalizing like “phookni” and fresh mango or lemon pickle, a salad-style relish and some more.
The GSB monsoon temptations are such things as “Tendly Upkaari, Khathkhatem, Hrishipanchamichi Bhaaji, Aambaddeache Saasav, Faaglachyo Foddi, Ambe Dal, Gazrache Lonche, Alluwadi, Aansaachi Karamm, Goad’ann” and more … “mooga ghati,” desserts of “mootli” and “nachnechyo sattvo.” Why more than one sweet, I don’t know! Just to add up the calorie count I guess to justify the hike in prices all around this Shravan-ka-mahina.
I DIDN’T like it but the friend who was with me regaled me with stories of how Goans eat such gaguantan meals and they sweat and sometimes they get a heart attack post-mega lunch! She confided she personally knew of two congestive heart failure patients where the guys died soon after enjoying their overload of a sumptuous meal; please, I told her, no talk of dying while I’m enjoying my Kokam Curry Shravan meal which really outdid itself this season, or rather the lovely proprietor Sapna Sardesai did…her mission in life is to make Goans realize how great the recipes of old are, we should revive them in our kitchens. Something along those lines and of course I agree with her, there’s no food like the kind dadi or nani or ma or great aunt cooked once upon a time as the seasons come and go and we grow old, older and one day say it’s been a good life, farewell.
Well, Kokam Curry is a favorite haunt for me, and so is Copper Leaf and others serving Shravan meals in Panjim are Delmon Grand’s “’Tinge” and there’s “Surboos,” Priti’s Kitchen all the way in Ponda town, I think even Café Bhonsale serves a Shravan time thali meal deal and Ritz Classic, Surya Kiran Heritage at Campal, Susegado Nustekar at Chimbel, Peeps Kitchen, Ruchik Classic, Sai Krupa at Chogum Road, Porvorim and I’m sure a few more places; some of them not so grand presentations but agreeable enough to feel one is totally well fed and over fed and so no more putting anything in the mouth till the next day noon time.

I suppose one could consider it as some kind of intermittent fasting and by the end of Shravan month one may be feel considerably lighter and happier. Ideal thing would be to stick to one cooked meal forever after to reap the rewards of body beautiful! I’m still looking for a good Shravan thali-style veg tiffin service but can’t find one within my budget of say Rs150 per lunch (and I’m not interested in papad, pickles, sweets) – just millet chapatti of choice, a lightly made veggie dish, a varan dal, small bowl of ukde bhat and what else…solkodi or kokum tival to wash down the meal, although I find buttermilk spiked with black salt a perfect ending to the day’s only meal. Easy to say, hard to do. If Copper Leaf can do a mini-fish thali why can’t it do a mini-veg thali with senior citizens in mind.
AND as a matter of interest it would be interesting to find out the calorie count of all the loaded Shravan thali meal deals in town! Anything from 5,000 to 10,000 calories…yes,no, I think I’ve had my last Shravan thali meal in town, thank-you. In any case the next time if I go somewhere I’m taking a container along so that what I don’t feel like putting in my mouth right now, I may pack up and take home for the next day…like “ambe dal,” “varan dal,” “sabudana kichdi” and a few veggies which are personal favorites of mine like say “mooga ghati” or raw jackfruit preparation which is done very finely in the GSB kitchen.
Come to think of it two can share a Shravan thali in the best sense of the word. If you’re going with friends order a la carte as order a couple of the thali meal and share around as what pleases whom!

Goan Observer

ALL THE SHRAVAN FASTING AND FEASTING!

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