Posted on by vikasshirodkar

Food, Heavenly Food!


I thoroughly resonate with Oscar Wilde’s statement “After a good dinner one can forgive anybody, even one’s own relatives!” Possibly because it has been my relatives who have made me into a foodie! Beginning from my mother, who would insist on making hot rotis on coming back from school; my wife who learnt her cooking out of notebooks, notes from her grandma & my mother & is now a super chef; my eldest sister who will send Konkani delicacies all the way from Pune as she cannot eat them without feeding me; my other sisters who will always set-aside portion of any unique dish they make & send my share with love: veggies & daals, even breakfast items & fresh pickles; my sis-in-law sometimes experimentative & YouTube following, but mostly solid in her traditional cooking; neighbors & friends’ wives who will take the effort to send “gammat” (new dishes they have cooked): with so much coming your way, how can you not become a foodie?


Of all the gastronomic adventures, one cannot forget some friends telling they make great chicken or even greater mutton & insisting on making it in Vinita’s kitchen, with all the other invitees playing the helpers’ roles. While the dish cooked, with many admonitions that all world’s best cooks are male, my main memory of these adventures are bribing the maid to clean up the mess after all cooking is done, & before Vinita returns home!! That tension has erased the memory of how the mutton tasted….I was just happy that except for misplacement of the “masala dabba” or the dalchini bottle neither the kitchen nor the house caught fire & I escaped from Vinita with just some cold stares.

So of course food is important in my life. As, am sure, it is for most of my readers. The Last Supper continues to be an important interlude in His story. For most of us, the Honeymoon with Food is not over. Food is a primal and original love for all mankind. I remember a colleague in J&J. As soon as we started back, he would call his wife, like most of us do. While we will be happy to just report having started back, my Gujju colleagues’ next question, every day would be, Aaje jamva ma su cche? And then there would begin a long discussion on the menu & changes to what his wife had decided!! Every day that I travelled with him!!! Must say Gujju wives are super tolerant, but it underlies the importance of food, regardless of age.

Have you ever walked behind a group of Gujju women on their morning walk? Since they are ALWAYS LOUD you have no problem over hearing their conversation: invariably it is about what they ate last night, what is planned for BF? And what in Lunch for hubby & for the in-laws? Or which new restaurant is to be tried out? I have NEVER heard any other conversation. Their husbands have a slight variation…walking time is discussion on the stock market, how much they made or lost yesterday & mistakes Modi is making in foreign policy. As the walk ends, someone raises the existential moot question: “Where are we going for Jalebi/Fafda or South Indian?… obviously to compensate for the calories they burnt in that days’ walk. Rashmi, when she was in KG, had to recite a prayer when school began. BF used to served immediately after prayers. For many years she thought,” Aaje su nashta?” was a part of the school prayer!!! It is always the food that makes the world go around.


I have been fortunate to travel the world & be hosted at the most exotic locations & sampled amazing fare. Korean Barbeque with Sochu in Seoul; 12 course Chinese Banquet & “gam bay” ( literally dry-glass or bottoms-up) with every course in Beijing; eating god-knows -what- meat with “Chuus” (literally good health) In Australia; tasteless German food accompanied by world’s best Beers & cheery shouts of “Prost”; Teppanyaki & Sushi accompanied by hot & cold Sake in Tokyo; …. where do I stop? Each experience was different & unique. That taught me the truth of the famous exposition….there are thousand ways to reach the Allah… ultimate pleasure is in gastronomy. The 33 million Hindu Gods must just have been 33 million satisfied individuals with a full stomach, who rose to god-like status in their satiety. It was often believed the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach. After many a great meal, feeling a sense of satisfaction, I have wondered what more can that Divine Being offer in Heaven which will be better than a great meal. It is not for nothing that even Caesar told Mark Antonius,” Let me have around me, men that are fat” The world would indeed be better off with well-fed men.

Hence I was surprised when many friends frowned & ridiculed me when I told then last Sunday I took a group for breakfast at Ahura, Dahanu. Was it because Ahura is 110 kms from my house in Thane?

The distance apart, all the carloads of families thanked me profusely for the best brunch they had had. The Egg preparations you get at this Parsi eatery are to die or kill for….depending whether you got enough or you were left wanting. Typically you order for the table, no individual plates. So last Sunday our order was 2 Poro ( Parsi omlette) 2 Akuri (wet bhurji Parsi style) 2 Salli pur Eedu ( Eggs over potato crisps) 2 Kheema Ghotala (Mutton Kheema fried in Eggs) & 2 normal omlettes. All with loads & loads of Bun Maska…Buns liberally stuffed with Amul butter as only Parsis can make and buns {We bake our own Bread) softer than a new-born’s bum. All this preceded & succeeded by Phudina ni Masala Chai…full milk, boiled over & over with Mint & other spices. Amir Khusro sahib said it right,: “Agar firdaus bar roo-e zameen ast, Hameen ast-o hameen ast-o hameen ast.” If there is a heaven on earth, it’s here, it’s here. The Persians indeed knew it well. In Persian, Haminastu means “I am happy.” It is a declaration of contentment & joy. The phrase can be used as both a statement of appreciation for what one has in life, or as an expression of thanks. Haminastu is a reminder to be grateful for the simple things, and to find happiness in the present moment. Haminastu Ahura!!!

I end with a story my father often recounted. A Konkani man was going to the market on a Sunday morn carrying in his pocket the Goa Bumper Lottery ticket to check the result. He crossed the local fish market enroute, and a sparkling Rawas (salmon) caught his eye. He wanted to buy it but he was not carrying any money.

He saw a friend in the market, approached him to lend him the 2 Rs he required to buy the fish. (remember this is story of my father’s childhood) The friend said I can give you the money but I am a sahukar (money lender). So I cannot give cash unless you give me some collateral Our man had only the lottery ticket. He gave that, took 2 Rs, bought the fish and went home. Next day he came to know the ticket he had given he sahukar got a prize of Rs 1000, When he met him again, he told him, “ Friend you might have cheated me of the Bumper prize, but let me tell you, the Ravas I ate yesterday was so fresh & tasty that it was worth even more than 1000 Rs .” Such is the love of good food.

I stand with Shaw who noted,” there is no love sincerer than the love of food” : vikas, the food lover.

50 Replies to “Food, Heavenly Food!”

  3. VS:

    Again ,a very different topic and a hilarious way to present it!

    “Eat to live or live to eat” is a philosophical question which one wants to put aside to enjoy your blog!!

    The piece also reminded me of some of my food-encounters:

    You are quite adventurous …tasting and enjoying all kinds of food around the globe as you have described.! I envy you, being very conservative myself ! I feel my heaven is in “Dal Dhokli” on a Sunday as i wait for the heavenly experience the next weekend!

    There are of course, other Gujju varieties which are very much sought after like ”muthia” , “patra”, Jalebi/Fafda, Undhiya…..my mouth has already started watering as I write this !!

    An essential part of my luggage on tours abroad was ,as you would imagine, the irresistible “theplas”. For my week’s tour to China, Smita used to take huge trouble to make some 100 of them , with 20 packs of 5 each!. For lunch or dinner, I just had to pull out one of the packs to satisfy my tongue and tummy!

    SSL was a great company with similar food habits ( veg/no onion/no garlic). Thanks to him, I never had to worry about food of my choice when he was around. He would even go to the hotel kitchen , become friendly with the chef and get the right stuff for us to enjoy!

    I loved the end: “Life is uncertain, eat the dessert first”!

    Lovely blog.! Like an accomplished all-rounder, you can deal with any topic with an ease of Hardik Pandya!!

    Like

    1. JL
      Yes even when I was fwwing the link to you I realised it was heavily loaded with NV stuff…all Greek n Latin to you and maybe even “paap” to some of my other Veg friends

      But we are lucky to have been born in India where the 26 states ….or are there more now….all boast of distinctively fiff cuisine. To my MNC bosses I used to tell tongue in cheek that in India we don’t have to teach Diversity n Inclusion…we are born into it n thrive in our growing up years

      Gujaratis are true foodies just like the Punjus. Another characteristic they share is they love not only to eat but also enjoy feeding others. My main takeaways from my sojourn in Atul was handwa, ubalyu, khichadi with all sorts of masalas n veggies, n Daal dhokli

      I am glad my blog took you on a gastronomic memory trip.

      Am particularly pleased with your enjoying a very different style n content. I always feel my writing is too heavy n intellectual. Wanted to do something light n breezy. And happy it has come out so, w/o distancing the reader

      Thanks again for your encouragement

      Like

  5. Not a great foodie but what a great piece Sir. Probably this one could be the best of the series of posts of yours that I have gone through till date . But again I would have said the same thing after reading each post of your’s – that also is a truth. 😊 I realised now that during my Mumbai tenure in service I would not have done justice to the Konkani /Goan fish delicacies although Gondola at Palin used to be almost bang opposite to my complex. What a miss when I read the story of the Rawas. 😇 Being an infrequent visitor to Mumbai now a days I feel there is enough of scope to make it up at this ripe age of 63 and surely it would be with you surely and a chosen few foodies expectedly . Advance booking today. 🙏

    Like

    1. Kabir
      I write from my heart
      And so the flow is good n the content appeals
      So I understand you find all blogs the “best”
      I feel however the best is yet to be, he he ha ha

      It will be my pleasure to take you hotel traipising
      We will explore Parsi joints one day
      One day Fishy places
      And one day Muslim eateries
      Just give me advance notice of your travel plans n then you will go back craving for more
      Kab aate ho bolo

      Liked by 1 person

  6. Vikas dada,
    I had not known this quote – “After a good dinner one can forgive anybody, even one’s own relatives!” Haha, good one, thanks for sharing 🙂

    As for the topic – I am in the minority who is neither a foodie nor likes to talk about it. Indeed, for some, food is fuel for the body and there are certain popular foods that are just not exciting for them as they do not agree with the system or appeal to the senses as much. For these folks, there is not as much fuss involved with food as it is with the majority. That does not make them less likeable 🙂

    Food is surely a good conversation starter, and ice breaker, for sure (just like weather). Infact I admire people who do not need the crutch of food or weather to converse easily and build solid connections. But offlate, the overall ambience where we eat the food, fusion with other cuisines, and the hospitality associated with it, has become important too.

    With health becoming a priority post pandemic, a lot of the focus did change with regards to what we eat. There are lot of fads amongst diets too.

    I feel its time to dissolve the discrimination related to foodie-ness and be accepting of all kinds of folks 🙂

    Like

    1. Neelu
      to each his own
      I believe we are all made in unique proportions n compositions
      So why color with the same brush?
      As Mao Tse Tung ( before he was rechristened as Dong) propounded…let a thousand flowers bloom
      Multiple passions, multiple cuisines, multiple preferences can all co-exist harmoniously
      Every taste, every person, n every proclivity is unique n different and I agree we must respect ….and understand….differences
      Food, I have realised, is much more than survival
      Master Chef programs and Le Michelin chefs prove to us there is more to food than just cooking some ingredients tossed together
      It is an experience n deserves indulgence
      Like the saying that beauty is skin deep is said by a plain Jane n not by a real beauty, I feel foodies are just people who have experienced n enjoyed
      and we need not be for or against them
      Over the years I have learnt to respect good cooking, the song and dance accompanied with an elaborate meal…albeit one may have spent hours cooking n the meal gets polished off in minutes
      Sip the whisky slowly as the poet says and enjoy the experience

      Like

  7. Wish some of those Calorie conscious shapely shapeless gym going ones read this tempting descriptions of ravishing food. Vik this blog is almost like the resurrection of good living & delicious eating !!!!!

    Like

    1. Thanks Ram…really I think non veg cooking is just next to heaven
      We are fortunate to have travelled n experienced different styles
      Hope we retain the youthfulness to keep trying new things

      Like

  8. Beautiful blog and narration indeed… absolutely after a foodie’s heart (or stomach, or heart via stomach)…
    … absolutely loved it… 💕💕💕
    Wonderful description… bound to leave any foodie salivating… 😋😋😋

    And for me, the timing could just not have been any better… read it just now, right after lunch, and while having a dabba full of awesome Lychees… aha haa haaa… 💞💞💞
    … lychee, that divine fruit which is sent to Earth for just 4-5 weeks this time of the year… purely as a teaser/ trailer for humans to have a glimpse of how Heaven might/ would be like.
    Thoroughly enjoyed, rather devoured the experience… 😇😇😇

    Wonderful blog once again… thanks for sharing… 🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Amu
      First welcome back to comments section of my blog
      I know you were reading my blogs though you did not comment for long
      Earlier your lovely comments had developed a fan following of your own n many people used to ask why you stopped commenting
      Hence welcome back…Good to have perspectives tabled

      Lychee are indeed proof that God loves us n has the best in stock for our future
      Every fruit season is too short for thefruit livers…ask Vinita about the oh so short Alphonso season…Poornima sarkha Kai rawla nai aata

      Keep enjoying and be happy

      Liked by 1 person

  9. great narrating the whole testy subject …It reminded me , we used to have many meals together during Atul days …Nice to know your grip on various diverse subjects sirji ..

    Like

    1. MAB
      Yes the yum taste of Ila ben’s mixed Daal still is on my tongue
      Going to Kathiawadi on the highway. And to Jampore n Daman…those were indeed great days which have left indelible memories

      Like

      1. Yes Ila Ben and Deshpande both are etched in our memories.
        All junior or senior has to sit on same small area and take our lunch/dinner .
        It would have been a miss if u had not reminded in this reply

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  10. Being foodie is a boon.that automatically makes u comfortable with many in social circle and is best topic for discussion.it is so popular subject that in English dictionary there are plenty of idioms using food items.
    In a study it is proven a man’s heart can be won thru food ..
    2021November 23, 2021 by Chris Melore NEW YORK — It may be time to make an age-old adage gender neutral. A poll of 3,000 American adults reveals almost three-quarters believe the phrase, “The way to a man’s heart is through his stomach,” does ring true.

    Dear vikas , हम कब मिल रहें है at Daman for enjoying an evening with old friends and food

    Liked by 1 person

    1. HG
      Yes the English talk about the weather as their food is the Pitts
      And Indians talk of food as we have so much variety n choice

      I agree the love for food is gender neutral

      When do we go to Daman…decide a date n let us make it happen
      Barkis is willing

      Like

  11. Very true… People who love food are the best people.. they are usually broad minded and generous..

    Being vegetarian would have loved to find recommendations of some good tasty veg food joint…

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Jagdish bhai my bad
      But for non veg people Veg is the last option
      But I am fond of ubalyu n undhiyu n gujju Farhan which I typically get from Surat as I travel very often
      Next time will get for you too

      Like

  14. In Marathi” saheb,tondala paani sutalay”. Hope you remember after Drinking & eating we used to say ” ata pahilyasarkha ravala naay(offcourse with full pegs and full stomach)

    Liked by 1 person

  15. What an enjoyable read that was. You virtually took us to Ahura….& made us salivate what with all the vivid descriptions of the Edu dishes & Fudhina Choy….👍😍
    When are you taking the next group to Ahura….count me in please.🙏

    Like

    1. Sure dear Cythia would love to go with Fred n you
      Come to Thane on your own and baki sab hum pe chood do
      We can go anytime
      It is our fav joint
      But you need to invest half a day

      Like

      1. Tk you dear Vikas. Fred & myself will definitely be your guests. Tks a lot…Cynthia & Fred.

        Like

  16. Made me hungry reading this. Best appetizer I’ve had so far. I could smell the food reading it. Awesome indeed Sir 👍

    Like

  17. Vikas Dada,
    You are a great blogger.
    This blog took me on a tour to various recipies arousing the taste buds, reminding me of our common relatives,
    And the last punch of Bhai mama’s story of rawas aptly describes the konkani Manus who dreams fish, talks fish, eats fish.
    मस्त वाटलं.
    पुढच्या ब्लॉग ची वाट बघतो
    हर्षद राव

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Harshad
      Thanks for your heartfelt feedback
      Aai n Baba loved food and passed on that in our genes
      And in all the food pyramid….for any malvani….fish is on top always
      Feel sad thar Padma Vinita n Preeti have stopped non veg
      I only say Father forgive them for they know not what they do

      Liked by 1 person

  18. Really resonated Vikas you are a great storyteller
    Which is the closest Parsi place to eat in Thane would you know?

    Like

    1. Marcel though not authentic Parsi in Viviana there is Soda Waterbottleopnerwaala. A bit of fusion but still retains the original love of food.
      Brittania and Jimmy Boy both near Asiatic Library are more traditional and 100% true to soul
      Sir anytime you want to go give me an adv buzz
      It will be my pleasure to host you

      If you do venture to Dahanu don’t miss going FW to bilimora and/or udawada. Abs ols school parsi thales to die for

      Like

  19. What a hilarious comedy ! Couldn’t stop laughing . Felt like rushing to Dahanu for brunch at Parsi restaurant.
    The last story of how Rawas of Rs 2 is more precious than a lottery of Rs 1000 depicts picture of a real Saraswat.

    Like

    1. Nilesh ji
      Abs true
      That is why it was close to Baba’s heart
      Ahura Jaana ho to thoda advance me bataye
      We can take you there n bring you back to Thane
      Will be a memorable trip

      Like

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