A Near Finish

Just when you think you’ve had it, something else crops up which changes the way you think or believe the chosen path you’ve taken. If anyone ever said ‘walk on the right path’ – hello! Lets backtrack, there is no wrong or right path. It’s all a matter of making those decisions combined with situational opportunities and encumbrances which nudge you along to that very chosen path.

The question is, when do you finish and move on to the next level?

You basically never finish.

I am in the midst of a whirlpool of situational changes which have ebbed and flowed over the past one year. I have tasted immense highs and then they have been suddenly taken away from me (tell me, are most of you not in that situation constantly?). Right when I realized that there has been this uncalled for change, something else crops up which makes me strafe towards it and change direction.

I know I sound like I have experienced a lot for the age I am at right now and this sounds like the beginning of a memoir of sorts but I felt that I should record this feeling, this understanding, this way of life at this stage of my life.

I complete more than a decade in the hospitality and journalism industry this year. It came with its fair share of trials and tribulations but I have had this constant drive to see everything through till the end. Until, of course I realized that the machinery we put in action has many wheels and spokes in them to finally be able to recognize the fact that its not your journey alone. I resign to that fact and my only focus is the task at hand and excelling in it. I also recognize the fact that your success should never depend on someone else’s given platform. No, it is your journey alone and you alone are responsible for how far you take yourself. You are the creator of your story.

I came to this conclusion when I was being interviewed and a persistent question asked was – so what next? I share my vision which is followed up with – ah! So you see this through for the next two years? After that? … I can continue to dream and visualize an ideal situation to be in, but in the end, when you look back, it is definitely not the path you had even remotely envisioned. It’s familiar but unrecognizable at the same time. In most cases it is positive (but for a few it is the other way – sad but true) and if you say you have completed a journey along the way to move on to the next – you really have not.

You will always be faced with just a mere near finish.

I know this got to be a small but deep introspective piece and funnily enough I was going through my own writing of 2007 when I started the blog to see that over time I have had these stepping stones which I have recorded in my writing. I read them again and again after extended periods of time and learn so much. It is a great feeling and is probably why a lot of successful people jot down their milestones somewhere (be it public or private).

One way or another there could be a million interpretations of what I have written down, but in the end I know I will come back to it one day and read it and recollect what went down for this to have triggered it. There is a memory I encapsulate on this day, and interestingly enough I intend to keep it to myself.

Having said that, I recently took a self-realization trip to my hometown this year – Goa. I have waxed eloquent about its food and culture, spoken passionately about my growing up years, even recorded some memories. But this time around I visited some spots close to my home in the small village of Betim and rediscovered that some things (thankfully!) have not changed and old traditions and cultures remain.

I visited an old friend I was introduced to, Nivedita who owns the spectacular Goan restaurant called Woods Inn by Anandasharam which has set its base in Porvorim (a stones throw from Betim). We cooked up a storm in her kitchen using her special green Goan masala to stuff a fresh bounty of mackerels and sipping on delightfully chilled sol kadi, to making new friends like Sangam who owns a Goan-Saraswat cuisine restaurant called Voltaire (meaning, recliner, in Portuguese) in Betim itself. Voltaire turned out to be a stunning warehouse covered into a rustic dual leveled restaurant with the trappings of the dying Goan-Saraswat food patched in the menu and the allure of the river Mandovi sparkling in its French windows. The echoing silence of the restaurant disorients you, not to forget the heavy pours of Hurrak (a local spirit made from cashew apples, in-house and one of the best I have ever had). Interestingly Hurrak is the first distill of what turns into Feni. It is a lot more potent and smooth, poured in patiala style pegs, mixed with sea salt (regular salt does not work), lime and a ton of ice and soda. A sweet version includes Limca instead of soda but I prefer the original way. The kind of kick this spirit provides instantly explains the meaning of the word sucego. I continue my expedition with another luxury service started close by which included a yacht, fresh catch grilled and Champagne on the very same river on the banks of which I have grown up flinging stones on jelly fish.

I think I concluded the trip as the most productive ever and piled myself with precious knowledge which I know I will use as a crutch on my impending, never ending journey called life.

Sangam dropped me a gift of 4 liters of hurrak and a Neer Fanas, both grown on his farm – the day I was leaving. While the airport authorities hungrily eyed the hurrak and decided to take it away (claiming it to be highly volatile even for a check-in) but left me with the fruit (which I was more than happy to chew on raw had they eyed that too). I came back home and made this recipe which is a hybrid of my mothers expert techniques and my cousin sisters excellent Goan cooking. Make this if you get your hands on the (now) coveted breadfruit, or just follow my nonchalant notes for an alternative. This is one dish you will surely ‘finish’

Neer Fanas (Breadfruit) Fodi

Ingredients

• 1 Neer Fanas (Breadfruit)
• 2 tsp Cumin Powder
• 2 tabs Coriander Powder
• 2 tsps Red Chili Powder
• 1 tsp Turmeric
• Salt to taste
• 1/2 Lemon (Juiced)
• 1/4 cup Rice Flour
• 3/4 cup Semolina (Rawa)
• Coconut Oil for cooking

Method

For the marinade

Mix together cumin, coriander, red chili, turmeric, salt and lemon juice to form a paste. No need to add water.

For preparing the breadfruit

Skin and chop up the breadfruit into large chunks, they should not be more than 3/4” thick. Try and keep all the slices equal in thickness for even cooking. This fruit takes a while to cook and requires patience and a little technique to get the right cooked consistency.

Rub the marinade onto the fruit and cover with saran wrap. Refrigerate for a few hours (minimum 2 hours)

To serve

Heat a heavy bottomed pan and pour about 5-6 tabs of coconut oil. This oil should start heating quite quickly, try not to get it to smoking point.

In a plate mix together the rice flour and the semolina till its well incorporated.

Dip each chunk of fruit into the flour mix, press well till it coats on all side and place carefully into the hot oil. Do not overcrowd these.

Let pan fry on a medium-low flame for a few minutes, turn over several times in a span of 8-10 minutes. In between, covering the pan with a lid with a little gap should speed up the process and give an even cook.

You will know the fodi is cooked when you see a beautiful golden brown sear on all sides. On taking a bite the hard crunchy exterior should give way to a chewy, almost succulent bite of the fruit. It should not feel hard.

The idea is to make a small batch first, taste the salt content, adjust seasonings and cooking time to make all your batches till the fruit is used up.

You can make these ahead of time and just reheat over a pan with a lid whilst serving them up. It retains enough moisture and will hold its shape and crunchiness for a day.

Nonchalant Note

While the original recipe is made using breadfruit, its pretty seasonal and a rare coastal fruit. Available once a year for a very short period. It’s alternate is using vegetables such as eggplant, onion and potatoes all cut into thick discs. Mom used to make this ever so often and it has a nice mellow coconutty element to it along with the crunch. Try it with a variety of vegetables following the same process and you shall have your very own Fodi recipe to fall back on. Trust me, its addictive.