Udupi on my plate

The lush green Konkan belt of India spreading across Daman Maharashtra and Goa and meeting the Canara coast of Karnataka offers a plethora of cuisines The food tastes similar and yet it is different So when this Konkani writer with roots in Ratnagiri got a chance to try the neighbouring Goud Saraswat Brahmin GSB cuisine she was all gameGSB or Amchi food as it is called colloquially has been influenced by the cultures the community embraced on its migratory sojourn from Kashmir to Karnataka Hailing from upper Punjab the GSBs are said to have lived along the banks of the River Saraswati But when the river began drying up the community decided to move It was during the Portuguese rule across some parts of India in the 16th century that most of them moved to Karnatakarsquos Udupi town Today a majority of their ingredients match that of Maharashtrian and Goan kitchens We have been encouraged to learn more about GSB food after ordering a meal from a ldquolockdown venturerdquo called Ammarsquos KitchenAs a young girl out of school Chandra Kanchan wanted to pursue a career in hospitality ldquoWhile I come from a vegetarian Brahmin family my paternal grandparents used to make fish once in a while Slowly I turned pescatarian We also had a Mangalorean Catholic landlady who served us meat dishes like pork I have a rakhi brother who is Muslim so I learned to cook biryani too My mother never stopped me from trying novel eats So while growing up the food scene was pretty eclectic However I ended up studying diabetics and nutrition at Nirmala Niketan Collegerdquo remembers Kanchan 53But when last yearrsquos pandemic restricted Kanchan to her Andheri home she turned to her old love ldquoMy kids encouraged me to start sharing Udupi recipes on Instagram Our friends and family welcomed it because theyrsquove enjoyed my meals over the years Slowly the idea turned into a proper weekend kitchen and I began regularly delivering meals For the younger lot at home I am Amma And so Ammarsquos Kitchen seemed like the right namerdquoKanchan puts up a menu by the weekend and accepts orders till Thursday Deliveries are only for Saturday lunch and dinner ldquoI reserve Fridays for prepping and shopping At Ammarsquos Kitchen we offer a wide range of authentic Udupi food including traditional Mangalorean pork curry appam and stew meen vevichatu or red fish curry breadausli bread upma kori ghasi chicken curry chicken ghee roast and mutton sukkardquo she addsWe ordered the Goan prawn curry Rs 575 kori ghasi Rs 425 bafat pork Rs 450 pomfret masala Rs 575 surmai naked masala Rs 375 halwa rawa fry Rs 450 sannas Rs 100 neer dosa Rs 150 rice rotti Rs 50 and red rice Rs 100 along with sol kadhi Rs 100 and madgane Rs 200The wellpacked containers arrived with generous helpings Amchi food uses tamarind grated coconut and kokum as a souring agent All these flavours came together beautifully in the Goan prawn curry best had with red rice Bafat pork also known as dukra maas went well with sannas or spongy idlis made with rice and urad daal The curry was not extra spicy at least not as per Konkani standards Kori ghasi made with abundant coconut milk lime curry leaves and garlic had a flavour reminiscent of Malwani chicken curry albeit less spicyWe finally moved to seafood and started with pomfret masala and surmai naked masala Since we were told Kanchan pounds the masalas at home the delicious flavours it left on the palate did not come as a surprise The halwa rawa fry was a standout seafood dishOur next order is going to be the chicken ghee roast a top selling item with Kanchan having delivered 70 portions alreadyHalwa FryIngredients6 pieces halwa fillets3 tbsp Byadgi chilli powder12 tsp turmeric powder14 tsp hing asafoetida powder1 limeSaltSemolinaRawa to coat the fishCoconut oil to fryMethodClean wash and pat dry the fish fillets and keep aside Mix the chilli powder turmeric asafoetida and saltAdd the lime juice and mix to make a paste Coat the fish fillets with the masala and marinate at least for an hourHeat 14 cup of oil on a tawa Roll the marinated fish fillets in rawa so that they are lightly coated Place in the hot oil and fry on both sides until the fish is cooked throughFollow ammaskitchen09 InstagramOrder 9920038094