My Favorite Madurai dishes ...

 As someone who was born and had grownup in Madurai, Good food (especially non-vegetarian dishes) is something I terribly miss after coming to Bangalore. Madurai for me is a foodies' paradise - both at home and outside. This post is just a nostalgic journey, looking back on some of my favorite food that bring back flavorful memories... (the list is in no particular order). 

1. Sura puttu (Shark Scramble) - Sea food is always my favorite, as most of my friends know. So its no surprise that Shark finds a place in this list. Sharks (Milk Shark / Paal Sura) were not commonly available in those days and were considered a delicacy whenever so. They were prepared only in the 'puttu' form- scrambled with spices and coconut gratings and had a unique flavor and taste. 

The best puttu I have tasted outside my home was at 'Kumar mess'. The quantity was less and overpriced , but the taste was authentic. 

My wife's prepration!

2. Mutton sukka /chukka( Mutton fry/dry) -  Deep fried Mutton preparation always brings back memories of my grandma (Annie aachi). She used to make the best ones and she always used to give it as a snack on a small plate to me fresh from the pan.  

In those days , Konar kadai (simmakal) was my favorite joint to taste boneless chukka along with Kari dosai.. 

my try at Chukka

3. Urundai kari / kola urundai (meat balls) - another dish that brings back memories of my grandma. As a kid, I used to sit by her side and watch her roll the meat balls by hand. As soon as they come out of the pan, she'll give them to me fresh and hot...They will melt in my mouth in their full textural and flavorful glory! 

You can get decent ones in places like Amma mess & Chandran mess, but nothing can replace the perfection of homemade ones.

My wife continues the tradition...

4. Ayirai meen Kolambu (Loaches) - I have fond childhood memories of hunting for these little fishes in the muddy streams (that connect to vaigai river) for my aquarium. These fishes have a distinct muddy flavor that comes with their source and need good cleaning before cooking. They are generally put inside a pot of butter milk to make the fish spitout the mud. Amma mess and Kumar mess prepared the best ayirai meen kolambu. My late friend Mr.Balan always made sure that there was Ayirai meen from Kumar mess on the lunch menu whenever I visited Madurai to meet him.

The first Kumar mess at Chinna chokkikulam

5. Viral meen  (snakehead murrel) - Another fish that comes alive in the market. Whenever I accompanied my grandma to the Karimedu fish market as a toddler, grandma always used to get one of the smallest ones for me and it used to survive for a few days inside a Horlicks bottle! 

Its one of the tastiest fishes  I have tried  and the fried fish is quite popular in most restaurants in Madurai.  The Viral meen kolambu at home was always lip smacking !

6. Uppu kandam (dry mutton) - This was a preparation of meat invented before the era of refrigeration! As a kid, I remember this was a common scene - lines of marinated meat pieces on jute string left to 'sun-dry' on the terrace... Uppu kandam with curd rice was divine! This is a dish that has vanished from our kitchen after the advent of refrigerators! 

7. Mathi meen (Sardines) - my favorite fish any day and arguably the tastiest sea fish of them all ! I can eat unlimited fried Mathi fish. Even the kolambu prepared by my mom was uniquely tasty. 

8. Savvurotti varuval (Goat spleen fry) - One of my most favorite dishes. It is made in the mutton Chukka style and needs some cooking skill to make it perfect.

I remember frequenting the Sri Janakiram  hotel at Thalakulam at night during my younger days. This food joint is a mandabam that gets temporarily vacated during the Chithirai month for the deity to rest as the procession passes through Thalakulam. Rest of the year they made  the best Savvurotti varuval in those days!

9. Nethili  (Anchovy fish) -  One of the tastiest fishes in any form - fried , dry or in kolambu ! Nethili karuvadu (dry fish) can be eaten as a snack. Fried fishes go well with any main course. 

home made Nethili fry

PS : Here I have not included my favorite dishes like regular Goat meat, Liver, Brain, etc and sea food like Crab, Prawn, Squid, Seer fish, Emperor fish etc that are part of my regular & frequent diet. The list only includes food items or preparations that have become occasional on my table now a days...

My Favorite 9 : Love duets in Ilaiyaraaja's voice

Happy New Year! Let's start the year on a melodious note! Love duets composed and sung by the Maestro Ilaiyaraaja !

A difficult task of shortlisting my 9 favorite love duets from all the songs that I love from Maestro Ilaiyaraaja's compositions. The important fact in this list is that these songs are also sung by the Maestro himself...Ilaiyaraaja has a unique timbre quality in his voice that make the compositions special and he easily lifts the songs to a different level with the expressions he infuses into his melody effortlessly! 

1. Naan thedum sevandhi poo idhu - (Movie : Dharma Pathini, 1986) Ilaiyaraaja with S.Janaki ; Lyrics by Kanmani Subbu.

One of my most favorite songs...A semi classical composition based on Hindolam raagam with western orchestration mixed with classical embellishments! Raaja preludes the song with a divine aalapanai that sets the mood. The female voice of S.Janaki is a perfect complement to Raaja's voice. I have sung this song once on stage during Sobha Utsav.

2. Poo maalayae thozhsera vaa (Movie : Pagal Nilavu 1985) Ilaiyaraaja with S.Janaki ; Lyrics by Gangai Amaran.

Truly a masterpiece that enthralled me from my childhood. The burst of violins playing in two different octaves gives the song a dramatic start and this magic continues in every interlude throughout the song.  A song that demonstrates voice counterpoints - both male and female portions simultaneously flow with overlapping different melodies. 

The first time I sang this song on stage was with my junior Vennila during a music show at SAP during my masters. 

3. Thendral vandhu theendumbodhu - (Movie : Avadharam, 1995 ) Ilaiyaraaja with S.Janaki; Lyrics by Vaali.

Another Raaja masterpiece that takes a bit of simple 'folk'-ish melody and marries it with western "symphonic" orchestration to deliver an out of the world composition and experience to listeners. Click here to listen to Movie Director Nasser's interesting account of his experience in the making of this song. 

4. Oru Jeevan azhaithadhu - (Movie : Geethanjali, 1985) Ilaiyaraaja with K.S.Chithra ; Lyrics by Vaali.

An amazing romantic melody that has remained fresh even after 36 years and gives me goosebumps every time I hear it. 

5.  Kannamma-  ( Movie : Vanna vanna pookal, 1992) Written and Sung by Ilaiyaraaja along with S.Janaki.  One of the best compositions rendered in Raaja's voice.. No one could have sung it like Raaja has...! Mesmerizing is the only word! 

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6. Adi aathaadi - (Movie : Kadalora kavithaigal, 1986) Ilaiyaraaja with S.Janaki; Lyrics by Vairamuthu.  A super hit number in Sivaranjani ragam. Effortless singing in high to low octaves with beautiful expressions!

7. Andha nilavathaan - (Movie : Mudhal Mariyadhai 1985) Ilaiyaraaja with K.S.Chithra; Lyrics by Vairamuthu

A folk style composition in Natabhairavi ragam... its peppy and playful and uplifts my mood whenever I hear it! 

8.  En Ganam indru arangerum ( Movie : Eera vizhi Kaaviyangal 1982) Ilaiyaraaja with Jency ; Lyrics by Vairamuthu

An underrated song (infact the entire album) that did not become popular in its time but was rediscovered more recently and was raised to cult status by Rajaa fans! 

9. Sangathil paadadha kavidhai (Movie : Auto Raja, 1982 ) Ilaiyaraaja with S.Janaki; Lyrics by Pulamaipithan; Another heart touching composition in Kaapi ragam by Raaja that has stayed evergreen for the last 40 years

The song was first composed by Raaja for the malayalam movie 'olangal' as "Thumbi vaa". The tune was immensely popular and was reused in Tamil, Telugu (Nireekshana, 1986) and Hindi (Aur ek prem kahani, 1996) as well. In 2009 Balki again used this song in Hindi movie Paa in a new contemporary avatar!

Just for the record, some of the other songs that came close on the list are:

1. Oru ganam oru yugam ( nadodi thendral)

2. Kadal ovium ( alaigal oivadhilai)

3. Siruponnani asaiyum (kallukul eeram)

My Favorite 9 : Comedians on Screen

Comedy as they say is Serious business! Its not easy to make people laugh... There is a lot of intelligence, timing and context that go into making a comedy click and connect with the audience..I have a great admiration for the guys who have this knack to tickle our ribs... Here I have listed 9 consistent legends who made me laugh the most on the silver screen...

1. Charlie Chaplin - The Genius who made the world laugh starting from the silent movie era...He strongly conveyed socially and politically important issues by mixing them deftly into his slapstick comedy.

Whenever a Chaplin movie was screened in Madurai, my parents had taken me and my younger brother to watch it. My brother used to dress as Charlie Chaplin and entertain our neighborhood kids!

I was fortunate to watch even his not so famous movies thanks to a Chaplin film fest at Madurai ( in the Twin theatres - Sri Mappilai  Vinayagar & Manikka Vinayagar that used to screen only English movies in those days). 

2. Laurel and Hardy - The legendary duo of Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy entertained us with their rib tickling slap stick comedy! I still remember the first time I watched their movie - It was screened on TV using a VCR at our school when I was in III std. It was a laughter riot to watch along with my class kids!

3. Nagesh - The 'Jerry Lewis' of India.. Nagesh was the first comedian to extensively use body language along with dialogues to make the audience laugh. His performance in Server Sundaram, Thiruvilayadal and Kadhalikka neramillai are the most memorable for me. His popular female comic pair in many films , Manorama  also needs a special mention in this list of comic legends. 

4. Eddie Murphy - I think "Coming to America" was the first Murphy movie I saw along with my friend Chella Kumar at the Mappilai Vinayagar Theatre... from then on we never used to miss any Murphy movie!

5. Jim Carrey - One of the most talented Hollywood comedians who caught our attention with "somebody stop me" in "The mask" and made us ROFL with his facial expressions and body language. His "Ace Ventura" series, Liar liar, Dumb & Dumber, Me Myself & Irene and Bruce Almighty are some of my personal favorites.

6. Robin Williams - One of the true legends of comedy! Good morning Vietnam,  Mrs.Doubtfire and Patch Adams are some of his comic masterpieces I greatly enjoyed watching. It was a shock to me that a person who gave so much happiness to the world had so much sadness inside and ended his life due to depression.

7. Rowan Atkinson - Better known as "Mr.Bean" , Atkinson is one of the legends of British comedy. He had a very unique comic style and made us laugh with just his silent actions in the "Mr.Bean" series. I enjoyed his 'Jonny English' series too.

8. Vivek - He was famous for his intelligent and satirical humor that highlighted the social and political ills and evils. His comedy was an indirect (and sometime a direct) take on the pathetic current affairs of our society and its belief systems. No wonder he earned the nickname "chinna kalaivanar" after the legendary satirical comedian Kalaivanar NS Krishnan!

9. Vadivelu - Arguably the greatest comedian of our time. His body language, timing and dialogue delivery can lift a simple fun scene to comic heights!  I have seen his comic on-screen characters around me while growing up in Madurai and can easily relate to his expressions and body language and relish the underlying humor fully.

Who is your favorite?

My Favorite 9 : Cricket Batsmen

Cricket is more than just a game in India. As someone who grew up as a kid in the 80s and 90s, cricket is part of my best childhood memories. Here is a list of batsmen , some purists and some entertainers, who gave me that joy...(in random order).

 1. Kapil Dev - One of the greatest all rounder of all times and my first favorite cricketer as a kid ! There was always a hope when he was at the crease. 

2. Brian Lara - the Classiest left hand batsman ever from west Indies! 

3. Mahendra Singh Dhoni - my all time favorite cricketer and arguably India's best captain (and an astute wicketkeeper aswell ! ) His "Helicopter" shot was such a treat to watch. His winning sixer to lift the 2011 world cup will remain as a cherished moment forever!

4. Rahul Dravid - " the wall" - my most favorite batsman in the Test format!

5. Md Azaruddin - stylish batting wrists (and also my inspiration in fielding )!

6. David Gower  Left hand batsman and English Captain of the 80s..   There was a charm and elegance about his batting.. 

7. Sir Vivian Richards - Jamaican icon! Style and power combined in his batting! Every bowlers nightmare!

8. Sachin Tendulkar - the greatest batsman of our era! From his first match as a 16 year old till his retirement from the game, he has given us so much entertainment on the field!

9. Krishnamachari Srikkanth - the swashbuckler and entertainer who invented pinch hitting as an opener! 

My Favorite 9 : Classic Songs (English)

 A very difficult task to limit to 9 of my favorite songs from my younger days...But finally here is the list in random order. What is your favorite ?

1. Still got the Blues - Gary Moore

2. Still Loving you  - The Scorpions

3. Careless Whispers - George Michael

 4. Cocaine- Eric Clapton

5. Hotel California - Eagles

6. Smoke on the water - Deep Purple

7. Smooth - Santana with Rob Thomas

8. Sultans of Swing - Dire Straits

9. Locomotive Breath - Jethro Tull

My favorite 9 : Percussionists

My first interest in percussion started as a 4 year old watching Chanda mama ( my uncle) play the double bongos. Drumming was something that came naturally to me and soon I was drumming on anything I could convert into a drum, like plastic buckets, kitchen containers, metal stools etc. But I never took drumming seriously till college. A new drum kit was purchased for the college band and a drummer was needed. So I just took up the job with both hands & feet and started playing comfortably from day one even though I had no training and have never played the instrument before. Years of hand drumming on the school desk and along movie songs had imbibed in me a good rhythm sense. I was lucky to have Praveen Thiagarajan, another percussion enthusiast like me, as a classmate when I joined School of Architecture and Planning, Chennai, for my masters degree. The jamming sessions at SAC and inter collegiate shows we did are great nostalgic memories for me. Today I look back at some of the legends who had directly or indirectly influenced me as a drummer...

1. JSM Jeevanraj -  Mr. Jeevan was a prominent name in the music circuit of Madurai in the 1980s. His "Jeevan Superstars musical troupe" was a popular local band . He was the first drummer I saw in live action when his troupe played in our TELC Salvation church. The troupe was also popular at wedding reception parties where Mr. Jeevan held the limelight with his cool stick tricks! His son Godwin, was my school classmate and excelled as the drummer of the school band.

2. Puroshothaman - Puru was the chief drummer for Maestro Ilaiyaraaja right from his "annakili" days.  We can see him performing in the song "madai thirandhu". His stylish manual drum can be distinctly heard in the 80s Ilaiyaraaja classics ( listen to the disco number va va pakkam va) and as the percussion moved to rhythm pad / machine fed beats in the late 80s, Puru pioneered that too. (Listen to raja rajadhi rajan indha raja) 

3. Phil Collins - Best known as the drummer for the rock band 'Genesis' , Collins is one of the coolest drummer cum vocalist I have seen. I heard his song "Another day in Paradise" performed by the Madurai Vikaasa school band in 1991 and immediately became a Phil Collins fan.

4. Sivamani -  Drums Sivamani is one of India's leading percussionists known for his experimental collaborations with many famous musicians and live performances. He has played for most of the composers of India including legends MSV , Ilaiyaraaja and more recently AR Rahman.

5. Zakir Hussain - Ustad Zakir Hussain is one of the greatest tabla legends of India. His fingers are just magical! I can watch his performance for eternity! 

6. Nick Mason - Architect and founder member of Pink Floyd, Mason had a unique laid back style that mesmerized me as a Floyd fan! 

7. Don Henley - The drummer and singer of my favorite rock band Eagles . "Hotel California"  still remains my all time favorite and I think I have most enjoyed playing the drum for this song!

8. Sundar Subramaniam - A legend in his own rights, Sundar has played for legends like MSV , Ilaiyaraaja , Naushad, AR Rahman and many more. He plays more than 30 percussion instruments and has been part of many of my favorite Ilaiyaraaja classics. He is a joy to watch on live shows.

9. Nagi - a much under rated percussionist. I first started noticing him in Raja's live concerts, playing with precision and without any flamboyance usually associated with drummers! Nagi has been a part of many super hit Tamil songs.

that's me playing @ Sobha day concert!

My favorite 9 : musicians...

 These are 9 of my favorite musicians who have been part of my growing up years. 

1. Eric Clapton - One of the greatest guitarists of all times. I heard his song ("wonderful tonight") for the first time from my senior Shamim who created our college's first music band. "Tears in Heaven" which Clapton wrote in memory of his son was one of our favorite songs. As a Bass guitarist I enjoyed playing " Cocaine" in many concerts during my college days!

2. David Gilmour - Pink Floyd had been a great influence during my college days. Pink floyd music filled many of my long nights when I stayed awake on my design table!

3. Roger Waters - Architect and founding member of Pink Floyd along with Nick Mason. "The Wall" written by Waters remains my  favorite till date. I remember my younger days...playing the drum and my friend G.Prabhu (jeep) on guitar singing "the wall" at the terrace of his house, disturbing the whole neighborhood! 

4. Carlos Santana  - the legendary Guitarist  ! His album "supernatural" is one of my favorites. I simply love his creativity and style of playing the guitar. 

5. Maestro Ilaiyaraaja -  The greatest film music composer India has ever produced. His music has defined every moment of my life from my childhood till now. Even today its Ilayaraaja songs that cover my car's playlist when I travel. All the songs that I have sung so far on stage are songs sung in Ilaiyaraaja's voice! 

6. Gary Moore - I fell in love with Blues Music after listening to his "Still got the blues"... He soothed my long starry nights in my 20s.

7. Kourosh Yaghmaei  - I discovered this stylish Iranian singer a decade ago and just fell in love with Persian music of the 70s. I love his song "havar havar" that later came to bollywood as the popular "hawa hawa". 

8. A.R.Rahman -  India's leading music composer of immense talent who has won several international accolades including academy awards and the Grammys. 

9. Michael Jackson  - My favorite musician (and dancer) as a kid. There is some magic in his numbers! 

10 Most Inspiring Indian Buildings

Here is a list of 10 buildings in post independent India that had a lasting impression on me during my formative years as an Architect. These are the buildings I had seen/visited or read about that shaped my initial Architectural language and design sense .  (Note- This is not an attempt to rate the best buildings)

1. The Open Hand , Chandigarh 

I first read about Chandigarh's urban design and buildings in an article "Did Corbusier create a dead city?" in a magazine called SPAN ( released by the US consulate in India). I was in High school then. In spite of all the criticisms poured on Corbu and his city design, I have to admit my admiration and the influence of his buildings in my early career. His bold open hand/ bird motif  was my personal favorite. The rigid box below with a flying hand above was  a great example of symbolism  and creative expressionism.

2. Kanchanjunga Apartments, Mumbai

I first saw a small picture of Kanchanjunga apartment in 'Sir Banister Fletcher's A History of Architecture' in my I year at Architecture school. This Charles Correa modernistic classic from the 1970s is a pioneering experiment in Apartment architecture. Correa's clean cubical massing with a play of solids and voids and his planning in multi levels left a lasting impression on me.

3.Mill owners Association building, Ahmedabad

Another Corbusier classic from the 1950s , the ATMA house, is an important work of Architecture in India. This building introduced me to the beauty of rough shuttered concrete facade with Corbu's famous sun breakers - 'brise-soleil'.

4. IIM Ahmedabad

IIM-A , a Louis Kahn master piece and a campus that set the tone for future campus planning in India. I visited this building as part of my Academic tour when I was in my III year and my concept of space planning, natural light &shade and scale were redefined. A new admiration for exposed brick work began for me.

5. Gandhi Smarak Sangrahalaya, Ahmedabad

 

I saw this Gandhi memorial museum at the banks of Sabarmati, during my visit to Ahmedabad as a student. Here I realised that one can create "awe" just by simplicity. Charles Correa 's simple grid geometry with open planning, honest material usage, elements like water court and rain water gutters between slope roofs had a strong influence in my design thinking.

6. Sangath, Ahmedabad

Balakrishna Doshi's own studio , Sangath, is a dream work space for any Architect. I love this building for its sculptural aesthetics played by the Vaults. The setting with its greenery , informal spaces punctuated with Terracotta urns & sculptures and  amphitheatre-like grass steps is worth a visit for any young Architect.

7. IIM Bangalore

Another campus that I greatly admired as a student - the Indian Institute of Management at Bengaluru designed by Doshi. The play of long pergola shadows on the stone walls left a lasting impression on me and still remains a favorite phrase in my Architectural language.

My recent visit here

8. India Habitat centre, New Delhi

This is one building that needs to be experienced to be admired. Since the Indian Council of Architecture is located here, most Indian Architects must have visited this building at some point of time. Designed by Joseph Allen Stein , this building is a case study for spatial planning and effective micro climate control by design. I have a post dedicated to IHC here.

9. Visvesvaraiya Tower, Bangalore

The Visvesvariya Tower - Designed by Charles Correa and one of my favourite buildings in Bengaluru. I love this building for its rustic concrete finish and amazing proportions that you hardly find in high rise buildings in India.

10. Madura Club, Madurai

I am a big fan of Architect Geoffry Bawa. One of his master pieces stands in Madurai as a lesson on interpreting vernacular architecture. Now the club has been preserved and transformed into the "Heritage" hotel

you can read more on this building here