Kappu's Kitchen - A letter to Karpagam Mami and Ramani Mama :)

 

Hello Mami

My name is Sabrish Ramakrishnan and I am residing at Sriram Apartments only. In this digital age where we have Swiggys and Zomatos prevailing all around, we also have equal number of cookery channels on Youtube. Many a times, when we search for some recipe, there are a lot of search results that pop up. To an extent that it becomes difficult to reconcile with any 1 of them. One video will ask us to put 2 tumblers of water, whereas for the same recipe, some other video will need us to put only 1.5. This now, is an age old issue for sure.

            Since the time I got married, my wife has been following a couple of cookery channels pretty seriously. One of them being Hebber’s kitchen which makes things look so simple. Another one is Srirangam Radhu. I am not sure if you have seen her cooking videos but she just makes us feel as if a Mami near our house wearing a chettinadu cotton podavai is trying to use the skills of her hand and the experience of a brahmin maattuponnu to cook stuffs that are so much part of our daily life and culture. Right from Rava Kesari to Adai Avial… she has nearly posted innumerous number of recipes over the last couple of years. Some of her posts also include Krishna Jayanthi poojai at her home, Karthigai Deepam festival and many others…. We have been truly fond of her.

            Let me come to your channel now. I received the first link of your Dosa Molagai Podi episode from Lakshmi Mami who is our neighbor and takes Carnatic music classes for children. I could not watch it immediately but did open it up after 2-3 days when I was about to get to bed. Initially I was confused if its DhoolKappu kitchen OR Dhool Kalappu Kitchen. The latter one sounded more correct to me. I was sure that it would not have been a typo. When I heard it from you over the video, I could somewhere feel that its Karpagam Mami who is being referred to as Kappu here. Probably that is how Ramani mama wanted it to be 😊. Please correct me if I got it wrong mami.

I saw it till the end and liked it enough. There was a flavor of an amateur posting her video to this world of digital media. I could truly feel the skill in your hand and the confidence when you spoke about the needful ingredients with their proportions. Somehow, I have always felt that Dosa Molagai Podi, however simple it may sound, if we don’t get the proportions right, the perfect taste never comes. Either the salt feels more, OR the black gingelly tastes more. If nothing tastes more then it seems to be a mere Parippu podi. You know what I mean to say. It was a very good start to have that recipe shown as the 1^st episode. You really made sure that the ball is set to roll.

            I had not subscribed to your channel at that time. However, I did visit it after a few days to see what more was there. Somewhere my mind was wanting to check if there were more posts on new recipes or you had not posted anything after the first one. Here came the Combo Mysore Pak. Now this one is always a tough deal to crack. I have watched my mum making it a few times. It was sheer luck for us if it came out well. That did not happen all the time. Your episode had some added features now. You had tips for viewers.. We also had some more textual representation of ingredients that started coming up. It felt really good. Your smiling face was also an indication that you had started liking this exercise and somewhere had a sense of pride since Ramani mama was recording it for you. I clicked the SUBSCRIBE button eventually 😊 .

            Then came Thattai and Uppu Seedai. Who doesn’t like these dishes… But the most important thing is to make them with perfection.. Also make sure that they are crisp and crumbling as ever. I could see that you pressed one of the seedai and proudly asserted that the breaking sound should some. It was an indication that whatever we see on the video will actually work for us at home as well. Another important point that I could witness is that your kitchen, utensils and the gas stove was literally shining bright. It really gave us more interest to watch the episode. As they say, Cleanliness is next to Godliness.

            I saw some more text and tabular columns incorporated in the videos to specify the ingredients. There were some soothing background scores as well. All that was really nice and truly displayed the efforts you had put to make it happen.

            Ramani Mama’s running commentary adds feather to the Golden hat for sure. First of all, they make us feel it to be an absolute home affair. It also subtly conveys the level of understanding and intimacy you both have as a pair. Its that bond of so many years which eventually comes out as a complement to each other when you talk over the video. My favorite line is when you talk about grinding the Varali Manjal and Ramani Mama makes a comment saying “Mama Thittuvaar”. Somewhere, we are now at an age when “Madam Thittuval” is more prevalent than the other 😊

  Chitra did try Uppu Seedai and Vella Seedai on Gokulaashtami and it came out very fine. The tip about NOT making perfect rounds while doing the seedais really worked well. Thanks for that indeed. My mom has also subscribed to your channel. Her sister Latha who lives in Delhi has also subscribed to it yesterday. She asked me to convey her regards to you.

            As an ending note, I would say that you both are doing really well with the channel. We are no ones to appreciate you since you have leaps and bounds of experience than us. We really wish that you continue publishing more episodes in the days ahead and keep us updated with the traditional recipes which may sound simple but definitely need to be done the right way in order to get the perfect taste.

It will be nice if you could also do videos on how you maintain your home, what your interests are and the journey of your life so far.. All of this can follow as we move further… We will be happy to know more.

 

Kudos and Best Wishes with all my heart 😊

Sabrish Ramakrishnan

""Moorthy Mama to To Me"". Still Cant accept that he is no more with us!!

 Dear VidyaKa –

I am really sorry for not talking to you post the mishap. I have no clue of how to start a conversation when such things happen to our loved ones. Please bear with me. I just thought to pen down what I feel about Moorthy Mama.

My first meeting with him of course dates back to our childhood days. They were indeed wonderful and carefree. I have a clear memory of your home at Kanpur. The frequent visits, the night stays and many other lovely moments. I tasted Boost for the first time at your home. It was then that I started having it on a regular basis.  You guys shifted to Ghaziabad and the strings got detached to a certain extent. Post that, I had never been to your home until Jan 2011 I suppose. It was Magara Jyothi, and your father, being an ardent devotee of Ayyappa, was watching it live on Asianet.

I had a lot of preconceived notions before visiting your home at Madipakkam. Was not too comfortable. I had a felt that meeting Moorthy mama and Geetha mami would just be like any other formal home visit. Appa had assured me that I will feel at home once I get in. This is what literally happened.

          Moorthy mama gave me a BIG WARM Hug which is his forte. The Jaadu Ki CHappi so to say. Within a few mins, we started talking as if I have been visiting them for years. I truly felt at home Akka. I have been a very sensitive and a homely person right from my childhood. For me, to meet a couple of my parents’ age who could make you feel warm was a great thing. We talked for hours, had a delicious lunch of Vengaya Sambar, Podimas along with PAppadam. My God. It was so amazing to be there.

          I felt concerned with the way he was walking due to the knee issues. In spite of that, he made sure to come and pick me up from Madipakkam bus stand and escorted me home. It was delightful. His optimism had no bounds. One could never be gloomy or low when he is around. He had that charm. I would feel in awe of him when we talked about old incidents that took place during his stay in North India. The tight friendships and closely-knit family circles he had due to his amazing attitude.

          Moorthy mama had a great sense of humor which is very important for a happy life. He did share about his tough times at Chennai during initial days. How he decided to settle at Chennai to take care of your Paati. In spite of being this man, he resembled a child when we discussed about your Paati. The pure love and affection he had for his mom was so visible with the words he used. He was a man with GREAT HEART. I have NEVER seen a person who could help others without a second thought. There have been times when he got into trouble as well. But you know what, it does not matter. People of this kind never have any guilt in their minds. They are mentally free. It was always soothing to visit your home and have conversations over cups of Tea and snacks. I really felt him as my father. Believe me. It’s great for a person to make others feel that warm.

          The main reason for taking a flat on rent nearby was that my parents could have their company. They came to stay in Chennai on Jan 26 2012. Moorthy mama and I took a cab from Amman Travels [They had their office near your house] and started at 6 or 7 AM in the morning. We had come to Railway station to pick up my parents. I had made all arrangements in my rented apartment before that. He was the one who got me the house as well. We went to a nearby store for buying basic utensils, induction stoves and other domestic stuffs.

          My parents had a great time with Moorthy mama and Geetha Mami during their short stay at Chennai. You also made a visit to Chennai during that time. It was fun indeed. Moorthy mama loved Amma’s sense of humor and the witty jokes that she would crack over the conversations. It was so funny to see him in fits of laughter till the tears rolled out.

          If I am driving a 2-wheeler today, its all because of Moorthy mama. I have said this N number of times to him and now making the point again. I never drove a 2-wheeler until then. Had my own inhibitions. One day suddenly, Moorthy mama asked me to drive his Activa. I was uncomfortable. He assured me to an extent as if he will balance me out in case I am about to fall. My God. That positive vibe was amazing. This is something even Appa could not do to me. He asked me to start the scooter and pushed it forward. That’s it. I had come to know that I can do it. You might think why I took so many years to make this move. Unfortunately, I did attempt doing it twice with my father’s Chetak in the past. Had fallen badly that I din pick it up for these many years.  If I am self-sufficient with my 2-wheeler today, all thanks to your father.

          He knew how to enjoy life to its fullest. I have seen it with my own eyes. Full of life and full of love for everyone. Appa and Amma have felt the same all the time. Even if a person is going to commit suicide, if Moorthy mama is around, he will give him 1 reason to stay alive. That’s his forte. I have had conversations with him during his stay in the US as well. They were all over Whatsapp. He always enjoyed the stay with his children. The sightseeing, the cruise ride, the various poses posted on facebook. All of them have been amazing to look at.

          I feel really bad that he left us early. He is needed by so many of us who feel peaceful in his company. I know that you have been closest to him. I also feel that his biggest solace was your presence during his last days. The vacuum that he has created in your lives, will take time to fill. The best part in the last few months is that you and Madhu Anna did whatever best you could for him. Rest is destiny. But what we know is that, if he were to watch you all from above, he would want his children and wife to be happy.  He is truly an example of “Being Human” in this selfish world. If we all can imbibe even a few drops of his qualities, life will be a lot more colorful for us.

  

For a person as lively as Moorthy mama, I really can’t say the he is no more. He is around us and I am sure that you will continue to feel his presence during the defining moments of your life. As I write these lines, believe me, I can hear him in my mind. His voice is clear. They way he called Appa as “Raadhe”.

 

Please convey my regards to your family. As we say, Time is the best healer. May this grief reduce and transform itself into moments that you cherished with your father. You are truly fortunate to be born to a father like him. Please take care of yourself as well as Geetha Mami.

Please do write to me when you find time.

 

Lots of Love and Best Wishes

Shabari.

June 10 2020 – 12:45 AM

@ the Baby Store – Feb 04 2017

Could you please show me some bright colours? I don’t want light shades since they will get dirty too quickly. I told the sales lady at the XYZee Baby store. We should not bombard our thoughts keeping any shop keeper on the radar J. Hence I don’t wish to mention the name of the shop.

We had come to purchase some dresses for our Kuttu. Well, his reported name is Arjunsarathy but who addresses him like that? Kuttu is one of the many names which we use to call him and drive his attention whenever possibleJ. Buying dresses for kids is really a gratifying experience. I can boldly swear that I have never enjoyed this much while buying one for my own self. Its true and it can be realized only when you become a dad or a mom and shop for your son J

Let’s get back to the store now. The sales lady showed me various designs. Brand names like Zero, Popees, Ollypop, Teddy and what not. I was smiling within. Does Kuttu even know what they mean? Does it really make a difference? As long as it’s Made in India, I am good. The dress should definitely be comfortable. I kept mum. The colours were captivating. From orange, to yellow to bright Prussian blue. I have enjoyed squeezing these colours from painting tubes and spreading them on my drawing sheet using brushes. Felt really good that such wide variance of colours is available today. There was a teddy print which I was looking for. I asked the sales lady if she had any with those patterns. “We don’t grind the same flour again Sir”, a loud voice boomed from the back. I turned towards the shop owner who was standing behind. A tall man with a dark complexion. Two of the front teeth crossing the boundaries of lower lips. The specs on his face just added to the grin. He started stringing the beads of self praise. “We never stock the same design again Sir. There are new arrivals every week. All of these come from Bombay. Our premium customers keep asking for variety. All the brands you see here are the prime ones which their kids wish to wear.”

His words irritated me more. As if to say that all kids actually took birth to wear these brands and market them. I realized that it’s useless to argue or make any comments to them. Their prime motive is to increase the currency in their accounts. Hence their customers have to be premium class only. You know what I mean J

I asked him to bill the 2 dresses that we had decided upon. Just then I noticed a person, somewhere in his 30s, checking the items on the display shelves. There were shoes, socks, toys, T Shirts and what not. His eyes beamed at them as if to buy everything he saw. He walked further pretty slowly and asked something to the sales lady. She did not seem interested. “Even last time you came here and asked me to show dresses for your kid. I spent a lot of time and finally you left the shop without buying anything. Tell me what you really want so that I can show you that”. Her words were louder than usual and her face had a chuckle. My dad and I were listening to this conversation while getting the credit card swiped.

His face turned pale for obvious reasons. He probably felt insulted. The man smiled and said something. He was so low that we could not hear him at all. The shop owner paused his swiping for a moment and said. “We also work very hard from morning till evening. We can’t keep wasting our time. Tell me your budget and we will tell you if there is anything in store for you”. I don’t know what value this man pronounced but heard back a hitting response. “We don’t have any dresses fitting this price”.

What right does a person have to insult others? Just because he does not have money, does his child become any less precious? Does he not have the right to even step into the shop? If you flip the coin, you might rather ask him – Does he not know his financial status? Why does he need to get into a shop where the prices are bound to be high?

Unfortunately, however practical a man is, his mind fails when he thinks of his kid. His heart goes a step beyond to wish for things which he otherwise can’t buy for his children. Don’t know if we can consider him wrong here.

I felt really bad inside. My dad somehow realized that he is a mallu and could thus strike a conversation easily. He patted lightly on his shoulder and said, “Don’t get disheartened due to this incident. There is no rule which says that you need to buy branded attires for your kids. I am sure you will find affordable ones in other shops. It’s more important that we are treated well as customers before we make a decision to buy anything from the shop.” He smiled but dint speak anything. He rushed to open the glass door and move out.

This incident somewhere leaves me with mixed thoughts. I am sure that there are many kids around us whose parents can’t afford a proper attire for them. Leave alone those who cant earn a living. Are they any less than our kids? On the contrary, such kids live their lives witnessing the ups and downs of their family. They are more grounded. More close to reality. Will our kids ever know of such hardships? Could this potentially make them another arrogant human just like that shop owner whom I met last night? If so, who should be blamed for this?

On My First Wedding Anniversary!!

 Well!
 Now its been an year since
A girl
 - Calls me Ettaa...though she wishes to call me Sabbu
- Says Good Morning everyday giving that weird look at me
 - Bugs me off by saying "Vere Endaa Parayuu??" when she does not have anything to tell me.
 - Calls me during lunches and asks - "Ningal Choru Kazhicho?"
 - Cries out loud when I shock her from behind
 - Makes food for me when I come back from office
 - Wants me to sit with her for which she says - "Evide Irikyu Etta"
 - Takes my mum for an outing whenever she wishes to go
 - Recites an elongated Thannnkkk You for little things that give her delight
 - Needs me to be the lover boy in her life though I seem to be pretty boring
 - Frightens me when she calls in evening and asks - "Innu Eppo Varum?"
 - Gets crazy by seeing an ice-cream or a chocolate
 - Hugs me when she needs care and warmth
 - Makes me feel low when she falls sick
 - Accompanies me for all the crap and good movies that I needed to see @ Sathyam Cinemas
 - Sponsors Cold Coffee and Veg Puffs during those breaks
 - Needs me to drop her @ office everyday thought I don’t do so
 - Massages my forehead with a balm when it aches badly after a hectic day
 - Gives me a hug as if to say - You are my property

You guessed it right! Its our first Wedding Anniversary..Hoping to see a bunch of surprises in the times ahead
 Cheers - Ettan!!

Krishna.......secured in the arms of Yashoda

To my parents on their 31st Wedding Anniversary - Jan 21 2014

31 years of relationship

 you tied the knot on Jan 21 1983..

 you laughed..

 you screamed..

 you cried..

 you scolded..

 you made love..

 I was born..

 It became the first triumph for you...

 I cried for milk

 I spoke

 I called Ma..

 I crawled

 I walked

 I went to school

 Cried again for my lessons..

 You nurtured me

 You got me the first book to read..

 You got me the first pen to write...

 We 3 struggled together...

 Survived the tests of time

 I cleared my boards..My first academic milestone

 It became the second triumph for you...

 I studied further..

 Became an Engineer

 Got a job...

 Hugged and cried to celebrate and say I am independent...

 Pa was on call...Ma was holding me tight..

 It was my birthday gift for Ma...

 I grew professionally..

 Learnt more about people..

 enjoyed success..

 digested failures...

 Inturn learnt how to live..

 Pa fell ill..

 I grew up further...

 Ma and me made him recover and come back..

 We felt blessed to be back in form..

 You searched for a girl for me..

 We added a new member to our family..

 It became the third triumph for you...

 Chitra became my wife..

 I understand you more..

 I realize you more..

 I love you more now...

 Let the journey go on....

 Wishing you many lovely moments in the years to come...

 

HAPPY 31st WEDDING ANNIVERSARY..

New Year....as it came by!!!!

Well, I know the fact that the "New Year Eve" has always been an important event for all of us every year. What actually matters me now is the change that my life has witnessed in how we celebrate it. This change, though, might not have affected me much, but definitely the present generation for sure. It has been influenced with the showers of the changing society, their attitude, their view towards life and their inclination towards the western culture :)....Are you one of them who are a participant in the last one I said?....No doubt, the western culture has captivated most of us all through these years. Though it has been a slow gradation but now the results are prominent. I don’t know why I get into that all the time...Probably; this New Year eve was also a testimony for it.

              I stay next to the East Coast Road (ECR) which runs along the Bay of Bengal and indeed, invites many long drive lovers. This 31st Dec was something different. I was on my way back home in the office cab and my wrist watch displayed 10:20. Of course a "PM" beyond doubt. The road was absolutely jam-packed and all vehicles would have lost a race with a snail if they ever planned to do so on that evening. Now, this was not usual at all. When I looked around, my mind applied its trivial intelligence to convey that it was a big crowd of youth heading towards the various destinations along ECR...for a lavish New Year Blast!!! One of the SWIFTS had four guys who were playing some HARD Rocks...hard enough to toggle your heart beats...A few bikes had triples on board..I am sure they had reserved a share for the traffic cops as well so that they don’t spoil this exciting night which would in turn open the gateway for the New Year 2011...

          Oh, amidst all this, I think I forgot to introduce myself. I am Sabrish and I work as a S/W professional in one of the leading TOP TIER IT companies  ... :) At least they say so; though not really helping me to make my pockets heavy. Well, I don’t wanna blame anybody for this...coz "Money Management" is definitely an art which ought to be practiced religiously to see its results gradually influencing your life. People, who don’t do this, always keep complaining...just like me :).

Finally I reached home by 10:50 and wished an advanced Happy New Year to a few of my roommates who were all set to celebrate this moment. Guess what, they had ordered Pizzas and Coke from Pizza Hut. Now, as I am a Pure Veg, except when it comes to cakes, they had ordered a pepe paneer pizza for me. It finally hit 12:00 and this indeed, marked a fresh moment coming in. The one which was bestowed the superpower to change the very YEAR of existence...from 2010 to 2011.Its really crazy to say this, but, I entered my room in 2010 and slept in 2011.Lol....that’s too much to talk about.

                                  My mind just stopped by on seeing an old photograph which snapped me and my mom hugging each other. It suddenly swept my thoughts to those old "NEW YEAR EVES" which meant spending more time at home with our loved ones. Those were the years when I stayed at North India in the city of Kanpur. My dad was employed there and hence I became a part of that minority who had migrated from South to North India to make a better living.31st Decembers are usually the ones which register the lowest levels of mercury and it’s chilled all around. All schools used to be closed as part of winter vacations and our moms would be too busy handling us at home all the time. I still remember those evenings when we made it a point to make something special to pamper our taste buds. It seemed as if it was an annual delight for them on account of serving us diligently to realize all the GOOD tastes during the last year :).

                         Television played a very important role in entertaining us all through the night. Special events, concerts, songs and movies ...all of that to invite the new year with a BIG BANG...One of those which I could remember now was "remembering Raj Kapoor ---the Show Man". All the golden hits of this great legend were performed by King Khan who enacted Raj Kapoor. I still remember the big stars of the Kapoor family coming out after the show. The doors displayed Wembley Arena in scarlet red lights. These letters had somewhere registered in my mind and I could later find this is a huge arena in London. My dream place to visit :).

             Another one which stands fresh in my memories is                   Eternal Asha- Kal Aaj Hamesha , the concert dedicated to Asha Bhonsle. It was hosted by SONY Entertainment Television and was indeed conceived by her son. She nearly sang an era of songs which had the power to graph the very journey of music in Indian Cinema which we now call "BOLLYWOOD". Watching these programmes and munching peanuts with my family has always been a treasured nostalgia in my life. I doubt if my kids would be fortunate enough to enjoy such moments which, though small and unimportant, play a vital role in creating that bond with our loved ones. Loads of balloons, crackers, sweets and snacks...this is all we had to welcome the New Year moment wherein all the families in our colony would assemble and wish each other. Now, what’s actually missing these days in the simplicity and gratification which was witnessed during those times...

                                  Maha Ganapathim Manasa Smaraami...my mobile jerked with this cute fusion ringtone thus conveying that my MOM was calling me. I took her call pressing that green button and heard her wishing me a Happy New Year. I had a chuckle on my face which asserted my pleasure to hear that and wish her the same. After ending that call, I truly felt that all moments that we come across, are actually meant to pass by. They just can’t stagnate at all. But what lingers on is the respect towards those who made these moments look so special for us. With that happy note in my mind, I went off to a deep slumber expecting a lovely DAWN....the first one for 2011!!!