Saturday, January 31, 2015

A Melbourne Mangal Event ....


Folks in Australia have a special link up with our Republic Day.   Both countries celebrate  on January 26, every year;  it is Australia Day  down under , and Republic Day in India.

And so folks like  my friend Shruti Nargundkar of Melbourne celebrated the colors of the Indian Flag and Obama's introduction to Gujarati cuisine at , by cooking up variations of Methi-Kele nu shak, or Methi Plantain( Banana ) bhaji.  

Check out her blog recipe here.

Given the strong behavioural properties of Methi Fenugreeka, and what can only be called  a presumed conservative Kela (Banana),  one expected a bit of drama in the finale.

But clearly, everything seems to have gone off fine.  In keeping with the new enlightened rules that encourage women Hindu priests  to officiate at all events, Shruti elevates things to new levels in her kitchen.....  :-)  




 ह्या मेथ्यांची नवी पिढी ,
जरा हट्टीच ….


बेसन रावांवर भाळून ,
वेळी अवेळी स्वतःला "हॉट" समजून
तेलात झोकून देणं ,
उन्धीयूच्या पब मध्ये पडून रहाणं ,
कधी कधी भाजणीच्या आहारी जाउन
थालीपीठात भाव खाणं …

आणि मग एके दिवशी
कुणा एका गाजर आजींच्या मध्यस्थीने
एक चांगल्या घरचे केळे भाऊ भेट्ले.

तिच्या सारखेच हिरवे ,
तिच्यासारखेच घोळक्यात लहानपण घालवलेले ,
पण जमिनीशी जवळचे नाते असलेल्या
तिला वाटे ,
कि कायम वृक्षाईवर लोम्ब्काळून आयुष
घालवणारा कसा असेल ?
तिचा नाजूकपणा , हरहुन्नरीपणा,
मधूनच कड्वट्पणे बोलायची सवय
त्याला पटेल का ?

आणि मग
तिचे कांदेभाऊ , ओवाई , मिर्चीबेन ,
मोहरी जिर्याच्या कडकडाट न जुमानता
धाउन आले,
आणि म्हणाले ,
"ओय मेथ्ये ,
तुला माहित नसेल,
पण केळेभाउ ह्या वयात सुधा शिजले
कि तुझ्या सारखेच बेसन रावांबरोबर
तेलात धमाल करतात ,
कधी कधी बटाटे रावांच्या डिक्टेटर शाहीला
शह पण देतात ,
आणि सर्वात महत्वाच म्हण्जे,
मोठेपणी खूपच गोड वागतात
अशी त्यांच्या कुटुंबाची ख्याती आहे . "

कुठेतरी मेथीला समजलं ,
असा माणूस पुन्हा भेटणे नाही ,
उन्धीयू वगैरे मंडळी येतात आणि जातात ,
पण हा माणूस खास गाजर आजींच्या ओळखीतला
आणि तिची आधुनिक लाइफ स्टाईल
समजणारा आहे.

आणि
सांगायची गोष्ट म्हणजे
मेलबोर्न मंगल कार्यालयात ,
अधुनिक प्रथे नुसार
श्रुती नरगुंदकर यांच्या पौरोहित्यात ,
प्रजासत्ताक दिनी हा विवाह संपन्न झाला … !
This new generation ,
the Fenugreeka Methees
are clearly
sometimes willfully stubborn.

Infatuated with young Besan,
spotted in 'hot' places,
wildly abandoned in oil,
fooling around at the Undhiyu Pub
and sometimes
even being smitten
and lording it in Thalipithian places...

And it came to pass,
 that the Dowager Carotta,
introduced her
to young Kela
scion of the Plantains.

Green like her,
and also boasting
of a childhood spent deep
amidst other young ones,
she wondered
how a Treemomma's Boy like him
would react
to her dainty demeanour,
her odd habits
and sometimes
her bitter repartees.

The Masala Union rushed in
with a deputation
of Onion-Ajawain-Mirchi types,
who braved bursting protesting
mustard and cumin seeds
to say ,
" Yo Methi !
Kela has spirit,
and when suitably cooked,
he too has a thing going
with the hot oils
to the eternal consternation
of the Potato Clan;
whats more,
we hear,
that folks like Kela
get sweeter with age ;
a win win situaion na ?"

The Fenugreeka Methi
realized her folly,
the passing nature
of the fancy Undhiyu Lads,
and gave thought again,
to the new family tie up,
set up by the sweet Dowager Carotta.

To cut a long story short,
Fenugreeka Methi is now
Fenugreeka Methi Kela,
thanks to a wedding
at the
Melbourne Mangal Karyalaya,
on Republic day,
officiated by
the newly ordained,
innovative,
Gurubehen Anna-maa Shruti Nargundkar,

2 comments:

  1. Absolutely loved my new role as the newly ordained Gurubehen Anna-maa!! You have such a way with words Suranga Tai! :)

    ReplyDelete