1 day Ago By Mid-day
It was a close friend, Nandini’s 50th birthday, and her family decided to celebrate it in Goa. A few of us joined them there. As one grows older, there is a special place in one’s heart for friends from one’s childhood or youth, or at least from long ago.
Nandini’s childhood friend had made a video compilation, with many relatives and friends from her hometown in Nagaon, Assam, and elsewhere, wishing her, recalling incidents and shared pasts, that left her very moved. Then, her two teenage sons and I sang Bhupen Hazarika’s Buku hom hom kare, possibly the first song they sang in their mother tongue, Assamese. Popularly known in the Hindi version as Dil hoom hoom kare from the film Rudali, an aching love song, I discovered that the Assamese original, Buku hom hom kore mur aai.
. (My mother [Asom], my heart weeps for you), is a patriotic song sung by an Assamese, in their battle against the British rulers.I wanted to get Nandini a special cake, and my friend Vikram Doctor, brilliant food critic and food sociologist-philosopher, based in Goa, recommended a few delectable options: a Bolo Sans Rival—a Filipino cashew cake; but I couldn’t get it, so I got a Toucinho do Ceu (bacon from heaven), a rich, classic Portuguese cake, made by Marlene de Noronha Meneses, of Marlene’s Tasty Treats, in a no-bacon version made with eggs, almond and sugar.
Vikram Doctor came to the rescue again when I wanted suggestions where to eat in Goa. He strongly recommended Shubhra Shankhwalker’s Goan Saraswat home cooking, at her home in Camurlim (@goafromhome). So we trooped into two vehicles, driving past winding lanes, with red earth, rice fields and coconut trees, by the Chapora river.
Shubhra had cooked up a storm. She welcomed us in a lovely, airy bungalow off the main road, and served us Binache Sharbat (fresh kokum sharbat) from an earthen madka. Then she described all the dishes she had prepared—it was a long list of about 15 dishes, including a range of veggies, four kinds of fish, and chicken.
It included Bibbe (raw cashews), Visvanache Hooman (Kingfish curry), Chicken Shagoti (Chicken curry from free range chicken), Toorachi Uddamethi (raw mango curry), Sungtache Sukhe (prawn sukha), Ansache ani Amyache Tonak (Pineapple and mango curry), Varan (plain dal), Saar (lightly spiced tomato curry), Karatyache Raite (cucumber karela with coconut chutney and peanuts), Channyacho Kuvar (a dish with white peas, fresh coconut and tamarind), Batatachi Bhaji (Potato Bhaji) and Tambdi Bhaji (Bhaji from red amaranth leaves). There was also Kangachi ani Sangachi Bhaji (sweet potato and drumstick bhaji), Bharille Bangde (Mackerel stuffed with coriander chutney), Nirphansachi Fodi (Breadfruit fry) and Vellyo (Silver fish) Fry. Moreover, there was Vade (rice puris), Homemade pickles, Dried Coconut Chutney, Goan Papads, Locally Grown Rice, Sol Kadi (garlic flavoured), and Rasayan with fresh coconut milk, local banana and sweet potato for dessert.
We rounded it off with lemongrass and ginger tea. It was a greatly enjoyable and deeply satisfying meal. That weekend, there were many rounds of expansive lunches and dinners, walks along the lovely Calangute beach, and conversations late into the night.
Later in Assagaon, unbelievably, I was up at 5.45 am to go with Doc and Alok and their three dogs Sheroo, Hachi and Lakshmi Kumari, for a barefoot morning walk on the beach. They took us to a marvellous stretch, where the Chapora river meets the sea, and at low tide, left sandbars—I guess Bengalis call them char—with graceful curves and arches, and beautiful ribbed patterns fashioned by the waves.
This is also a turtle nesting area. The dogs gambolled and chased each other, then did more masti with a pack of other beach dogs—about 15 in all. Last I was up this early, was possibly during SSC exams in a previous lifetime, and I have seldom been this exhilarated, as the sun popped over the horizon.
Goa, dil maange more.Meenakshi Shedde is India and South Asia Delegate to the Berlin International Film Festival, National Award-winning critic, curator to festivals worldwide and journalist. Reach her at meenakshi.
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