Silvester D’Souza
Daijiworld Media Network – Kundapur (MS)
Kundapur, Sep 8: It is very difficult to find cooking experts on Aati dishes. The delicacies that were prepared during Aati have disappeared these days. However, among the few left, Mahabaleshwara Harikar and his wife Hemavati Harikar of Basuru still attract a lot of people because of their Aati culinary skills.
The couple cook ancient dishes which are obsolete now. They search for vegetables of rarest of rare variety and prepare dishes. They do not use the vegetables available in the market as most of them are sprayed with pesticides.
There is huge demand for the Aashada lunch that is prepared by this couple. They prepared Ashada lunch for 15 people, 20 years ago on demand. The demand grew up in phases and many organizations demand this special lunch during Ashada from this couple.
The couple prepared 32 types of dishes. Assistants are available for cooking. But the final touch is given by Hemavati Harikar herself. She is native of Ankola. A village that is close to thick forest. Many plants with medicinal effects are available in the forest. This contributes to the healthy food the couple provide during the month of Aati.
These unique plants are not available easily. The couple visit places like Balebar Ghat and Ankola to buy the leafy vegetables. Some are brought personally by Mahabaleshwara Bhat from hill areas. If they have to prepare one lunch, a week’s gathering of vegetables is needed.
The Harikar’s lunch menu includes special dishes like Holakol Kolina Idli, Gajaganti Soppu Palya, Agnipath Soppina Idli, Kanne Soppu, Bellate, Nekkarka etc. To prepare a Kalale dish one week’s prior preparation is needed. It is available only in the month of Ashada. They also prepare various types of Tambali, Payasam and Pathrodes.
In this season, Gurukula educational institutions, Lions clubs and Rotary clubs demanded for the Aati menu. The couple say that they take this as a challenge and do not want this unique knowledge to get decimated.
The typical Sasyamrita menu includes more than 30 dishes like shunti kalumenasina panaka, mafala uppinakayi, bale dindina kosambari, kesuvina chutney, sambarballi chutney, vatangi soppina chutney, kalale palya, pandava harive palya, pathrode palya, gajagande soppina palya, pathrode gali, hulikol idli, kyanigendi kadubu, menthe soppina chitranna, kannekudi tambali, nelauragasoppina tambali, bilvapatra tambali, kesuvina dadi sasive, bale hannina sasive, gove kesuvina gedded sasive, basale sambar, huruli saaru, kabbina paladya, ganasale, mavina hannina barfi, thodedavu and nugge soppina bonda.