Asia's first artificial Sea World to come up in Konkan

Maharashtra could set itself apart from others, thanks to the state government’s announcementto set up Asia’s first ever Artificial sea world by next year. The sea world will have marine life in the artificial sea.

The state’s tourism minister stated that the feasibility report for the Sea World should be out in 6 months and that the actual work on the project will start in another six months.

As per the initial feelers, it would cost Rs150 crore to set up the artificial sea world on a 150-acre land. The plan is to urge the central government for funds once the feasibility report gives it a go-ahead. If the centre denies funds, the state would take it up with Public-Private partnership to complete it in 2 years.

The feasibility report work is entrusted to the Pune-based Science and Technology Park which signed an MoU with Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC) in the same regard.

The report, estimated to cost the exchequer Rs27.83 lakh, will recommend Konkan as the project location. It will be between Raigad, Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg to get the sea world.

Konkani Lokved Kala Sambhram at Suratkal on Apr 25

The Karnataka Konkani Sahitya Academy along with Catholic Sabha Mangalore Pradesh, Suratkal will conduct ‘Konkani Lokved Kala Sambram’ on Sunday April 25 at the Sacred Heart parish, Suratkal, premises.

Vittal Prabhu, former municipal councilor from Suratkal will flag-off the proceedings while Karnataka Konkani Sahitya Academy president Kundapur Narayan Karvi will preside over the function.

Kundapur Narayan Karvi will hold a seminar on Lokved from 4.00 pm to 5.30 pm after the inaugural ceremony. Lokved arts of Konkani flavor will be performed between 6.00 pm to 7.00 pm. Krishna J Palemar, the district in-charge minister and the city mayor Rajani Dugganna will be the chief guest.

The array of performances includes Gumta singing by Charles D’Souza and group, Managalore. We also have Kudmi dance by Gopal Gowda and group and Yedapadav based Kudubi Janapad Kala Vedike. And then there is Suggi (Khareef) dance and stick performance by Narayana Vasu Marathi and group along with Fire Gymnastics by Chandrashekhar Karvi and group.

Book on Vibrant Konkani Theatre by Dr Andre Fernandes published

Tiatr Academy of Goa provided financial support to Dr André Rafael Fernandes so that his book, ‘When the curtains rise, understanding Goa's vibrant Konkani theatre’ got published.

The book is based on a PhD thesis and delves into the diverse origins of the tiatr ( also called tiatro ) and proceeds to talk about its growth. References to the early Portuguese plays are also provided. The book helps you understand the theatre scene in Goa, the cultural history of the region and the role played by the Konkani Diaspora in keeping the language vibrant.

Some rare examples are provided in the book. The front cover shows a handbill for the performance of Batcara in 1904. The characters list confirms that women participated in tiatr, even a century ago though such practice was not prevalent in other Indian theatre forms.

TAG sponsored the printing costs in full as a part of its scheme to publish tiatr related books. The book is priced reasonably so as to allow easy access to everybody.

A distinct feature of the book is that the author has published it under a Creative Commons 3.0, non-commercial license thus making it available for reproduction of the work for non-commercial purposes. The book can thus be accessible over the net also for free.

400 Miles From Goa - Konkani Humour Prospers

How does one define the 'richness' of a particular language?

This question has long haunted me and I went about looking for the answer. Linguists might argue that a language is 'rich' only if

* It has a lot of unique words in circulation and can express itself in various ways to convey the same meaning

* It has its nuances, the ability to express a situation in different words, each of which conveys a different meaning when used in a different context.

* It has a highly developed grammar system

But I beg to differ. There is one additional aspect that is missing in the above list. The lacuna in the above argument is the essence and importance of humour in a language, especially in its day to day usage. On a lighter vein, the ability of a language to entwine humour into it is what appeals most to me. That according to me is the most important factor that makes a language rich.

The South Canarese Konkani speakers are a lucky lot. They are blessed with the most fertile of soils, ample rainfall, pristine natural beauty and the gift of the sea. In this microcosm, they are a humorous lot. The gift of abundance has helped them take life lightly. They call themselves the Amchigele or in short the Amchis. This literally translates to 'my people'. Humour is an important part of an Amchi's life. Every alternate sentence spoken is assuredly funny or sarcastic in some way. Effortless and spontaneous humour is their speciality. There is humour in happiness and sarcasm in sadness.

Take for instance humour related to food, a real passion among the Amchis. When it comes to food, nothing less than perfect would do. Imagine serving him stale food. He would immediately retaliate with a cryptic verbal weapon of mass destruction. Take for example the saying 'raa.ndayi ullaitaa aassa', which literally translates to 'the curry is talking'. This saying is generally used to describe a curry that is spoilt or soured, especially so when it is served the day after it is cooked. It’s kind of funny and takes the weight off the situation of having a curry that is no longer edible. The pain of the loss of the curry is lightened and the humour ensures that the loss no longer hurts.

When an Amchi lands himself into problems while having good intentions, he describes it rather strangely as, ‘baDDi diivnu peTTa khaavche’, which literally translates to ‘give a stick to someone and in turn get beaten’.

Another saying that needs mention is 'raatri paLayile baayi.ntu, disaa vachchunu poDche', which literally translates to 'fall during the day into a well which was seen in the night'. The context of this usage is that of committing a mistake in spite of having foreseen the consequences. This is just one of the many ways of putting the point across in the most humorous way possible. The list of sayings is seemingly endless.

Two Amchis talking to each other in the ubiquitous tea stall are like stand-up comedians taking part in any of the numerous talent search competitions. They entertain not only themselves but also the people around them. The more humorous an Amchi is discussing his mundane life, the more popular he gets to be in the community.

The Amchigele society too does its bit to encourage humour among its fellow men and women. A particularly funny Amchi is spoken of in high regard, 'he's a glib talker', 'she's a funny woman', 'don't mess with him, as he will verbally tear you to bits'. This social backing ends up keeping the tradition of humour alive. Other societies might dislike or put down humorous talk as arrogant, uncouth or bordering on the rude. Other societies frown upon this kind of witty and spontaneous humour. However, this is not so with the Canarese Amchis. They know how to take it with a pinch of salt. Given a choice, they prefer to encourage this sort of behaviour, instead of discouraging it, like other societies would normally have done.

In retrospect, there are historical reasons explaining why the Amchis mastered this art form. Far away from Goa in the midst of the Tulu and Kannada speaking majority, it does make sense to use cryptic descriptions of situations. When in the company of the non-Amchis, the message would be conveyed but the literal translations would not mean much to the uninitiated, even if the words are comprehensible. Much like the Cockney rhyming slang that originated in the East End of London. The words get across, but to the crowd which is not 'into' it, it makes no sense at all.

The Amchis might own Formula One teams, IPL teams, run the best of banks in India, be an archetype of entrepreneurship, but serious talk is left behind at the work place. When an Amchi meets another Amchi, there's always time for some humorous and senseless banter. This of course can only happen with the aid of a 'rich' language. 400 miles away from Goa, the motherland of the Konkani speakers, humour prospers!

-----------------------------
© Roshan Pai Ramesh
-----------------------------

The author is the Chief Editor of the ‘Konkani Dictionary Project’ hosted online at <www.savemylanguage.org>. A comprehensive list of South Canarese Konkani sayings, proverbs, metaphors, idioms and euphemisms can be found on the site.

This article was originally written by the author for 'Goa Info' a quarterly magazine published in Goa.

Konkani Literature Today

Konkani Literature Today

A Research Paper read by

Dr. S. M. Tadkodkar

(1) 1/B, S-5, IInd Floor,
Kamat Plaza, Panaji, Tiswadi, Goa – 403 001
Phone: 0832-2423577
(2) Head
Department of Postgraduate Instruction and Research in Marathi,
Goa University,
Taleigaon Plateau,
Tiswadi, Goa – 403 206

Presented during the Meet of the North-Eastern and Western Indian Writers
organized at Pune (Maharashtra) on October 18th and 19th, 2008 by

Sahitya Akademy
(NATIONAL ACADEMY OF LETTERS)

On the outset, let me thank Shri. Sunil Gangopadhyaya, the Chairman of Sahitya Akademy, Shri. Pundalik Narayan Nayak, Convenor of Advisory Board for Konkani and Chairman of Goa Konkani Academy and Shri. K. S. Rao, who is Regional Secretary of Sahitya Akademy for giving me an opportunity to present my research note amidst an august audience,

The Konkani language is spoken along the Western coastal land of Arabian Sea. There, we come across varieties in spoken structure of the Konkani. Obviously, all that is being written in these varieties could have been termed as Konkani literature. Regretfully, one has to mention here that due to political ambient – surrounding – a large number of Konkani speakers cannot embrace the Konkani language officially, which has been included in the eighth schedule of Constitution of India and which is the state language of Goa.

Karmelin, by Shri Damodar Mauzo.

This book is the English translation of the original Konkani novel. Translation by Vidya Pai. ISBN-10: 8126019182

Today, when we say about literary language of the Konkani, then we have to consider the literature produced in Kannada, Malayalam, Devanagari and Roman scripts, which is spread in the states of Karnataka, Kerala, Goa and Maharashtra. I am not aware of any other fact about such a language, which has as many as four scripts that are being adopted at various places for reading, writing and publishing valuable literary books in a quite large number.

Whenever we mention about standard Konkani literature, then we just cannot overlook the literary contribution in the scripts, which are mentioned above. Quite often, we come across these two terms ‘Modern’ and ‘Modernity’

Literature in this, which is one of the most beautiful languages in India, can be viewed in sequence of the concepts ‘modern’ and ‘modernity’.

‘Modern’ is the concept, which relates to the specific times, which identifies to latest style of life. It may also be defined as “contemporary or characteristic of the present moment in time” or “modern is applied to writing marked by a strong and conscious break with tradition”.

The term ‘Modernity’ indicates to the values based on rationalization of thoughts. It is believed that the modern sociological thought begun with Ibn Khaldun, an Arab sociologist from North Africa. His Muqaddimah was written in 1377. Modernity is a term that refers to the modern era. It is indeed distinct from modernism; this term is viewed in different contexts viz. cultural and intellectual movements of between 1630 and 1940. Modernity is a term, which also indicates to the universal values of life accepted in modern era. One may hold an opinion that the process of modernity ended in last phase of the 20th century. It is replaced by values of post-modernism. One might stretch the concept of modernity “to cover the developments denoted by post-modernism and into the present”.

Well, on this backdrop modern period of the Konkani literature could have been viewed simultaneously in terms of advent of values of modernity as well. If this view-point is accepted then the day of liberation of Goa on December 19, 1961, from the 450 year colonial oppressive rule of Portuguese regime can be said as the beginning of modern period and modernity in the Konkani literature.

Late Dayanand Bandodkar, the first Chief Minister of the then Goa, Daman and Diu, (which was union territory in the Union of India) and his able lieutenant late V. S. S. Karmali, who was Education Minister of the government, opened primary and secondary schools at every nook and corner in the newly liberated part of Goa. This enhanced literacy among the peasants and other working class. Generation after that educational upheaval offered a special flavor to Konkani literature.



Pictured: Shri Padmabhushan Ravindra Rajaram Kelekar
Update: Since Dr Tadkodkar's presentation of this paper, Shri Kelekar has been awarded the prestigious Jnyanpeetth Award.

The much honoured writers in Konkani today are Padmabhushan Ravindra Rajaram Kelekar, A. N. Mahambro, Damodar Mauzo, Chandrakant Kenny, Hema Naik, Mahabaleshwar Sail, Ramesh Veluskar, Madhav Borkar, Edwin D’Souza, Devidas Kadam, Dilip Borkar, N. Shivadas, Sheela Kolambkar, Meena Kakodkar, Gajanan Joag and others.

Among the research scholars are Suresh Amonkar, Harischandra Nagvenkar, Mrs. Priyadarshini Tadkodkar, Dr. Kiran Budkulay, Dr. Ram Bhat, Dr. Maria Aurora Couto, Dr. Madhavi Sardessai and others.

Other renowned writers are Prakash Thali, Dr. Prakash Vazarikar, Prakash Parienkar, Dr. Jayanti Nayak and others.

I also should make a special mention of periodicals in Konkani. They relentlessly assisted the litterateur folk representing Konkani language and literature. Some of the names are ‘Rutu’, ‘Jaag’, ‘Kullagar’, ‘Konkani’, ‘Konkan Times’, Sunaparant, Vavraddeancho Ixtt (Roman-script Konkani, weekly), Gulab, Bimb .

It is very difficult to embrace all genre of Konkani literature, in such petit note. As such today, I will try to focus only on the Konkani poets and their sensibility in view of the modernity.

But, one thing should be made amply clear that when we make mention about certain Konkani literature, which belongs to modern period, some historians do not hesitate to mention Ligorio da Costa, Carlos Trinidad Dias and Arnold Menezes, who were the early Mando (a semi-literary folk song) composers of the 19th century and also Smt. Kamalamal, Narahari Prabhu, Suhas Dalal and Manjeshwari Govind Pai, who wrote devotional poetry during the late 20th century.

Konkani poetry began shedding its traditional skin after Kashinath Shridhar Nayak (1899-1983, whose pen-name was ‘Bayabhau’.). His ‘Saddyaavelim Fulam’ (1946) opened the doors for those who longed to break the shackles of traditional mode of writing. He is therefore known as the pioneer of Konkani modern poetry. Another attempt of shedding anxiety of influence is seen in the ‘Painzonnam’ (1960) of Padmashree Bakibab Borkar (1910-84), and so also Manohar Sardessai for the concept traditional exhibition of love and philosophical, introspectional trance, still remained at the core. Basically, he and his contemporary Pandurang Bhangui, Shankar Ramani (1923-2004) represent the poetic genre of the entire classical romanticism in the Konkani poetry.

Traditional patriotism i. e. love for country cannot be shed for it is omnipotent. It presents glimpses of anxiety of influence, in the poetry of Manohar Sardessai (‘Gomya Tuzya Mogakhatir’). Waman Sardessai (1923-94, pen name ‘Abhijit’) was a freedom fighter. He said, “Silent is my sorrow like nameless wild flower in forest” This element, indeed, represented the contemporary Konkani poetry.

This poetry was rich in idiom and had assurance of touch as well as touch of assurance. It had dipped in the realm of solitude and at times into recluse and silence. These and other poets were singing a swan song. When they came across the stark naked reality, they screamed saying that the contemporary ground reality was not the dream they had visualized. Their dream had shattered! Shankar Bhandari’s (1928-87) ‘Ganarajya’ is a satire which presents contradictions in the basic value systems of romantic and classical politics and stark naked ground reality. “Gonnachem ailem raj, khoyancho Gonna konn janna.” (We say, Ganna’s – Common man’s - rule has arrived, but who knows Ganna – the common man? Which Ganna?)

In this note, I have attempted to present, through a bird’s eye view, the glimpses of modernity in the Konkani literature today.

Sociological thought, which is omnipotent in the modernity, is distinctly visible in the poetry written by Padmashree Raghunath Vishnu Pandit (1917-1990). Pandit gave a war cry against social injustice and inequality, hegemony and hypocrisy. He, apparently, was the torch-bearer of this era from 1963. Earlier, stray instances did take place, which may have links with sociological thought, e. g. a poem by Adeodoto Barreto (1905-37). He addresses laborer class in 1937 in his poem ‘Bekaryanc’. He also longs for liberation of Goa from Portuguese rule and unification with India. His dream came true in 1961. But the spurt for sociological thought in Konkani poetry is seen only after 1963. Manohar Sardessai rightly said once that Pandit’s poetry is rooted in the Goan soil. His poetry brought in rustic language.

Pandit was followed by a rich generation of poets, which indeed brought the genuine touch of modernity. The first among them is Nagesh Karmali. Pandit did not foresee a classless society, but Karmali did and advocated for it. He opposed the measures, which are repressive in character. He adhered to force revolts and revolutions. This was only the medium for the creation of a free and democratic classless society, at least in theory. The transition from feudal institutions to modern institutions was marked by a series of revolutions, reference of which is found in the Karmali’s poetry.

Karmali, intuitionally a socialist, says,”Poetry had visited me in several forms, sometimes soft and silent, at times troubled and all at ease. At times (it came as if) roaring destruction like invading waves.”

Another tall descendant of Pandit is Pundalik Narayan Nayak. His ‘Bangarbaeel’ (the bull, which is not castrated) is the perfect and ultimate product of tyranny. As such, he appears to be oppressive. He would not listen to injustice and would surge ahead with might. Pundalik’s poetry worships equality and comradeship, but he is not canonically a communist. His, the then, poetry did not believe in popular democracy, but his plays have trust in it. While Pandit’s poetry brought in rustic language, Pundalik’s poetry nourished classical brutality. It is its forte.

He says, “You just cannot castrate the bull / You have no guts to sell the bull / Let my bull go, wherever he desires / Let him do that pleases him / The bull is the savior of fifty two generations / The bull is the descendant of my race.”

But even his staunch critic will not deny that Pundalik’s poetry is brutally honest. I strongly feel that his poetry destroys the unpleasant but uncanny, weird and necessities of the times in which he lived.

Vijayabai Sarmalkar did ask about woman’s stature in the then social matrix. But her voice does not appear to be dominating. To fill in the gap of strong voice of a woman, some of poetesses viz. Hema Nayak, Nutan Sakhardande, Shakuntala Arsekar, Jayanti Nayak, Prashanti Talponkar, Shanti Tendulkar, Maya Kharangate, Neela Telang ventured upon social inequality. Some of them are romantic feminists. Rather the number of female litterateur exceeds the male writers in Konkani literature as far as impact of modernity is concerned.

Glaring point of ‘modernity’ is that it postulates encouragement of advance or progress in useful sciences and arts. Surprisingly enough, Konkani poetry does not glorify this aspect of modernity. Especially, another modernist poet Prakash Padgaonkar does not have any admiration for ‘rapid, unplanned and senseless industrialization.’ This poet is a romantic modernist. Universally, sensibility about human agony lies beneath the essence of modernity. This is evident in the poetry of Padgaonkar.

While Shivanand Tendulkar, Arun Sakhardande, Su. Ma. Tadkod (pen name of Dr. S. M. Tadkodkar) have ardent faith on approach to the modernity, the other glaring names are of Sudesh Lotlikar, Jess Fernandes. Apparently, they do believe as the American Christian fundamentalists still agree with Martin Luther who recognized that "Reason is the greatest enemy that faith has; it struggles against the divine word, treating with contempt all that emanates from God."

Tendulkar (pen name – Kashinath Shamba Lolienkar) represents the vein of radical existentialism in Konkani writing. He believes in this context that man defines himself. Though this belief has a part of philosophical bearing, it indicates the presence of tenets of modernity.

Neelba Khandekar could have been one of the fore-runners as far as the concept of modernity is concerned. A strong germ of modernity exists in his poetry but it slips in the realm of radical existentialism.

Rajay Pawar could have been another descendant of Pandit, Karmali and Pundalik Nayak. Surprisingly, it is apparent that, the commitment vanished in course of time.

One cannot disagree that people have begun in believing that modernist shop has global implications. Reason is being searched to comprehend this failure. The approach, which is in the name of sociological thought under the pretext of humanism, has come under various scanners. Modernism is a flaw, corrupt in the name of modernism and humanist tradition and has played itself out and is now floundering and directionless. If Modernism is at an end, we are now facing a new period. The name given to this new period is Postmodernism.

But this viewpoint or commitment is not imbibed as yet in the Konkani poetry. But poets write for joy. An attempt of shedding anxiety of influence is not seen for the concept traditional exhibition of love and philosophical, introspectional trance, still remained at the core.

Uday Bhembro, Ghanekar Bhicajee, Tomazinho Cardozo, (1941), Yusuf A. Sheikh, Gajanan Raikar, Sharatchndra Shenoy, Ram Prabhu-Choddanekar, R. Ramnath, Dattakumar Vyankatesh Kamat, Paresh Narendra Kamat, Shashikant Punaji, Gulab Vernekar, Guadulup Dias and others, Suresh Borkar are the core romanticists of Konkani poetry.

Yusuf Sheikh says, “In these entangled threads there are knots, and many minds are entangled in these knots.” Suresh Borkar says, “What does my life lack? Receiving is joy. Giving is joy. Cup of my life is full of happiness.” Both these poets represent the poetic genre of the entire classical romanticism in the Konkani poetry.

Bibliography:

(Please note that the dates given against some of the names need corrections.)
1. Bakibab Borkar (1910-1984), ‘Painzonnam’ 1960 and ‘Sasai’, 1980
2. Barreto Adeodoto (1905-1937), ‘Bekaryanc’ (the only poem), 1935,
3. Bhandari, Shankar (1928-1987),
4. Bhembro, Uday (1939), ‘Channyache Raatee’, 1966,
5. Borkar, Madhav (1954), ‘Chonvor’, 1969,
Vatacheo Sanvelleo’, 1972,
‘Uzvaddacho Rukh’, 1975,
‘Porzollachem Dar’, 1986,
‘Yaman’, 1999,
‘Avyaktachim Gaannee’, 2002
6. Borkar, Suresh (1938), ‘Vajrathikam’, 1985,
7. Bhangui, Pandurang (1923), ‘Odrushtache Kalle,’ 1972
‘Dixttavo’, 1972
‘Chanfelli Saanz’, 2000
8. Cardozo, Tomazinho - ‘Mando’ and ‘Pakllyo’,
9. Kamat, Paresh Narendra, ‘Allang’, 2000,
10. Karmali, Nagesh (1923), ‘Samvar’, 1974
‘Zoargat’, 1975
‘Vaunshvrukshanchem Dennem’ 1992
‘Thang-Athang’, 2003
11. Kharangate, Maya, ‘Kayapanjee’,
12. Khandekar, Neelba, ‘Vedha’, ‘Suryavaunshi’, 1999
13. Kelekar,Yeshawant, ‘Punzalelim Fulam’
14. Lolienkar Kashinath Shamba, Kashi Mhonnta’, 1982,
‘Kashik Mhannachench Paddtta’, 1997,
‘Kasheen Mhannapachem Soddunk Naa’,
15. Lolienkar, Prasad, ‘Mullam’, 1995
16. Naik, Kashinath Shridhar (Bayabhau) (1899-1983) – ‘Saddyaavelim Fulam’, 1946,
17. Naik, Bharat, ‘Mana Mana’, 1982
18. Nayak, Manoraya, ‘Kalp-Ful’, 1993
19. Nayak, Pundalik Narayan 1952), ‘Ga Ami Rakhanne’, 1976
‘Raan Sundari’, 1974
20.Padgaonkar, Prakash (1948), ‘Uzvaddachim Pavlam’, 1976,
Vascoyan’, 1977
‘Hanv Manis Ashwatthamo’, 1985
‘Kavita: Kaal Railwaychyo, Manharashyachyo, Pavasa- Pantyachy’, 1993
‘Ani Sarg Ghaddpak Dhartarecho’, 1994
21. Pawar, Rajay, Pawas-Fulam’, 1997
22.Pandit, Raghunath Vishnu (1917-1990), ‘Ailem Tashem Gailem’, 1963,
Mhojem Utor Gavdyanchem’, 1963,
‘Urtalem Tem Dhortolem’, 1963,
‘Dhortorechem Kavan’, 1963
‘Chandraval’, 1963
‘Darya Gazota’, 1979
23. Raikar, Gajanan, ‘Banwad’ and ‘Sumwari’,
24.Ramani, Shankar (1923-2004), ‘Zoglanchem Zadd’, 1987
‘Nillem Nillem Brahma’ 1993
‘Brahm-Kamal’, 1995,
‘Niranjan’, 2002
25. Sardessai Manoharrai, (1925-2007), ‘Aiz re Dholar Padlee Badee’, 1961,
‘Goyam Tujya Mogakhateer’, 1961,
‘Zayat Zage’, 1964
‘Zayo-Zuyo’, 1970
‘Pissollim’, 1978 (SA Award)
26.Sarmalkar, Vijaya (1924), ‘Gontthalam’,
27.Sheikh, Yusuf A., ‘Gantthee’, 1982,
28.Telang, Neela, ‘Kallzachee Bharatee’,
29.Veluskar, Ramesh (1947), ‘Morpakham’, 1977,
‘Matee’, 1983
‘Angani Nachata Moar moaraya’, 1988,
‘Savulgoaree’, 1989,
‘Hiranya-Garbha’, 1993,
‘Surya-Vaunshee ani Tanarjyotee’,1999

-----------------------------
© Dr S M Tadkodkar
-----------------------------

Ambe Saasam - A True Konkani Salad

A good meal starts with a good salad. If anyone were to ask the recipe to a Konkani salad....there’s just one thing that would come to mind....Ambe Saasam (Mangoes in coconut sauce). Salad!!! Yes, you read that right. Fresh cut mangoes dressed in grated coconut with a dash of salt and spice - what better on earth could be termed a true parallel to any exotic tropical fruit salad!

Ambe Saasam is probably of the many ways that our Konkani ancestors came up with to enjoy and relish their harvest of mangoes. Traditionally the recipe calls for a combination of freshly grated coconut (raw), dried red chilies and tamarind to be ground together into a semi dry base that forms the dressing. Peeled and diced mangoes are then folded in with a pinch of salt to create this simple yet delectable salad.

As any other Konkani recipe, the Ambe Saasam has evolved from being the regular Ambe Saasam to a more versatile Avnaas-Ambe-Saasam (Diced Pineapple and Mango in coconut sauce). Throw in a few grapes and you make it that much more of a fruit “gajbaje” (mish mash). No matter what you toss into that salad, it forever has retained the traditional name. It makes you wonder if the additions were an art developed by the home-cook to feed a huge family, especially when one specific fruit wasn’t sufficient or available in plenty.

Almost every book on Konkani cuisine has given the Ambe Saasam its much deserving share of limelight. The uniqueness of this recipe is that it could be a salad – all by itself, served as ‘salsa’ or as a ’side’ with rice. Another distinctive feature about this recipe is that though termed “Saasam” – implying mustard seeds – there is very little of it that is used, compared to the coconut and chilies. It’s all of these that make it exclusively Konkani.

When Dr.Tadkodkar suggested ‘Ambeyche Saasam’ for Save My Cuisine, all I could think of is summer, mangoes and more mangoes. My first introduction to Ambe Saasam was when I was little and spending summer with my grandmother in Mangalore. Every Konkani wedding I have been to, including mine, has not had a menu without Ambe Saasam! It’s interesting to see how this seasonal recipe caught on to become the most sought after, even after decades have passed by. I say that as my parents (and am sure their’s too) had Ambe Saasam on the menu at their wedding.

Konkanis have taken pleasure in not only enjoying this fruit sugar and calorie loaded salad, but we have also developed a way to balance out our diet. Conventionally, this Saasam is served at lunch and less often at dinner, making it much easier on the digestive system and maintaining the blood glucose level. It’s not till you question things that we realize the value behind it!

In all, Ambe Saasam is truly an exotic yet humble Konkani dish that elevates a simple meal to a banquet!

Do you have an Ambe Saasam detail to share? Feel free to share your experiences and stories on Ambe Saasam.

Save My Cuisine- An Introduction has helped me communicate with so many fellow Amchis around the world. I truly appreciate all your inputs and response. A special note of thanks to Roshan and Dr.Tadkodkar for their encouragement and enthusiasm to start and sustain this effort.

-------------------------------

© Eskay (Article & Image)

-------------------------------

Save My Cuisine - An Introduction

“Dalitoy” is the very soul and identity of a Konkani table. Though a humble lentil soup it is the trademark dish that crosses all the socioeconomic boundaries. It is something that every Konkani grew up on, relates with and continues to savor. It reflects the simplicity and the sophistication of our cooking. It completes a homemade Konkani meal when combined with rice, “upkari” -vegetables stir fried with coconut.

Konkani cooking, for most part, has evolved from the local produce. Unlike other styles of cooking, it is largely dairy–free. There are various permutations to a given recipe based on the region, the ingredients available and the time of year. However, overall the essence of our cooking remains the same – a unique blend of taste, love and simplicity. The backbone of the Konkani cuisine has always remained what is harvested from the ground. Coconut, rice, lentils, onions, potatoes and red chilies make up the list of ingredients that are interlaced into our culinary lore.

Our cuisine boasts of innumerable recipes for vegetables, legumes, greens and grains in endless combinations that call for a little embellishment with coconut. Meat has never played a primary role, in part because most Konkanis were and still remain “Brahmins” and this strictly calls for a vegetarian or in some cases a “Saatwik” diet – vegetarian food without onion and garlic. Even today, when meat is consumed by most Konkanis, it often plays a subordinate role. The dalitoy and an upkari continue to remain the main course while the meat is a cooked and served truly as a side. This however is not the same for fish and other sea food like – shrimps, prawns, crabs and oysters. Seafood has for generations been a part of the staple diet in most households – surprising and quite contradictory to the Brahmin beliefs. This can be attributed to the coastal settlement especially on the Western Indian Coast extending from the Malabar to the Konkan and beyond. Seafood is cooked as a side or as a main course- more a weekend or a weekly once deal. Everyday meal essentially comprises the dalitoy – and it is rightly termed – the “Kuldevu” (KUL = family , DEVU = deity) of our cooking.

A Konkani table respects both regional and seasonal produce. Our cuisine speaks volumes of the creativity of the home cooks when faced with – limited ingredients, limited storage and refrigeration facilities and tight grocery budgets. We have found out ingenious and innovative methods of presenting the same vegetable or fruit in different ways and at different times of the year. For example, mangoes are cooked as “Saasam” in combination with pineapples, cooked by themselves as “Ambe Upkari” or churned into chutneys with coconut or pickled into jars. On a similar note Jackfruit is mashed into jelly, turned into “Gharayi” or “Ghare Wada” – also known as “Moolik” and even sun dried as “Ponsa happolo” to be stored for consumption during the monsoon.

Each dish associated with a season or a feastly fare has always had an amusing story to it. This highlights the importance of entertainment and communication that has taken place around food since ancient times. An anecdote that stands out and has probably been narrated in every Konkani household is that about the “Tendle ani Bibbe Upkari” (Indian Ivy gourd stir fried with Tender Cashewnut and coconut) –

A mother invited an eligible bachelor home for lunch to meet her daughter. One of the many dishes prepared for the feast was Tendle-Bibbe Upkari. The generous quantity of Bibbo in the dish impressed him. There was hardly any Tendle in the dish. Upon his marriage with the girl, he visited the home and the mother, his mother-in-law now, served the same dish, but now he could see that the number of Tendle in the dish had gone up considerably compromising that of the Bibbo. Over the years the Tendle just seemed to gain an upper hand in its proportion to the Bibbo- since the purpose of getting the daughter married was served the requirement to impress was no longer required.

Though the art of baking was not very predominant in early times, the Konkani cuisine incorporated fried bread that we call “Buns” using a yeast-free technique to raise dough – a combination of mashed bananas and buttermilk. This reflects on the fact that we as Konkanis have adopted the word “variety” in everything we do including the food we eat from very early on in our way of living.

Religion has been one of the main influencing factors on Konkani cuisine and is something that cannot be overlooked. On ‘holy’ and ‘auspicious’ days, staples like par-boiled rice, onions, garlic and tomatoes are forbidden. Vegetables that are termed “English”, to name a few French beans, cauliflower, peppers, cabbage are refrained from as the food prepared is first offered to the presiding deity. Further, separate utensils are used for cooking and serving on ‘holy’ days and for the rest of the other days. Locally grown yams, tubers, pumpkins and squashes are paired with lentils and coconut to prepare an entirely “Saatwik” meal with white rice. This certainly brings out the uniqueness of our cooking especially around vegetables and grains as many dishes come in two or more versions – one for the holy days and one for the remaining times of the year.

In the last couple of decades or so, we as Konkanis have learnt to incorporate various styles of cooking into our kitchens, yet we continue to consume large quantities of the old traditional foods. We continue to endorse foods that have sustained our past generations for eons in spite the modern foods of material comfort.

Konkanis today, are in a sense, inadvertently cosmopolitan eaters owing to the fact that we reside all across the globe, yet the love for our food is so deep that a simple meal of rice and dalitoy is always welcome and looked forward to by a Konkani anywhere in the world. The soul of our cuisine is still the foods with which we have grown up and still has an unswerving connection – in the dishes that have an authentic Konkani trademark on it – the Dalitoy, the upkaris, the saghles, the sukkhes and the randhayis.

Just as our language, our cuisine forms an integral part of our culture and traditions. We as the Konkani people need to understand our past, cherish it in the present and preserve it for the future. This article is an effort to throw light on the Konkani cuisine- An introductory attempt to preserve and highlight the overall breadth and wealth of our cooking to the present generation and many more to come.

-------------------------------
© Eskay (Article & Image)
-------------------------------