THE HUMBLE FINISHERS

THE HUMBLE FINISHERS...

Well... In a cricket frenzy nation when we see the word "finishers" one may be misled to believe that here goes one more article on MSD our cricket captain. Just  to clarify ...yes I am an Indian, I love cricket and do firmly and solemnly pledge that there has been hardly a better finisher than him in the limited overs version. If at all I need to be introduced in a social gathering without a wink I confess being a hard core foodie. Growing up as a Mumbaikar with a hard-core mallu appetite food is in the blood. Thanks to GOD for granting me parents who are an epitome of culinary skill and hospitality. I can spends hours and numerous days amongst the mixed fragrances of spices, veggies, pickles, fish, poultry in the markets of Jambhli Naka or Vartak Nagar in thane, early morning markets of Dadar or Matunga , streets and bylanes of Ruwi in Muscat, fragrances of tiffin and bangalore malli in malleswaram in bangalore or town hall lanes for morning coffee , idlis in Coimbatore.

Monsoon is a special season for all foodies...Open up your windows to the pitter patter outside. Let the cool wind gush in..aren't they just perfectly timed? They are like a breath of fresh air, a sigh of relief that we all get to experience between the blazing hot summers and spine chilling winters. For me, monsoon signifies the brightest hues, spellbinding aromas and fried food cravings. Look around to see eye catching colours everywhere, from big vibrant umbrellas to trendy flip flops, even the most mundane looks brand new. Suddenly, the leaves look bright emerald green and the earth exhales out hot muddy aroma that fills up your senses.

Ever wonder why it feels so relaxing after a hot shower? It is because after the body is exposed to a hot shower it takes time to cool down and get back to normal temperature; this process of cooling down has a relaxing effect on our body. Similarly, after a prolonged spell of scorching summer, the monsoon brings us a relaxing and comforting environment and psychologically we tend to indulge in mindless munching when in such a lazy relaxed mode.

We all have emotional ties attached with the rainy season. It's when old bitter-sweet memories resurrect and there is a sudden surge of emotions. Some of us may experience mild mood swings during colder, less sun-filled rainy days due to more moderate changes in brain chemistry. Experts explain how fried, fatty foods have an impact on your mood as well.

Well in india every city may have its own food answer for the monsoon....I still believe that the humble rasam beats all of it hands down when it comes to finishing a sumptuous meal on a wet rainy day. Imagine it's pouring cats and dogs and wherever you are - sitting in the school bench,  or a  boring lecture in college , glued to the computer in office and you happen to see outside the window pane. What do you see......the mother earth with its wide open throat quenching her thirst and the clouds are in no mood to let go their pride that they have more to offer than she can take...a perfect example of motherhood and sense of fatherly pride. Droplets of rains have now formed a pattern of lines of waterfalls on the window glasses. There is a small whistle of wind gushing through a small hole somewhere. Suddenly there is a strong whiff of piping hot spicy rasam and mild steaming rice. You start to feel the saliva in your mouth. Yes am sure that you will feel just to leave everything, have the juicy, tangy mouth tingling soupy rice till eternity. The only task left would be to find the neatest and coziest spot and an eternal siesta. Bless the soul who invented rasam...THAT'S WHAT is a finisher for me....it just finishes you. A chemist in a company named Campbell invented the condensed soup or modern day soup , an extract of the broth. The rasam inventor would not be less than a chemical engineering for me if not a scientist.Another thing to note is that it's stiff competitor is no meaner and not the least humble in itself. By all means it is an all time favourite. Though seasons hardly matter to it, it takes pride in proclaiming oneself as no substitute for it in hot sultry summers. You guessed it right...the humble BUTTERMILK. Unlike it's raging bull competitor our humble buttermilk is a white peaceful gentle giant. Be it be the strong meat lovers, fish gobblers,  poultry pounders, veggi purifiers or the one who relishes a full blown banana leaf meal with pappadam,  urigai,  poriyal,  sambar, kuzhamba and rasam..the last to be had is konjum mor....The watery liquid on the rice acts as a perfect anecdote for the heaviest meal...buttermilk acts as a digester....

I leave it to the reader to come up with their finishers but try having a sweet lime a kerala jhangri or a kerala laddu mouthful and as you are about to gulp the last sweet taste fill your throat till mouth with cool buttermilk from a earthen pot...believe me it's the same feeling of water gushing in from a dam just filled up on a wet monsoon day....it's bliss....hope all your mouths have started watering...if so it's a perfect finish for me.

Sanjeev R Nair
Freelance writer