'Those Elusive Idlis...'

Over the many years that I have lived in Bengaluru, one of the most welcoming aspect of my stay has been the variety in the food culture this city possess. Considering its cosmopolitan nature, the culinary world of Bengaluru boasts of the availability of an array of cuisines, spread over hundreds of destinations all around the city. From the humble South Indian idli vadas and masala dosas to the more exotic Italian risottos and pastas, the restuarants here, have it all. 

Humans have always had a romantic relationship with food. While at one end it acts as fuel to keep the body up and running at the required pace, its the taste, the happiness associated with the dining experience and a sense of satisfaction accompanying it, that places it on top of any man's most desirable list. My love for food has been well documented in my family's diaries, for the lengths and pains it's journey has put me through. From the famous Old Delhi's 'Mohobbat ka Sharbat' to the hard-to-find 'Chaprah chutney' of the Bustar region of Chhattisgarh, every dish tells a tale. For me, food is the nectar left behind by the Gods. As they bask in the glory of eternality, we humans are blessed with hunger, that makes food the sole satiable means of contentment. With such a hightened sense of gratification on the line, it goes without saying that the process of cooking and dining incorporates all the five senses of the human body. Chefs have, over the years, perfected the art of determining the heat of a pan just by the sizzle and the cook of the food, just by touch. Further, it is a belief in the culinary world that, good food should be pleasing to the eyes, thus, the significant importance to its plating and presentation. With the eyes glistening, next up is the beautiful and vibrant aroma that squeezes through the nostrils, activating the salivary glands, thus, moistening the mouth, formally inviting the diner to try the food. It is only then that the taste buds take over exploring the subtlety and deftness of the usage of a variety of combined flavours, completing a holistic experience of dining.

It is in search of one such experience that I wandered the streets of Malleshwaram on a beautiful November Sunday morning.  An iconic part of the city, this part of old Bengaluru where houses and restaurants from the 20th century still rule the roost, was made even more special by the chill and humidity in the air from the last night's rain.The old model halogen steet lights were still burning as the dawn lazily expanded its grasp, taking it's time to beat the darkness of night to a pulp. Malleshwaram is paradise to all food lovers, which was evident in the early morning serpentine queues in front of all the eateries in the area. From the traditional village style food of Halli Mane to the Benne butter masala dosa and Maddur vada at Central Tiffin Room (CTR), they love it all, with the queue acting as great time to bond. Deciding to part ways from this recognisable crowd, I decided to try my luck at Veena stores, a place popular for its soft idlis and crispy vadas dipped in a pool of green chutney, served on areca palm plates. Little did I know that, I still had to go through the torturous grind of waiting before my sumptuous breakfast reached me. The newly renovated shop had a rather posh look with a grey signboard elevating it's appearance considerably when compared to the previous blue flex, that thoroughly indicated the full duration of the place's existence. 

In my food journey, one learning that has stayed with me throughout is that, the perception of food as explained to you by others is what makes the food hard to resist. With a reputation such as the one these highly sought out idlis had, the number of people recommending it to me had easily hopped beyond the two figure mark. They say hunger makes a man commit crimes he never intends to otherwise and at that point I dare say that I was hungry. The hour needle of my watch had settled well past the ten mark. There had been instances in the past when I had gotten bored of waiting in the long queue in front of this shop and had left. I wanted to break the streak and was adamant on tasting the famed idlis this time.The only problem was that, the loud noise of my growling stomach rode ahead of all the recommendations I had received. Unfortunately, I had no choice but to wait in line patiently for my turn. My desperation was so evident that, once I realsied the length of the queue, I suddenly found myself summoning every ounce of my religious self, trying hard to remember a Sloka from the thousands in the Annapoorna sahasranama and praying to the Almighty to ease my way. But, to my dismay, she had plans of her own.

As the wait painfully continued, a four year old kid in front of me, seated majestically on his father's shoulder, made faces at me from time to time. "Patience is a virtue my friend", I told myself as I simply smiled and waited in silence. The girl with a black tanktop, somewhere in the front of the lengthy line, suddenly burst out laughing at a friend's joke. At that point in time, the decibel of her laugh could only be rivalled by growling stomach. I still ignored it and held my calm. Out of the blue, the white stray dog, calmly seated next to the tree on the sidewalk, started barking fiercely, trying to impress it's girlfriend on the other side of the road. Undeterred, I simply gave it a quiet look and waited. But, with that look, I had begun to realise that my hunger meter had reached dangerous levels and I was waiting to lay my hands on any sort of food at the earliest. I begged for my indomitable self to take over again.

Over time, there have been many quotes in various cultures revolving around food. Some Hindi quotes such as "Daane daane pe likha hai khane wale ka naam" and "Pathi ke dil ka raasta uske pet se hokar nikalthi hai" are amongst the most popular ones that highlight the importance of food on a daily basis. It was this basic foundation of sustenance I was craving for on that windy morning. Leo Tolstoy had supposed once quoted, "The two most powerful warriers are patience and time". Alas! By now, it was amply clear to me that both these warriers had deserted me during my desperate times. They had even gone a step further to conspire against me. My grit and determination was cracking under the pressure of the digestive enzymes being produced in my stomach. I still had a faint ray of hope lingering in my mind that Goddess Annapoorna will somehow magically appear on her lion and respond to my plea. Hope for a better day I guess...

The rumbling in my stomach intensified and so did the crowd around the shop. I could hardly see the newly painted door of the famed 'Veena stores', even after such a long wait. I tried to push myself harder, but could take it no longer. I could feel my legs trembling and realised that they could give out anytime if I didn't take the cue. I immediately jumped out of the queue, sat in my car and raced past the hungry faces, in search of faster and easier means of filling my stomach. 

A quote in the Bhagavad Gita says, "Samai se pehele, bhagya se zyada, kabhi nahi miltha..." Up until this day, I am still waiting for my "samai" and "bhagya" to taste those 'elusive idlis'...