A Tribute to my Father

MERRY HARRY

On the 6th of January this year my Father passed away. He was 84. He died quietly, without too much fuss. A bit of a struggle. One long tedious breath. And he was gone. I miss him often- we all do. Most of all we miss him at the dining table since he was an epicurean. In his memory I’d like to share with you his favorite recipe - Khuddi.

My father always taught me that if you did not have the patience to follow a recipe, don’t cook. There is nothing more infuriating (to him) than short cuts in the method. So here goes the way, Harry liked his Khuddi cooked.

First get a tall cocktail glass. Fill it with one part Coconut Feni. Two parts pineapple juice. Three cubes of ice. Crush some fresh mint leaves. Place the mint leaves in a tea strainer and pour the contents of the glass through the strainer into another glass.

You are now armed with a mild Merry Harry and ready to cook.

Ingredients: (For 1 kg Chicken, Beef or Mutton)
4 medium-sized onions
4 green chillies
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp coriander seeds
½ tsp turmeric
10 seeds pepper

Have a small sip of Merry Harry.

Roast the above lightly on an iron skillet until it gives off an aroma and turns a pale brown.
1 inch piece ginger
10 peeled garlic seeds
1 tsp of Kashmiri red chilli powder
1 large tomato chopped
A handful of chopped coriander leaves
Thick juice of a small ball of tamarind
2 medium sized potatoes- cubed and kept in cold water.

Have a large swig of Merry Harry.

Grind the roasted ingredients with the ginger and garlic. Heat the cooking oil and fry the ground masala well. Add the red chilli powder. Fry, add small quantities of water and simmer until the water separates from the masala. Add the chopped tomatoes. Continue frying and simmering until the tomato disintegrates completely. Add coriander leaves.

Finish your Merry Harry

Cut up the meat into bite-sized pieces and fry with the masala for a few minutes. Add salt to taste. Add water, enough to cover the meat. (If you’re using chicken you don’t need a pressure cooker. Just cover it and let it simmer until the chicken is cooked tender. If you’re using mutton or beef, you need to pressure cook it for 30-45 minutes, depending upon the tenderness of the meat). When the meat is cooked, add the tamarind juice and a large pinch of sugar. Garnish with fresh coriander leaves. Drop in the potato cubes and cover and cook till soft. The potatoes - not you. When ready, serve hot with Goan Poi or fresh baked soft loaves.

Pour yourself another Merry Harry and celebrate the life of a man who enjoyed every moment of living.

Life In Goa

Re-registration of a motorbike

I climb up the stairs to the RTO(Regional Trasport Office.) There is a long serpentine queue leading to the enquiry window. I open Leo Tolstoy’s War and peace and look absorbed. My turn comes. The RTO officer looks at me suspiciously. He grunts.
I say “Good morning! I have to transfer my Bullet motor bike from Bombay to Goa, what is the procedure?”
“Get RTO clearance from Bombay on prescribed NOC form and bring here NEXT.”
He says all this in one breath! “Hold on,” I say pulling out the transfer NOC, my face beaming. God I’m smart I think to myself ! He takes the form, takes his portion of the form and says “Come back after 15 days NEXT.” I am confused
“Why do I have to come back?”
He looks at me like I am half-witted “we have to get a verification from Bombay RTO that this transfer form is genuine NEXT”.
“But it is” I plead “see here’s the rubber stamp of the RTO office.”
He looks at me long, (like the hardened criminal I am!) “how do we know this is not a forged document NEXT?”
He definitely had a point there. Maybe he was a fiercely spiritual man with roots deep into Vedic philosophy.
“We will send a request to Bombay RTO by registered letter and wait for their confirmation NEXT” he clarified.

I leave wondering why I had to get a RTO clearance from Bombay if the RTO office in Goa does not accept it at face value. I return after 2 weeks.

Now a small man at a different window attends to me. I carry a very small receipt.
“Has the RTO clearance come?” I ask expectantly. He checks the ledger “No NEXT”
“Wait a minute,” I say. “When is it expected then?”
“Can’t say NEXT” is the clear response.
“Suppose it never comes?” I ask imagining the worst.
“Then give indemnity letter to RTO and we will issue you Goa registration NEXT”
I decide to tackle this at the highest level. I go into the office.
I look in. There is no one there. I step out and ask at the enquiry counter “where is Patrao?”
“Out, NEXT” is the unambiguous reply.
“Why was I asked to get an NOC from Bombay RTO when your office does not accept it?” I asked, deciding to attack the next best man.
“We have to be careful, lots of people are forging documents after having accidents.”
“So how do I get a Goa registration…?”
“Go to a lawyer, indemnify the RTO against any responsibility from a stolen vehicle, accident or any criminal act associated with your vehicle and we will issue you a new registration NEXT”
I am happy to say it took me almost 8 months waiting for the Bombay RTO to verify its own NOC to transfer my vehicle. It never came. So I did do the indemnity thing and finally got a Goa license plate.
A month later I met a friend with a similar bike with a Maharashtra State license plate. “Why don’t you transfer your registration to Goa?” I ask
“What and pay a one time road tax again and wait for transfer papers that never come and finally go to a lawyer and pay for an indemnity bond…I have better things to do my friend!”

Moral: If you want to be honest you should have a lot of time and patience!

PS: My BulBul is doing fine. He has developed a liking for empty cigarette packs. I think he likes to read the health warnings!

Cedric Serpes has given up riding a Bullet. He realized that it was not the Bullet that was heavy but that his muscles were getting weak! Anything else you may have heard is a rumor!

Life in Goa

The Spirit of Goa

Every country has its own national brand of hooch. The Scots of course, make the world’s best Scotch whisky. The brewing is a ritual handed down by tradition. It normally starts with a family that would have had a secret recipe and imparts that signature bouquet to its brand of hooch. Let’s face it, when it comes down to basics, it’s all local hooch with brilliant marketing packed in unique bottles! Liqueurs too have their legends and recipes. Frangalico goes down like silk and if the information on the pack is to be believed, it is an ancient recipe handed down by friars. The recipe is of course a closely guarded secret. The French have their wines and champagnes. The Japanese have their sake. The Mexicans have their Tequila. And coming closer to home, the Goans have their Feni!

Now the brewing of feni has its own legendary recipes and its own rituals.
There is coconut Feni, Caju Feni and Urak. Once you have tasted Goa’s “holy” water,
you are hooked to its unique taste and aroma. To many Goans, Feni epitomizes
all that Goa stands for. Which is not entirely true, of course - Goa has a lot more than Feni
to offer. Curious about Feni’s legendary powers, I decided to talk to some of the
older residents and stir up the truth.

I approached a fisherman off Baga beach. He was leaning against a tree
(obviously coconut) with a beatific smile like he had known the meaning of life all along.
Next to him sat a young boy with a runny nose. From time to time he would make the run disappear!
“Do you drink Feni?” I asked the older man in what I thought was Konkani.
He looked a bit confused and asked in chaste English, “Is my Feni mad?”
I switched to English. We connected
“Ah yes, everyday” he replied his eyes out of focus.
“ I believe feni can be used as a medicine?”
“Of course” he agreed. That’s why I have Feni everyday.
I settled down in the sand next to him and leapt up instantly.
I had just got comfortable in fresh cow dung!
“What about its ability to cure illness?”
“It is true,” he said solemnly “I know an AIDS patient who was cured with Feni.”
“What else can it cure?” I asked curiously. He thought for a while and said
“tooth ache, stomach ache, cataract, back ache…”
“Hold on, how is that possible?” I asked intelligently.
“Very simple” he replied. “You see, when you rub feni on to your back
the pure alcohol opens the pores and heats up the affected area causing blood
to rush to the spot and effect healing.”
“And cataract?” I asked hoping to stump him with this one.
He gave me a patronizing look and said, “for cataract you have to sniff only
the fumes of Feni, it opens up the sinus cavities freeing the mucous and congestion
which slowly over the months will dissolve the cataract.”
I had no argument against this analysis. “So where can I buy the best Feni” I asked.
“There is no ‘best’ feni” he said looking like a philosopher. “Feni-cure comes from faith,
you got to believe.” I swear I could hear a choir of angels hum beethoven's fifth.....

Saying this he handed me a quarter bottle of transparent liquid like he was giving out holy water. I thanked him and returned home. That night I had a slight headache
so I decided to try out this remedy. I poured out a shot of the Feni and downed it in one gulp.

Nothing happened. So I downed the second shot. Gradually my head felt lighter,
my headache floated away and my body went to places I could not have gone as a mortal.

Then suddenly I woke up and it was the next morning and I had a smile I' m not famous for!
From now on I carry a vial of feni in my shirt pocket. You never know when it can come handy!


Cedric Serpes drinks now purely for medical reasons. And he admits, it has never been more fun getting ill!