The blog
Inspired by the film "Julie & Julia", a film I initially
watched not out of choice but ended up enjoying,
I have set myself a slightly different challenge -
of cooking a dish each week, but from the Chitrapur
Saraswat or 'Aamchigele' cuisine, and in alphabetical
order.
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Chitrapur is one of the many quaint little towns in Karnataka,India, along its Konkan coast. Aamchigele, or the short version 'Aamchi' means 'our own', in the Konkani language. We use it to fondly describe mostly everything related to the Chitrapur Saraswat community - its people ('Aamchis'), to its very unique food!
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'Randap' (pronounced Raand-up) means 'cooked meal' in Aamchi. The chef or cook is called 'Randpi' if male, or 'Randpini' if female.
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I will be using the the holy culinary bible of Saraswat cooking, the "Rasachandrika" - found in most Aamchi households, with guidance from family members.
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The dishes I'll be making are mostly vegan. I will be adapting them to use ingredients I can find here in the UK, while trying to minimise the number of steps needed to prepare them.
I have to admit I will be making most of them for the first time, and so look out for candid confessions regarding my culinary adventure.
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I'm so excited about this challenge, and cannot wait to share my experience with you!
The blogger
Hi! I'm Chirag Rao - a Lawyer, currently on lock-down during these strange COVID-19 times, and keen to use some of this time to explore my culinary roots.
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I'm a MASSIVE foodie, and think about food most of the time. I look forward to dinner at breakfast, and think about the next day's meal at dinner. I even relate to social events based on the food I will get there!
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Other than food, I love travelling, learning new languages, world music, and spending time with my family- especially my 12 week old son, who I hope will grow up to appreciate food just like me!
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