“DAGNABBIT, YOUR OPPONENT HAS LEFT THE CHANNEL” flashes the message on my new… very new, few-hours-old iPad which Arch has bought me as a gift. The first thing I discover is the Quizup programme and like all ex-quizzers, am very thrilled to figure out how much i remember from my quizzing days of over three decades ago! Sadly, not much!
Been playing like a maniac – and let no one warn younger people of gaming addictions – in my experience, it’s always older people who go at it like their lives depend on it! My mother, at 83, is definitely the ‘free cell’ champion of the world! And I tend to be almost as bad with my word game addictions!
Kanch and a friend of hers who’s visiting are chatting quietly until they hear an explosion – from yours truly – “Dang, why does that Dagnabbit have to leave the channel? I was about to thrash him!”
Stunned silence from Kanch and her friend. Followed by some very serious attempts to stifle giggles… and then an attempt to explain to me that, “Amma, Dagnabbit is NOT an opponent. It’s an exclamation!!” Dagnabbit, why doesn’t anyone ever tell me things??!
Completely out of date with my quizzing- though I’m getting better at it now and even more out-of-date with current slang, I am disgusted with myself!! Till I figure out a strategy – I will use 80’s slang – no one below their mid-forties will understand it and I can pretend that I am very up-to-date when my kids look at me in puzzlement…
And so new terms came into the home… CTs for cheap thrills. Deadly for really cool. Frock or gown for dress. Stud for a very good looking guy. Crush for an infatuation. Wannabe for someone wanting to be someone else – and failing! “Happening” for something very in – happening is not happening at all nowadays!
Well… you know what they say about the best-laid plans of mice and men etc… all i got for my troubles were weird looks which made me feel quite Jurassic!
And so back to pre-Dagnabbit days lingo…
Where food is concerned, old is always gold in the household though and I can get away with all the Dagnabbits I want to!!
And so here’s a hoary old but much loved “tiffin” item… easy as sin and goes down even faster!
MANGALORE BONDA (called goli baje in Mangalore itself!)
- Maida/plain flour – 1/2 cup
- Rice flour – 2 tbsp
- Rava/sooji – 1/2 tbsp (optional)
- Onion – 1/4 cup finely chopped
- Green chillies – 2 – finely chopped
- Coriander leaves – finely chopped 1 tbsp
- Curry leaves – finely chopped – 1 tbsp
- Ginger – grated – 1 tsp
- Cumin seeds – 1/2 tsp
- Coconut pieces – thinly sliced – 1 tbsp (optional)
- Thick sour curd – 1/2 cup
- Cooking soda – A pinch
- Salt – As needed
- Water – 1- 2 tbsp ( if needed)
- Sunflower or peanut oil – To deep fry
Mix all the ingredients except the oil and let it ‘sit’ for 4-5 hours – in the Madras summer 2-3 hours is enough! The batter should be slightly sticky and a bit ‘loose’!
If you do not have time to let it ferment, add 1/2 tsp cooking soda or 1/2 tsp Enos salts and make the bondas immediately.
Heat the oil. Make small lime sized balls of the batter with your fingers and drop into the hot oil. Fry till a deep golden brown. Serve immediately with coconut chutney. These are delicious to eat right away but cannot be kept for later – they become a bit elastic – Dagnabbit!