Ripe mangoes and mango cakes or amsatta

From raw mangoes, let us now have a look at the ripe ones. Ripe mangoes lend themselves to take different forms in both liquids as well as semi-solid states – the first means the mango lassi or sherbet or plain juice while the second one is the transformation to ice creams or kulfis. I remember when I was in Kanpur, the mango ice cream vendors would go around the neighborhood in the evenings with their products. The vessel containing the delicious ice cream would be placed on the hand cart and the mouth licking ice-cream would be scooped up in specially designed spoons and served in metal ‘glasses’.

There is another delicious lip smacking product that requires ripe mangoes, not just ripe mangoes but, those that are loaded with plenty of juice. Yes, I mean the amsatta or mango-cake. These mangoes are usually of the fibrous variety. The skin is first removed and then the juice is squeezed out into suitable vessels. After that, a clean piece of cloth is taken and placed on a mat like surface and the juice is poured onto the cloth. The juice hardens as it dries and, once it is hard enough, a second layer is applied. And the wonderful cake is built up layer by layer.
The final product can be stored for the whole year and can be used to impart wonderful tastes to various other dishes apart from being a snack by itself.
The process of making pickles at home involve plenty of hard work and patience among others and, in view of the terribly tight daily schedules of modern day womenfolk, they prefer to lift these bottles off the shelf of the local shops. But the charm of preparing these in one’s house is un-paralleled.
In families where elder members live with the family, they try to keep up the tradition but, what with limited space in apartments, there is very little opportunity for exposing the products to direct sun rays – and, sunlight is important for the seasoning.
Each of these types of mango products, whether sweet or hot, has a distinct flavor and end use. During the pickle-making season, vendors who sell large glass or ceramic containers do a roaring business. But, that trade is also gradually drying up – the shelves in malls and departmental stores are stocked with umpteen plus one varieties and one can have one’s choice.
In Kolkata, there are shops on the crossing of Gariahat Road where the heady smell of pickles on offer is enough to drive one crazy and the pickles are not only of mangoes but also of olives, chilies and other items. (to be continued …)

(Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org)

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My links with the Indian Air Force

Going back to my professional life, I have had links with the Indian Air Force and have met many officers in the course of my career. When I had chosen the aviation field, I had dreamt of being associated with some airline and of going to work in the company’s vehicle. I would see the engineers of Indian Airlines and envied them. But, as luck would have it, I got employment in an aircraft manufacturing unit in Kanpur – it was a totally Air force setup with a few civilians like me.

The in-charge of my section was an officer of the rank of Wing Commander and he gave an impression that he owned the factory. He had a daughter and she would drop in on him to surprise him. At the time the girl was about ten or twelve years old and she would roller-skate in the hangar while the workers looked on.
Then there was another officer – he was a Squadron Leader and my boss. I had a tiff with him and resigned from Kanpur because of that. But, the world is round and, in Nashik, he returned to be my boss there also. Of course, considerable time had passed, he had got a promotion and so had I. The bitterness had gone. In fact, we got along wonderfully well.
And then there was another of my bosses – also from Air Force. He was a retired Wing Commander and a Bengali. But – he did not like Bengalis. Anyway, he was boss of Customer Services and, since I was transferred to his department, he had to accept me. And – I had to bring him into my line of thinking through my work. (to be continued …)


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The world of pakoras and wadas in Nashik

Once in Nashik, I was forced to get used to snacks that were totally different to what I had been used to in my days in Kolkata and Kanpur. In fact, I had to reset my taste buds and learn to appreciate different variations of fried stuffs like the pakoras. To me pakoras were concoctions of vegetables that were dipped in a batter of besan and deep fried. The vegetables that lent themselves to being transformed into delicious mouthwatering snacks were could be slices of potatoes, brinjal, or finely cut onions, or cauliflowers. The first three had many takers in Kolkata while the fourth one was a rage in Kanpur.
Anyway, in Nashik, I came cross other varieties like the sabudana and fries made out of pulses. Here the generic name for all such fries was wada – therefore batata wada meant a fry where the potato was the main ingredient. Potato in Marathi was batata. Similarly, there was the sabudana wada and the urad dal wada.
Incidentally, the sabudana wada and its khichdi version were meant usually for the days of fast. Yes, the local Marathi people observe fast on certain days of the week and on these days, the eating joints would serve these snacks.
Of course, I cannot forget the bread pakora – it was nothing but slices of bread dipped in the batter of besan and deep fried. The frying would not be uniform – some would be over fired making it more like biscuit. Others would be under fired – the end product would be soggy.
It was most unfortunate that the culture of rolls (egg roll, chicken roll, mutton roll), which is the delight of Bengalis, had not invaded the kitchens of Nashik. Neither did the north Indian culture of chats and golgappas . The nearest to chats was the bhelpuri – a sort of mixture that was popular in Mumbai. It was similar to jhalmuri of Bengal where fluffed rice would be mixed with a number of unique ingredients and a dash of mustard oil and served in paper cones or packets.
But, alas, the vegetable chops, mutton cutlets, kabiraji cutlets, fish fries and other fast food delicacies unique to Bengal were nowhere to be seen. (to be continued …)

From Deolali to Ojhar to manufacture MiG fighter aircrafts

The work in Nashik was far different from the type of work I had been engaged in Kanpur. That factory manufactured the HS-748 transport aircraft at the rate of one every year. But, Nashik was geared up to manufacture fighter aircraft at the rate of 30 per year. Moreover, the HS-748 was of British design and origin and the MiG was of Russian origin. Therefore, in Kanpur it was easy to interact with the specialist Engineers because English was the link language – in Nashik, we had to rely on interpreters. Some of them were Russians and some were Indians.
Anyway, the trip to the factory was a long affair.
I stayed in Deolali and the factory was in Ojhar – a distance of around 25-Km. Therefore, transport was provided by HAL and its fleet of buses would arrive at the scheduled stops to pick up the employees. Shift started at 7am and the buses would be there by 6am – the journey took around 40 to 45 minutes.
Most of the passengers in the bus would go to sleep, some would occupy the last seats and play games of cards and, as for me, I would read. I had discovered a fantastic outlet of books – it was a bookshop and the owner would allow me to take out one book every day. That was my pastime – I would pick up a mystery books and read half of it on my way to the factory and the second half on the return journey.
It was a good arrangement – I paid him a monthly fee for services rendered.
As for meals – I would take my lunch in the canteen and, for dinner, I would go to a joint managed by South Indians. It was Vijaya Lunch Home, the hotel for most of us who stayed in McKenzie Bungalow. The charges were reasonable – for Rs 30 per month, we had one mutton dish, one omelet, chapattis plus rice. There was no restriction on the quantity of rice and chapattis. (to be continued …)

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Pollution of the River Ganges in Kanpur

River Ganges is a holy river that originates in the Himalayas and flows through several states before finally meeting the Bay of Bengal. The water of this holy river is required in practically all religious ceremonies and every family stores and preserves some of this water in their house. This is especially true for those who live away from the river.
This mighty river flows through the city of Kanpur and, one day, I wanted to go and sit on the banks of the River Ganges – it was during my stay in J K colony and, after reaching the place, I was shocked to see the nature and extent of pollution.
Kanpur is famous for its leather tanneries and, automatically, footwear made in Kanpur come dirt cheap. But, this is not about footwear – it is about pollution of the Ganges. Believe it or not, the wastes from the leather processing plants flowed directly into the waters in trickles from different directions. The stench was unbearable and the condition of the water near the banks looked anything but holy.
That was the situation in the 1960s and, in spite of Ganga Action Plans of the government, not much progress has been made. Of course, funds had been earmarked but, true to Indian tradition, the money must have been spent on activities that did not help the cause.
In spite of past failures, the newly elected government of Narendra Modi has now assigned a full time Minister to look after cleaning of the Ganga. There are plans to not just clan the waters of unwanted foreign materials but also to dredge it and convert the river into a regular waterway between the cities on its banks.
It would be a pleasant sight to see launches and motor boats plying on the Ganga. Once that finally happens, it would be a boon to the Nation. (to be continued …)

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Schedule completion party in AMD Kanpur

As I have mentioned earlier, I was employed in AMD Kanpur during 1963 to 1965 and was engaged in manufacturing the HS 748 transport aircraft. The work force consisted of people from the Indian Air Force plus some civilians like me and all of us were assisted by specialists from the Hawker Siddley Company of Britain. It was a totally new type of work for all of us and construction of the aircraft was a long exercise.
The complete work was confined to four hangars of the Air Force Base namely Hangar numbers 1, 4, 7 and 10. The assembly of fuselage was in one of these hangars and, the first fuselage was completed after nearly one year. Immediately, as per the IAF tradition, a picnic was arranged to celebrate the occasion.
Any picnic in the IAF meant drinks and this was no exception – and the venue was a park on the outskirts of Kanpur known as Allen Forest. Cooking was no problem because the cooks were requisitioned from the canteen. And, for drinks, the responsibility was given to a teetotaler – he happened be a Bengali.
As to transportation, a Queen Mary was requisitioned – it was a huge trolley on wheels and was known as the work horse of the IAF. The complete group of airmen and civilians boarded the Queen Mary and went to the venue. On the outward journey they were sober, on the return journey, some of them were dead drunk. In fact, they had to be located from different corners of the Allen Forest – they were found sprawling in the grass, too drunk to move. (to be continued ..)

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Train travel to and from Kanpur to Kolkata

When I remember the good old days I spent in Kanpur, I recall the adventures that accompanied the process of securing confirmed reservation in the trains. There were two trains that I loved for my journeys to Kolkata. First was the Delhi-Kalka mail and next preference was the Toofan Express.
The first one, as its name implied, originated in Kalka and proceeded via Delhi to Kolkata. This was my first choice because of its timing – it left Kanpur at around 4pm and reached Howrah Station at 8 am next morning.
And – I traveled in this train several times by just boarding it with a ticket. This train had a Dining Car and it was not just calm and comfortable but a heaven for me - I did not need reservations because when I boarded the Dining Car, it would be time for evening tea. I would order tea and sandwiches and the waiters would gladly oblige.
Later, after a couple of hours, it would be time for dinner and the waiters would wait expectantly for my order. I would delay giving the order to the maximum extent possible and then, after dinner, I would request the manager to allow me to remain in the Dining Car till morning. He would oblige in exchange of a tenner and, next morning I would have my breakfast and get down at Howrah Station.
Believe it or not, I journeyed in this way a number of times but, returning back to Kanpur from Kolkata used to be another kettle of fish. I had to get confirmed reservations and, hence, had to go to the railway booking office and stand in queue early in the morning. In those days, reservations would be given 10 days before journey and the counters opened at 8am – therefore, unless I was in queue by 6am, I would not have a chance.
Even in those days, touts flourished and they used to block reservations of important trains to sell them off at a premium. (to be continued…)

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I gamble away my month’s earnings before Diwali

It happened in Kanpur where, one night, I gambled away my full salary – I was gradually maturing and, for anyone who starts to live a life away from the comforts and bindings of home, he is bound to encounter innumerable pitfalls. I was no exception.
It was the period of life when one wants to gain experience – good and bad. It was the time when one is keen to add to his knowledge bank and learn the ways of life. At heart I was a writer and wanted to keep adding tidbits of information to my bank that would be useful to me later in my journey through life.
And – one of my gains was teen-patti – a game of cards where one’s luck depended on the fall of cards. Just three cards could make or break a man. If he held three Aces, he could buy out any one and, that is what every player at the table dreamt of.
It was not that I was new to cards. I used to play games like Patience on my one, or rummy or ‘29’ with my friends. They helped to pass time and games like ‘29’ used to be a rage in picnics or while spending the night at the railway station with friends as we waited for the counters to open in the morning - for bagging the reservations.
But – some of my friends would sit at night playing the teen-patti for stakes – it was clear-cut case of gambling and, at times, the game would go on till early morning. They would sit after dinner and would have bottles of XX Rum for company.
I normally maintained a distance from this bunch but, curiosity is what egged me on. I wanted to learn the game and sat with the gang. I learnt that irrespective of the cards you hold, you must always present a wooden face – no one should be able to guess the cards you hold. And – of course, play blind at times. This means do not look at your cards – leave it to Lady Luck.
Well – after watching them for some days and understanding the game, I decided to take the plunge. My friends were delighted to welcome a novice and it was good going – some days I would win, some days lose. The amounts were never more – the stakes were all in terms of paise!!
However, one day I became greedy and paid the price. It was just before Diwali – I had planned to go home and, it was after payday. I had the month’s salary in my pocket and held a set of three cards in my hand that, in my opinion, could fetch me the Moon.
Well – it did not and I gambled away my salary. I had to borrow from my roommate to make the trip to Kolkata. And – took a vow never to again ay teen-patti. I have maintained it till date – but, the game has peeped into my stories. (to be continued .. )

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I locate two outlets for Tambula in Kolkata

When I returned back to Kolkata after my brief stint in Kanpur, I came to know of two outlets where Tambula was played regularly – one of these was the Airport Club. Needless to say that in Kanpur, I had got hooked to the game and won twice – first time it was Rs 120, the second tune it was Rs 70.
Hence, it was but natural that once in Kolkata, I look around to see if I could continue to enjoy the game where possibilities of laying my hands on some money was always there – provided Lady Luck was on my side.
One of the outlets was the Airport Club.
Here it used to be an evening game held once a week and most of the patrons were employees of the airport or of airlines. Some of them joined at the end of their working hours, while many others came from different parts of the city to enjoy a few hours of playing the game. Women also came and they brought with them snacks that they shared with others.
Apart from the regular prize monies for part games and the full house based on cash collections before every game, there used to be gifts which were an added attraction.
I played in this venue for some months and then discovered a second outlet – it was the Fairweather Club in Kidderpore dock area. The game at this venue began at 10am and went in till evening. But, no one objected if anyone left early. There were no bindings but the attraction here was the easy availability of drinks – because, it was a sailor’s den. Anyway – I somehow did not like this second option and, as long as I stayed in Kolkata, I would patronize the Airport Club. (to be continued ..)

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I learn cycling and travel to Kanpur City

#cycling #trams #rickshaw #GTRoad Yes, it is a fact that I learned cycling in Kanpur. Having been brought up in a city like Kolkata, I had never felt the need to use the bicycle. Kolkata is a city where in the 1960s, there was an abundance of buses and trams.
The buses were all of the Calcutta State Transport Corporation (CSTC) and the trams were of the Calcutta Tramways Corporation (CTC). Private buses used to ply on a few routes outside the city limits and auto rickshaws had not appeared on the scene.
Of course, other means of transport were there like the taxi cabs and the hand pulled rickshaws – the former was preferred by people who had money and, also, for family outings to the cinema. As to the hand pulled rickshaws – that became important during the rainy season when water logging of streets created problems for buses or trams to move. Anyway, in the bargain, I never got a chance to learn cycling and, once in Kanpur, I realized that I must overcome the obstacle. For the first few days, my friends took me along but, that could not go on forever. Therefore, I hired a bicycle and, in the evenings, my friends would help me learn the intricacies of riding the contraption. In order to gain confidence, they would give me protection when on the main road – one of them would be on my right, another on my left.
Then came the day when I discovered myself in a major dilemma and was forced to take the plunge to prove that I had arrived.
It was a Saturday and four of my friends and I left to see a movie in the city. We had to take the GT Road and, it always had plenty of traffic. As usual, I had my friends around me and, when we reached a crossing I stopped because of the lights. But, when the lights turned green, I found that I was all alone – my friends had gone ahead.
I did not know the way to the cinema hall so I just got down from the bicycle, pushed it to the edge of the footpath and tried to peer into the darkness to locate my friends. And – my joy knew no bounds when I saw them some distance away – watching me and enjoying my discomfort.
They had intentionally left me stranded – just to see how I handled myself in a crisis and, also, to boost my confidence. (to be continued)

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I get selected in AMD, Kanpur and step into a new life

The Aircraft Manufacturing Depot (AMD) was the dream project of Air Vice Marshal Harjinder Singh. The facility was located in the premises of the IAF base at Chakeri in a total of four hangars in which manufacturing of the Avro-748 transport aircraft had been undertaken. The aircraft was being built with expertise of Hawker Siddley Company of Britain and was the Indian version of the HS-748.
And – the area was popularly known as Harjindernagar.
AMD was under the administration of the Indian Air Force and most of the staff were in uniform. After the written test I along with other candidates had to wait for the results to be declared because those who cleared the written test would have to appear for the viva-voce.
The candidates had come from different corners of the country and when a Flight Sergeant came out with the results, there was suspense. He asked us to stand in queue and began to read out the names one by one – and, I was one of the successful candidates.
I had cleared the first hurdle and, then, came the viva voce – that too went off smoothly. The last step was the medical checkup and, fortunately, a Bengali MWO (Master Warrant Officer) ensured that the last step also ended in my favor. After selection, I had to find a place to stay and, here, I was lucky to meet a couple of acquaintances from ATTI who had got employment in AMD. They stayed in a rented house in Lalbangla and I joined up with them.
My father was happy and returned to Kolkata by the Toofan Express because one full bogie used to be attached to the main train from Kanpur and it was possible to board it without reservation of seat or berth. (to be continued …)

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School days – my first train journey

Growing up in a large city like Kolkata has both its advantages as well as disadvantages. In the 1950s, there were an abundance of buses and trams on the roads and school boys were experts at boarding and alighting from moving vehicles. Connectivity between points was also superb. Hence, the need of using bicycles for commuting was remote.

I was no exception. I rode a bicycle for the first time when I had gone to Kanpur – I worked there briefly for a couple of years and, since transportation was a major problem there, I had no other alternative but to learn cycling.
As regards train travel – this also never materialized during mu school days. However, at the fag end of my schools, I got an opportunity to travel by train, thanks to an aunt of mine. She was a nurse in the Railway Hospital and she took me with her on my first ever train journey. It was from Howrah Station to Palta – the next station.

Subsequently, I have traveled by train to different destinations throughout the country – sometimes on official duties, at other times on holidays with my family. And, the experiences that I have gathered on the way have helped boost my confidence levels because, once you are faced with a situation, the best in you is bound to come out. (to be continued …)