Coriander Aroma Goes Missing in Kitchens

By R Swaminathan

The New Indian Express, Mindspace page, May 19, 2012

The day’s routine is becoming increasingly difficult for the bread winner, the male, as well as the homemaker if either of them is forced to visit the nearby vegetable vendor. Not that they have to plan their requirements well ahead if both are working. They are most of the time in for shock as the items they think they have to acquire for their routine and special preparations (to please guests or deities on special occasions) are just not available. The problem is not that of availability but that they are not available for the notes in one’s wallet. Haggling over this essential ingredient is nowadays a common sight. Coriander leaves, known as Pachai Kothamalli, find a special place in south Indian homes and they play a significant role both in traditional and north Indian cuisines, for  flavour and medicinal properties.

Cookery book writers don’t fail to mention this for garnishing just about any other dish. A few days ago coriander leaves became as important as gold because they just disappeared from the handcarts of street vendors and in Chennai retail chain stores a small bunch (small in this case would be a gross understatement) was being quoted at `15 (weighing just 35 grams). None could be blamed for pinching themselves as here is an item that not long ago used to be given free of cost along with other curry leaves by vegetable vendors. It was more like the free soap one got on buying a costly shampoo.

Now the bunches of these leaves are not only expensive but contain fewer stems and leaves. At the rate at which the prices of curry leaves and coriander leaves are skyrocketing soon they will vanish from the kitchen table. Like tamarind paste or tomato puree, we can’t just think of alternative options for coriander leaves because the green leaves add to the beauty of the preparation and the aroma will disappear the moment it is turned into a concentrate.

There used to be good times when thick and big bundles of coriander leaves used to be dumped into the  buyer’s hands at the rate of `10 for three bundles. Of course, it was a different story that most of the buy would rot the next day given the weather conditions and excess of moisture. Vendors often pushed these leaves to get rid of them before shutting shop for the day much like flower vendors who quote exorbitant rates in the morning and resort to a firesale in the evening. 

Whatever be the case, it is unimaginable to think of a meal without the pinching-pleasant aroma of kothamalli hitting one’s senses and alerting all the olfactory nerves. For these leaves to continue to be a part of our cuisines it is important that their prices hit terra firma rather than floating among the summer clouds.

the great grandson of the day

Dear friends, you will be wondering how we spent 11 a.m. to 1 p m today. Mom's day became a grandson's day for a few hours in our house.

i had no calls on my mobile in the morning. that is the usual practice or trend. i had put my mobile for charging last night. suddenly i remembered to disconnect and keep it ready for my office. this i did at 11 a.m. i did not find the mobile on the table. deci...ded to give a call using the landline. dialled a wrong number. for a moment thought the cell has
reached some other hands. then my son called . the mobile started ringing but the volume was feeble.
we traced it to the speaker of the sound system. shreyas had disconnected the phone mounting the diwan and a stool to reach the table. he had put the mobile into the hole of the hoofer speaker of our panasonic system. the ringing osund came from inside. we tilted the speaker in all directions only to see the mobile travelling inside but never coming out.
i disconnected the speaker and tried all possible tricks in another room.. but of no avail. tried using all available screw drivers. nothing was fitting because the screws behind the box were star type. I got one from my neighbour but it had a blunt head. then my son reminded me of a screw driver set he had given me long ago of a foreign make. i could not find the suitable one.
he did and opened the speaker rear end with the help of his wife. at last, the mobile was taken out. by that time two hours had gone. My son had to leave his biriyani and come to help me. My wife decided this morning that he cook his favourite biriyani on mom's day for all of us. My wife had to give the finishing touches because he rushed to my screams for help to take my mobile out for the day. finally, the mobile was retrieved from the speaker.
only yesterday i was telling my friend about the cat in the sombu story ( R K Lakman's).
this is another type in this century. enjoy the company of kids. but better give no mobiles to kids and also no crisp notes (as visitor). you never know how they will handle
them. also avoid using the mobile in trains when u travel with open windows. You have a chance of the instrument going out into the open when the small one gets angry or his impulse is thwarted. so at least for me, my grandson was in the limelight and not any mom in the house today.

Differences over demands keep VIP hostage

Differences over demands keep VIP hostage (TNIE, May 8, 2012, Mindspace page 8)

By R Swaminathan

When I switched  on the TV early this morning there was a news flash that our governor had been kidnapped to the Chaoist Land somewhere in the wild west and negotiations are expected soon. Within an hour details began emerging that two negotiators have been named and are on their way to the spot where the VIP was being held. Naturally, they should have been taken by a copter because of the risk involved in delaying the relief work.


The negotiators got a warm welcome in the Chaoist Land and immediately sought to know the demands of the kidnappers. The list was long and one of them  agreed to mention only a few because of poor tower connection. They wanted crores of money in foreign currency (for what purpose, God knows?) and lorryloads of drinking water as drought had set in due to summer and confectionery items manufactured in the last two months.

The negotiators told them immediately that it was difficult to get these. It was required to get RBI permission for the foreign currency and those who had it in their trunks would not come forward to give any now even in this emergency. Drinking water is what is already scarce in our country and making it available cannot be discussed. About confectionery items of recent origin, it was difficult to get them even in the biggest malls which stock heavily and naturally for a longer time to decorate their gaping shelves and impress their customers.

The negotiator thought it was his turn to offer what he could assure to the Chaoists. He said he would secure the biggest malls, government engineering colleges and super speciality hospitals. All in the near future. The Chaoist leader laughed and said : "Who wants your malls because we have no adequate population to register footfalls and claim a success in the market? We don't want the engineering colleges because we know what kind of products are turned out after four years of schoooolling. No to hospitals because you will build them today and tomorrow instal giant machines and equipment  and charge lakhs of rupees for diagnosis, dialysis and transplants of vital organs. The colleges attached to the hospitals will have plenty of seats for admission for our sons of the soil but each set will require Rs 20 lakhs in capitation fees."
The negotiator realised that time was running out and desperately asked the other side to come up with realistic demands to convey to the command centre. The Chaoist leader asked for metro trains to run long distances 60 or 70 feet below the ground. The metro stations will enable the setting up of their government under ground far from the range of intelligence operatives. He did not want Volvo buses or duronto trains running over the ground because he did not want to hear of casualties of his kin in unmanned level crossings. And reminded the urban visitor that Metro trains will not pollute the environment and destroy the flora and fauna close dear to their heart.

The negotiator as a digression asked the Chaoist why they were still in the food (arms) gathering stage instead of setting up processing centres and marketing strategies.

The Chaoist asked the negotiator to shut up: we know processing will invariably result in middlemen and commission ranging from 7.5 to 15 per cent. Marketing does not impress us because we believe in more demand and less supply whereas modern techniques work on the reverse principle.

The negotiator asked the leader how to find money for the rail projects. He suggested the setting up of a Tribal Infrastructure Development Authority and the creation of a special purpose vehicle for that. The negotiator could not cope with the pace of talks with the host and decided to leave the spot for consultations with his superiors.

The victim, our govenor, has to wait for at least 72 hours for the talks to resume. Let us hope for the best. The media need not worry about story for the page one and the package on the inside page giving reactions of the leader's families, inlaws and admirers, fans and partymen who have to come together minus their differences and simmering discontent.