Have You Visited The Land of Coffee, Pepper, Cuisine and Ethereal Mist, Koddagu (Coorg)?

Hills near Mullayyanagiri while on the way

Alathcad Estate Holiday Home

We were in the thickly wooded grandeur on the Western Ghats (Mountains).
After leaving the never ending music of the Iruppu Falls nestled beside Nagarahole National Park, we were heading towards an exotic destination near a small town of Ammathi in the district of Kodagu (Coorg), Karnataka
The place was the majestic, situated in the sprawling coffee estates and at a height of 3500 ft.
The coffee, pepper and the ethereal mist was leading us by nose through a wonderful landscape.
I had never imagined that such a heavenly place ever existed in South India!
Suddenly, I thought about life. It seemed to me at that moment, I had started to find it's meaning in those deep blue valleys carpeted in green, in the sound of streams and in the waterfalls.
We reached at the imposing entrance of the Alathcad Estate Holiday Home, a century old bungalow covered by 75 acres of lush green coffee and pepper plantations. Wow!
It was a leisure next day exploring the winding paths around the estate by walking and cycling. In the afternoon we went to the nearby lake for fishing and visited a golf course at a distance of 10 km.

In the early evening we sat with our beer mugs to hear the stories of the brave and beautiful people-Kodavas.
The Mysterious Kodavas
The 2500 year-old civilization of the Kodavas has evolved from a synthesis of people that originally lived in the region of today's Oman and Yemen.

The second theory was that Scythian Greek soldiers brought by Alexander of Macedonian, stayed on after his return and married the local women of Kodagu, to form a new, distinct

race.

Even today they do not require a license for their fire arms and have kept their valuable traditions, dress and Peechekati (traditional dagger) intact. These are now the cultural treasures of the Coorgs (Kodagu). Kodavas had also contributed a lot the Armed Forces of India.
The Dinner
A great customized and special Coorgi dinner was the grand finale for the evening!
Tommy Singh, my friend, settled for Pandhi Curry (Pork Curry) and Rice Rotis or Akki Roti (Otti) where as I opted for Bamboo Shoot Curry instead Pork Curry.
As usual we insisted on the recipes for those wonderful and lip smacking Coorgi Kodavas dishes and were happily obliged.

Pandhi Curry (Coorg Pork Curry)

Pandhi Curry (Coorg Pork Curry):
Ingredients required for Pandhi Curry:
½kg Pork ( preferably with bones) cut into medium size pieces
½ Teaspoon Kachampuli or 1 ½ tablespoon thick tamarind pulp
1-2 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon red chilli powder.
pandhi curry coorg pork curry
Masala 1:
Roast the following ingredients on a medium flame to a very dark colour and grind together.
1 teaspoon jeera ¼ teaspoon fenugreek 2 tablespoon black pepper 1 tablespoon coriander

Masala 2:
To grind the following ingredients:
2 onions sliced 1 teaspoon ground ginger 1 teaspoon ground garlic 6-8 Green chillies 1 Small bunch coriander leaves (keep a little for garnishing)
Process of cooking Pandhi Curry:
Put the pork in a pressure cooker, mixing both the masalas. Keep aside for ½ hour.
Add the turmeric, salt and chilli powder.
Add half cup water, cover and pressure cook till done.
Uncover lid, add the Kachampuli and cook for 2-3 minutes, till the gravy becomes thick.
Garnish with coriander leaves.
It can serves 3 persons

Rice Rotis or Akki Roti (Otti)

Rice Rotis or Akki Roti (Otti):
Ingrediants for cooking Rice rotis:
250gms raw rice 750ml water ½ teaspoon salt 250gms rice flour
Process of cooking Rice roti:
Cook rice in the water with salt.
Spread the cooked rice on a kneading plate or thali.
Knead the rice with the rice flour, adding little at a time.
Make into dough.
Roll on a little flour to prevent sticking.
Make small balls and flatten in a chapatti
Press between two plastic sheets wiped with a little oil to prevent sticking.
Remove the roti, put it on a hot tawa for about a minute.
Turn the roti over and keep for little longer.
Turn it over again, remove and place the roti on direct heat/flame.
The roti will puff out well. Careful not to burn.
Approximately 12-14 rotis

JOURNEY TO EXOTIC LAND OF MISTY MOUNTAINS, MYRAID STREAMS AND WATERFALLS, Coorg, India