Morning In The Life
My favorite place to eat in Colombo is definitely the petty kade on Union street. I go there every day and they still treat me like shit. I read in the New York Times that sushi used to be street food, served raw for those with no time to let it pickle. Wonder if they might some day serve malu paan in some upscale Soho bar for $50. Today I had potato filling rolled up in a cocunut roti. Fucking genius.
I’ve been told (I think seriously) to vary my schedule so I don’t get abducted, but I don’t. Every morning I park, walk out the gate and go to the petty kade. For weeks I’d just order a malu paan. Then, although I can’t pronounce the word, I’d order two eloulu rotis. Then I got bored and mixed it up. There is a fried thing with egg, good but feels fatty. Toasties, with some yellow substance. Tastes like salt anyways, good. Sandwiches, derivative, not so good. One day I got risky and got some noodles in a plastic bag. Turns out it contained noodles, a hard boiled egg, and dhal (in its own bag). Unfathomably good. I inhaled it off my office desk. But nothing beats the aloo roti. Hope they have it tomorrow.
The woman behind the glass is sturdy and tough. She spoons lunu mirice onto roti and takes no notice of me. One time I saw her blackguarding this trishaw driver parked in front of the stall. I was munching discontentedly on a packaged bunice (not so good) when her husband-type came out and punched the guy in the face. Was pretty cool.
Anyways, get her attention and she bags my order in recycled paper. Probably my second favorite thing in Colombo. Often its Sinhala or Tamil writing I can’t read, but sometimes I get a bill of lading from 1996, or someone’s travel expenses from 2003. One time I got a list of management tips which seemed quite reasonable despite their dubious source.
Anyways, I wallk to the elevator quite content with myself. Say hi to the secretary apparently paid to flirt with everyone. Miss the first elevator but I’m in luck, still a paper in the bin. It’s the Daily News, which I read just for comic value. Each day the headline might as well be DON’T PANIC. Today it’s all about foreign investment, a few days after the SecDef told everyone to go fuck themselves. I’m pretty sure a few people died yesterday. They always have a thought for the day as well. It’s always some variation of ‘support the troops’.
This was originally hand written for one of Ann’s writer workshop things
you can be content with a malupan and a fish roti?
hmmm
a fried thing with egg -> an egg cutlet? what is it?
good but feels fatty -> thats like the 4th law of thermodynamics…. anything that tastes good is fattening…
Toasties, with some yellow substance -> cheese?
One day I got risky and got some noodles in a plastic bag. Turns out it contained noodles, a hard boiled egg, and dhal (in its own bag). ->
yeah thats like the 5th law of thermodynamics… kade noodles always comes with an egg… i dunno which came first… if its the noodles or the egg…
correct me if i’m wrong.. roti geometry…
triangle -> elawalu roti
rectangle -> fish / beef / mutton roti
“Sinhala or Tamil writing I can’t read”
Hey ,,does this mean that You cant read sinhala at all?
i think its not a case of not being able to read sinhala or tamil…
he said “Often its Sinhala or Tamil writing I can’t read”
as in the paper which he gets his roti and malu pan would have written text which is of very poor readability
it’s great. and we are calling ourselves “the Jokers” what do you think?
what’s the plugin used in that Related Posts thing?
I enjoyed reading your post…:-) So you actually do this every morning???
I’ve never had the guts to try out food like that just off a petty kade.. But I’ve been told the marvels of such food..:-)
Yeah, every day. Today I had the noodles and some toasties. Went to another streetside place – Rahumaniya’s – for biriyani lunch. Also quite good.
Jokers is good Naz. And no, I simply can’t read Sinhala.
Indi “Wonder if they might some day serve malu paan in some upscale Soho bar for $50. ”
Its so possible man. The French do Crepe’s which is made in the same way as Thosai (murukal thosai) is and it has the same texture as well. They just use flour batter instead but use the similar stone plate and circle technique as wek do. I believe they got the Crepe idea from people making Thosai in Ponicherry, Tamil Nadu, India as it was a French colony before. As you know Thosai is eaten by Tamils in all parts of Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka (oops sorry Tamil Eelam). This is my opinion anyway cause I don’t think they ate Crepe in Medeaval France.
Furthermore, just for your info, sometime in the late nineties I read that a Tamil immigrant to the UK in the early 90′s approached a Sushi restaurant manager in London and asked if he could be taught the Sushi technique in exchange for cleaning the dishes. He later ended up being hired and eventually became the manager of the Sushi restaurant. When interviewed by the paper he said that he sometimes chucked in some Tamil delicacies as well to the unsuspecting customers.
“As you know Thosai is eaten by Tamils in all parts of Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka (oops sorry Tamil Eelam).”
You mean Tamils in the rest of SL don’t eat Thosai? :)
Do you mean Tamil migrants from Tamil Eelam living in Sri lanka? ;-)
Is that what they are? You seem to agree with Gota then that Tamil have no business being in the south.
Er, the French had crepes way before colonization. They’re far more likely to have evolved from tortillas or the blintz type stuff throughout Eastern Europe. And sushi? There doesn’t have to be a Tamil angle to everything.
Indi “Er, the French had crepes way before colonization. They’re far more likely to have evolved from tortillas or the blintz type stuff throughout Eastern Europe. And sushi? There doesn’t have to be a Tamil angle to everything.
”
Indi your first sentence seems to suggest you are sure. Your second sentence suggests your are not.
I usually don’t prefer to “Wikipedia” everthing but anayway just for your info:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dosa
The link at the bottom on related issues here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crepe
I still believe my opinion is plausible.
Indi “There doesn’t have to be a Tamil angle to everything.”???? I am just stating the facts.
There are many words in the English Oxford dictionary that have originated from Tamil:
e.g
curry (kari),
catamaran (Katumaram – tied trees or wood),
Mango (manga),
Rice or Frence riz (arisi),
teak (wood),
anaconda,
pariah
to name but a few.
One more thing. Fish and potato chips are traditionally English food yet potatoes arrived in Europe from South America in the 16th century after South American colonisation.
Wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_English_words_of_Tamil_origin
jey
how about kottu…
and also biriyani…
where do they originate from?
jey… the important thing is… its not who coined the name… its who ate it first…
you know…
at first i thought this whole blog post was about indi’s breakfast…
anyways… wish you guys a belated happy summer solstice!!!
Hi Shehal,
Don’t know the origins of Biriyani but I know that the main ingredient, which is “rice” is a word originating from Tamil (arisi). I don’t think Tamils invented Biriyani anyway but like you said we “?may?” have eaten it first considering that South India is and has always been a major rice basket.
Regarding “Kottu” I would say that the Tamil word for chop is “Kottu” and Kottu rotti is made by chopping roti with two large knives so you are free to infer.
“you know…
at first i thought this whole blog post was about indi’s breakfast…”
Couldn’t find anything interesting to comment on Indi’s breakfast blog other than it and the piture he used made me peckish.
I am proud of my Tamil origins and I have a pro Eelam stance, therefore I enjoy informing others about my language, history, culture, freedom fighters etc. Thats the whole point of a blog site. To inform others. You are free to decide whether you want to read it or nor or whether you want to be an informed person or not.
Thanks for the last comment, but it is pouring down here where I am and two people died of flash floods yesterday. Oops I hope I haven’t given away my secret location.
Indi how come your flag appears to be the Indian one? Where are you?
You forgot perfection of the suicide bomb.
Yes, and chili (capsicum) was also brought by colonization, so all the spicy curries and whatnot are a mixed product. Like the island of Sri Lanka which is mixed Sinhala, Tamil, Burgher, etc – and all the better for it. I looked up the Crepe stuff, including Wikipedia, the foods have very little in common besides being circular. One is made from wheat while the other lentils and rice, and having had both, they taste nothing alike.
Crepes were developed in Brittany years ago. A lot of European food is Eastern – spaghetti, anything spiced etc, as a lot of our chili and all comes from their colonial explorings. Sweet, wheat crepes, however, did not evolve from dosa. Unless Tamils invented and patented the circle.
I was talking about the technique and texture mate used to make both Crepes and Thosai not the actual mixture used. Thats like comparing Italian Speghetti and Chinese noodles. Everyone knows that Speghetti was introduced to Italy from China by Marco Polo and others. Watch a person making a crepe and a Thosai first Indi and then comment. Obviously people would have been forced to adapt to not having lentils in Europe.
Yah “Crepes were developed in Brittany (northern France) years ago”…. like 200 years ago when the French (from Brittany) landed in Pondicerry, Tamil Nadu. We all know that Indians and Africans were taken from their native countries to Europe and other places during those times.
Let me guess, one of your aims after you get Eelam is to file a patent infringement on crepes and sue for damages and lack of recognition of the influence of Thosai on French culture?
The technique is circular and the texture is a result of the stone. So unless the Tamils patented the circular motion and have a monopoly on stone, I’d say they had nothing to do with the crepe. As for language, there are many words in the Oxford English Dictionary that originate from Sinhalese, which also shares many nouns wuth German and Dutch. So what exactly is your point, Jey?
Er… N…The last time I saw Pondicerry was part of Tamil Nadu in India and not Tamil Eelam.
Anyway glad to see that you are coming in line to accepting Eelam.
My point Blacker is to inform.
When the Indian govt spends Millions of dollars on Ayurveda and other traditional ingredient patent law suites internationally, I don’t see why I shouldn’t promote or at least inform others on Tamil traditional, linguistic and cultural assets (incase others claim it as their own a couple of years down the line…like what happened to the crepe).
This is quite possibly the dumbest thing ever written on this blog. Crepes are not from Tamil Nadu.
That would mean that tortillas, blintz, latkes and all these other round starchy things that have running borders with France are all derived from Pondicherry dosai. Do you understand how little sense that makes? It’s a fucking pancake for Christ’s sake. To quote the Wiki:
“My point Blacker is to inform.”
Even if we took you at your word:), you would actually have to have some information first.
“This is quite possibly the dumbest thing ever written on this blog.”
I disagree, Indi. If you look at Jey’s ‘History’ you’ll find some really hilarious stuff.
must be all that tickling of VP’s tonsils that’s blocking the oxygen to his brain.
The dumbest thing to do Indi is to blindly quote as actual fact whatever is on wikipedia as you have done.
I see you are frustrated.
I warned you in my earlier post that I was using Wikipedia grudgingly just to give you an idea. The facts on Wikipedia are always contested and controversial as the actual page about Crepe shows. They specifically mention there that the origins of Crepe are contested. You have convieniently missed that point I see.
Regarding this quote you have I would say that Europeans e.g Portuguese, French, Dutch arrived in South India in 1600′s therefore leaving a span of 350 odd years for the Crepe to spread around Europe (Napolean’s army had a opportunity to do this).
I told you this was my opinion and you still haven’t convinced me that its otherwise.
I make it a habit to question things and to reason things out instead of just accepting things lying down. Question and reason Indi. There is no harm in that.
I see you still haven’t taken my advise…N…GROW UP. Stop acting your shoe size. Be grateful. If it wasn’t for V.P I know people like Balraj or Sornam as leader would have left you guys with only th sea to flee to.
I said : “I told you this was my opinion and you still haven’t convinced me that its otherwise.”
Sorry what I meant was you still haven’t convinced me to an acceptable degree that my opinion is not plausible.
Jey, yes we should be eternally grateful for VP’s presence! We are truly blessed to have our own South Asian Hitler. You should be grateful too, not many people have the benefit of a leader who fights for their self-determination and then kills anyone who self-determines against them even in a peaceful manner. We should all be so grateful.
David you were right, the hilariousness rarely ceases with Jey does it?
P.S. Jey, you should try questioning and reasoning with your overlord, come back and tell us what an RPG up the arse feels like.
“Sorry what I meant was you still haven’t convinced me to an acceptable degree that my opinion is not plausible.”
So we need to disprove your fantasy to make it implusible? OK, I’ve got my own theory. I think crepes came from Mars. After all, they ARE circular (just like flying saucers), they’re pale in colour (sort of like Martians), and their texture corresponds in likeness with pictures of the topography of Mars. I think that’s pretty plausible, no?
Hey…grow up Indi – I wasted my time reading your rubbish.
good post,i hate politics,it boils my blood,
Once i ate a Fish roti and found piece of Glass in it,could have killed me,it was really big and i was really lucky
Indi,
great blog, but try not to over do things , or get a reality check… no body wants to abduct you nor not every body gets abducted… not all the white vans you see on the road are transporting abductees or transiting to the next abduction point.
so, keep up the good work ,but let go of the fear psycosis…
s
I guess irony is lost on some?
…I’m wondering why anyone here would be interested in a ford exploder…
btw… can’t seem to post comments on your page via IE… ?
Crops Of foreign origin
Tea (china), Rubber(Brazil), Tomatoes (americas), Potatoes (Americas), carrots,
Chillies (miris as ahgainst gam-miris) (americas)
Food
Buriyani North indian (Moghul)
Wattalapam (Malay) No one knew how to make wattalapam in the early 70s.
On Ramazan if you had muslim neighbours or friends was the only time you go to eat it.
Kottu was not available in Colombo in in 60′s and early 70′s.
(Other than the wellawatte palace in front of the mosque).
It was only available in batticola at one Muslim shop in 1971.
Agree that the name is tamil but I suspect the dish is muslim (moghul) based on meat content.
Names:
The (tea) shared with the Taiwanese (indians call it char)
Rambuttan (Indonesia,)
Bibikkan (a kind Fruit cake made of semolina) Shared with the Philliphines
Kankun Shared with the Phillipines
Cooking manner
Surprisingly many dishes in one part of the country were unknown in another
e.g. Ambul Thila(a) was know pretty much only south of Amabalangoda
I have know people from wadduwa who did not know how the diswas prepared.
Dull Coffee(a muslim must at weddings) in Batticoloa . (Its not really dull)
One theory is this. It is a custom among Buddhists whenever food is partaken, some of it is symbolically offered to the holy monks. In Sinhala, “Mirisaweitiya†comes from “Miris-Wetiyaâ€, which means a pod of Chillie. It is rumored that the King once forgot to offer a pod of chillie to the Monks before eating . As a token of apology, it is said that the King named the Dagaba “Mirisawetiyaâ€.
Mirisawetiya was built by the great King Dutugamunu who reigned during the time (161-137 BC) and united Sri Lanka under a single flag.
http://www.mirisawetiya.org/History.htm
“Yes, and chili (capsicum) was also brought by colonization,”
i thought the white a$$es came (and still continue to come) saying that they want (ed) our spices, gems, women and children…
anyways… chiri (miris) was there since the times of drutugamunu…
so the europeans didnt bring miris to sri lanka… someone else did…
Capsicum is South American and it was brought to Sri Lanka, India, and China by European colonizers. The Chinese probably made a brief foray to South America around the 1400s, but they got paranoid and stopped sailing after that. It’s not an especially debated point, Sri Lankans used mostly black pepper before colonization.
I actually wrote a post on the History of Asian Capsicum.
Both you and Jey are trying to use food as national symbols when it is in fact international and diverse by nature. Chili and tea were brought by the colonizers. It doesn’t make them any less tasty, it just means that we also have to swallow a little pride.
checklist from a white ass (shehal)
spices: ok
gems: have (as u guys say!)
woman: have
children: to b born in feb 2008
anyways…..maybe u should protect/treat ur goods a little better, hu? that way they wont run off/disappear/be sold to white asses, hu? bruahhahah!!!!!!!LOL
btw, sahana in galle, just before dewata, just after the turn off to the harbour and closenberg, is my daily b’fast….good malu paans, rolls (not too oily) and constantly fresh, they are always filling their trays, now they even make these small pizzas which by local standards aren’t too bad. it’s also reasonably clean. they are the BEST in Galle, try it if u come this way.
p.s. if u c somebody windsurfing as u eat ur malu paan, well, that’s me! it overlooks DA SPOT. ooops…. now i have to look out for white vans?! do they float? are they amphibious? like the humvees?
When I am in galle i go to dewata to eat Kottu.
Galle town(or fort ) cant get it right.
At the thunman handiya at dewata (with the petrol station toward matara)
right across the road to wanduruwa ( ?) there is a little muslim kade and thats
where I get my kottu. (not the fastest service or the cleanest, but it tastes right).
Someday when i am back in galle, galleblogger touch base.
I windsurf too (Trying to get into kite surfing this summer).
Oh: and if you really want figure out which part of galle I am from
I have a cousin who is a really well known diver from the 70′s.
“Both you and Jey are trying to use food as national symbols”
me and jay?
i dunno about jay… but i have no national symbol fetish or whatever other thing you claim that i have…
i dont get off on cultural crap like that
but all i said was that miris was there since the times of dutugemunu and it was there way before the europeans got here…
the miris being there during the times of dutugemunu have been archaeologically proven according to some reputed sri lankan historians / archaeologists…
there is a difference in who documented about something first and someone who actually did it first… at least i see a difference…
Shehal said “the miris being there during the times of dutugemunu have been archaeologically proven according to some reputed sri lankan historians / archaeologists…”
Some of these “reputed sri lankan historians / archaeologists” still beleive as authentic history the saying in the Mahavamsa that the Sinhalese originated from the intercourse between a Lion and a human princess.
galleblogger…
i wasnt referring to you :P
Do link to any archaeological evidence that any Asian culture had capsicum (green and red chili) before colonization. We did have black pepper (gam miris) but red and green chili (capsicum) are native to South America. If Sri Lanka somehow had capsicum (from South America) before China and India it would upend the entire history of sailing, commerce, etc. I’m inclined to go with the conservative fact that capsicum arrived from South America via the colonists. There actually isn’t a whole lot of debate on the subject, the tales of Duttugemenu aside.
barr:
true
i had my post piss up grub from there on monday night, it’s ALWAYS open!?!?! one is the milano, the other safna…
BUT
check out the TINY hotel on the wackwella rd in galle town, that’s the best kottu in galle, also on the seafair, just after the sea fair shop, only at night, there is this stall that opens, it’s full of truck drivers etc, but the food is good, they actually cook inside the vehicle….
w/surfing buddy? anytime…. i always go alone, so let me know when and bring u r own equipment!
i’ll ask about the diver, is he alive? spearfishing buddy? strictly no tanks tho’….
Wait…you people are debating the origin of culinary dishes now? Fucking awesome.
Wackwella road . i’ll check it out someday. Don’t know when.
Seafair, name sounds familiar. Cant remember the location.
My cousin, the diver (sucba/tank) from the 70′s, still alive and kicking (in the fort).
he has probably taught about 50% of scuba divers from Kosgoda to Kirinda.
Does not dive now (maybe for pleasure/wreck dives). Has “other interests”.
Windsurf equipment, had/have (??) it.
regards
barr
Indi admits that he cant either Tamil or Sinhala.
What tyoe of A Sri Lankan are you? Are u trully Sri Lankan? Do u have a right to talk about things u do?
This explains why he critises all SL stuf including Mahinda and our people. He wants someone like Ranil, who is trully UnSriLankan!
Always read the lines in between the lines. Read the man behind the lines. This exposes Indi and his clibre….
One facet of someone makes or breaks whether you’re a ‘true Sri Lankan’…go stick a finger in it. I may not agree with what Indi says sometimes but he has as much right as anyone to commentate/criticize. How bout all these politico buggers speaking perfect Sinhala and Tamil and raping the country, nothing to say against them? Oh yeah please for fucks sake don’t equate Mahinda and the people…geez…
English is actually the link language, and vital. How I choose to live and work in Sri Lanka is pretty much my business. I applied for and paid for my citizenship. As per the Constitution
true sri lankan…
so you’re a true sri lankan… like how pope is a true christian?
>
This comment by TrueSL is made on a post where Indi praises malu paan. I thought malupaan was Sri Lankan, so by definition, he is not criticizing ALL “SL stuf.”
The commenter suggests Ranil is not Sri Lanka. I don’t like Ranil, but he’s as Sri Lankan as they come: His father Esmond Wickremesinghe was a major figure in Sri Lankan politics, starting from the time he helped spring LSSP leaders out prison during WWII to toppling Srimavo’s first govt to getting JRJ elected in 1977. His mother Nalini is the daughter of the founder of Lakehouse (and considered by many to be a national hero for who Wijewardene Hall at Peradeniya U and Wijewardene Mavatha in Colombo are named).
His grandmother Helena Wijewardene rebuilt the Kelani Viharaya that was destroyed down to rubble by the Portuguese. He is the chairman of the Dayaka Sabha of the Kelani Viharaya. His knowledge of history is extraordinary, including the claim that the area above the Bentara Ganga was an EPZ under King Parakramabahu that was ridiculed by Weerawansa. Deputy Governor of the Central Bank, Dr Wijewardene, recently went out of his way to confirm the historical truth of Ranil’s statement.
Ranil had his entire education in Sri Lanka, including his undergraduate degree at U of Colombo. How Goebblesian is the claim that Ranil is not Sri Lankan?
Ranil is not Sri Lankan, and Somawansa Amerasinghe who still maintains his residence in the UK is? Gotabaya and Basil who still maintain their US green cards are?
What is the world you people live in?
what’s the history of the word “MACHAN”/”MACHANG”???
tamil?
sinhala?
I usually try to see if any word is commonly used in Tamil in all parts of Tamil Nadu as there is less chance of Sinhala influence on the language there. I don’t think this word is spoken in all parts , but the word in Tamil on the island is supposed to be a male cousin. In Colombo Tamils and Sinhalese use the word to address a friend e.g Ena Machan? etc. I think this is a recent use for the word.
Machang if the “g” is pronounced is not Tamil as far as I am aware. Others will have to comment on its Sinhala origins.
so, it is used in tamil nadu to mean male cousin…? then it makes sense that it is a tamil word that the sinhalese have co-opted and use as slang… like “dude” or “buddy”…
A number of Sinhalese in Sri Lanka are more aware of the purer form of some Tamil words than Tamilians in some parts of Tamil Nadu.
huh?
what’s your point douche bag?
Probably that you’re full of shit :)
jey…
i’m sad that you find it hard see that elements of the tamil culture are a part of sri lanka and its culture…
[...] ranging from the Brihadeshvara Temple to the Chola bronzes (and some might even say invented the crepe) the esteemed students of the York University (the Canadian one not the UK one) led by Sahabthan [...]