It was a moment of great honour and pride when my alma mater WGSHA felicitated me with an Award of Distinction at Manipal in Karnataka during ITC’s centenary celebrations. It was a special moment when the principal, Parvadha Vardhini Gopalakrishnan, presented me the award amidst the thunderous applause of the young, new batch of chefs.
I was reminded of my days at WGSHA. The walls were the same, the tables were the same, the teachers were the same, even I was the same—and yet, something was different. I thought and thought and thought, and then it hit me. There was a time when I was one of those students, enthusiastically clapping for someone on the dais. Today, I was on the other side and people were cheering for me. It’s a memory that will stay with me for the rest of my life.
After the ceremony, we sat down to a wonderful meal prepared by the students. One of the dishes served to us was a traditional udupi one made with pumpkin called ajethna kaddu. It’s a brilliant dish as it is, but the love and effort put in by the students enhanced its flavours even more.
1½ tbsp coconut oil
1½ tsp mustard seeds
5 dried red chillies, slit lengthwise
2 cups red pumpkin, diced
¾ tsp turmeric powder
¾ tsp salt or to taste
1 tsp garam masala powder
Put oil in a frying pan over medium heat. When hot, add mustard seeds and red chillies. When the spices crackle, add pumpkin, turmeric powder, salt and 1 cup of water. Cover and cook for 6–8 minutes till pumpkin is tender. Sprinkle garam masala powder, toss well and immediately remove from heat. Serve hot with roti or steamed rice and dal.