After the busy hustle and bustle of Bengaluru, we will always remember slowing down and enjoying the friendly faces of Mysuru. Everyone seemed to move at a relaxed pace and three people in particular made time for us as we got to know the city.
Harsha S. is a tour director with Hi Tours. Shashikali Ashok is a cultural ambassador and cooking instructor. And, Pushpir Singh is an amazing cook, caterer, and restaurateur. They each made an impression on us but for very different reasons. Let’s start with Harsha.
Harsha S.
Our guide, during the Bengaluru and Mysuru leg of our journey, Harsha S., was raised in Mysuru. He was a younger brother in a large family that could not support all its members. So, he left Mysuru, at a young age, with only the shirt on his back. He had to make his own way in the world. Instead of sinking into despair as many would, he was determined not to return until he could show his family he had become a self-made and successful business person. We were so impressed with his grit and even more so with his positivity. Despite all he went through, he lives to make positive contributions to whatever he is engaged in. A lover of Mysuru culture, he introduced us to a business known as Shashi Family Dinner Mysore.
Shashikala Ashok
Run by Shashikala Ashok, an outgoing tourism entrepreneur in Mysuru, Shashi Family Dinner Mysore gives visitors a chance to see inside the home and the life of a local family. Shashikala is the mother of two young adults. She teaches Indian cooking and yoga in her home in a lovely upscale neighbourhood. But, perhaps even more importantly, she acts as a preserver of culture.
Shashikala shared that there were over 3000 traditional foods in the diet of the people of Karnataka. Now, she estimates only half of those recipes remain since the onset of fast food and fast lifestyles. Sharing the food of her area with visitors from around the world helps her preserve those recipes and the richness of her culture.
During our visit, we made Karnataka-style dosas (thicker than our recipe here), Tamarind Rice, and a few chutneys. We thought we were in for a light meal but when we sat for a Banana Leaf Thali lunch in the front parlour, a number of vegetable dishes also appeared out of nowhere. It turns out, Shashikali had prepared a “pure veg” feast for us.
While we ate, Shashikala’s son, S.A. Vinayaka, a renowned vocalist, entranced us with haunting songs from his classical Indian repertoire. By the time we left their home, we felt like part of Shashikala and Ashok’s family. They are truly gracious hosts and wonderful tourism ambassadors for the region.
Pushpir Singh
The third of the friendly faces of Mysuru, is someone not from the area at all. Pushpir Singh was born and raised in Delhi. In his early 20s he met his guru, Belly Master Sri Tarneiv Ji. Pushpir was amazed at how he felt in his presence and how sure his guru was of Pushpir’s future path. When Sri Tarneiv moved to the U.S. he told Pushpir, “You’ll be there soon.” Pushpir followed. Needing employment, he started cooking Indian lunch boxes for friends going to M.I.T.. He called his mother and aunties for their rajma, eggplant, and other whole foods recipes. Within three months he needed a commercial kitchen and soon was catering 600 to 700 lunch boxes a day. Five times he was featured in the Boston Globe.
But, in 2013, his guru moved to Bengaluru and in 2015, again Pushpir followed. Why? Because his guru said, “There’s no one doing whole foods here.” Depth ‘N’ Green was born and a cafe soon followed. We enjoyed a full Thali lunch at the restaurant and Golden Milk and Banana Coconut Cake from the cafe too. Watch for those recipes and a few of Shashikalas coming soon to the blog. Even Harsha contributed a wonderfully easy, tasty chutney to our South Indian recipe collection.
These days, you can still find Depth N Green in Mysore but if you are looking for Pushpir, you’ll need to visit Cambridge, Massachusetts, He’s followed his guru once again and is now one of the hottest, healthiest food offerings in that famous university town.
How did you enjoy learning about these friendly faces of Mysuru? In our next post, let’s delve into what makes Mysuru such a special destination in South India. And, if you’ve been to Mysuru, please leave a comment and let us know what you love about it. We’d love to hear from you.
Gratitude
Thank you to Hi Tours for sponsoring our travel throughout this portion of our South India Road Trip. Thanks also to our dedicated guide, Harsha S., for sharing his passion for his culture.
All words and photos are our own. We did not share with the sponsors before publication.