Tag Archives: Kerala

7 Songs to Tell You What My Music Taste is Like

Number 1: “Malhari”

From Bajirao Mastani

I never saw the movie, but this song gets me hyped up every time.

I think this is my favorite song, ever.

Number 2: “Go Hard”

By DJ Khaled, Kanye West, and T-Pain

This is the Western song that gets me hype every time.

I miss Kanye’s old music. 😦

Number 3: “The Shiva Tandava Stotram”

Performed by Agam Aggarwal

I love Agam Aggarwal’s work, but as a Shiva Bhakt, this is my favorite out of everything he’s done.

I think Agam is like Tay Zonday, and I love both of their voices!

Number 4: “Birog’s Oath”

By Suidakra

“OR STAY HERE AND LOVE ME, BRAVE DRUUUUUuuUUUUUiIIID!”

I’ve been a Brave Druid looking for Birog for a long time. Maybe I’m going about this all wrong? Sadness remains.

Number 5: “Kanda Kanda, Manathu Kanda”

Performed by Manikandan

The vibes from this song makes me miss the home (Kerala) that I never knew (since I was born and raised in NYC).

I always get a feeling of mysterious, unfamiliar nostalgia when I listen to this song. I need to visit Kerala again once all this Covid stuff clears.

Number 6: “Industry Baby”

By Lil Nas X, Jack Harlow

AND THIS ONE IS FOR THE CHAMPIONS!

Lil Nas X is currently my favorite rapper. That’s just my opinion, but I stand by that opinion.

Number 7: “Jay Jaykara”

From Bahubali: The Conclusion

I have nothing witty, funny, or silly to say here. This song always saddens and inspires me.

I know it’s a bad idea, and somewhat weird, but in many ways I desire to be like Bahubali. I’m not strong enough, smart enough, kind enough, brave enough, or anything like that by a million miles, but Bahubali was a two-part movie series that made me feel seen in ways I haven’t felt since.

So, In Conclusion,

My d*** hard.

Just kidding.

But in all seriousness, this is the kind of music I like. What kind of music do you like? I’ll give almost anything a listen, out of respect.

My Ideal Malayalee Feast

Here’s it for me:

Masala dosa with potato filling, vegetable pakoda, porotta, and some broast chicken. Here are some pictures I’ve pulled from the web:

Picture Source: https://recipesaresimple.com/masala-dosa-spicy-potato-filling-aloo-bhaji/

This is masala dosa with potato filling. Masala dosa is a crepe-like pancake made in India that, in this case, is crispy. It can be stuffed with all kinds of nice things, in this case, potato. When I was a kid though, I ate it with sugar whenever I had dosa for breakfast.

Picture Source: https://www.indianhealthyrecipes.com/pakora-recipe-vegetable-pakora-pakoda/

Pakora is a vegetable fritter, basically vegetables coated with breading and deep fried. They’re some of my favorite foods ever.

Picture Source: https://www.newindianexpress.com/states/kerala/2020/jun/14/porotta-in-huge-demand-as-dine-in-services-pick-up-2156312.html

Porotta is a layered flatbread, and I inherited my love for them from my dad. They go really well with raitha, an Indian yogurt-based sauce or “white sauce.” I can eat about four of them in a single go with no problem, of which I am very proud of myself.

Picture Source: https://food.ndtv.com/recipe-chicken-65-kerala-style-710127

You all might have heard of tandoori chicken, but in Kerala we do it with our own style of preparation with our own selection of spices. If you ever go to Kerala, it’s generally referred to as “broast chicken,” which I don’t know why it is, but that’s how I refer to it.

Anyway, the reason I’m sharing this is because I had a dream last night where I described my ideal four Malayalee food items to have in a single feast, and then in my dream I got to eat them.

The next time I go to Kerala, probably 2022 or 2023, I’m having all of this.

“But Jay!” I hear you say, “you will be fat if you eat all this!”

That’s the secret, captain.

I’m always fat.