The Kolaveri madness has apparently spread from YouTube to kitchens this pongal. Not literally, thank goodness. Yes, Kolaveri pongal was chosen the second best at a recent pongal preparation contest held in the city. The contest, conducted by ID at Sathyam Cinemas, attracted over 300 recipes, the best of which were shortlisted for the finals on Saturday evening. Although the contest started close to an hour late, the innovative pongal dishes on display left judges actress Khushboo and chef Dhamu quite impressed. Oats and apple, Vermicelli Chakkarai, Golden Coconut and Tasty Karamani were some of the innovations of the festive dish that were up for tasting. A few participants made it a point to add to their presentations, traditional elements of decor such as a banana leaf base, carved red capsicums stuffed with peas and sprouts for healthy accompaniment and even statuettes with lamps for effect.While the 12 shortlisted participants were judged on counts of flavour, texture and presentation, Khushboo shared her own behind-the-scenes pongal hassles. She confessed, "This year, there will only be Chakra Pongal in my house. Every time I attempt Kara pongal, it turns out like kichidi." She went on to add, "So, by tasting all these dishes, I am definitely picking up a lot of recipes to try out." Khushboo revealed that kitchen exploits were just as much a part of the itinerary as her shooting schedules. "I cook for my family everyday whatever the kids enjoy," the actress elaborated, while waiting for their arrival to watch Nanban. "You know, Indianised Chinese, Biryani..." Does her husband Sundar C have a favourite on the menu? "No, he doesn't have a choice but to eat what I give him," she laughs. Unfortunately though, South Indian cuisine is not her biggest strength, the actress admits. "I can't cook South Indian food. No, not even rasam!" Maybe the fact that Khushboo's children are big fans of the Kolaveri rage on YouTube had something to do with the dish coming in second place. But the actress herself doesn't claim to follow the mass hysteria. "Watching the video, it makes you wonder exactly what made it so popular," she ponders. The contest winners announced were Sangeetha Mehta (First), Dr Sridar (Second) and Jayanthi Venkatesan (Third).
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