Bengaluru: Karnataka's homegrown brand Nandini, under the Karnataka Milk Federation (KMF), has launched a ready-to-cook idli-dosa batter blended with 5 per cent whey protein, aiming to make the traditional South Indian breakfast more nutritionally balanced.

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah launched the product on Wednesday.

In a statement, KMF said that due to work pressures, many urban residents lack the time to prepare food at home, and consumers are increasingly seeking ready-to-eat meals that can be quickly prepared.

''Therefore, we decided to offer a superior quality, healthy Nandini idli-dosa batter, blended with 5 per cent whey protein, at an affordable price,'' it stated.

According to KMF, the batter will be available in two pack sizes—450g for Rs 40 and 900g for Rs 80. It will be sold at milk parlours.

KMF also mentioned that it will assess market demand in Bengaluru before expanding the product to other cities.

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Kozhikode (Kerala) (PTI): Noted writer and Jnanpith award winner MT Vasudevan Nair, who died here on Wednesday evening, is known for elevating the art of Malayalam storytelling to a profound level through his works.

Popularly known as MT, Vasudevan Nair is celebrated for his evocative storytelling, exploring human emotions and the complexities of rural life.

The 91-year-old writer had been hospitalised in critical condition with a diagnosis of heart failure and breathed his last on Wednesday.

He was suffering several health issues including respiratory ailments for a while, according to the literary sources.

M T is a celebrated writer, screenwriter, and filmmaker, renowned for his profound contributions to Malayalam literature and cinema.

Born in 1933 in Kudallur, a quaint village in Palakkad district, Kerala, M T, through more than seven decades of writing created a literary world that appealed equally to both ordinary people and intellectuals.

At the time, Kudallur was part of the Malabar district under the Madras Presidency of British India.

He was the youngest of four children born to T Narayanan Nair and Ammalu Amma.

His father worked in Ceylon (Sri Lanka), while M T spent his early years in Kudallur and at his paternal home in Punnayurkulam, a village in present-day Thrissur district.

M T's early life and surroundings deeply influenced his literary sensibilities.

He completed his schooling at Malamakkavu Elementary School and Kumaranelloor High School and graduated with a degree in chemistry from Victoria College, Palakkad, in 1953.

His professional journey began as a teacher and gramasevakan at a block development office in Taliparamba, Kannur, before he joined Mathrubhumi Weekly as a sub-editor in 1957.

Over the course of seven decades, he has authored nine novels, 19 collections of short stories, directed six films, wrote around 54 screenplays and several collections of essays and memoirs.

His novel Naalukettu (The Ancestral House) established him as a literary icon and is considered a classic in Malayalam literature.

Over the years, he authored several acclaimed works, including Asuravithu, Manju, and Kaalam, which earned him the Jnanpith Award in 1995, India's highest literary honour.

At the age of 25, he won the Kerala Sahitya Akademi award for his second novel, Naalukettu (1959), and a decade later, Kaalam, his fifth novel, earned him the Kendra Sahitya Akademi award.

M T made significant contributions to Malayalam cinema as a screenwriter and director.

His films, including 'Oru Vadakkan Veeragatha' and 'Kadavu', are regarded as masterpieces, showcasing his ability to merge compelling narratives with visual storytelling.

M T holds the distinction of winning the National Film Award for Best Screenplay a record four times, for 'Oru Vadakkan Veeragatha' (1989), 'Kadavu' (1991), 'Sadayam' (1992), and 'Parinayam' (1994), the most by any individual in Malayalam in this category.

M T has been married twice.

In 1965, he married writer and translator Prameela, but the couple separated after 11 years of marriage.

They have a daughter, Sithara, who works in the United States.

In 1977, he married Kalamandalam Saraswathy, a noted dance artist. They have a daughter, Aswathy Nair, who is a professional dancer.

His residence on Kottaram Road in Kozhikode is named after his elder daughter, Sithara.