Creating, collecting, and sharing thoughts and ideas. And learning along the way.
So, you know about Chicken Tikka Masala and about the many Curries and Kebabs and Naans and such, but do you know about ordinary Indian street-food that is to be found in Anytown, India– literally on the sidewalk or footpath as it is known there. Little carts and stands that serve the most delectable hot and cold snacks served in disposable paper-plates or leaf-plates, or sometimes in plain old newspaper.
Well, there’s a place in town right here in the Upper Midwest of these great United States where one may find just such great Indian street-food. Made hot and fresh, but served in nice dishes, these are as authentic as they come. The name of the little restaurant is NeeHees, and I had the pleasure of ordering and inhaling a number of things this afternoon. Things that are the most ordinary and that are made in any Indian home worth its salt, and yet, when you eat it outside the home, it somehow feels like a treat because you’re indulging yourself, and you know it!
So, what was on the menu for us today was this: Chaat Papdi, Khasta Kachoris, Chole Bhature, Samosas, and Mirchi Bhajjis. See if you can identify them all in the pictures below. Hint: the picture of the samosas is missing because we got that to go.
So, if you’re from the Indian subcontinent, or a world-class gourmand, you’ll recognize the name of the vegetable being lauded here: Karela, aka Bitter Gourd or Bitter Melon. It is true to its name in that it is bitter to the taste, and yet it is one of the most common and even popular veggies on the vegetable smogasbord in India. Despite its bitter taste, that is! Bitter, as you might well know is one of the five established taste sensations that is not the most sought after, unlike its cousins Sweet, Salty, Sour, and Umami.
There’s a wiki entry here, if you wish to learn more about this interesting veggie.
But when you do cultivate a taste for the bitter, you are drawn to it like a child to candy. Take it from me, I’d know. Because I just had some yesterday. And to offer up some images of this fantastic vegetable that is also known to have medicinal qualities, check out the before and after pictures here. My mother made these, by the way. And although you could cook this any which way you please, this simple method of cutting it into thin slices, salting it and letting it sit for a while before you fry it with dry seasonings (salt, red chillie powder, turmeric, garlic, and mango-powder) is my favorite.
Trust me, even for this, I say with as much gusto: Yeh Hui Na Baat!
The recent holiday-reminiscing continues with yet another post about the fun-times we had in the lovely city of San Antonio, Texas recently. One place that we went to for dinner one day was a semi-fancy restaurant called the Iron Cactus. The menu had many of the standard Tex-Mex items, and as you’ll see from the slideshow below, we opted for the usual margaritas (that came with the salsa and chips), and other more substantial fare for dinner.
It was all very good, but one of the highlights of the dining experience was this: there was a mariachi band in the house that walked around the tables and stopped every so often to give a live performance! It was utterly delightful, and I couldn’t help but pull out my versatile phone to create an impromptu recording. Check it out! And scroll further down for the photo slideshow.
Here’s to celebrating the versatility of the lowly sooji or cream-of-wheat on a Saturday morning. Following a divine breakfast of Upma— made with sooji and a host of other seasonings, can you possibly top that with another sooji-dish? Check out an old post on the glorious Upma right here.
Well, if you make Rava Laddoos you just possibly might be able to do that… So today, here’s to my mother and her indefatigable spirit to create beauty and goodness in the kitchen. I give you the world’s most perfect rava laddoo: made with sooji, sugar, lots of toasted dry fruits and edible gum, it will satisfy like no other.
Here’s the first batch rolled out by my mother. There most likely will be a second one. Perhaps even a third, who knows? At the rate of one a day for the four of us, I think we’re all set for another month!
Thanks, Mom, I love you!
Well, the memories from my recent holiday to the Lone Star Sate haven’t all been documented yet, and therefore this is one more for the files. As I’d mentioned earlier, one of our sightseeing stops was at the Buckhorn Saloon & Museum that was a separate section within the Texas Ranger Museum. Click here to see that old post.
And so, that afternoon after the tour of the two museums, we decided to eat in the museum restaurant, and sampled some very authentic southern fare: Fried Catfish with ColeSlaw and Onion Rings; Fried Chicken with Fried Okra; and for dessert, a Fried Twinkie. That last one is a classic American item to be usually at outdoor fairs in the summertime, so it was interesting to see it on a menu indoors!
Well, we didn’t have the Lone Star Beer, but see for yourself what some of the other things looked like:
Breathtaking! Click on the link to go directly to the website– this is one of 11 such pictures.
