Nepali Food

While traveling, I always wonder about the local food I'm going to eat. Sometimes I get so excited about a dish, imagining what it will taste like and look like, that the dish falls short of my expectations. In this respect,  Nepal was different. I was so focused on what I was going to see: the Himalayas, that I didn't follow my usual ritual of reading about, picking out, and anticipating local foods. Since I didn’t know much, or anything at all about Nepali food, I was going to be in for a welcomed adventure.

But, I wasn't ignorant for long.  I quickly found out about Nepal’s national dish from a t-shirt. It read: "Daal Baht 24 Hour Power."  Daal is a lentil curry soup I tried in India. The Nepali daal baht, I would later became familiar with while trekking, because it was the only food that could fill me up after a long day of hiking! To better understand and appreciate Nepal, I treated myself to some traditional food and, it did not disappoint. Here are some photos and descriptions. 

Momos

These dumplings really come from Tibet, but with such a large Tibetan population in Nepal these delicious bundles have been adopted. These ones were filled with minced lamb, onion and garlic, and served with a tangy chili sauce.

Chickpea Soup

The soup’s texture was nice but I wanted a salt shaker on the table to add some flavour to this bland but creamy starter.

Thali

Starting from the bottom: black lentil curry, to the left were stir fried greens, next was mutton curry,  beside it was roasted wild boar, and, finally, roasted chicken. I tucked into my thali and started with the lentils.  Despite the dark colour, this dish didn’t have a strong flavour; it tasted grainy and salty. The crispy stir-fried greens had a bitter taste that was offset by a sweet sauce.The mutton curry, my favourite, was delicious. Succulent sweet-gamy chunks of lamb were enhanced by a mild curry sauce. The roasted boar had a garlicky flavour but was a bit dry. Earthy flavours of curry, nutmeg, and cinnamon flavoured the juicy roasted chicken. The best part about this thali, and all thalis for that matter, is we got seconds of all our favourites!

Dessert

This was one of my favourite desserts in Asia. It was a plain yogurt flavoured with cinnamon, saffron and nutmeg. Nuts and raisins gave it some more flavour and texture.

Sometimes ignorance is bliss when given some of the food choices while traveling. But in this case my lack of food knowledge allowed me to enjoy Nepali food more. The foods tasted better without my own unhindered expectations.

When you're traveling, have a food adventure. Tuck into a food stall where the locals eat, or try a kind of cuisine you know nothing about! You and your taste buds could be in for a pleasant surprise!

Himalayan High Days 7-9

Upper Chomrong!

The last three days went by quickly and the trekking wasn't difficult. After achieving my goal I felt energized and easily went up the stone stairs and flew down the trails. Even the dreaded Chomrong steps weren’t so bad. To be honest I found it easier to go up than down them! We followed the same routine of early morning starts and early afternoon finishes to avoid the afternoon showers and enjoy our guesthouse. 

The last teahouse we stayed in.

After Chomrong we were done back tracking and had new scenery to enjoy and people to meet. This scenery was just as beautiful and diverse as the previous days. We went through beautiful forests, which opened up to a valley with a river flowing in the middle. The trail followed the river and our forest became sub-tropical by our last day with banana trees mixed in with others. I found it hard to believe that two days ago I was surrounded by mountains and snow. That was the amazing thing about Nepal, although the scenery was always changing the people were always friendly.

Trekking in Nepal is the high light of my trip so far. Aside from the reward of seeing the mountains I also felt great knowing that I had challenged my body and mind and stood up to it. For me traveling is learning about myself just as much as learning about the countries and people who live in them. My time in Nepal will stay with me for awhile but I have a feeling I will be back again.  

Himalayan High Day 6

Success--Annapurna Base Camp! After five long days of trekking I reached my goal and it felt unbelievable. Feelings of ache and pain were replaced with awe and wonder at the panorama of mountains around me. The sky was the deepest blue I've ever seen during the day and it set an astonishing backdrop for the blindingly white snow capped mountains. It felt incredible to be amongst them. Here are the pics.

Some of the teahouses at basecamp

Annapurna I

 

Macchupuchre aka The Fishtail to the far right

Annapurna South

Himalayan High Day 5

The day started off well with easy trails and beautiful forest scenery. Once we neared Deurali (3200m elevation), the last village before the base camps, we stopped for a snack and some tea with fellow trekkers. We looked at the mountains; they were all snow peaked and took our breaths away. 

Further along, a beautiful valley opened up with a river, but my body was slowing down, and fast.  The ground was a muddy-snowy-slush and made walking difficult. I pushed on. After two hours, I felt like I’d been walking forever.  My shoulders felt numb, the air was thin, and my legs were jelly and I told Andrew I needed a break. I felt base camp couldn’t come soon enough. I kept telling myself we’ll be there soon. It was just enough to keep me going. 

A long while later, Andrew broke the news to me.  He asked descending trekkers how far we were from MBC.  Replying to me, Andrew said, “You don’t want to know.”  It was a harmless enough statement but in my exhaustion I sat on a rock and teared up. “I can’t do it. I can’t walk anymore,” I moaned. Andrew patiently said, “Yes you can. We'll take another break.” After five minutes he grabbed my bag and we carried on. We climbed over a hill and saw a glorious sight: MBC! 

I was thrilled. The trekkers told Andrew 45 minutes to one hour. We were there in 15 minutes. I felt a bit foolish for my tears and self doubt but that quickly faded as we passed by Macchupacchre, nicknamed the fishtail for its twisting peak - one of many Himalayan giants we would see up close. We stopped for the day at MBC. It felt great because we were so close to our goal ABC (Annapurna Base Camp) which we'd tackle in the morning.

Himalayan High Day 4

Surprisingly, I woke up early; not surprisingly, my body felt stiff and achy. But, today was going to be relatively easy: some stone staircases and "Nepali flat" trails. I ate breakfast and prepared myself for the day ahead. 

Annaupurna South and I

It was a lovely day for trekking.  The evening rain had cleared the sky and it made for a beautiful morning. We started trekking at 8am. Since we had stayed at the first guesthouse we saw, we hadn’t really seen much of Chomrong. It was a large village comprised of Upper and Lower Chomrong. We made our way through Upper Chomrong and bumped into the British couple. The lady looked delighted to see us. “Oh, hello. Did you get caught in the storm last night? We watched it from our guesthouse. It was quite amazing. But I thought of you two. I was worried you got caught in the rain.”  We told them about our lucky break and then wished them well. They were heading back because they only had a few days vacation. They were happy with the views. I couldn’t agree more. We had clear views of Annapurna South, Annapurna I and Macchupuchre. They looked incredible.

 We started making our way down the stone staircases. It’s thousands of steps. As I walked down each one, pain seared up my calves. An hour and a half later, my legs were trembling and my knees felt like they would burst. I was actually looking forward to going up stairs. We stopped at an outpost shop in Lower Chomrong and made a wise investment: a small jar of tiger balm. It would soothe the aches and pains and also cover up our bad smell! Each step I went down I dreaded that in a few days time I would have to go back up. Chomrong is a central village where many trails connect...all roads lead to Chomrong...and we would make our way back there.  

Nepali flat trail

After going down, we crossed a river and had to make our way up some steps. Our destination was Dovan. After the stone staircases the scenery changed again. It was Nepali flat, firmly pounded dirt trails that rolled up and down. Not too difficult. The forest scenery was beautiful. Pine trees bent and twisted out of the hills in all directions and were covered in a  green moss that hung down like an old man’s beard. After stopping for some lunch around 11am, we arrived in Dovan by 2pm. It was an easy day—only 5 hours of trekking.

Dovan was a small village with only three teahouses. Obviously, not much to do. Andrew and I hung out with some of the other trekkers, played cards and stayed warm in the dining room. The next day we would head to MBC (Macchupacchre Base Camp) the last stop before we reached the final base camp.

This last photo is off two porters carrying foodstuffs. If you look closely you'll notice one is in sandals and the other is carrying a case of tuborg beer. Apparently, professional porters can carry up to 100kgs on their backs. All the porters we passed by were incredibly friendly and some encouraging! They would say almost there to us, and I felt incredibly humbled as I huffed and puffed and passed by carrying my measly 5 kg backpack. They're the embodiment of the Nepali spirit. 

Himalayan High Day 3

Today was our longest day because we were doing two days in one. It started at 4:30am. We woke-up and it was freezing in our room. I quickly got dressed trying to keep warm.  In Gorepani we were 2900 metres high but Poon Hill was another 300 metres up. I doggedly started the forty-five minute climb.  It wasn’t a hard climb, but that early in the morning I wasn’t feeling energetic. 

View from Poon Hill

Eventually, I made it to the top hoping to see amazing views of the Annapurna range and stay warm. It was 6am and freezing. A clever man was selling hot chocolate and tea for the outrageously expensive price of 200 rupees (3 dollars). The man must be turning a good profit considering rooms in a teahouse go for the same price! Good views are what we got, not great or excellent ones, and I felt disappointed. That feeling didn’t last long because I reminded myself I would be seeing the mountains close up very soon.  We went back to our guesthouse and had some breakfast. Then started the day again at 8:30am this time we were heading to Chomrong only 8 hours away! 

We had to climb a hill to leave Gorepani. Here we had excellent views of Macchupachre and Annapurna South. I thought these views were better than those at Poon Hill and most other trekkers agreed. Andrew was happily taking pictures. And he captured a great shot with prayer flags, rhododendron flowers and mountains—quintessential Nepalese scenery.

After a lovely walk through rolling trails and down stone steps, we stopped in Tarepani for lunch. We met up with a British couple in their mid-fifties. They had been to Nepal several times and this time they were doing a short trek to Chomrong. “We’re addicted to the mountains and the people,” the woman quipped. I could see why. The mountains, from the little I’d seen, were stunning and the people were amazingly friendly and generous to share their homes, food and beautiful natural landscapes with trekkers. The lady was impressed that Andrew and I had made it to Tarepani by 12pm and had already climbed Poon Hill. I asked if they were stopping at Tarepani, assuming they would be taking it easy, and was surprised when they said no. They would go to Chomrong. They looked fit and familiar with the mountains but still it’s hard work. I don’t know why the lady was impressed with us...I was far more impressed by her and her husband. 

So they left us and we quietly ate our lunch. Earlier at breakfast we said it wouldn’t be so bad if we stopped before Chomrong, but now while chewing granola, and watching the middle-aged couple march off to Chomrong, we felt we couldn't be outdone. After a few moments Andrew said, “There’s no way we’re stopping before Chomrong now. We’re younger; we have to do it.” I quietly smirked and nodded consent.

Forest trail to Tarepani

Pride is a powerful motivator. It got us down one and a half hours of stone staircases and pride motivated us up an hour of stone stairs and trails. In Nepal, I learned quickly, you have to go down to go up and vice versa. Again the scenery was marvelous. Overcast skies gave the valley and hills of terraced farms a mystic look. Those overcast skies quickly turned dark grey and threatened thunder showers. After several hours of trekking, the usual pains, sore calves and numb shoulders, had settled in my body. Could pride keep us going?

 When I wasn’t taking in the scenery, my mind occupied itself with several thoughts. First and foremost, I thought about Chomrong. It seemed like Chomrong would never come and the teahouses we passed  looked awfully inviting. Then, I thought about opening up a massage store somewhere on this trail, Chomrong perhaps? Then I moved on to pride and how I was no longer motivated by it. A clap of thunder interrupted my train of thought and that motivated me to move quickly for a good hour.

Even the threat of rain wore off and I found a better motivator: chocolate! Well, half a twix bar and ten minutes with my legs up got me through the last bit. We asked the shop owner how long it would take to get to Chomrong, he said an hour. At this point we figured we get caught in the rain but the sugar was starting to perk us up and we hustled to get to Chomrong. 

Foothills to Chomrong

After 30 minutes of quick walking, we saw a teahouse with the owner sitting outside. We asked her if this was Chomrong and she said yes and rooms are 200 rupees. We stayed there and collapsed on our bed. A minute later, thunder clapped again and rain poured down. I looked at Andrew and he said, “It’s times like these I really think there is a God.” I laughed. The day was over. 

Never underestimate the restorative powers of a hot shower and hot food. The shower at my Chomrong teahouse wasn’t luxurious: a concrete floor, tin walled room, solar power hot water, but it was the best shower I’d ever had as the warm water helped me forget the more persistent aches and pains of our longest day. The daal bhat, rightfully said to give Nepalis 24 hour power, was amazing. It is an endless meal, like the Indian thali, of lentil curry, stir fried green vegetables and rice. We ate well. We fell asleep with warm food in our bellies and to the metallic sound of rain pitter-pattering on the tin roof.

Himalayan High Day 2

Rhododendron flowers

 Hearing that today was going to be an easy day, read: no stone staircases, perked my spirits. The walk to Gorepani was a pleasant stroll through rhododendron forests. I was already amazed by the diversity of the landscape and I had more, much more, to see. We were there by 1pm and had lots of time to enjoy this small village. Gorepani was a lovely place with quaint teahouses that dotted the area, and we got our first view of Annapurna South. Our teahouse had a communal fireplace which kept us nice and toasty, but the highlight was the view of Annapurna South from our room.  

View of Annapurna South

The reason most people head to Gorepani is to trek up Poon Hill (3200metres). From Poon Hill you can get great views of the Annapurna mountain range, that is if the weather co-operates.  Many people who can’t do a longer trek hike Poon Hill. At only three to five days it is an easy way, well, relatively easy, not counting the stone staircases up to Ulleri, to see the Himalayas. We heard good things about Poon Hill and decided to add it as a side trip to the Annapurna Sanctuary trek.

 

One of my favourite stops: Gorepani!

After a hot shower, I was warming myself by the fireplace and coming around to the idea that trekking isn’t so bad. But that moment quickly faded as it dawned on me that tomorrow I would have to trek up Poon Hill and then to Chomrong. It would be ten hours of trekking starting at 4:30am. Pushing thoughts of the hard day aside, I enjoyed the comforts and views afforded by my teahouse.

Himalayan High Day 1

There’s nothing quite like being surrounded by mountains on all sides , and, not just any mountains—the  Himalayas! It’s an awesome feeling standing in a valley and having the Annapurna range all around you, but that feeling comes after a lot of hard work. So, it’s breathtaking to see and breathtaking to get too.

I'll admit, I was intimidated by the thought of trekking through the Himalayas. Was I ready to hike up and down trails, stone staircases and the switchbacks described in the guidebook? In spite of the author’s insistence that you didn’t need to be an Olympic athlete to trek in Nepal, I certainly didn’t agree. However, the thought of my reward, the Annapurna range, abated my fears and got me excited for the adventure. 

 Andrew and I planned on doing the Annapurna Sanctuary trek with a side trip to Poon Hill. This trek typically takes about 10-14 days.

Pokhara is a small town in Nepal, but is set-up to help travelers become trekkers. We bought and rented some of the needed gear. We would followed the tried and true method for staying dry and warm: layers. We bought some gortex and fleece pants. We rented winter jackets and sleeping bags. We also stocked up on muesli, granola, nuts and peanut butter to keep us energized. Water purification tabs would reduce costs and minimize our reliance on bottled water. We had all the gear; now we just needed to get to the trail.

On the first day, Andrew and I started our journey in Naya Pul, a small village a short drive from Pokhara. So far the peaks had been hiding but as we drove to Naya Pul they revealed themselves.  I felt it was a good sign, as if the mountains were welcoming us.

Of course, not all welcomes are friendly. The trail from Naya Pul started off gently enough but it gradually became hard. We were walking on a trail and it wasn’t so bad, in fact, the scenery was lovely. The trail followed a stream and meandered through small villages and farms. Then it continued to go through a forest and we occasionally climbed stone staircases. I had trouble deciding if I preferred the stone staircases over the trail. At this point I concluded that the staircases were short and easy to climb and a nice change from the trail.

Four hours later, we started climbing the real Nepali stone staircases. Whereas, the other ones had been ten steps at a time, these ones were about twenty to thirty steps of varying heights, sometimes they would be small and other times they would be a foot high. It was like a giant and dwarf compromised when building the stairs! Our destination for the day was Ulleri at 2100metres. Looking up at the never ending staircases I thought I wouldn’t make it. 

The mountains were letting us know it wouldn't be easy....There must have been thousands of stairs. As I climbed up the last hundred every muscle in my legs burned. My back ached from carrying my bag all day.  But I never felt so relieved to reach a guesthouse when I climbed the last steps to Ulleri. I wasn’t the only person feeling relief, a British fellow we met on the trail asked me as he finished climbing his final steps up to our guesthouse, “Are you as shattered as I am?”. I answered, “Yes. And I’m not sure if I can be put back together!”. We laughed, in spite of the difficult day, we were relieved and happy to be done.

 We had a great time at our first guesthouse, meeting fellow trekkers, many we continued to bump into along the way, eating dal bhat, drinking tea, and, most importantly, recuperating. One day down; ten more to go.

Indian Food

India is a vibrant land; colours are abundant as are scents and noises. The food can be a tantalizing experience for the palette. Some Indian chefs are culinary alchemists mixing up ten (or more!) herbs and spices to get the perfect masala combination. Having said that, overall I was disappointed with the food in India. Perhaps, I put too much pressure on the country. I thought every bite of butter chicken or naan bread would be otherworldly.  But the truth is, most meals were okay. Just as you find mediocre restaurants and dishes at home, so it goes in India.

Of course, there were some highlights and here they are: Indique in Jodhpur, Vihar in Panjim, Street foods like samosas, bhel puri and puffs, and Tibetan food in Dhramasala, especially making momos with the Tibetan family. Here are some photos and descriptions of the highlights below.

Indique, a pricier option, was worth the expense. The Thali here was generous in portion and flavour.
Going clockwise, starting with the white dish flecked with brown that's yogurt raita,next our sweet is ladoo, two deep-fried balls of rice soaked in rosewater, rice to soak up all the delicious curries, dahl, lentil curry, palak matter, spinach and pea curry, vegetable curry, mutton curry, and, finally, chicken tikka masala. Naan bread and papad, a deep-fried lentil cracker, sits in the middle. This thali was a delicious feast for two!

While in Panjim we ate at Vihar three times and it didn’t disappoint. The thali was delicious, but the masala dosa ,a huge thin and crispy crepe filled with masala potatoes, became my favorite breakfast food. The flaky puri and tasty chickpea curry and coconut chutney were also delicious introductions to South Indian cuisine. 

 The ubiquitous samosa can be found on most streets, bus and train stations. It was a quick and filling snack for when I was on the go. The famous Mumbai snack bhel puri is a tantalizing concoction of several ingredients: tomato, red onion, stewed chickpeas, chutneys all a top a crispy rice cracker. One snack I haven't mentioned are puffs. These tasty snacks have different fillings like chicken, egg or vegetable wrapped in a crispy puff pastry.

Tibetan refugees live alongside Indians in a small town called Dharamasala that sprinkles itself in the Himalayan foothills. I took the opportunity to experience Tibetan culture firsthand at a homestay. I learned from my homestay family that living in the harsh Himalayas requires a talent for making hearty substantial meals out of minimal ingredients. Tibetans have a knack for just that! Not surprisingly, Tibetan food largely consists of soups and stews. They are fond of making handmade noodles and tossing them in a thick broth with meat and vegetables.
I enjoyed eating mutton phisha, a hearty stew with mutton, thin noodles, black ear mushrooms and green onions. At my Tibetan homestay, I learned how to make vegetable momos, Tibetan dumplings. According to my homestay "dad" a good momo is a juicy one!

Desert Adventures

“Go right; follow Julian. I said right Mr. Laoloo, right.” Mr. Laoloo blinks, scratches his nose and continues to ignore me. He chomps on a tree and chews the twigs. He does this often. He chews almost as much as he farts.  “Mr. Laoloo, we’re behind  and need to catch up. GO RIGHT! Go, come on, you can do it. GO!” Mr. Laoloo continues to chew his twigs. Perhaps he’s deciding the best course of action for us, but I can’t leave it up to him. We’re far behind and Mr. Khan, my guide and camel driver extradonnaire, is telling me to hit him with the rope. “Hit him hard Terri, it’s okay. Give him a little massage with the rope", he says encouragingly.  I hit Mr. Laoloo with the rope. He moves his right rear leg up to scratch his shoulder. I smile. At least he moved. Mr. Khan gives up on me as a camel driver and with a couple clicks of his tongue Mr. Laoloo jerks to life and trots off. Although short-lived, my career as a camel driver was exciting. 

Mr. Laoloo and Papaya, Andrew's camel, with our guides.

Camels are amazing creatures. Come to think of it India has a lot of animals, most mundane than amazing, but they’re not confined to safe and comfortable zones like at home. So interacting with them is interesting and, at times, dangerous, especially on the streets. Besides dodging cars, auto or cycle rickshaws and people, you have to contend with animals.

Having been hit by an autorickshaw and a cow, I can honestly say the cow was scarier. The rickshaw at least attempted to avoid me, but on the narrow streets of Agra it still grazed my arm, shoulder and side. The cow, on the other hand, purposely, and, perhaps with malice, swung its head horn first and jabbed my purse (leather!). The lifesaving  three inch thick copy of Lonely Planet India was the victim of that menace’s horn. Had the book not lied in my purse, unaware of the beating it took, I can only imagine what damage that horn would’ve caused me!

Now, as a general precaution, I dodge dogs, cats, rats, pigs, monkeys, pigeons, and goats. I avoid cows, mules, and horses. Although it’s rare to see them,  I still avoid the working elephants and camels, especially after the incident with the bovine. With a horn in my side, so to speak, it was with some reluctance that I rode on Mr. Laoloo. My reluctance eased once I met him. He was calm, itchy, gassy and, best of all, horn free.

My noble steed: Mr. Laoloo!

 It’s a reasonable assumption that riding a camel will be similar to riding a horse; however, it’s much different. Going up and down on a camel is an interesting experience. To stand up,  the camel uses its front legs, first, left than right. Then, it lifts its hind legs. It is rocky going up and stomach cringing going down. But I got used to it. Although the ride on a camel isn’t as smooth as on a horse, the view is incomparable. From my new nine foot perspective, I saw herds of goats and sheep graze, small deer and mice hide from the sun and acres of scrub land spotted with wind turbines.

The highlight of our Camel Safari was sleeping on the Thali sand dune. We slept underneath the stars and the moon shone so bright that it hardly seemed like night time. The sand peaks looked a brilliant gold in the morning light. 

Thali Sand Dune

During breakfast, Mr. Khan asked us if we wanted a short or long ride that morning. We answered short. He said he knew a short cut and we would ride for an hour and a half. My groin was thanking him for that. The so-called short cut was going the same way but at a gallop. Camels, according to Mr. Khan, can go thirty kilometers per hour. It felt more like sixty as we galloped through the Great Thar desert.

In the land that evokes images of exotic Arabian nights, adventures of Aladdin and fierce Rajput warriors, it was amazing to be riding on the beast that helped people bring all these adventures to life. Camels: magnificent, powerful, and mild mannered creatures. I loved my time with the ship of the desert!

A Sunday Afternoon With the Rathores

I love food; eating it and cooking it. Both bring me pleasure. Having taking cooking lessons in Korea and Thailand, I was excited to try my hand at Indian food. So on a Sunday afternoon I went to the Rathores for a cooking lesson. The Rathores are relatives of the owner of a guesthouse I was staying at in Udaipur. They were gracious enough to have me to their home to cook some family recipes and eat with them.

The Rathore's cows

Mr. Rathore picks me up and we head to his home. Like most urban Indians they live in townhouses. I follow Mr. Rathore into the courtyard and am not surprised by what I see. The courtyard is run by cows. Mr. Rathore proudly shows them to me. They have one female and two calves. They get milk from them to make curd. “Plus they bring good luck,” Mr. Rathore states. We go upstairs and I meet the family: Kiran, the mother; Priyal, their daughter; and Rasheesh, their son. What's on the menu? A simple thali meal of tomato and eggplant curry, masala stuffed okra, dal, vegetable pakora, chapatti, puri, and pakothra, and, of course, masala chai. I can’t wait.

Okra, garlic and eggplant

I enter their apartment; it consists of two rooms. One is used by them to sleep and eat. The other is used to sleep and cook. In the first room there is a thin mat covering the concrete floor, we sit down side by side with the vegetables.  And so the cooking begins. Kiran peels and cuts everything in her hand. From her magic hands, potato peels fall to the floor and chunks fall in bowls. I'm not nearly as efficient and find it difficult to cut the vegetables without a cutting board.  Taking notice of my struggle, she puts me on garlic peeling duty with Priyal. While I crush garlic against the floor a "MooooOOHH," from the cow in the adjacent courtyard bellows in the room. Priyal and I giggle.

We chat and peel away. I drink chai with Kiran and she explains the recipes in Hindi while Priyal translates in English. If Priyal missed a step, Kiran is quick to scold her in Hindi and then correct in English. Kiran is a warm woman, but a stern mother. She insists that Rasheesh does his homework when he snoops on us. Priyal is a lovely young woman. At thirteen she knows she wants to be a teacher and plans to travel around India. I ask her if she wants to travel the world and she looks confused and replies, “No, I won’t travel the world. India is big enough and lots to see here, you know?” Yes, I do know. The vegetables are prepped and we move to the second room.  

Kiran picking cilantro leaves

The second room is crowded. There is a twin size bed which takes up most of the space. Kiran, Priyal and I have a small hallway of space between the bed and gas box burner. Cooking utensils emerge from under the stove and bed. Ingredients are kept on shelves built in to the concrete walls. They have no sink or running water so the dishes are cleaned in a big bowl. Water is poured from a traditional matka, a large clay vase.  I’m in awe of Kiran, as I see the two-burner gas box and the small space she has to prepare her family’s meals. 

Priyal and Rasheesh

Her ingenuity is artful. She uses a mortar and pestle to grind onion, garlic, chillies and spices into a masala paste. She uses the paste to flavour the eggplant and tomato curry and stuff the okra.  I help her make the paste and stuff the okra with it. We fry up the eggplant and tomato curry and put it in a bowl to rest. We use the same frying pan to cook the okra. “No space, no waste,” Kiran says firmly. Priyal smiles as she helps her mom. We use a pot to boil the lentils and, after a quick rinse, the same pot cooks the rice. We use flour, potato and cilantro to make a dough, and fry teaspoon size balls to make vegetable pakora. The same pan and oil is used to fry puri.

Vegetable pakora

Next we make the breads. One simple flour and water dough can make three breads. First, we make puri. We roll out a saucer size circle of dough, add some ghee on both sides and then deep fry it. It quickly puffs up and turns golden. Next, we make chapatti. We roll out another saucer size circle and then fry that without butter on the pan. It doesn't puff up but is still flaky inside and has nice dark spots on the outside. The last bread is pakothra. We roll out a saucer size circle but then fold it in half. Add some butter. Then fold it in a triangle. We roll it out so it looks like a rounded triangle. Add some more butter and then fry it on the pan. This one is flakier than the chapatti. All are delicious.

The never ending thali

Once our food is ready we had back to the first room. We set up plates for everyone and we eat Kiran’s food with our hands. Everything is delicious. It was finally my turn to impress the Rathores with how well I can eat with my hand. After eating, we drink chai and Priyal offers to paint my hand with henna. I agree and she creates a beautiful design. The cooking was great but it was the experience of being with an Indian family for an afternoon that was better.

The Taj Mahal

It's called the world's most beautiful building and a monument to love. What can one say about the Taj that hasn't already been said? I find words to describe this building meaningless; they fall short of capturing the graceful curves, strong marble, and eloquent lines of the building. The problem is you've seen the Taj many times: postcard perfect pics of it and the famous Princess Diana pose. In spite of this, the building is still stunning.

Here are some interesting facts about the Taj Mahal. The Mughal Emperor Shan Jahan built the mausoleum for his third wife, Mumtaz Mahal. Unfortunately, he was jailed in nearby Agra Fort by his son where he overlooked the masterpiece from his cell until his death. Another interesting fact about the Taj is that it has surprisingly great acoustics. To impress the tourists, Taj tour-guides sing or say 'hello' which echo up the famous marble dome.

I'm going to keep this post short and let the pictures do the talking, but I will tell you we woke up early to visit the Taj at sunrise. The early morning light cast the building in a golden light and then highlighted the white marble. Here are the pics for you to enjoy!

Our first look of the Taj from a roof-top restaurant in Agra

A panel of Urdu script on the Taj

Sun-rise view of the Taj from the right side

Inside the Taj's mosque

The one and only Taj Mahal

View from Agra Fort

South Indian Food

Most of us are familiar with North Indian foods; they are curries like palek paneer, aloo gobi, mutton masala, butter chicken and tandoor favourites such as tandoori chicken and naan bread. These are the international representatives for Indian food, but the Southern states have great dishes that have fast become my new favourites. 

A big difference between North and South Indian cuisine are the foods on offer at breakfast. South India has many different items served specifically as breakfast or snack foods. Here are some items we ate at breakfast:

Dosas

The best description is a savoury crunchy crepe stuffed with fillings like potato, onion and tomato. This particular item is usually served at breakfast but can also be for dinner. My favourite is the masala dosa. A thin crispy crepe stuffed with masala flavoured potatoes.

Wadas and Idllis

These are standard breakfast or snack fare. The wada is a crispy donut that you dip in a thin curry lentil soup and coconut chutney. The idlli is a thick crumbly doughy pancake. It is also served with soup and chutney.

Uthappams

Although they sound like a Roald Dahl character they are actually another delicious breakfast or snack food in the South. Friends in Korea might recognize this because it is very similar to a Korean dish called pajeon.  Uthatppams are a savoury pancake. Cooked until one side is really crisp, it can come with a variety of fillings like onion, garlic and onion, onion and tomato. It is also served with a curry and coconut chutney.

Interestingly, these items don’t always come with utensils. Andrew and I had to learn how to use our right hand (only) to eat them. The trick is using the plate to help you tear pieces off. Using your index finger and thumb pushing against the bottom of the plate you’re able to break apart the food quite efficiently. Eating with your hands seems to be more common in the South than in the North

Sambar

A delicious curry soup that has a bit more bite than its Northern counterparts. We tried Sambar in Kerala, it was tangy, sour and full of curry flavour. A nice tingly heat lingered on the tongue. But it was nothing our vegetable raita couldn’t cool down. 

Bread

When I first got to India I was  looking forward to eating naan everyday. But I quickly learned that naan isn’t as popular down South as it is up North. The tandoor, the oven used to cook naan, is traditionally used in the North. Instead South Indians prefer the above breakfast items or other breads like the deep-fried flaky goodness of a puri, a simple bread made from flour, water and salt that gets deep fried to a golden bite-size portion. It sounds almost better than naan, right? Well, it’s a close second.