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!