Mouthwatering Memories from India
This is the first post on Peri’s Spice Ladle, published in January 2012.
It’s heartening to walk into Indian restaurants in America nowadays and see the customer demographics; people from all walks of American life are definitely intrigued and ready to sample Indian food. The writing on the wall is clear- ethnic cuisines are gaining in popularity and Indian-inspired flavors are everywhere. I am always looking for ways to add Indian flavors to American favorites and tinker with Indian and Parsi classics; to create an end result more suited to the global palate.
Here are some of my inspirations…my posts in the coming months will offer recipes and practical insights on these inspirations. Go ahead; add your own favorites to this list!
Visions of a steaming one-pot-meal of Parsi-style lamb stew (Jardaloo Salli Boti).
A street food adventure at ‘Chowpati beach’ in Mumbai. Starting with a tomato-cucumber-potato-filled Bombay sandwich, moving on to a puffed-rice mixture with chutneys - Bhel, and ending on a sweet note of cooling milk-based pistachio ice cream - Kulfi Falooda.
The cool crisp air of a Delhi morning and a hot breakfast of potato-stuffed Indian flat-bread Aloo Paratha with yogurt.
My favorite Mango Lassi– the original smoothie made with homemade yogurt.
An afternoon snack in Bangalore (well, let’s just call it ‘tiffin’ as the locals do) of steaming hot rice-lentil cakes and crepes Idlis and Dosas and coconut chutney.
The joys of a late-night treat on the humid streets of Mumbai: mutton kebab, marinated onions, and mint chutney wrapped into an Indian flat-bread - the Kathi Roll.
And here’s to mashed-potato fritters in a chutney-filled bun - Vada Pav, bringing back childhood memories of Pune.
The sheer genius of a Chicken Tikka Pizza.
The list grows longer as visions of mouthwatering meals appear in front of my eyes. Tempted to infuse some Indian flavors into my day, I am off to make some minced meat - Kheema flatbread for dinner tonight.
