Takeaway Lunch

Some conversations make you, well, speechless. Today, I went to the nearby food stall to buy lunch. This is not my first time in that stall. They cook nice oriental food. The food is reasonably priced too. A boy and a middle aged woman usually serve and pack the food from the buffet display. The boy is terrible at English. People can eat in a limited sitting space inside the stall if they wish. I wanted to make sure the boy understood that mine was a takeaway order.

The food stall always has a queue in front of its counter. Perhaps it enjoys its monopoly in the area. I was lucky to be the second in the line. The moment I queued up, the boy uttered, "Next!" I went towards his side of the counter and told him to pack me a takeaway lunch. He went towards the other side of the counter. I was waiting for him to ask me what food items I needed. However he called me from the other side and gave me a packet of red liquid (most probably black tea) in a poly pack. I didn't understand what was going on. I asked, "What's that?" He replied, "You say takeaway. This takeaway." I didn't know how to react. I said, "I need food to takeaway." Now, he looked all confused. He forwarded the red hot liquid pack towards me. I said, "No, I don’t want that." Then understanding the confusion, the lady came to help. She asked, "You don’t want this?" I said a firm and annoyed "No!" The boy murmured, "But you said takeaway." I ignored him and told the lady that I want vegetarian food. She smiled and said, "Eh, vegetarian. Come on! Only Indians eat vegetarian food. Tell me what you want from the buffet." For a moment I again didn't know what to say. I just smiled back. I wanted to say, "Okay, first of all, that is not true! There are vegetarian people from other countries too! Second, I AM an Indian!" But I decided to keep quiet. I instead pointed at the dishes and said, "Give me this, that and this one." She packed all to go. I thanked her. She asked me, "You are Malay (Malaysian), aren't you?" I shrugged and smiled, letting her remain in that doubt and curiosity regarding my origin.

Happy Thanksgiving

It’s been really long since I blogged here. I have been missing it. My being absent from the blogosphere doesn’t necessarily mean that I have not been writing at all. To be honest, I wrote quite a few. Lack of time and opportunity kept me from posting here. I will post those soon. But I am here for another reason today.
Every year on the fourth Thursday of November, the residents of USA celebrate “Thanksgiving” in a big big way. In 2012, this auspicious occasion will fall on November 22 (that is tomorrow) and it is a national holiday for them too. Yes, this is a big deal because this is the day when people appreciate and understand the meaning of having a family and the joy of eating together. Attending a real traditional Thanksgiving dinner is one of the things in my bucket list. I know I will someday!
 

My heartiest greetings to everyone celebrating Thanksgiving!
 

Let me share some factoids about Thanksgiving:

• The first Thanksgiving was a simpler event than many people think.
• In 1621, the Plymouth colonists and Wampanoag Indians shared an autumn harvest feast that is acknowledged today as one of the first Thanksgiving celebrations in the colonies.
• For more than two centuries, the days of thanksgiving were celebrated by individual colonies and states.
• It wasn't until 1863, in the midst of the Civil War, that President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed the national Thanksgiving Day to be held on the last Thursday of November.
• Canada celebrates Thanksgiving on the second Monday of October.

For more info you may also visit:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thanksgiving
http://thanksgiving.fundootimes.com/index.html
http://www.halloween-website.com/traditions.htm

Tamarind Made Me Miss Malgudi

Food has never been an important aspect of my life. Since my childhood, I have been eating whatever was being served on my plate. Things have drastically changed after I met my partner a few years back. I am a forced foodie now. Funny but true that my partner is a huge foodie and is very particular about everything related to food, starting from the taste, look, colour of the food to the size and cut of the vegetables. No, I am not exaggerating. Hence, we have been known to try out important food outlets of any city that we visit. Recently we have visited the Tamarind on the Sarat Bose Road, Kolkata.

The Tamarind is on the first floor of a road side building that has excellent location and a convenient parking space just in front of the building. Our driver was happy to find a place in front of the entrance door. The moment we entered, a strong smell of disinfectant liquid used to mop the floor, made me uncomfortable. However, it was just the stairs and there was another door to enter the main eating area. Hence, I hoped the smell won’t be there while we eat. I was, thankfully, right. The ambience was nice with a few waiters waiting for us, as there were no customers yet. It was 7.30 pm and we had gone for a lazy, early dinner. The seating arrangement was comfortable spaced out and a few theme Nick Nacks adorned the shelves.

Our order consisted of starters of Tomato Rasam, Lemon Rasam and some Paneer Tikka (yes, not a typical South Indian dish, but you get it there.) Once we placed the orders for starters, two tumblers, full of butter milk, were served to us. I sipped once and it was really nice. :)

Our starters have come after a short wait and since we had already decided on the main course, we ordered our individual preferences of Coriander Rice, Ambat (dal with spinach leaves), Motta Roast (Egg preparation), Appam (kind of a pan cake) and Avial (mixed vegetables stewed in coconut milk). The Tomato Rasam was really wonderful and yummy but my Lemon Rasam disappointed me. It was extremely tangy, to the extent that your tongue would shrink and twist out of the citrus taste. I couldn’t continue sipping. However, the Paneer Tikka was nice, soft and yummy! The presentation of the food was nice. I didn’t know what to expect when the main course arrives.

Well, we didn’t have to wait long. We asked the waiter to serve our choices a little portion of each on our plates and started having it. My partner was silently having his Appam and Avial. After finishing my prayer, I wondered why is he silent! He said, “This is the worst Avial I have ever had. They must have used desiccated coconut or some ready made mix to make it.” There we go again! I thought to myself. I had my first spoon of Coriander Rice and I didn’t know why they are calling it Coriander Rice as there was no fragrance of coriander in it, except a few dried, unidentifiable pieces of some green leaves. The only thing I could eat and give some grade was the Ambat or the Spinach Dal. My partner had given the final verdict, “It’s a fake.” (FYI, my partner is a Tamil Brahmin :) Boing!!!) I give it a 3.5 out of 10, 10 being the best score. My point here is, if you are doing a business, you have got to be honest and passionate about it. The grand result will show. People should not opt for short cuts, as the result of short cuts would always be short lived.

My this experience in Tamarind made me fondly recall the food I had in Malgudi. Tamarind couldn’t really impress us much.

Malgudi is a chain of South Indian restaurants operated by the Shyam Group and the restaurants are well appreciated with its outlets in Chennai, Bangalore and Hyderabad. The one I had been to, is in Hyderabad. When I was working in Hyderabad, this used to be one of my favourite places to eat. Malgudi has a state specific menu that served food specific to that particular State of Southern India. The first striking point is the look of the restaurant. It looks like the Malgudi railway station of Malgudi. (For those who didn’t know, Malgudi is a fictitious town in India created by my favourite writer R.K. Narayan in his novels and short stories.) Malgudi made me feel special, as the waiters and cooks went out of their way to accommodate my orders according to my taste and requirements. The visit to Tamarind really made me miss Malgudi. Oh it was such a wonderful experience! I think I should write a complete blog on Malgudi once I visit it again. It’s been quite some time now since I have visited it last.

Kolmou Haak

Xaak or khaak or haak...whichever spelling you use, it means green leafy vegetable in Assamese, the ones of which, only the leaves and tender stems are consumed as a side dish with a meal. I love haak, the veggie that is, and yeah the spelling too :-).

Kolmou haak

Yesterday I made Kolmou haak and loved it (hey, I love all kinds of haak for that matter). It was a little gravy-ish with one potato cut in wedges style. We had rice with that and two more side dishes to go with it. Now, since it was the first time I was making this haak, I had to call my moma darling back home to ask for the recipe. I made it like an obedient pupil and I am happy with the output. Once lunch was over, I wondered about the goonagoon, nutritional value of the haak and was amused and amazed by what I have learnt. Here I am sharing a few things about Kolmou.

Ipomea Aquatica - Kolmi Sag

• 
  
  Kolmou is known as Ipomoea Aquatica and it is known as the water spinach as well, because of its nutritional properties that come close to spinach.
• 
  
  Water spinach is most commonly grown in East and Southeast Asia. Because it flourishes naturally in waterways and does not require much care, it is used extensively in Malay and Chinese cuisine, especially in rural or kampung (village) areas.
• 
  
  The vegetable is a common ingredient in Southeast Asian dishes. In Singapore and Indonesia, the leaves are usually stir fried with Chile pepper, garlic, ginger, dried shrimp paste (belacan/terasi) and other spices.
• 
  
  In Penang and Ipoh, it is cooked with cuttlefish and a sweet and spicy sauce.
• 
  
  During the World War II, the vegetable grew remarkably well and easily in many areas, and become a popular wartime crop.
• 
  
  In Chinese cuisine, there are numerous ways of preparation, but a simple and quick stir-fry either plain or with minced garlic is probably the most common. In Cantonese cuisine, a popular variation adds preserved bean curd - a method known in the Mandarin language as furu (The Chinese Cheeses).
• 
  
  In Hakka cuisine, yellow bean paste is added, sometimes along with fried shallots. The vegetable is also extremely popular in Taiwan, where it grows well.
• 
  
  In Thailand it is frequently stir fried with oyster sauce and shrimp paste. It can be eaten raw with Lao green papaya salad. Though eaten raw, there is a chance of transmitting fasciolopsiasis, a parasite of humans and pigs.
• 
  
  In Vietnam, it once served as a staple vegetable of the poor. In the south, the stems are julienned into thin strips and eaten with many kinds of noodles and used as a garnish as well.
• 
  
  Over the course of time, Ipomoea aquatica has developed into being an ingredient for many daily vegetable dishes of Vietnamese cuisine as a whole.
• 
  
  In the Philippines, it is usually sautéed in cooking oil, onions, garlic, vinegar, and soy sauce. This dish is called "adobong kangkong". There is an appetizer in the Philippines called Crispy Kangkong, where in a mixer of with eggs, water, cornstarch, flour, salt and pepper these leaves are coated with the batter and are fried until crispy and golden brown.
• 
  
  Some of the common names include water spinach, swamp cabbage, water convolvulus, water morning-glory, kangkung (Indonesian, Malay, Sinhalese), Hong Sum Choy (Hakka), Thooti koora in Telugu; Kalmisag, Sarnali, Ganthian in Hindi; Kolmi Shak or Kolmi Lota in Bengali and finally In Kolmou in my mother tongue Assamese.

References:
Ø http://en.wikipedia.org
Ø http://aquat1.ifas.ufl.edu

Loving it

Kolkata is a place that fascinated me since my childhood. No, I would not be able to pin point any one particular reason for this now. Being the closest metro to Assam, I have heard people coming to Kolkata in pursuit of their cultural aspirations, academic goals, career enhancements and so on. I used to feel jealous when my favourite legendary singer Bhupen Hazarika used to stay here during his younger days. I envied Kolkata for keeping Bhupen mama here, of whom the whole of Assam is fan. However, despite this attitude towards Kolkata, (secretly) I wanted to live here too, at least for a few years. I wanted to know, what it is about Kolkata that is so magnetic.
Now I am here. In Kolkata. And you know what? It feels like home. Yes I know, you must be thinking, “whatta girl!”
Well, its not that I had never visited Kolkata before. I did pass through the city and even visited and stayed alone. During those visits, I never felt unsafe and people were good to me. I had a nice time even in the hotels I stayed in. Now that I am here, it feels like I am not away from home. It feels as if I am in the middle of an extended family of my own. I love the way they talk and accommodate outsiders in the city. I have talked about many aspects of Kolkata before. Today, let’s talk about food.

My Office Lunch Spread

Food is like the centre of life here. Bengalis (the people of West Bengal are called Bengalis) love food. They walk food, talk food, think food and most of all, they are very proud of their culinary skills. Bengalis are known for their fondness of fish. Being a vegetarian, I wouldn’t be able to talk much about the variety of fish curries here, but I can definitely talk about the sweet spreads Kolkata has to offer. I enjoyed some of the delicious sweets immediately after moving here (needless to explain the few extra pounds that I am carrying. Yes, yes, I AM working on it now). The rosogolla, malpua, mishti doi, jol bhora, pati chapta, nalen guder shondesh and the list is endless. I will try and update the list as soon as I remember some of the other names of sweets that I had here.

Celebrating Prosperity - Bhugali Bihu

Magh Bihu Delicacies

Winter is almost over in India. However, to bid a formal goodbye to the winter season, India celebrates a day that usually falls on the 13th day of January. This day is celebrated with different names in different parts of the country. Regardless of the names, all the celebrations have a connection with the agricultural activities of the farmers. India being an agricultural economy, this is quite obvious. This festival denotes the harvest time of the agricultural calendar. Being an Assamese (someone who belongs to the northeastern state of India, Assam) I am here to talk the way it's celebrated in Assam.
Out of the three Bihus (Rongali Bihu, Bhogali Bihu and Kangali Bihu), this is perhaps , the second most welcomed Bihu in Assam. The reason , one gets to feast with near and dear ones and the granary is usually filled with rich harvest. Hence, Bhogali Bihu also denotes celebration of prosperity.

Sunga Pitha-Another Variety of Pitha

The first day of the two-day long festival is dedicated to community feasting. Plentiful variety of pitha, laadu and jolpaan are made in traditional Assamese styles which are served to whoever visits the family. On the first day, the farmers along with their respective family celebrate around their Bhoral or granary feasting and enjoying the good harvest. Close families and neighbours get together for a feast at night by the side of a huge bon fire.

A bonfire

The children and young adults make houses or tomb like structures known as Bhela Ghor and Meji Ghor respectively. These are usually built with the left over haystack from the field. The second day of Bhogali Bihu is marked by burning of the Bhela Ghor or Meji Ghor early in the morning. People pay their obeisance to the God of fire Agni by offering Bihu delicacies especially til (sesame seed) laadu into the fire. The farmers along their family pray in their paddy fields for prosperity and offer puja with traditional rituals. The day is also marked by visits to near and dear ones and by taking blessings from the elders of the family. In rural areas people gather in playgrounds to witness festivities like cock fights, buffalo fights, bulbuli (small bird) fights etc.

In the Eastern Coastal region, where I am residing now, this festival is known as Makar Sankranti. Though, this festival does not have equal importance as in Assam, the festivity related to it is almost similar. In the Indo Gangetic plains, this auspicious day of Makar Sankranti begin with a dip in the sacred Hindu river Ganges. This is followed by a puja of offering water to the Sun God. The holy dip is believed to purify the self and bestow punya. Special puja is performed as a thanksgiving ritual for the good harvest of the year.

Apart from the above mentioned festivals, this time of the year is celebrated in different forms in different parts of the country. In Punjab, this festival is known as Lohri, in Tamilnadu it is called Pongal or Makara Pongal, in Bundelkhand and Madhya Pradesh, this festival is known as Sukarat or Sakarat and is celebrated with merriment and lots of sweets. On the first day of the two-day festival, people throng to the holy rivers in large numbers for a sacred dip. The famous Kumbh Mela is also held on this auspicious time of the year at the four auspicious places of Hindu religion.

In West Bengal, this time of the year is also marked by a festival cum fair called the Ganga Sagar Mela. People from all over India come to visit and take a dip at the Ganga Saagar beach. The practice is being followed for years with the belief that a dip in the holy bank will release one from all his previous sins.

In Bihar and eastern Uttar Pradesh, people savour a special rice meal to mark the day of Uttarayan. In Rajasthan, Nagaur Fair marks this festival. People from all over Rajasthan gather at Nagaur to attend the cattle fair and the four days festivities related to it. Besides the usual buying and selling of camel, ox, cows and bullocks, other festivities like cock fights and bull fights also attract the attention of visitors.