"Why don't you like Indian food?", was the question.
"I am a big fan of Indian food--especially, cuisine from my place, however, I can always go to India to have Indian food, a proper Indian food", was my answer.
Yes, I am an Indian who doesn't (and cannot) eat spicy, which makes me non-Indian, apparently. And yes, when I am cooking, I am cooking more European or any other cuisines (and less Indian cuisine), which again raises the doubt if I am just Indian by passport (sometimes, I say jokingly, "50% Indian--and rest International").
My favorites in Indian cuisine can be the decadent Lamb Roganjosh through Poha and some crispy masala dosa or some khandvi to Machher Jhol. What pains me the most, when people would complain after having some third rate Indian food, in some infamous restaurant in the infamous parts of the world, "I hate CURRY". Oh come on, don't just generalise the curry--sure, it must be the British who coined the term "curry" (probably, "Kadi" which they couldn't spell or pronounce perhaps) and no wonder why you would see "curry powder" in the shelves of super markets which doesn't and will never make any sense, to the ardent lovers and devotees of the cuisines of India.
I was initiated to the varied cuisines of India while pursuing my studies in hotel and hospitality, in the yesteryears from the north to south or as any Indian would say, "From Kashmir to Kanyakumari". If you didn't know or boast about your country being multi-cultural, there are only few countries which are as diversified as India is, even under the common tag of being another fellow "Indian"--the language changes from one state to state (except a few common loanwords), people's face contour and of course the cuisine (as always, the citizens living in the border states always share the common influences of either sides).
It is my ode to the variant cuisines of India from the next post onwards--a brief description, some stories and a recipe--albeit my way.. :)
"I am a big fan of Indian food--especially, cuisine from my place, however, I can always go to India to have Indian food, a proper Indian food", was my answer.
Yes, I am an Indian who doesn't (and cannot) eat spicy, which makes me non-Indian, apparently. And yes, when I am cooking, I am cooking more European or any other cuisines (and less Indian cuisine), which again raises the doubt if I am just Indian by passport (sometimes, I say jokingly, "50% Indian--and rest International").
My favorites in Indian cuisine can be the decadent Lamb Roganjosh through Poha and some crispy masala dosa or some khandvi to Machher Jhol. What pains me the most, when people would complain after having some third rate Indian food, in some infamous restaurant in the infamous parts of the world, "I hate CURRY". Oh come on, don't just generalise the curry--sure, it must be the British who coined the term "curry" (probably, "Kadi" which they couldn't spell or pronounce perhaps) and no wonder why you would see "curry powder" in the shelves of super markets which doesn't and will never make any sense, to the ardent lovers and devotees of the cuisines of India.
I was initiated to the varied cuisines of India while pursuing my studies in hotel and hospitality, in the yesteryears from the north to south or as any Indian would say, "From Kashmir to Kanyakumari". If you didn't know or boast about your country being multi-cultural, there are only few countries which are as diversified as India is, even under the common tag of being another fellow "Indian"--the language changes from one state to state (except a few common loanwords), people's face contour and of course the cuisine (as always, the citizens living in the border states always share the common influences of either sides).
It is my ode to the variant cuisines of India from the next post onwards--a brief description, some stories and a recipe--albeit my way.. :)
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