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Miscellaneous Monday: What's your favourite Indian delicacy ?

Sajit Nair

Happy Monday everyone!

I am going to use this opportunity to share something that has been a 'pet peeve' of mine for years. Whenever I meet someone new, esp. outside India.. one thing they point out to me is that they like 'Indian food', when I enquire further, it's usually some form of 'curry'. 😒
Though its not a bad thing to like curry, I feel that my friends from 'West' hasn't dug deeper into what else is on the menu, when they go out to nearby Indian restaurant. So here I am encouraging you to expand your knowledge of Indian food. Trust me, your taste buds will thank you for it.

When my 'sprit brother' @Fun Man Andy came to India, I told him that there is 'Beauty in Chaos' in our country. Our food is an extension of who we are.
It changes texture, taste, spices every few hundred kilometres (yes! Kms not miles, because we use the metric system😂).
Also, Did you know that India is called the 'spice capital of the world' ?

I myself love cooking.
One thing I love to eat and prepare is the traditional South Indian feast on the occasion of Onam known as Sadya. It's not a dish, but a collection of multiple items and its takes a good amount of prep and I usually invite my extended family and friends over for a meal. Read more about it here - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sadya

Sadya - SN.png SN'2- sadya.jpg
The above pictures are over a year apart and were all prepared by me.
(not the banana of course) 😋

So, This miscellaneous Monday, please share what is your favourite Indian delicacy OR what could be something that you are really excited to try if you haven't made it to India (which is not a curry, of course). 🤣

Here is a nifty little link for you to see for inspiration - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Indian_dishes
P.S - I love that the link says "This is a dynamic list and may never be able to satisfy particular standards for completeness".

Cheers!

Yummy GIFs | GIFDB.com

Comments

Sajit Nair

Thank you @Andy Gladstone for this amazing Avatar.
DALL·E 2024-02-23 11.59.02.png

Ananjan_miniOrange

Happy Monday!

This post has got me craving some delicious Indian food now. Here's my top 3 picks:

Pani Puri: The ultimate street food joy!
Chole Bhature
Indian main course with dishes like Dal Makhani, Paneer Butter Masala, and warm Butter Naan - Hands down the best!

Here are a few pics from my food gallery:

Thanks for sharing this amazing topic @Sajit Nair ! It's always fun discussing foodie delights.

Ajay _view26_

Hey @Sajit Nair

Thanks for stirring up this yummy talk! 🙌

As a self-proclaimed foodie, it's like you're speaking my language. Indian cuisine is indeed a vast ocean of flavours, and it's a bit of a pet peeve for me too when people reduce it just to 'curry'.

Growing up in Bombay, I was spoiled for choice with street food like Pav Bhaji and Vada Pav. Then, moving up north, the array of sweet dishes and Chaat from Delhi is something else. The blend of spices, textures, and flavours in chaat can make anyone's taste buds dance.

Being South Indian, Dosa and Idli have been a staple in my diet too. Let's not forget the special Biryanis my mom makes! The aroma of a good Biryani is unbeatable

Rilwan Ahmed

Idly Wada with sambar and chutney, Puttu
Hyderabadi Haleem
Malabar chicken/mutton biryani

Teodora V _Warsaw Dynamics_

Looking at the Wikipedia page, there is so much to taste! I am a massive foodie, but I admit, I have no experience with Indian food.

There is only one thing I learned to cook, and it's a Biryani vegetarian rice dish. The spices, dried fruits and nuts, along with the rice, make such a great combo.

I would love to try any vegetarian dish; the more veggies, the better 😋

Sabine Mayer_z70awc

Happy Monday!

The main dishes I like are

- Samosa
- Pani Puri
- Malai Chicken
- Gulab Jamun.

Randy O'Neal

In my book, you cannot beat Tandoori chicken and fresh butter naan from a real tandoori oven in India. There's a small restaurant in West Bengal... in/around Salt Lake City, I believe. Azind Da Haba Azad Hind Dhaba (@ABR, you are correct - I stand corrected!)... in my opinion, some of the best Tandoori chicken anywhere.

I also really enjoyed Murgh Nawabi (the Queen's Chicken, I believe) in/around New Delhi. Mmmmm!!!!!!!

Summer Hogan_q8imea

Great subject @Sajit Nair! I have to admit, I am not a fan of Indian food, but I'm open to trying new things. I took a look at the Wikipedia list and the first thing that looked good to me are the Tandoori Chicken and the Imarti. I'm a sucker for sweet things. Your post has given me the desire to branch out more and give Indian food another try!

Barbara Szczesniak

I was introduced to Indian food when I lived in England for a few years. My favorite dish is Chicken Tikka Masala. Very bad for my diet, but soooooo delicious.

I also love a papadam with a good mint sauce to start.

Amanda Barber

Well, I do enjoy curry chicken and naan - the most basic of Indian foods. However, I'm excited to share that I've lined up an Indian cooking class for my company at our retreat in April! I can't wait to not only try some new foods, but prepare them!

Nic Brough -Adaptavist-

I live in a small town that people would not expect much of. I only use two - Pooja and Ali's. Ali's is run by someone who trains other chefs. If you have eaten in London's Brick Lane, Ali probably trained your chef.

Ali's has "Jhall moricha". Do that.

But Pooja did a Thali - a selection of small pots of many different things. And when I'm not going to Ali's, I always try the tarka dhal first, as I like it and it tends to tell me how good the other dishes are likely to be.

Sam Nadarajan

Gulab Jamun all the way! It's so rich, we used to make it at home growing up and it was the only Indian sweet I really liked! Of course as a young kid back then I paid no thought to how many I should eat, but now I'm lucky if I can eat 2.

Savory - can't go wrong with a veg biryani. And I of course have to eat it with my hand - it's just not right using utensils on that one lol.

Rebekka Heilmann (viadee)

Great article!

As I don't really do spicy food, I was never confident enough to eat through the menu. So Butter chicken is my alltime favourite, as it's usually mild enough. I do like Paneer as well.

As a starter, there's nothing better than a tasty Samosa.

Shawn Doyle - ReleaseTEAM

My exploration of Indian cuisine hasn't been as thorough as I'd like. Though I've had the pleasure of experiencing it through outings with friends and have genuinely enjoyed every bite, I am not sure I could name any one dish. I do avoid the spicy stuff in my advanced age.

Sajit Nair

Love it @Ananjan. Sunday morning Chhole Bhature + lassi is definitely something to look forward to.

Sajit Nair

Oh yes.. the delectable Kerala Biryani.
Definitely stopping by in Kochi on my next visit to Kerala to share a plate with you Ajay

Sajit Nair

Haleem is definitely an OG chicken dish HYD. Good choice Rilwan

Sajit Nair

Teo, Make a Confluence space with Indian recipes and challenge yourself to make one from the list each month ?

Sajit Nair

Samosa is the epitome of evening snack on the go and has always been one of my favs. I love the list Sabine.

Sajit Nair

Randy, must say.. You know your Indian food.
Murgh Nawabi literally translates to the Chicken cooked for the Royals.

Sajit Nair

Awesome. Glad it caught your eye Summer.
You should look up 'Ras Malai'. It's one of my fav sweets ever.

Sajit Nair

You can see a version of Papadam in my picture up there as well.
..and yes, CTK with Garlic naan is my go to restaurant food in hotels.

Sajit Nair

Brilliant! Looking forward to pictures of what you prepare Amanda.
Best of luck.

Sajit Nair

Jhaal Morcha sounds like a West Bengal/ Bangladeshi cuisine..
I've never eaten one but it sounds awesome.
You can never go wrong with Tadka daal. Quickest to make at home and best served with steamed rice and sliced onions and mint chutney.

Sajit Nair

Oh Sam! Eating Biriyani with forks/spoon is a crime. You have to use hands.
Also, I like Gulab jamun but I prefer Kala Jamun.. My brother and I use to finish 1kg boxes on Diwali nights in one sitting.
Those were the days when calories meant nothing.

Sajit Nair

Samosa again for the win!

Butter chicken is my wife's fav food. I wasn't a big fan but over the years it has grown on me. We now eat it quite a lot.

Sajit Nair

You gotta plan a trip to India Shawn.
The Delhi/Gurugaon community will take you on a 'less spicy' food tour of Delhi.

Angelie Stephens

I'm a little late to the party but you've picked my favourite subject @Sajit Nair !

Although I've always lived in England, my family is from Kerala and my mum is a great cook so I've been lucky to experience some great South Indian food despite living so far away. We do an onam sadya too most years! Here's a picture from 2022:

My number 1 though is puttu and kadalakka (chickpeas) :
732e6d1c-1c7d-4014-914a-56940a85706e 2.jpg

I could eat this every day for the rest of my life, honestly!

I also love masala dosa (photo not mine):

Crispy Masala Dosa - Cook With Manali

And appam and vegetable stew (photo also not mine):

Appams and Vegetable Stew | MyFoodTapestry

So many dishes to choose from! But I'll just start with those 4 😄

ABR

@Randy O_Neal I believe you are talking about Azad Hind Dhaba! It is a popular Punjabi restaurant chain in Kolkata, West Bengal! But India is a vast melting pot of cuisines and Kolkata is undoubtedly the Food Capital of India! I invite one and all of foodies to come here and experience the magic of its food and hospitality! And it's the one place you'll be spoilt for choice - whatever your choice of cuisine and pocket, Kolkata will make you happy! Come to my Incredible India - and if you are a true foodie, make a beeline for Kolkata!

ABR

Wow! That's so great, @Amanda Barber ! Have a great time exploring and discovering a treasure trove! Good Luck!

ABR

@Rebekka Heilmann _viadee_ If you like it mild, try Bengali, Assamese or Odiya food from the Indian fare! Generally the eastern side of India prepares, lighter and milder variety of food than other parts but they all have their beautiful exceptions! Good luck trying!

Andy Gladstone

@Sajit Nair 💥💥💥💥 amazing post - and love all of the conversations in here. I hope we can still be friends after my post.

I've never had Indian Food. Never.

Why?

For some reason even though there is plenty of kosher Italian, French, Spanish, Yemenite, Mediterranean, Eastern-European, Korean, Chinese, Japanese and South American cuisine in the United States, there is a lack of Kosher Indian options. Living in NYC you would think we'd have at least one. But there are only (4) kosher Indian restaurants in the United States AND Canada that would fit my requirements. Brookline, MA - Cincinnati, OH - Renton, WA - Toronto, ON are the locations. The most likely ones for me are in Brookline and Toronto.

Here's the deal, if I ever have the opportunity to visit one of these locations, I'll send you the menu in advance and you can pick the selection for me!

Nic Brough -Adaptavist-

Using your paws to dip the rice into the sauce and pick up whatever else you want in the next bite is absolutely the right way to eat a biryani, IMHO.

A spoon is sometimes useful though - for cleaning up the last bits without being impolite by sticking your head in the bowl to lick it clean ;-)

It is also the best way to eat Thai curry. At least the ones we tend to get in the UK - they're usually quite thin, like a soup, with lots of whole pieces of meat and veg in them, the rice is far better at soaking up the sauces than slurping it off a spoon.

Nic Brough -Adaptavist-

Visit the UK - our national dish is Chicken Tikka Massala, and we have curry houses everywhere, of which a surprising number are Kosher!

Sam Nadarajan

I have never heard of Kala Jamun but now I need to find a way to try it!

Growing up my dad would always eat with his hands at an Indian restaurant and as a young'un I was so embarrassed. Now that I am an adult I am less likely to care (after all, am I going to see these people again?)

Nic, I agree with you that esp with Thai curries you need enough rice to soak up the last bits of goodness. Here in the States, they never give enough rice with thai curries, so I always end up leaving a little bit in the bowl unfortunately. However, if I do have extra rice, you better believe I am using that to soak up the flavors. And yes, in that case, I will get every last grain of rice short of putting my face in the bowl lol

Sam Nadarajan

Weren't you just in Toronto for a CLC?

Sajit Nair

Thank you for sharing the pics Angelie Stephens.. I am so hungry now.
Luckily my mom is in town, and I am going to ask her if she can make Puttu / Kadala.
It is indeed bliss! The aroma of that steam is just.. 💙

Sajit Nair

haha. I'd love to be your official Indian food curator @Andy Gladstone
We are F̶r̶i̶e̶n̶d̶s̶ Brothers for life. 💙

Jimmy Seddon

I haven't had too many Indian dishes, but I have always enjoyed every curry I have had in the past. Just recently I was taken to a restaurant where I tried butter chicken for the first time and I absolutely love it!

Sajit Nair

Butter Chicken fans Assemble!

Sajit Nair

@abrs ,As a true Delhiite, I'll refute that Delhi is the food capital of India.. but for everything else I am with you.

ABR

@Sajit Nair Please come and visit me in Kolkata and let me prove my words to you!

John Funk

I pretty much love all Indian food!! The spice combination is perfect for me.

Josh Shepherd_f5dznr

Simple: chicken vindaloo

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