Miscellaneous Monday: What's your favourite Indian delicacy ?

[Sajit Nair _Trundl_]

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

 
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!

[Sajit Nair _Trundl_]

Thank you @Andy Gladstone for this amazing Avatar.

[Ananjan_Mishra]

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 _Trundl_ ! It's always fun discussing foodie delights.

[Sajit Nair _Trundl_]

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

[ABR]

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

[Ajay _view26_]

Hey @Sajit Nair _Trundl_ 

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

[Sajit Nair _Trundl_]

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

[Rilwan Ahmed]

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

[Sajit Nair _Trundl_]

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

[Teodora V _Fun Inc_]

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 😋

[Sajit Nair _Trundl_]

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

[Sabine Mayer]

Happy Monday!

The main dishes I like are

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

=) 

[Sajit Nair _Trundl_]

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

[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!!!!!!!

[Sajit Nair _Trundl_]

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

[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! :D

[Sajit Nair _Trundl_]

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

[Summer Hogan]

Great subject @Sajit Nair _Trundl_! 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! 

[Sajit Nair _Trundl_]

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

[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. 

[Sajit Nair _Trundl_]

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.

[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!

[Sajit Nair _Trundl_]

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

[ABR]

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

[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.

[Sajit Nair _Trundl_]

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.

[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.

[Sajit Nair _Trundl_]

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. :D 

[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.

[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

[Sajit Nair _Trundl_]

'Kala Jamun' has a short shelf life.. else I would have brought it to Team24 for you  @Sam Nadarajan ..but I will definitely get a box of Kaju-katli,for all CLs who are interested to try Authentic Indian sweets.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaju_katli 

[Randy O'Neal]

I used to tease my Indian friends by saying that Gulab Jamun was Hindi for "Soggy Donut".

I think I prefer Rus Gullah, but both are excellent after-dinner sweet treats!

[ABR]

Hi, @Randy O'Neal ,

So happy to know you like "Rus Gullah" which is the magical contribution of my home-state to the treasures of Indian food! But, the real name of this beautiful white spongy syrupy balls is "Rossogolla" which literally translates to "Syrup filled balls" in Bengali!

If you ever visit Kolkata, my city in West Bengal, India, do let me know and I will happily show you the varieties of new flavours we have added to the traditional pristine delicacy! 

[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.

[Sajit Nair _Trundl_]

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. :D 

[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!

[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 _Trundl_]

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 _Trundl_ ! 

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) : 

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

I also love masala dosa (photo not mine): 

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

 

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

[Sajit Nair _Trundl_]

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.. 💙

[Andy Gladstone]

@Sajit Nair _Trundl_ 💥💥💥💥 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-]

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]

Weren't you just in Toronto for a CLC? ;) 

[Sajit Nair _Trundl_]

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

[Andy Gladstone]

@Sam Nadarajan I was - thanks for keeping track. Had my brother @Sajit Nair _Trundl_ posted this a month and change earlier I would have already done my research! But there are many reasons to visit Toronto again - @Jimmy Seddon, @Susan Hauth _Jira Queen_, @Fabian Lim among them, so I'll get another crack at it!  

[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 _Trundl_]

Butter Chicken fans Assemble! 

[John Funk]

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

[Josh Shepherd]

Simple: chicken vindaloo