Secret Tastes of India

Act 1: Reach hotel room; dump baggage; crash on bed; pull blanket; succumb to deep sleep. Act 2: Dream of an exotic meal at a quaint restaurant; slice succulent pieces of chicken; the aroma awakens senses; twirl the chicken in the gravy; take the first bite; buttery sauce melts away; reach crescendo of taste-gasm. Act 3: Giggles fill the room; awaken from sleep; bobbing heads; jiggling heads; uncontrollable laughter; wide eyed wonder. Act 4: Real-time surprise; the food was not entirely a dream; I did taste something that my lovely friends fed me as I slept. There they were. Deceptive looking, Soya Chaap. For the uninitiated, these are more like tikkas only made from ground and pounded Soya. Healthy and yummy, they are no less than a plateful of chicken Tandoori Tikka or kebabs. The popular kiosk in Jammu that served this delectable dish full of exuberant flavours, does not have a name. However, not too far behind is another more s...

Thousands of kilometres away from mother's kitchen, I had little to write about Makar Sankranti, Lohri or Bihu cuisines. And then, thanks to my dear friends and their heart-warming gesture, I now have something sweet to share. Around the festivals of Poush Sankranti and Bihu, my heart takes a U-turn and wanders in the world of Pithey-Puli. For those belonging to the uninitiated and "not yet Bengali-cised" echelon, "Pithey-Puli" are home-made, sweet (occasionally savoury) pastries and dumplings. Bengali households, especially those with roots in 'Opaar Bangla' or what we now call Bangladesh, celebrate this harvest festival by dishing out one sweet marvel after another, primarily prepared with rice flour ground from newly harvested rice, certain pulses, newly extracted jaggery, coconut and milk. As the Sun migrates from one zodiac to another, Bengalis thank Mother Earth for her bountiful blessings by doing what quintessential Bengali does best; relis...

And now that you are in Ireland, you ought to try Guinness, one of those legendary elements that add to the definition of a country, a society, the culture. Not much of a beer drinker, this dark Irish dry stout, surprised me when it's rather smooth froth felt like velvet. Do not be fooled. This is the trick part. The real, bitter flavour hits all your senses in the first gulp and each one that follows. One of world's most famous brews, Guinness is an experience, a testament to an intrinsic facet of Irish culture. I found it therapeutic, enough to wipe away the invisible tears that have for long wanted a closure. All that's bitter ain't bad... that's life, that's Guinness. Thanks to my Guinness Guru, Alejandro Llosa, for the initiation..