Secret Tastes of India

My dearest friend and colleague, Garima and I often explore new cuisines and restaurants.  Today, we were up for some interesting, new age dishes. The food dare devils we are, we ventured in Pra Pra Prank, a corner brasserie, decked all chic and cool. As we entered, the manager announced that they serve modern Indian and Asian cuisine. This piqued our curiosity and we could not wait to dive in the menu.  After much deliberation, Garima ordered for Khasta Kachori and I ordered for crispy fried spicy fish fingers. The starters were decent. It was time for the main course. We decided to order Cottage Cheese Barrel with Thai Makhni curry and Tandoori roti. Garima, in her true blue lawyer avatar enquired if the Thai curry contained coconut milk. The waiter said a vehement, confident 'NO'. Satisfied we waited for the food to arrive. Then it landed on our table. As the first morsel of food touched our tongue we exchanged a bemused look. It tasted strongly of coconut 😣...

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..

Yes, I coined the adage. And why not? On the banks of the picturesque Surinsar Lake, 42 kilometres from the city of Jammu, one Mr. Jamwal runs this tea shop. Recommended, however, for a simple meal of Chicken Curry served along with Basmati Rice. Ask for Jamwal's tea shop as soon as you descend to this 100-house village. Separated from Jammu by a mountainous terrain, Surinsar Lake is of religious significance. Fishing and boat rides are prohibited as the fishes and amphibian life of the lake are worshipped as local deities. Ideal for a day trip, this reticent town welcomes you with a waft of Mr. Jamwal's slow cooked jungle chicken. He takes special care to clean the meat, chop and grind the ingredients, use fresh garden produce and then all of it goes into a typical iron cauldron. Firewood is used to cook the chicken in a more bonfire style. The smoked aroma permeates the dish as you sit by the make shift fire pit and catch local updates and spicy anecdotes, courtes...

On a balmy December Sunday as I sauntered around the blush corridors of old Jaipur, a waft of asafetida and deep-fried fritters rocked my senses. I followed the aroma and continued walking away from the historic Hawa Mahal. Around 200 metres from that monument, among all the neatly arranged shops, I located the reason for it all - one ‘Sharma Ji and his Kachori shop’. There he stood in a simple, striped linen shirt and basic pants, catering to at least 30 eager tourists and locals, serving them the exact choices with the right chutney. Already famished after the daylong heritage walk, the ware he displayed was enough fuel to my hungry soul and three swift orders flew out and all ‘have it there’. A few mildly surprised stares came from my fellow eaters (all men!), but I could not care less. So here’s what I ordered: Daal Kachori Mixed Pakodey Mawa Kachori The first from the list was served with green mint and coriander chutney. The imperfect globe was fresh ...