India Part 3: Food for my soul

I decided to save the best for last with one of my favourite things to do whenever & wherever I go travelling! Going back to India after soo many years, food was definitely on my mind! This was one thing I missed the most about India besides my family. I know that Indian food is one of the most popular cuisines in the UK and probably the world but Indian food in India can be very different from what is available in the western world. For me it was more so because I was missing my mom's home cooked food. I think during my two week holiday I managed to cover a lot that I had missed over the last few years...

So starting from the top left:  I loved these delicate & creamy kebabs that I tried at the Avadh Food Festival (food from the state of Rajasthan) at The Park Hotel, New Delhi. The kebabs from the north of India aren't very hot but are marinated with various spices for a long time and then charcoal grilled.

Home cooked Dal (lentils curry) & Saag Paneer (spinach & cottage cheese) made by my mom.

And an extremely sinfully fattening  but oh! so tastystreet snack called Bathura Chole - A deep fried stuffed bread served with a spicy chickpea curry.

Charcoal Roasted Sweet Potatoes called Shakarkandi is a very popular street snack in north India available  during the winter months. It is served as a warm salad with a bit of lime and some chat masala (a mixed spice mix that is very easily available in any Indian store & usually used in salads)

This is another very popular street snack called Chaat Papri. It's a yogurt based snack served with spicy mint & coriander and sweet tamarind chutneys. (In India, yogurt is mostly used as a savoury base and used either in savoury snacks & salads or served with the main meal as a side)

But my absolute favourite dish and the one that I miss the most in London (just cause I am too lazy to cook it myself) is Paratha. Parathas are flat breads made with wheat flour, ghee (clarified butter) and are usually stuffed with potatoes, chillies, onions, minced lamb, grated cauliflower, peas. They are one of the most flexible breads and can get very innovative. I remember I had a fun dinner night with my housemates here in London once where I made parathas for them and my Italian friend C made her own paratha stuffed with Parmesan cheese!

I had such a good time in India and can feel a connection again which of course is different from what it was when I lived there. I can't wait to go back and do some more travelling and discover some more about this fascinating country I used to call Home.