As a kid, I thought Indian food was simply curry. This was until the first time I sat down at a lovely Indian restaurant and glanced at the menu, “Roti, Pakora, Lajawab Paratha…”Really knowing nothing about this cuisine, I admittedly felt a little in over my head. I asked our server for his suggestion, and he shared a welcoming smile which put me at ease.
"Chicken Korma,” he suggested. Instead of crying out “Chicken Coma???,” I politely asked, “How is it?”
“It’s really good,” he responded kindly. I believed him and am glad I did. It was so delicious that later, I decided to find the recipe and cook it again by myself. It seems to be quite easy according to the instruction. Simmer the chicken and add a lot of spices – coriander, garam nasala, cumin, turmeric and chili powder... Sadly, I felt my dish was missing something special.
“Why is that?” I asked a friend from India years later. “Many people thought Indian food is all about the unique range of spices, but that really isn’t the only factor to bring out the rich flavor and aroma. You would have to use different time-honored techniques while cooking, whether to roast, to fry or to stew” my friend Ajay said.
Now, living in the New York area gives me the privileged to taste various types of international cuisine and they all illuminate me with the same idea that food can unite people from different backgrounds.
What was “really good” to the server now was “really good” to me. Every culture has a cuisine, just like every person as a personality. Strange spices and new tastes should excite, rather than deter, and should inspire, rather than intimidate. Uniqueness can be shared, and that is something that can unite us all. As long as we always keep our mind open during the exploration, we will always be able to experience the very best of it.
Photos courtesy of Incredible India
No comments:
Post a Comment