Gori Girl: India’s Delicious Products - Or, Why Can’t We Get That Here?
Dale
· 1 year ago
the Maggi picture looks pretty enticing. :)
Anne/kq
· 1 year ago
Maggi to me has always been a brand of gravy browning! But I knew they made other products, I've just never used them! Maybe I will...
I have to say that if my husband decided he hated IKEA, that would be grounds for divorce. :p
6mile
· 1 year ago
You reminded me of the simple pleasures of India :). Another key ingredient ingrained in the indian crockpot is Amul - The taste of India, hehe.
GoriGirl
· 1 year ago
Anne, Dale, I'm telling you - Maggi noodles are pretty awesome. Get yourselves to an Indian grocery! :)
6mile, thanks for stopping by the blog! I enjoyed Amul while I was traveling in India, although I recognize it by the logo, not name.
Dale
· 1 year ago
I think we have an Indian grocery here in Honolulu. We have a few Indian restaurants, but I don't think I've come across an indian grocery yet.
galaxie
· 1 year ago
Oo, I want to add one: I love Parle G cookies. They're the kind of biscuit you give to babies, very boring. But they taste so good.
UMD alumn
· 1 year ago
If I am not mistaken, Patel Brothers on University Blvd. in Langley Park carry Thumps UP... Enjoy it...
GoriGirl
· 1 year ago
@ Dale - Indian groceries are useful for more than just Maggi. They also tend to be a good resource for spices and cheap lentils & rice.
@ galaxie - I've never heard of Parle G biscuits before, but I'll try to find them the next time we head to the Indian grocery.
@ UMD alumn - thanks for stopping by Gori Girl, and a BIG thanks for the tip about where to find Thums Up in the DC area. :) College Park is a bit out of our way, but we could probably stock up there every now and then.
If you can lay your hands on Amul butter, use it when cooking Maggie. Delicious!
SG
· 1 year ago
One word: Krackjack
GoriGirl
· 1 year ago
@ Guru - thanks for the tip! I don't have any trouble finding Maggi around here (thank goodness!), but maybe Dale will find it helpful.
@ Pooja - I probably had Amul butter when I was in India without knowing it - is there something particularly different about the taste? But, anyways, a tab (or a slab ;) ) of butter adds a lot to the taste of Maggi - absolute must!
@ SG - I asked Aditya what Krackjack was, and he immediately broke out into the Hindi jingle! He also tells me it's pretty much like crack in that all it takes is one bit to start craving it. I must investigate...
Govar
· 1 year ago
Yummy. That pic of Maggi is enticing! It saves me half the trouble every time I stay in the US. You never really get bored of Maggi, and I'm the testament for it. I've literally stayed on 'only maggi - 4/5 times a day' for weeks during holidays. Try Maggi + novels!
GoriGirl
· 1 year ago
Hi Govar - thanks for stopping by the blog. I don't think eating Maggi for every meal would be that healthy, but I bet it would be really yummy. I did spend one semester in college eating TastyBite - prepackaged & precooked Indian dishes - for about every lunch and dinner. I'd purchased them in bulk and ended up with over 100 pounds of the stuff.
Datek
· 1 year ago
Hi,
Oh yes, Thums Up is probably the Indian product I miss the most from India. I too get these Thums Up craving which have to pacified with a cheap substitute (Coke).
I should warn you, I have tried the Thums Up they sell in the Indian stores in glass bottles, and it tasted like horse urine. It was nothing like the Thums Up of India, instead it was watered down crap. I know certain Indian stores also sell Thums Up in big (1.8L?) plastic bottles, but am not sure how it is as I have not had a chance to taste it. Perhaps the store near my house is the only one with the fake Thums Up, but do be warned of the stuff in glass bottles. I don't want you to be disappointed when you try it.
@ Datek: I've actually only had Thums Up in the US - silly me, I didn't try buying it while I was visiting India. I know that Coke can taste differently from country to country, but I didn't know Thums Up can (thought it was just imported direct from India). Maybe you just got a bad batch?
@ Steve: thanks for all the links! I don't have much trouble finding Maggi (although I wish it were available in *every* grocery store), but Thums Up is always an issue, and I've never seen Coffy Bite.
Mirchi
· 1 year ago
Ohh this post reminds me of all the foods I miss from India. Although the three you mentioned arent on my list...
Street food, or dhaba food, or chaat, or dosa w chutney. MMM And the coconuts here NEVER taste the same!
GoriGirl
· 1 year ago
When I visited India Aditya wouldn't let me eat street food for fear of stomach problems, but he and his friends routinely rave about it, especially puchka/pani puri. I wouldn't be surprised if the coconuts taste differently here in the US, since they're most likely being shipped a lot further. I'm told the mangos here in the US are also quite inferior to what you can find in India.
Bengaliwife
· 11 months ago
Yeah, when my husband goes home to Kal, he loves the pani pouri and says it is the dirty water that majkes it taste good. He doesn't let me eat it either.I am dying to go to Tangra and try the Calcutta style Indian-Chinese chilli chicken he raves about, but he always says that I can't go. Mystomach is very sensative and i got very ill with salmonella poisoning last time i was in Calcutta . It was awful so I have to be very careful. To me the vegetables there are fabulous because everything is organic. The vegetable walla comes to your door everyday selling vegetables and they are cooked for lunchand dinner the same day. My MIL just boiled carrots and potatoes one day, just plain, and they were soooo good. Everything there tastes better. Since I am living in the NYC metro area, and and from the southeast, I am missing some of my southern favorites as well. Hot dogs and hamburgers all the way, meaning chlli, slaw onions, and mustard, good church reunion fried chicken, Mary B's frozen Buttermilk biscuits(Bread, not cookies), and pillsbury oange glazed danish. Good cornbread cornmeal can't be found here, so when I go home i make a run to the grocery store. I also miss having a good pulled pork chopped BBQ sandwich.
Mirchi
· 1 year ago
Oh the mangoes here can barely even qualify as mangoes!:D The little yellow ones(champagne?) are the best ones available though.
CaliforniaTransplant
· 1 year ago
GG, thanks for this post. When I asked my guy if he'd ever had Thums Up, his eyes totally lit up. I can't wait to travel to India - so many cool things to try!
GoriGirl
· 1 year ago
@ Mirchi: I think I heard last season that they're finally letting India export its mangoes to the US. Perhaps quality will improve slightly...
@ CaliforniaTransplant: try finding Thums Up in your area, if you can't wait 'til any future India trips. I know it's possible - it's pretty widely available in California (Bay Area), and we even found some in Bloomington, Indiana.
cio_cio_san
· 1 year ago
Aditya proposing to you with coffy bite is adorable! My mom wouldn't let me eat any food off the street when we were in Pak. either. Oh well. I did have coke there which tasted slightly off, but I've never had thums up. I wonder how different the products from India are to the products from Pakistan?
Kaberi
· 1 year ago
Hi,
Gori-Bouma, I do not think you would remember me, from amongst so many of your extended inlaws'family. I happen to be the youngest sister of your Baba. Your dear hubby, calles me Papa(!), as my elder nephew used to chuckle "Papa", to acknowledge my lullabyes, when he was a little baby. After your Didid was born, she followed the pattern, and so on, your Bhabi, Jijoo, each one of "my"dada's children continued calling me Papa.
My dada, informed me about this sight, and I was going through with great delight.
We would be happy, if you have carried back nice memories, amongst so much of hum-drums associated with Indian Weddings.
Take care,
With love to both of you
Papa
GoriGirl
· 1 year ago
@ cio_cio_san: Aditya's coworkers gave him a ribbing for the Coffy Bite thing once they read it here - I thought it was cute too! (And delicious!) I take it you're familiar with Coffy Bite, then? I have no idea how many products cross the Pakistani-India border, but I haven't found much difference in what's available in Indian-owned US stores vs Pakistani-owned US stores.
@ Kaberi/Papa: Of course I remember you from the wedding! Aditya was quick to point out his movie-star Aunt. :) I had a wonderful time in India, and have carried back a lot of great memories. I'm sure we'll be back in India in a year or two to visit with you & the rest of the extended family during a less hectic time. :D
CaliforniaTransplant
· 1 year ago
Hey Gori, I tried Thums Up and Maggi Masala last night. The Thums Up was good, although it didn't have as much oomph as I thought it would - just a subtle hint of flavor in the aftertaste that distinguished it from Coke (maybe I got a weak batch). It was good though. The Maggi Masala definitely had a kick - I loved it! It's totally like ramen noodles with some spicy zip. I'm not sure I prepared it correctly though - it said to boil 1 1/2 "tea cups" of water and my interpretation of that didn't seem to be enough water. I'll have to keep practicing!
Mirchi
· 1 year ago
Hi CT, I usually make the Maggi noodles dry, so Im not sure if you wanted it soupy(like ramen noodles are). I like to add lots of veggies to mine so it doesnt feel "quite" as unhealthy. I do like the flavour but I try to have it only rarely.
Since Im revisiting this subject ;) another food I miss from India is the Indian-Chinese food. Love that stuff!
CaliforniaTransplant
· 1 year ago
Hi Mirchi, I think it was just that the seasoning was a little overpowering so I thought I hadn't added enough water. My fiance liked it that way though - with the noodles dry. Adding veggies is a great idea - definitely a way to boost the nutrient levels. It was good - I'm glad I tried it. And another Indian snack food I've discovered I love is sev (I *think* that's what it's called). My future in-laws gave a bag of it to my parents, and it was truly addictive. It tastes kind of like eating crispy uncooked ramen noodles but has a wonderful spicy flavor. Yum!
And Indian-Chinese food sounds incredibly good! There are a couple of restaurants in my area that serve it but I haven't had a chance to try it yet. Anything in particular you recommend?
galaxie
· 1 year ago
Oh yes, CT, I'm with you on the sev. I'm addicted to sev mamra, myself (sev mixed with spicy puffed rice). I wish I lived in a bigger city so I could get pani puri more often. I am in love with those too.
D
· 1 year ago
We have an excellent Indian-Chinese place near us. Vegetable Manchurian is one of my faves. I made it once at home using jarred sauce from the Indian store ("Ching's Secret Manchurian Sauce"), and although the jarred sauce made it easier, making and pan frying the dumplings was very time-intensive. It's so yummy, though!
My in-laws put sev on top of uppama to give it a crunch. So good!
NeoKalypso
· 1 year ago
Ohhh when I was in the Indian Himalayas we have the BEST Indo-Chinese food EVER!!!
GoriGirl
· 1 year ago
I've had bad batches of Thums Up in the States before - not sure if they've gone flat during transit or what. Happily, Aditya & I found an Indian grocery store down the street this weekend that sells pretty much everything from the subcontinent that one could want. It's Maggi for lunch today, and Aditya's already gone through half a dozen bottles of Thums Up.
CT, I always have to stop myself from putting in too much water when I'm cooking Maggi - less water means that the flavor will be stronger (and thus more delicious, at least to me). The goal is to end up with no extra water after the noodles are done soaking it up. My preparation goes: small amount of boiling water, thin slab of butter (I abandoned any notions of healthy a long time ago), spices mixed in, then noodles.
Regarding Indo-Chinese food... well, Aditya and I have also found the greatest Indian buffet in the neighborhood that serves it during weekend lunches (along with a million and one other great dishes). Chilli Chicken is one of his favorite dishes (and a new one of mine), so I'm glad we were able a place that serves it. We really *do* live in the Desi Suburbs. (Mirchi, you should consider moving here!)
I try not to eat sev, 'cause it's like potato chips for me - can't stop! :)
CaliforniaTransplant
· 1 year ago
I think I was thrown off because I know what I wasn't sure what "tea cups" are in terms of measurement. But the batch I made I made had no water left in the pan so I must have done something right. :)
Okay - gotta try Vegetable Manchurian and Chilli Chicken. Sounds so good! All this talk is making me hungry!
Btw, galaxie - I love pani puri too - it was the first thing I was served when I met M's family. I love the combo of the liquid and the crispiness. Very tasty!
Mirchi
· 1 year ago
Gobi(cauliflower) manchurian is my absolute fav. I was also going to recommend chili chicken if you eat nonveg.
Mirchi
· 1 year ago
OOps I meant to add... the trick is finding a good restaurant here that serves it. Lot of mediocre or below places, kwim?
Where do you live again GG? I should move there. Esp if you have warm weather!!! :D
gunduwhitegirl
· 1 year ago
TENDER COCONUTS!!
My first visit to India I ate way too many of those. And, the mangoes here don`t compare to mangoes in India. What about the mountain bananas? Supposably they are special bananas - really small looking. They were supposed to have some type of mystical powers and they force fed my 10 month old those bananas the whole time we were there :)
Pattu Rani
· 7 months ago
They are called 'apple bananas' here and are different from the ones you see sometimes labeled as 'baby bananas' here in the US - I ate them every day in Nepal and love them because we also have them in Hawaii where I grew up - the regular bananas are tasteless compared to apple bananas. There is a S. Indian store in my 'hood which gets them occasionally.
quizman
· 1 year ago
Mahanadi is a great recipe blog for Indian food lovers. Also, follow the links to other blogs linked there.
quizman
· 1 year ago
One of my favorite cook books not restricted to Indian food is "Silk Road Cooking". A pictorial journey cum recipe book.
The author has also contributed to the delightful Vegetarian Times magazine.
GoriGirl
· 1 year ago
@Mirchi - we live in the D.C. Metro area, and there are tons of great Indian restaurants and groceries here. We went to a dosa shop a few days ago, and it was soooo good. :) And it's certainly warm here - at least now. Gets a bit nippy in the winter though.
@gunduwhitegirl - I must say that I despise the taste of coconuts, so I can't comment on India's tender ones. However, I'll heartily agree about the bananas and mangoes.
@quizman - I read Mahanadi too!
Chris
· 1 year ago
The REAL way to cook Maggi noodles:
1) Chop onions, green-bell-peppers, red-bell-peppers, tomatoes. Sautee these in a frying-pan, using veg-cooking-oil. If available, add a sprinkling of Salt and Garam Masala powder or Pav-Baji Masala powder to the sauteeing items. Wait till the onions turn light brown.
2) Boil just a little bit of water in a separate utensil. Add frozen or fresh green-peas and the Maggi noodles to the boiling water, and remove the peas and noodles from the boiling-water after 2 minutes. Drain all the water from the noodles, and add the noodles & peas to the sautee-items in the frying-pan. Stir the noodles in with the other stuff in the frying-pan, and fry till the noodles just start turning crispy.
3) Serve in serving-bowl. Top up te noodles with Maggi Hot & Sweet Sauce (available at most Indian Groceries), as per individual taste. Goes well with Coke.
This dish tastes best when watching re-runs of the Al Bundy show on TV. Now, you know the secret of how I got through Grad School!
Chris
· 1 year ago
Oops, I forgot: Add the Masala in the accompanying Maggi taste-maker packets while frying the noodles in the frying-pan.
D
· 1 year ago
Maggi hot & sweet sauce is the main ingredient in my American chop suey recipe. Which sounds a lot like this recipe, actually, except that I use hakka or lo mein noodles instead of Maggi. Now I'm craving Indian Chinese food, yum...
Gopi
· 1 year ago
HAI.......... I TOO LOVE COFFY BYTE A LOT..................
GoriGirl
· 11 months ago
Chris, that recipe sounds absolutely delicious, but way too complicated for something as simple as ramen. I mean - I'm counting a knife, chopping board, frying pan, pot, and bowl! That's not ramen, that's a meal!
priyanka
· 11 months ago
oh i love maggi..hv grown up on it. u so right abt ..how to make it being equally important... :) rushin to the kitchen to get myself a bowl of that! :) :)
Pattu Rani
· 7 months ago
Maggi Veg Chow Mein noodles are my favorite - hard to find but worth stocking up on.
ajyrds
· 7 months ago
Ah Maggi, every bachelor's lifesaver (here in india). Whatever the time of the day, however lazy you might be (to go out and eat) - you can always cook some Maggi! Got here from NeoIndian's blog. Good to know that so many people like/are interested in Indian food, culture, etc. Here's a website with a lot of south indian recipes - http://talimpu.com/.
Sunil joshi
· 7 months ago
i just love Chings instant noodles. available in hot garlic, schezwan and manchurian flavor. i believe they are all the rage among youth in india now. Chings enjoys almost cult status. chk www.chingssecret.com for interesting chinese receipes
Anil Parab
· 6 months ago
I like the new Smith & Jones masala noodles tadka marke. it is teekha masala and really tasty. i find their advts v funny http://www.youtube.com/smithnjonesindia
wholesale restaurant supply
· 6 months ago
I always like noodles even i am not a Japanese or a Chinese.. My week it not complete if I did not eat noodles.. I like the products of Maggi.. but I want them to innovate their ingredients.. Hope they will change those artificial preservatives in to naturals if there is an artificial..
esha
· 5 months ago
hey nice review on the ever famous maggi noodles. you should post it on the maggi fansite, www.meandmeri.in.
GoriGirl
· 5 months ago
esha/dhruv - please do not spam this blog.
Rajesh
· 5 months ago
Enjoyed reading this post and the comments. You may want to try Hakka noodles. They taste great. I'm not a great fan of Maggi though.
Somebody mentioned Parle-G biscuits. They are meant for little kids and have a picture of a cute kid on the package. I have yet to come across a grown Indian in the US whose eyes don't light up at the sight of those. Interestingly no adult in India cares too much for them. Nostalgia, perhaps.
GoriGirl
· 5 months ago
I'll be sure to try Hakka noodles if I happen to see them at the grocery, Rajesh. Thanks for the tip!
My husband's parents always pick up Parle-G's for morning tea when we go shopping with them here in the US, so there's at least one couple based out of India who like them.
coffeeangel
· 5 months ago
GG haven't u ever tried Frooti and Melody? Melody is cholately!!
GoriGirl
· 5 months ago
I'd never heard of either, but I've just had the jingle of Frooti sung to me by Aditya.
coffeeangel
· 5 months ago
"mango FrOOOOTi....fresh N Juicy yeah!! Ahh!!'
I'm an NRI and we din't get frooti in dubai...on our trips here, my sister and i would shyly plague the stewardess's to ply us with all the frooti boxes they could...we would horad n take them back home :o) Wasn't a big fan of maggi but just ordered me some!! u evil temptation causing blogger u... ;) melody jingle is so... "melody hai choclatey, dekho kaisi chocolatey..."
D
· 5 months ago
I had both Frooti and Parle-G biscuits on my trip to India. Actually, there was about a day where all I ate was Parle-G and toast since I was so queasy. I became a big fan of the fruit jelly that's a completely unnatural shade of reddish pink...can't remember the brand name right now, though.
meliss
· 4 months ago
Love the blog! I too am married to an Indian guy (from AP) and it's nice to be able to hear that there are those out there that relate to some of my experiences!
I got very sick in India...may or may not been because of street food, but the pani puri was worth it! (and btw, the cane juice - at least the one I had - not worth the sickness!) Your Indian grocer may sell the pani puri shells. If you're interested I can give you a basic way to make it at home. it's not the same, but it'll give you the idea.
We have a strict rule in this house that frooti may only be purchased if Mazza is not available. Very strict rule.
I have the same issue with sev as you mention - not being able to stop eating it!
Never had coffy bite but next time somebody asks if I want something from India, that's what I'll ask for!
All Comments
I have to say that if my husband decided he hated IKEA, that would be grounds for divorce. :p
6mile, thanks for stopping by the blog! I enjoyed Amul while I was traveling in India, although I recognize it by the logo, not name.
@ galaxie - I've never heard of Parle G biscuits before, but I'll try to find them the next time we head to the Indian grocery.
@ UMD alumn - thanks for stopping by Gori Girl, and a BIG thanks for the tip about where to find Thums Up in the DC area. :) College Park is a bit out of our way, but we could probably stock up there every now and then.
You can order Maggi here!
Guru
@ Pooja - I probably had Amul butter when I was in India without knowing it - is there something particularly different about the taste? But, anyways, a tab (or a slab ;) ) of butter adds a lot to the taste of Maggi - absolute must!
@ SG - I asked Aditya what Krackjack was, and he immediately broke out into the Hindi jingle! He also tells me it's pretty much like crack in that all it takes is one bit to start craving it. I must investigate...
Oh yes, Thums Up is probably the Indian product I miss the most from India. I too get these Thums Up craving which have to pacified with a cheap substitute (Coke).
I should warn you, I have tried the Thums Up they sell in the Indian stores in glass bottles, and it tasted like horse urine. It was nothing like the Thums Up of India, instead it was watered down crap. I know certain Indian stores also sell Thums Up in big (1.8L?) plastic bottles, but am not sure how it is as I have not had a chance to taste it. Perhaps the store near my house is the only one with the fake Thums Up, but do be warned of the stuff in glass bottles. I don't want you to be disappointed when you try it.
http://www.indianblend.com/site/664954/product/...
http://www.desifood4less.com/default.aspx?oid=8...
http://www.kamdarplaza.com/product_info.php?pro...
And you might want to call the following stories to see if you can get the others you mentioned.
Glover Park Market
2411 13th St, Washington, DC, USA
(202) 333-4030
Orient Foods
2116 18th St, NW, Washington, DC, USA, 20019
202-265-7100
Saras Food Market
3008, Q St, Washington, DC, USA, 20017
202-223-7972
http://indiaspicehouse.shopclassic.com/index.cf...
Compared to the others it seems relatively easy to get Maggi in the States.
http://www.yelp.com/biz/little-india-tempe
@ Steve: thanks for all the links! I don't have much trouble finding Maggi (although I wish it were available in *every* grocery store), but Thums Up is always an issue, and I've never seen Coffy Bite.
Street food, or dhaba food, or chaat, or dosa w chutney. MMM
And the coconuts here NEVER taste the same!
To me the vegetables there are fabulous because everything is organic. The vegetable walla comes to your door everyday selling vegetables and they are cooked for lunchand dinner the same day. My MIL just boiled carrots and potatoes one day, just plain, and they were soooo good. Everything there tastes better.
Since I am living in the NYC metro area, and and from the southeast, I am missing some of my southern favorites as well. Hot dogs and hamburgers all the way, meaning chlli, slaw onions, and mustard, good church reunion fried chicken, Mary B's frozen Buttermilk biscuits(Bread, not cookies), and pillsbury oange glazed danish. Good cornbread cornmeal can't be found here, so when I go home i make a run to the grocery store. I also miss having a good pulled pork chopped BBQ sandwich.
@ CaliforniaTransplant: try finding Thums Up in your area, if you can't wait 'til any future India trips. I know it's possible - it's pretty widely available in California (Bay Area), and we even found some in Bloomington, Indiana.
Gori-Bouma, I do not think you would remember me, from amongst so many of your extended inlaws'family. I happen to be the youngest sister of your Baba. Your dear hubby, calles me Papa(!), as my elder nephew used to chuckle "Papa", to acknowledge my lullabyes, when he was a little baby. After your Didid was born, she followed the pattern, and so on, your Bhabi, Jijoo, each one of "my"dada's children continued calling me Papa.
My dada, informed me about this sight, and I was going through with great delight.
We would be happy, if you have carried back nice memories, amongst so much of hum-drums associated with Indian Weddings.
Take care,
With love to both of you
Papa
@ Kaberi/Papa: Of course I remember you from the wedding! Aditya was quick to point out his movie-star Aunt. :) I had a wonderful time in India, and have carried back a lot of great memories. I'm sure we'll be back in India in a year or two to visit with you & the rest of the extended family during a less hectic time. :D
Since Im revisiting this subject ;) another food I miss from India is the Indian-Chinese food. Love that stuff!
And Indian-Chinese food sounds incredibly good! There are a couple of restaurants in my area that serve it but I haven't had a chance to try it yet. Anything in particular you recommend?
My in-laws put sev on top of uppama to give it a crunch. So good!
CT, I always have to stop myself from putting in too much water when I'm cooking Maggi - less water means that the flavor will be stronger (and thus more delicious, at least to me). The goal is to end up with no extra water after the noodles are done soaking it up. My preparation goes: small amount of boiling water, thin slab of butter (I abandoned any notions of healthy a long time ago), spices mixed in, then noodles.
Regarding Indo-Chinese food... well, Aditya and I have also found the greatest Indian buffet in the neighborhood that serves it during weekend lunches (along with a million and one other great dishes). Chilli Chicken is one of his favorite dishes (and a new one of mine), so I'm glad we were able a place that serves it. We really *do* live in the Desi Suburbs. (Mirchi, you should consider moving here!)
I try not to eat sev, 'cause it's like potato chips for me - can't stop! :)
Okay - gotta try Vegetable Manchurian and Chilli Chicken. Sounds so good! All this talk is making me hungry!
Btw, galaxie - I love pani puri too - it was the first thing I was served when I met M's family. I love the combo of the liquid and the crispiness. Very tasty!
Where do you live again GG? I should move there. Esp if you have warm weather!!! :D
My first visit to India I ate way too many of those. And, the mangoes here don`t compare to mangoes in India. What about the mountain bananas? Supposably they are special bananas - really small looking. They were supposed to have some type of mystical powers and they force fed my 10 month old those bananas the whole time we were there :)
The author has also contributed to the delightful Vegetarian Times magazine.
@gunduwhitegirl - I must say that I despise the taste of coconuts, so I can't comment on India's tender ones. However, I'll heartily agree about the bananas and mangoes.
@quizman - I read Mahanadi too!
1) Chop onions, green-bell-peppers, red-bell-peppers, tomatoes.
Sautee these in a frying-pan, using veg-cooking-oil.
If available, add a sprinkling of Salt and Garam Masala powder or Pav-Baji Masala powder to the sauteeing items. Wait till the onions turn light brown.
2) Boil just a little bit of water in a separate utensil. Add frozen or fresh green-peas and the Maggi noodles to the boiling water, and remove the peas and noodles from the boiling-water after 2 minutes. Drain all the water from the noodles, and add the noodles & peas to the sautee-items in the frying-pan. Stir the noodles in with the other stuff in the frying-pan, and fry till the noodles just start turning crispy.
3) Serve in serving-bowl. Top up te noodles with Maggi Hot & Sweet Sauce (available at most Indian Groceries), as per individual taste.
Goes well with Coke.
This dish tastes best when watching re-runs of the Al Bundy show on TV.
Now, you know the secret of how I got through Grad School!
Add the Masala in the accompanying Maggi taste-maker packets while frying the noodles in the frying-pan.
Got here from NeoIndian's blog. Good to know that so many people like/are interested in Indian food, culture, etc.
Here's a website with a lot of south indian recipes - http://talimpu.com/.
it is teekha masala and really tasty.
i find their advts v funny
http://www.youtube.com/smithnjonesindia
Somebody mentioned Parle-G biscuits. They are meant for little kids and have a picture of a cute kid on the package. I have yet to come across a grown Indian in the US whose eyes don't light up at the sight of those. Interestingly no adult in India cares too much for them. Nostalgia, perhaps.
My husband's parents always pick up Parle-G's for morning tea when we go shopping with them here in the US, so there's at least one couple based out of India who like them.
I'm an NRI and we din't get frooti in dubai...on our trips here, my sister and i would shyly plague the stewardess's to ply us with all the frooti boxes they could...we would horad n take them back home :o)
Wasn't a big fan of maggi but just ordered me some!! u evil temptation causing blogger u... ;) melody jingle is so...
"melody hai choclatey, dekho kaisi chocolatey..."
I got very sick in India...may or may not been because of street food, but the pani puri was worth it! (and btw, the cane juice - at least the one I had - not worth the sickness!) Your Indian grocer may sell the pani puri shells. If you're interested I can give you a basic way to make it at home. it's not the same, but it'll give you the idea.
We have a strict rule in this house that frooti may only be purchased if Mazza is not available. Very strict rule.
I have the same issue with sev as you mention - not being able to stop eating it!
Never had coffy bite but next time somebody asks if I want something from India, that's what I'll ask for!