Excellent biryani at Hotel & Restaurant Best Western, Hyderabad, India- by KJS Chatrath

  Excellent biryani at Hotel & Restaurant Best Western, Hyderabad, India- five years back.

Indian cuisine- the best on planet earth. Come and visit my India and taste and relish thousands of dishes, after the Covid subsides. 

'South Indian Meals' - by K J S Chatrath

Enough of Punjabi dishes. Let us go down South.

There is no single South Indian meal. Each state, each area, has a variety of its own specialities. Here is one such vegetarian meal........It is served on banana leaf....

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'Baigan Bharata- another dish we Punjabis love' - by K J S Chatrath

Photo source: ticklingpalates.com

Baigan *eggplant or aubergine) Bharata - another dish we Punjabis love....

For the uninitiated, recipe is available at ticklingpalates.com

 By the way, the country of origin of this vegetable is considered to be India where it continues to grow wild. As trade routes opened, eggplant was introduced to Europe by the Arabs and transported to Africa by the Persians.

I have tasted dishes prepared  quite like Baingan Bharta in countries as far away as Iran, Greece, and Bulgaria.

Photo source:
 https://turmericsaffron.blogspot.com/2009/02/mirza-ghasemi-northern-irans-eggplants.html

Is this the photo of Indian Baigan Bharta? Nah. This is the Iranian version. It is called Mirza Ghasemi and besides other ingredients saffron is also added to it. Now weather the Iranians learnt it from us or we learnt it from them- I dont know. Let us say that it is one of the many cultural similarities.

Baigan Bhaja 

Photo source: www.smithakalluraya.blogspot.com 

Another popular dish made from Baigan in India, especially in Odisha and West Bengal is Baigan Bhaja or Baigan Fry. Its recipe may be accessed at www.smithakalluraya.blogspot.com .

'Sarson Ka Saag' - by K J S Chatrath

Photo source: https://images.app.goo.gl/rcGb3hKQBY2BkkSR6

Sarson Ka Saag and Makki Ki Roti are one of the favourite  items of food in winter in Punjab and its adjoining states.

Like every, Punjabi, I too love this combo.

And relishing  it becomes really crazy if you have Gurdas Mann singing about Sarson Ka Sag prepared by his grand mother while enjoying this dish.. Click at the following link please: 

·     https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MCtZrsmiwwQ     

Oye, Balle-Balle Ji

We may remember that in one of neighbouring countries the same dish is prepared in a slightly different way. But for knowing the finer points of differences, you will have to go to the following link.   https://recipe52.com/sarson-ka-saag-recipe-pakistan/

·

Sarson Ka Saag cooked Pakistani style

   

'Matar-aloo curry (peas and potatoes curry)' - by K J S Chatrath

(Photo source: My heart beets)

I love matar-aloo curry (peas and potatoes curry). I adore the incredible variety of Indian food....Come, visit my India after Covid subsides...and taste and enjoy thousands of Indian dishes. https://indianrestaurantsworldwide.blogspot.com/2020/07/matar-aloo-curry-peas-and-potatoes.html

'Spicy Bhindi (Okra) fry' - KJS Chatrath

Spicy Bhindi (Okra) fry by Harshi's Kitchen, 2017.

For recipe from Harshis Kitchen, p[lease click at the following link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WAZsKC13MNM

Indian cuisine is the best on planet earth!

Fantasizing Punjabi style in times of Lockdown- K J S Chatrath

https://www.facebook.com/kjs.chatrath/videos/10158189250992726/?t=19

A vegetarian lunch at Tikal, Guatemala- by K J S Chatrath

I visited 5 central American countries with a Group in 2018. The trip was to start from Antigua, Guatemala. I reached there 4 days in advance as I was very keen to visit Tikal, a UNESCO Heritage site having Mayan pyramids and other archeological wonders.

I took a one day return trip from Antigua and was in Tikal by around 10 am...After hectic walking to see this breathtaking site, we were taken for lunch in a restaurant located inside the archeological zone. Lunch was included in the price of the trip. I had signalled before hand that I was a vegetarian. The lunch was served. While the non-vegetarians got a sumptuous  main dish, what I got as the main vegetarian dish reinforced my view that this world is a very unequal place.

 Soup

 Main dish for the vegetarians

 Something like sauce (chutney)

I am of the strong unshakable belief that Indian cuisine is the best in the world and what is called a bon repas by the Westerners is nothing but a plate of  bland, boiled half cooked stuff - but beautifully decorated.

No, not for me.