Today isn’t my first day in India this time around it’s actually my third. However, it is my first time in a home that is/will be accommodating for three families! Cooking in an Indian home is comparable to those families of Italian or even Greek ancestry; it is and always has been a family affair- not only do we like cooking great tasting dishes, but we LOVE eating them as well! Mornings normally consist of a light breakfast- savory breads, spiced tea (chai), and puffed biscuits to accompany the chai- the Indian equivalent of tea and crumpets perhaps? Occasional mornings, the kitchen is filled with the aromas of cumin seed bubbling in a oiled tawa (pan), along with turmeric, onion, ginger, garlic, tomato, and cilantro which primarily makes up the base of a savory egg dish paired with buttered toast and chai.
Lunches however….. are a completely different story- after breakfast and a blink of an eye, preparation begins for lunch. Vegetables are delivered by the closest vendor to guarantee fresh produce- our cook begins prepping for several different dishes required for an adequate lunch. Flour is bound with oil, water and salt to create dough used for creating roti (thin unleavened flat bread.) Assorted vegetable are cut, washed and paired with appropriate spices to create a plethora of different robust flavors that are complemented with each diverse bite.
Salads of fresh tomato, onion, cucumber, cayenne pepper, lime juice, and salt are almost always an complementing attendee of an Indian lunch- if you have not gotten the point yet…. Lunches here…. are simply remarkable! Furthermore, lunch is ALWAYS followed by an afternoon siesta (nap for those Spanish illiterate.) Dinners are simple- something light, typically savory… and after that you ask? Maybe a little socializing with guest who spontaneously arrive that evening; possibly a “harmless” card game with an aunt who raids you out of 1500 rupees, or perhaps reminiscing memories long forgotten with your parents and other family members- as for me however… its time for bed!
“Culture is the sum of all the forms of art, of love, and of thought, which, in the course of centuries, have enabled man to be less enslaved” -Andre Malraux
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