Foody food FOOD!

Now, a blog about my one of my favorite things; FOOD! Eating, cooking, looking up recipes… these are all things I love. I appreciate all kinds of food but have especially had an affinity for Indian food over the last few years. And while it took a few years, I have finally gotten Ryan to appreciate Indian food and stop saying it smells like B.O. One thing that helped get Ryan to try new and different dishes is the fact that we live very close to the best Indian restaurant. They have an amazing lunch buffet that gives you a low stakes way to try lots of different types of food. The name of it is Swad, and if I haven’t taken you there yet, you should try it out!! Ryan always jokes that I should ask about a punch card or referral program because I definitely have a Swad addiction and want everyone else to catch it too!!

There are also a few dishes that I love to make at home! My favorites are chicken tiki masala, navratan korma, chana masala, and aloo gobi. I also went to a cooking class at the co-op to learn how to make samosas (they are like fried potato dumplings) but I decided that they are a waaaay too intensive and long process so I am happy to just grab them on my trips to Swad!

Many people get confused about Indian food because the odd sounding names, I love the names of Indian dishes. They usually tell you the main ingredients right in the name of the dish. There is some variation in names of dishes due to the many languages spoken in India, but, in a restaurant in the US they are pretty standard. Here are a few commonly used ingredients that you will find in your Indian menu:

Aloo= potato

Gobi= cauliflower

Chana/chole= chick pea

Paneer= cheese

There are many types of sauces used in Indian cuisine, my favorites are palak (spinach sauce), makhani (butter and spices), korma (mild and creamy curry), and masala (creamy spiced tomato sauce). The name of the dish will typically list the type of sauce used so when you order chicken makhani you will know what to expect.

So if you put together palak paneer, you get a cheese in spinach sauce dish that is delish! While this name trick is not the case for all Indian dishes, it helps when you are trying to order off the menu.

Another aspect that I found interesting while I was in India was the different customs around mealtimes. The first thing is that Indians don’t typically use silverware to eat their food. I tried to go “hands on” with my food a few times while in India. However, the fact that most Indian dishes have a rice base with and veggies/meat in sauce on top can make for a messy meal for some novice hand eaters like me. Picture a toddler trying to pick up handfuls of food and smashing it in their face. Now I wasn’t quite as bad, but at least they have a bib to help them out and I did not, although I probably should have… But I do have to say that eating with your hands is a rather fun experience and a new way to really get into your meal. The trick is to try using just your fingertips to drop the food into your mouth. Also, Indians don’t do anything with their left hand during meal time because it’s considered rude or unclean. Culturally, the left hand is used for hygiene purposes and therefore not used for eating. Then, at the end of the meal, you use a little bowl of hot water to soak your fingers (to get the food out from under your nails).

Oh man, detour ahead. I just realized I forgot about naan. Naan is the stuff of dreams (literally, I have dreams about naan and wake up chewing on my retainer). Naan is a flatbread that is often served with meals and used to pick up food with but is also delicious on its own. There are a few different varieties of naan served at restaurants, but my favorite by far is garlic naan. The naan is brushed in butter and baked with garlic and cilantro on top. Mmmmm….. must try the garlic naan.

Anywho… hopefully this help shed some light on the often overwhelming and confusing Indian menu or at least was a light, quick read. But, if not, I am happy to go with you to Swad and point out the best dishes you should try. Really, call me… no special occasion needed. You know me, always happy to help (when it is food related, lol)!

Pictured below is my beloved samosa :)

In India, there are so many regions and religions, so there are many different influences to the cuisine. Indian is also just a huge country so obviously food is going to be different depending on where you go.