Discover Hyderabad | The Economist: Hyderabad, India's fourth biggest city, is fast becoming one of the most exciting visitor destinations in the country. Its booming tech scene is attracting global attention and transforming this ancient city into a cosmopolitan hotspot.
See more from Passport by The Economist here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL0KWoY2XZKw6eXUN7y2zR9k3cxw4JnnVa
Showing posts with label India. Show all posts
Showing posts with label India. Show all posts
India: Mosquitoes and monsoons
From DW:
People in India are celebrating the arrival of the monsoon season after a long period of drought. But the heavy rain has also spurred doctors to issue a warning about Dengue fever. It is carried by mosquitoes, which like to breed near water.
People in India are celebrating the arrival of the monsoon season after a long period of drought. But the heavy rain has also spurred doctors to issue a warning about Dengue fever. It is carried by mosquitoes, which like to breed near water.
Today's Special - Netflix movie about Indian cuisine
Today's Special is a 2009 independent comedy film loosely inspired by Aasif Mandvi's Award-winning play, Sakina's Restaurant. It is available for streaming from Netflix as of April 2012.
Today's Special Official Movie Trailer:
Plot: Samir (Aasif Mandvi), a sous chef at an upscale New York restaurant, becomes frustrated with his boss and quits. His dreams of studying French cooking in France are shattered after his father becomes ill and he must take over his family's Indian restaurant, Tandoori Palace. Samir's knowledge of Indian cooking is limited until he meets the larger than life gourmet chef and taxi driver Akbar (Naseeruddin Shah). Samir's world is transformed via Akbar's cooking lessons, the magic of the masala and a beautiful co-worker, Carrie. While his mother tries to get him to settle down with a nice Indian girl and his father is convinced he will amount to nothing, Samir, Akbar, and a kitchen staff of eccentric characters concoct the most magical and mouth watering dishes in what soon becomes the best little Indian restaurant in New York.
References:
Wikipedia
Netflix
http://www.todaysspecial.com
Today's Special Official Movie Trailer:
Plot: Samir (Aasif Mandvi), a sous chef at an upscale New York restaurant, becomes frustrated with his boss and quits. His dreams of studying French cooking in France are shattered after his father becomes ill and he must take over his family's Indian restaurant, Tandoori Palace. Samir's knowledge of Indian cooking is limited until he meets the larger than life gourmet chef and taxi driver Akbar (Naseeruddin Shah). Samir's world is transformed via Akbar's cooking lessons, the magic of the masala and a beautiful co-worker, Carrie. While his mother tries to get him to settle down with a nice Indian girl and his father is convinced he will amount to nothing, Samir, Akbar, and a kitchen staff of eccentric characters concoct the most magical and mouth watering dishes in what soon becomes the best little Indian restaurant in New York.
References:
Wikipedia
Netflix
http://www.todaysspecial.com
Trader Joe's Indian Fare: Madras Lentil
The Madras Lentil variety of Trader Joe's pre-packaged foods does not actually taste that great.
Trader Joe's Indian Fare - Pre-packaged food that may actually taste good
Trader Joe's Indian Fare includes the following in pouches:
Punjab Choley
Madras Lentil
Punjab Eggplant
Pav Bhai
Jaipur Vegetable
Dal Makhani
Palak Paneer
They cost $2-$3 and weigh 7-10 oz. Most are vegetarian.
The Indian Fare combines perfectly with prepackaged rices (fully cooked) from Trader Joe's.
References:
Trader Joe's Indian Fare. The Days Are Just Packed!
Who Makes Trader Joe's Food? Chow. com.
Inside the secret world of Trader Joe's. Fortune/CNN.com.
Related:
Tasty Bite Indian Food from Amazon.com.
Trader Joe's top 25 customer favorite products http://buff.ly/1bLcXju
Punjab Choley
Madras Lentil
Punjab Eggplant
Pav Bhai
Jaipur Vegetable
Dal Makhani
Palak Paneer
They cost $2-$3 and weigh 7-10 oz. Most are vegetarian.
The Indian Fare combines perfectly with prepackaged rices (fully cooked) from Trader Joe's.
References:
Trader Joe's Indian Fare. The Days Are Just Packed!
Who Makes Trader Joe's Food? Chow. com.
Inside the secret world of Trader Joe's. Fortune/CNN.com.
Related:
Tasty Bite Indian Food from Amazon.com.
Trader Joe's top 25 customer favorite products http://buff.ly/1bLcXju
A Weekend in Goa, India - NYTimes
Goa is not a single beach, but a rich and varied state — one that offers 63 miles of coastline along the Arabian Sea. Beyond the beaches lies a lush landscape that conceals ancient temples, rich ecosystems and the hilly farmlands that proved irresistible to European spice traders.
Centuries before the hippies, there were the Portuguese — and it’s their lingering influence, not the lax laws, that makes Goa such an alluring place.
Slideshow:
http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2010/03/14/travel/20100314GOA_index.html
http://travel.nytimes.com/2010/03/14/travel/14hours.html
Pick a beach, any beach, and you'll find soft white sands that span the peaceful Arabian Sea.
http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2010/03/14/travel/20100314GOA_2.html
Climb the steep but small hillock to the ruins of Chapora Fort. This perch at the mouth of the Chapora River has 360-degree views.
http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2010/03/14/travel/20100314GOA_4.html
Stop in the small but central city of Ponda to visit the state's world-famous spice plantation.
http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2010/03/14/travel/20100314GOA_5.html
Centuries before the hippies, there were the Portuguese — and it’s their lingering influence, not the lax laws, that makes Goa such an alluring place.
Slideshow:
http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2010/03/14/travel/20100314GOA_index.html
http://travel.nytimes.com/2010/03/14/travel/14hours.html
Pick a beach, any beach, and you'll find soft white sands that span the peaceful Arabian Sea.
http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2010/03/14/travel/20100314GOA_2.html
Climb the steep but small hillock to the ruins of Chapora Fort. This perch at the mouth of the Chapora River has 360-degree views.
http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2010/03/14/travel/20100314GOA_4.html
Stop in the small but central city of Ponda to visit the state's world-famous spice plantation.
http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2010/03/14/travel/20100314GOA_5.html
TED video: Gharial and king cobra, two of India's most iconic reptiles, endangered due to polluted waterways
"The gharial and king cobra are two of India's most iconic reptiles, and they're endangered because of polluted waterways. Conservationist Romulus Whitaker shows rare footage of these magnificent animals and urges us to save the rivers that sustain their lives and our own."
New Indian Restaurant and Buffet in Omaha: Dhaba Indian Cuisine
View Larger Map
Dhaba Indian Cuisine is a new restaurant in Omaha, NE (opened in September 2009) that recently had a glowing review in the local newspaper, Omaha World Herald:
"I've read that dhabas are the diners of India: roadside eateries that provide tasty and affordable local fare. But the Dhaba near 120th and Blondo Streets certainly does not resemble a truck stop.
The food is a similar hybrid of family-style and fancy: fried, sautéed, stewed and tandoor-baked dishes with freshly ground spices and prettily carved garnishes, generally served in sharable portions in shiny copper-bottomed vessels.
The buffet changes daily but typically includes fresh naan (the puffed and blistered bread, baked on the inside walls of a cylindrical tandoor oven), basmati rice, a mix of vegetarian and meat dishes, some off-menu specials, an appetizer, a dessert, some fresh vegetables for salad and a few sauces."
The newspaper food columnist was extremely impressed (you have to check the full article below to get the feel of it) but strangely some of the reviews listed on Google Maps were considerably less generous.
References:
Review: Dhaba does it right. Nichole Aksamit.
TED Talks: East vs. West - the myths that mystify
From TED Talks India:
TED Talks: East vs. West - the myths that mystify (the video is not made available for embedding yet).
Devdutt Pattanaik takes an eye-opening look at the myths of India and of the West -- and shows how these two fundamentally different sets of beliefs about God, death and heaven help us consistently misunderstand one another.
Devdutt Pattanaik graduated from medical school but decided to pursue his interest in mythology rather than work as a physician. He is currently the Chief Belief Officer at Future Group in Mumbai.
TED Talks: East vs. West - the myths that mystify (the video is not made available for embedding yet).
Devdutt Pattanaik takes an eye-opening look at the myths of India and of the West -- and shows how these two fundamentally different sets of beliefs about God, death and heaven help us consistently misunderstand one another.
Devdutt Pattanaik graduated from medical school but decided to pursue his interest in mythology rather than work as a physician. He is currently the Chief Belief Officer at Future Group in Mumbai.
Some common asanas
Asana (Sanskrit, to sit down) is a body position, associated with the practice of Yoga. These are widely known as Yoga postures or Yoga positions.A few useful links that illustrate some of the more popular asanas are posted below:
Yoga Circle
Asanas
Yoga Postures Step-By-Step
References:
Asana. Wikipedia.
Image source: Dhanurasana, Bow. Wikipedia, GNU Free Documentation License.
Chicken tikka masala
Chicken tikka
Chicken tikka is a dish of South Asia. It is traditionally baked skewers with small pieces of chicken, usually boneless, in a clay based oven called tandoor, after marinating in spices and yogurt.
The literal meaning of tikka in Panjabi is "bits, pieces." The pieces are brushed with ghee (clarified butter) at intervals, which gives its taste, while being continuously fanned. It is typically eaten with a green coriander & tamarind chutney, served with onion rings and lemons, or used in preparing a chicken tikka masala.
Masala
Masala is a term used in South Asian cuisines to describe a mixture of spices. A masala can either be a combination of dried (and usually dry-roasted) spices, or a paste (such as vindaloo masala) made from a mixture of spices and other ingredients--often garlic, ginger and onions. It is known for its smell, and is used extensively in Indian cooking to add spice and flavor.
Chicken tikka masala
Chicken tikka masala with naan. Image source: Wikipedia, Michael Hays, Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 License.
Chicken tikka masala is a curry dish of roast chicken chunks (chicken tikka) in a red, creamy, lightly spiced, tomato-based sauce.
Chicken tikka masala is chicken tikka, chunks of chicken marinated in spices and yogurt then baked in a tandoor oven, in a masala ("mixture of spices") sauce.
There is no standard recipe for chicken tikka masala; a survey found that of 48 different recipes the only common ingredient was chicken.
The sauce usually includes tomato and either cream or coconut cream and various spices.
The sauce or chicken pieces (or both) are often coloured orange or red with food dyes or natural colouring such as turmeric powder mixed with tomato puree.
Other tikka masala dishes replace chicken with lamb, fish or paneer.
The origins of chicken tikka masala are disputed. A widely reported explanation of the origins of the dish is that it was conceived in a Bangladeshi restaurant in London in the late 1960s, when a customer, who found the traditional chicken tikka too dry, asked for some gravy. The chef supposedly improvised a sauce from tomato soup, yogurt and spices.
Chicken tikka masala is served in restaurants around the globe. A survey in the United Kingdom claimed it is that country's most popular restaurant dish.
General Tso's chicken, another reportedly non-authentic dish seen as symbolic of a culture's cuisine.
My Experience
Recently, I had a very good pre-cooked chicken tikka masala with rice by Ventera Ranch from Costco.
I tried to "improve" the dish a little bit and decrease the salt content by:
- adding water to the masala sauce before and during heating it
- cooking onion (one bulb) in a sauce pan with a little bit of olive oil, then adding it to the rice
The sauce in the package is actually better than the rice. Next time, you may consider boiling your own rice and using only the sauce.
References:
Chicken tikka, from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Chicken tikka masala, from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Chicken tikka is a dish of South Asia. It is traditionally baked skewers with small pieces of chicken, usually boneless, in a clay based oven called tandoor, after marinating in spices and yogurt.
The literal meaning of tikka in Panjabi is "bits, pieces." The pieces are brushed with ghee (clarified butter) at intervals, which gives its taste, while being continuously fanned. It is typically eaten with a green coriander & tamarind chutney, served with onion rings and lemons, or used in preparing a chicken tikka masala.
Masala
Masala is a term used in South Asian cuisines to describe a mixture of spices. A masala can either be a combination of dried (and usually dry-roasted) spices, or a paste (such as vindaloo masala) made from a mixture of spices and other ingredients--often garlic, ginger and onions. It is known for its smell, and is used extensively in Indian cooking to add spice and flavor.
Chicken tikka masala
Chicken tikka masala with naan. Image source: Wikipedia, Michael Hays, Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 License.
Chicken tikka masala is a curry dish of roast chicken chunks (chicken tikka) in a red, creamy, lightly spiced, tomato-based sauce.
Chicken tikka masala is chicken tikka, chunks of chicken marinated in spices and yogurt then baked in a tandoor oven, in a masala ("mixture of spices") sauce.
There is no standard recipe for chicken tikka masala; a survey found that of 48 different recipes the only common ingredient was chicken.
The sauce usually includes tomato and either cream or coconut cream and various spices.
The sauce or chicken pieces (or both) are often coloured orange or red with food dyes or natural colouring such as turmeric powder mixed with tomato puree.
Other tikka masala dishes replace chicken with lamb, fish or paneer.
The origins of chicken tikka masala are disputed. A widely reported explanation of the origins of the dish is that it was conceived in a Bangladeshi restaurant in London in the late 1960s, when a customer, who found the traditional chicken tikka too dry, asked for some gravy. The chef supposedly improvised a sauce from tomato soup, yogurt and spices.
Chicken tikka masala is served in restaurants around the globe. A survey in the United Kingdom claimed it is that country's most popular restaurant dish.
General Tso's chicken, another reportedly non-authentic dish seen as symbolic of a culture's cuisine.
My Experience
Recently, I had a very good pre-cooked chicken tikka masala with rice by Ventera Ranch from Costco.
I tried to "improve" the dish a little bit and decrease the salt content by:
- adding water to the masala sauce before and during heating it
- cooking onion (one bulb) in a sauce pan with a little bit of olive oil, then adding it to the rice
The sauce in the package is actually better than the rice. Next time, you may consider boiling your own rice and using only the sauce.
References:
Chicken tikka, from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Chicken tikka masala, from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
The Big Picture: Scenes from India
34 recent photos of scenes in India from The Big Picture, Boston.com:
"India is home to over 1.2 billion people of wildly varying religions, cultures and levels of wealth. Only 61 years since declaring its Independence from English rule, modern India is still defining itself, sometimes against the friction inside and outside of its borders. Recent newsworthy events in India include vast Monsoon flooding, conflicts in still-disputed Kashmir, and religious clashes between Hindus and Christians - and celebrations conducted by Hindu, Muslim, Christian, Sikh and more."
"India is home to over 1.2 billion people of wildly varying religions, cultures and levels of wealth. Only 61 years since declaring its Independence from English rule, modern India is still defining itself, sometimes against the friction inside and outside of its borders. Recent newsworthy events in India include vast Monsoon flooding, conflicts in still-disputed Kashmir, and religious clashes between Hindus and Christians - and celebrations conducted by Hindu, Muslim, Christian, Sikh and more."
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
