Though had thought about it many a times but when I was talking about it with an old friend, it just refreshed it.
Everyone knows lot of people like Indian food. And as Healthy diet is becoming cooler so is the vegetranian or lean meat diet of Indian food places are pooping up everywhere. Back in hte old days, to what I saw and more importatnly what I heard from other immigratns who came before me ( SU Librarbian who came in 1960s), Indian food if you wanted it. It meant you make it. Or just make a trip to the Indian ghettos to NY city. There was no Little India in LA and nor the Silicon Valley's so called MG Road (aka El Comino Real). And certainly not the Huston and Dallas Indian grocery stores and resturants and dance halls which are like regular american Superstore. The Indo -Pak less than a mile away can be easily be mistaken as a small Supernarket Chain Grocery Store.
But still one thing that has not changed is the Indian food. Back then as today when you talk Indian food it is usually Muglai food. And that is where a serious anamoly comes in.
Muglai food is a delicacy. An extreemly spoisticated cooking that demands a lot of knwoelge of Indian spices which was perfected in the 18th centruy Landlords of Lucknow, the Nawabs. See Story of India- discussion of it. (Episode 6 - The Freedom - see from 18 minutes). Also see the PBS resource. A ulmination of Spice capital of world and the Persian artsy culture. No other guess Taj Mahal is certainly the most famous of this mixing of oceans -Majma-ul-Bahrayn (The mingling of Two Oceans)), as Dara Shikoh talked about the culture and religion that came out of it also.
But Muglai food needs a lot of effort. Haven seen been done in my relatives who were once Landlords from the Licknow-Awad land.
So who then eats this food. Before the coming India and US market got hold of powdered easy to make Indian foods, I would say really few. Atleast I did not know anyone. You needed to be a true Bawarchi to make a Biryani. And for reagualr Mortals, to eat all that. If in Lucknow we had to go to Hazratgunj and if in Calcutta go to Lahore or places like that. Funnily hte reason why Calcutta came to know of how to make Biryani, it was because Nawab of Oudh aftre 1857 debacle was moved to Calcutta as was the last remining family of Tipu Sultan.
Indian food is more differnt and much more vibrant. It could be the true Punjabi rustic village food of "Roti and Sarsoon ka Saag" or Hindi Belts "Saabzi-rd spicees fresh watmusting a Persian word meaning a stoow). Be it Begali's Mustated oil Fresh water Hilsa to Goan fishy NMacarel amde with cocunit- portuguese breading and gaon kokum. From Vegetrarian Gujrati food using wheat and barley to South Indian all rice based food. And I certainly can not include the Kasmmire food or Bamboo shoot delicaies of NE or Tibetian food if you still feel it has some connection with India.
Yet when you go to
Everyone knows lot of people like Indian food. And as Healthy diet is becoming cooler so is the vegetranian or lean meat diet of Indian food places are pooping up everywhere. Back in hte old days, to what I saw and more importatnly what I heard from other immigratns who came before me ( SU Librarbian who came in 1960s), Indian food if you wanted it. It meant you make it. Or just make a trip to the Indian ghettos to NY city. There was no Little India in LA and nor the Silicon Valley's so called MG Road (aka El Comino Real). And certainly not the Huston and Dallas Indian grocery stores and resturants and dance halls which are like regular american Superstore. The Indo -Pak less than a mile away can be easily be mistaken as a small Supernarket Chain Grocery Store.
But still one thing that has not changed is the Indian food. Back then as today when you talk Indian food it is usually Muglai food. And that is where a serious anamoly comes in.
Muglai food is a delicacy. An extreemly spoisticated cooking that demands a lot of knwoelge of Indian spices which was perfected in the 18th centruy Landlords of Lucknow, the Nawabs. See Story of India- discussion of it. (Episode 6 - The Freedom - see from 18 minutes). Also see the PBS resource. A ulmination of Spice capital of world and the Persian artsy culture. No other guess Taj Mahal is certainly the most famous of this mixing of oceans -Majma-ul-Bahrayn (The mingling of Two Oceans)), as Dara Shikoh talked about the culture and religion that came out of it also.
But Muglai food needs a lot of effort. Haven seen been done in my relatives who were once Landlords from the Licknow-Awad land.
So who then eats this food. Before the coming India and US market got hold of powdered easy to make Indian foods, I would say really few. Atleast I did not know anyone. You needed to be a true Bawarchi to make a Biryani. And for reagualr Mortals, to eat all that. If in Lucknow we had to go to Hazratgunj and if in Calcutta go to Lahore or places like that. Funnily hte reason why Calcutta came to know of how to make Biryani, it was because Nawab of Oudh aftre 1857 debacle was moved to Calcutta as was the last remining family of Tipu Sultan.
Indian food is more differnt and much more vibrant. It could be the true Punjabi rustic village food of "Roti and Sarsoon ka Saag" or Hindi Belts "Saabzi-rd spicees fresh watmusting a Persian word meaning a stoow). Be it Begali's Mustated oil Fresh water Hilsa to Goan fishy NMacarel amde with cocunit- portuguese breading and gaon kokum. From Vegetrarian Gujrati food using wheat and barley to South Indian all rice based food. And I certainly can not include the Kasmmire food or Bamboo shoot delicaies of NE or Tibetian food if you still feel it has some connection with India.
Yet when you go to
Read about and saw a small exceprts of it.. I really think a true point.... To be frank so few makes or even can make Biryani or other epscial Muglai or Hyderabadi dishes at home.....
But when you call Indian food the first thing that comes is the extremely eloborate.. which I think is impossible without the powedered package to make all the espcial dishes
Muglai food is the eiptomthe of the 16th 17th century luzuries of the elite of the richest county in world... The Muglai India world
I am sure when in 200 years ppl look to some food of NY or western life style they might think the same
but a real good movie...
in case if you know if they might show it around TX tell me would love to see it
FYI a nice article on it
By the way my best regional inidan food is the Konkani food.... thought originally from the famous Muglai Lucknow... I can never handle the over spiced Muglai food
LOL
TTYL
TTYL
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