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Jan 27, 2020
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I prefer the food of South India. I make some things at home close to traditional but fudge some of the steps. My girlfriend makes me double jar my asafoetida (latakia has no smell in comparison) and I only open it when she is not looking and away from the smell. Tikka masala etc., they are ok, in the way General Tso is but I like the more pure taste. I once ate at a Southern Indian buffet around 3 times when I was a younger man before I even realized it was vegetarian. What do you like about Indian food?

@cshubhra
 
Aug 1, 2012
4,881
5,686
USA
Our housekeeper in Mumbai made a fantastic palak paneer. It was nothing like what you usually get at a restaurant. She wouldn't make it very often so it really was a treat.

Other than that, I loved the naan, most things I ate from a tandoor and the south Indian style filter coffee. It doesn't sound good but tandoori broccoli is fantastic.

Oh yeah, Goan food was great too if sometimes a bit too much sauce. The sausages from Goa were some of the best I've had anywhere. They were sort of like chorizo.
 
May 2, 2020
4,664
23,784
Louisiana
India has sooo many different cuisines and regional variations, but in general, I’m a fan of everything I’ve tried so far. I had an exchange student that I still keep in touch with that would occasionally bring some homemade dishes to me for lunch.
As far as restaurants here in my area, I’m not sure how much of it is authentic home style cooking vs “curry joint” food, but I could eat my weight in goat pepper fry.
 
Jan 27, 2020
3,997
8,122
I wish I had more of a refined knowledge of Indian cuisine...but, I gotta say, I eat it as often as I can. I don't know if I've tried an Indian dish I didn't like.

I have spent the past few years refining a few of my own curries as well; very tasty, but not as good as 'the real thing'.

You can make authentic food too.
 
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briarbuck

Lifer
Nov 24, 2015
2,293
5,581
You haven't lived until you've eaten real vindaloo...

tenor.gif
 

mso489

Lifer
Feb 21, 2013
41,210
60,610
I'm not studious about Indian food, but I enjoy it a lot and wildly miss visiting local Indian buffets during the pandemic. We have had southern, northern and vegetarian Indian buffets, and regional specialty Indian buffets. My late wife gave me an Indian cookbook which immediately convinced me that I'd eat my Indian food out. Every recipe had about forty ingredients, including spices we didn't have, and the procedures beyond just the ingredients seemed to take all day to prepare. I love the elaborate interplay of spices, the contrasting temperatures, and the colorful presentation. Occasional both out and at home, I've enjoyed a Pimm's cup with my Indian food, though I suspect that is an English tweaking of the menu. Some Indian meals make me feel sedated, which is probably some of the spices and carb heavy dishes. Indian and Chinese food have such long histories, and it really shows up in the flavors through the cooking skills of their people. When the pandemic fades, I look forward to going to our best Dim Sum restaurant as well.
 

timelord

Part of the Furniture Now
Oct 30, 2017
956
1,983
Gallifrey
You haven't lived until you've eaten real vindaloo...

tenor.gif
When I lived in Manly (Sydney's Northern Beaches) I was spoilt because we had fantastic Indian restaurant (and a lot of pubs) called Ashiana which does a great goat curry but I nearly always went for a Mirchi Masala. This is a chicken dish which they cook to the temperature you ask. Hot makes a Vindaloo seem very mild; Very Hot is pretty much as the video clip but you can still taste everything; sublime.

Living in London I was pretty spoilt for choice for most regional variations but in Wapping our local 'Indian' was openly a Bangladeshi Restaurant (most Indian's in England are...) with an absolutely amazing menu (but for people who expected standard Indian Restaurant menus they would cook anything asked for). Interestingly they also took over the Fish and Chip shop next door (which two owners previously - Greek Cypriots if I remember correctly - was really good then went downhill rapidly under new mismanagement. Once the son of the Bangladeshi family took it over I would rate it as the best Fish and Chip shop in London. This family new food!).

Once went to an Indian in Heidelberg (generally best avoid Indian Restaurants in Germany, Austria and Switzerland because they generally seem to tone down the spices to bland). Anyway, as we were studying the menu in that unreadable Gothic script that German restaurants all seem to use the waiter realised we were all English (I didn't bother correcting him :) ) and said "Forget the menu; you won't like it as it's very bland, but our chef is from Birmingham so just let me know what you want and he'll cook it. Best curry I've ever had in a German speaking country! (Yes, I know German food is good too and I know a couple of good restaurants in Heidelburg but we'd been at a conference all week and rather fancied a curry.)

Finally, the Inner London Education Authority used (probably still do but I haven't lived there for 10 years) to run evening classes: academic, vocational, hobbyist, fitness, just about everything. For one year I went to Indian Cookery classes once a week in a local secondary school run by a local Indian grandmother. Really good teacher except she only new how to cook for a very large family so the amounts we made were enormous (but really tasty).

There is an Indian Restaurant only a couple of km from where I live now but the lockdown means I haven't had a chance to try it out.
 

timelord

Part of the Furniture Now
Oct 30, 2017
956
1,983
Gallifrey
I'm a big fan of spicy foods. Korean, Chineese, Thai, whatever. Nothing has the heat of Indian food. Deliciously painful stuff that will clean your pipes quicker than Liquid Plummer.
Oh I don't know; the Thai's can do stuff which clean your insides quite well too. Had a bizarre conversation with Thai business partners in a Bangkok restaurant once.

Thai: you must try the hot and sour soup
Me: No thanks
Thai: Ah, you English can't eat spicy food :ROFLMAO:
Me: Yes I can and I do; I just don't like hot and sour soup
Thai business partners didn't believe me until I proceeded to order the three hottest dishes on the menu. They then ordered things which were a lot less spicy
Me: Those dishes you've ordered are not very spicy
Thai: No; what you've ordered is far to spicy for us
My turn to :ROFLMAO:

The Thai's were genuinely surprised that I ate everything I ordered. The other thing that surprised them was my colleague and I ordered a starter from Northern Thailand which consisted of large leaves which roll into a cone and then fill with lots of little morsels (including very hot chillies). Every mouthful is the a mix of different flavours. The surprise was that the Thais we were with had never ordered this because they didn't know what it was and hadn't a clue as to how you eat it!
 
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