In search of my Gastronomic Awakening!

For weeks now I have been in search of a gastronomic awakening, an epicurean epiphany, a taste-bud bungee jump. I have eaten out and indulged in multifarious culinary delights but something has always been amiss. Last night I was at Pandara road gorging on the uber rich Butter Chicken, while a week before we were at Gunpowder, an entire eleven of us, and the food, as usual, was mouthwateringly good. The vast Big Chill menu has been explored and tested enough times over the last week, right from the soups and salads to the grills and the bakes. Cha Shi, Mamagoto, Khan Chacha --- my week-long list has been pretty endless. [I do eat ghar ka khaana too, the complete affair of dal-roti-subzi, just in case you think I eat out ritually!]

Yet, I sit here today, typing away dismally, for my food has kept me content but not satisfied. Many people do not tend to know the difference and often mistake contentedness for satisfaction. I, on the other hand, know, and know to an extent that despite my conscious search for a fantabulous foodie experience, satisfaction has eluded me. But what is it that my senses want? What cuisine or food item shall provide me that? Is it going to be a spicy Thai affair or maybe the mellow flavors of a Gujarati thaali? Will a dessert shake my senses awake or will it be some salad? I wish I knew, for the only thing I know is my food is getting predictable as is Delhi’s gastronomic scene. I am yearning for anything that’s going to break this lull in my life with a kaboom! and open up to me a Universe of possible flavors.

Where are you, Mister Dish-amiss? Where are those eye-popping flavors? Where is the head-rush, that sense of adventure, that too-good-to-be-true type food? I want to gorge on that dish and exclaim with naïve delight “Oh this is just so goo-o-oooooood!!” You know what I mean? I want NEW! I want a culinary skydive, food that gets the adrenaline rushing! This routine food and typical eating out is getting to me! Oh Dilli, can you provide me ANYTHING on those lines?

Photo courtesy: Cruzine.com

Note to my dear readers: Any and all suggestions are welcome!! 

Unhate!

Courtesy: The Benetton Blog, www.blog.benetton.com

After having seen the furore over the recent Benetton "Unhate" campaign, I must admit I was inspired. Why I personally like the campaign is because it is not expecting the Utopian of us by delivering the message of forgive and forget, or to begin to like that which we loathe. It doesn't prod us to love, for loving can be a whole new ball game, nor does it ask us to be humane and volunteer to help re-build this world on a foundation of tender, loving care. Instead, it asks us to simply stop hating if we were, which I think is probably a more practical, and in some ways, a nobler virtue to practice than loving.

So inspired I felt, that I decided to cook some Chindi food. [For those of you who are unaware, Chindi is a portmanteau word stemming from Chinese and Indian, which obviously implies I decided to cook up something associated with Chinese food but prepared in a way that it pleases the Indian palate.]. This might automatically suggest that I hate China and / or Chinese people, culture and food, but that is not completely correct. Frankly, I really savor Chinese food and find the culture intriguing. I also find the Chinese people's skin flawless and hair oh-so-shiny. However, when it comes to their country, I have to accept that personally, I do feel a little jealous, and maybe even a minor form of inferiority complex each time India is juxtaposed with China, and China has overtaken us (yet again!) in nuclear growth or in economic progress and even in population! :-/

Well anyways, getting back to the point, I have resolved to "unhate", and with this newly adopted philosophy, I happily made some Crispy Lotus Stem served with Honey Chilli Sauce. Recipe below:

Ingredients:

Lotus Stem: 1 stem, approx. 180-200 gms

Cornflour: To drizzle

Chili Garlic Sauce: 3 tbsps

Tomato Ketchup: 2 tbsps

Honey: 1 tbsp

Soya Sauce: 1/2 tsp

Spring Onion: 1, finely chopped

Water: 1/2 cup

Vegetable Oil: Enough for deep frying + 1/2 a teaspoon for the sauce

Method:

• Take the lotus stem and remove the outer skin using a vegetable peeler. Slice the stem up into half centimeter wide pieces (not any thicker if you want them to be nice and crunchy!)
• Drizzle cornflour over the slices and ensure each piece is lightly coated with the same
• Now heat some vegetable oil in a wok and once it is hot, fry your cornflour coated lotus stem slices till golden brown. [Note: You could test a few pieces first. Once you fry them, they should be nice and crisp - almost like chips]
• Place the fried lotus stem on tissue paper in order to completely drain out all the oil

• In the meantime saute the spring onions till translucent, in less than half a teaspoon of vegetable oil, in a saucepan
• Now add all the remaining ingredients to the sauteed onions and bring to a boil or cook till the sauce has thickened lightly
• Voila! The sauce is ready! Yes, that quickly!
• Pour the hot honey chili garlic sauce over your lotus stem crisps and savor the sweetness of honey, the sharpness of the soya, the spice of the chili, the crunch of the onions and the crisp of the lotus stems --- oh what a mélange! Completely CHINDI!!! :)

So you see my dearies, unhating can be pretty much as simple to practice as this Indian taste of China is to put together, and takes as little time to be adopted as the very philosophy of your life once your mind is made up! Therefore, make lotus stems in honey chili sauce, not war!

HINDI CHINI BEHEN BHAI! :p