Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Food Hybrid


Hybrid cars are all the rage in the West. It's fashionable to drive one and fashionable to own one. In India though, hybrid cars have not caught on. This blog is not about cars. It's about food. While the West might have the lead in environmentally friendly hybrid cars, they are way behind us in hybrid food. Yes, you got that right, HYBRID FOOD.

Now if you know your mythical creatures, you would know that some famous hybrids in mythical stories have been minotaurs, mermaids, Typhon, Shedu etc. While some hybrid foods can be identified as the beautiful mermaids, some of it can be called an ugly minotaur, some downright weird like Typhon and some look like the love-child of a minotaur and Typhon (More of these and it'll surely be the end of the world).

What is it with hybrid foods in India? We have made a hybrid of possibly all the popular cuisines in the world except French. We are known for our hospitality. We make our guests feel at home and feel equal if not greater than us. That can be said about the different cuisines that have visited us from abroad and stayed here. Chinese? Italian? The ubiquitous American? We are also witnesses of the love-childs of these cuisines. Thus, we play cupid as well. Chilli-paneer/chicken pizza, pasta do exist. Remember the Typhos and minotaur love child? That's them. Yes, you can think who will eat that, but I know you have. Come on, admit it! I have too. This is like my confession in the Food Church. Forgive me Father, for I have sinned.

We take out our hatred of the Chinese on their food. How could you even try to wage a war on us, usurp our territory and create an unrest? We will bastardize your food. Chin-jabi has become all the rage. Believe it or not, there actually is a restaurant by that name in Delhi. Wontons, spring rolls, drums of heaven, sweet corn, manchow, manchurian, chilli chicken/paneer, they are all brown, oriental children roaming our streets. Manchurian was invented by Nelson Wang, the Mumbai restauratuer for a dinner in CCI. He said he was inspired by the Indian dish of kofta and instead of adding the garam masala, he added soya sauce. Chinese chat has suddenly started springing up everywhere. I haven't tasted it though and I am unlikely to try it, even though I am an adventurous eater. I will take noted food columnist, Vir Sanghvi's advice on this when he very simply stated, "it doesn't taste good."

Pizzas have differed not only in their toppings but also in their crusts. Seekh kabab pizzas, paneer el-rancho pizzas, they are all the not so good looking mermaids. Their crusts are more often than not tasteless, greasy and rubbery. The pastas, well they are the minotaurs. Chilli chicken pasta? Tandoori chicken pasta? I feel Don Corleone would have spun in his grave like a top! The shawarmas here, are well, another story all together. Greasy with unidentifiable bits of meat stuffed in them love their parents, the minotaur and Typhos. Although, again I confess, I used to gobble them up in my first few years of college when money was hard to come by.

I understand the need for these hybrids. We are very fussy eaters and our food differs greatly from the other cuisines of the world. One of the chief culprits in this regard are the fast-food chains. To increase their profits in a market which boasts of a billion people, they have introduced flavors and variations which have been made to suit Indian tastes. The only way that they can become popular here is if we make some changes to it to suit the common man's palette. A lot of people won't be happy with sticky rice or the original Italian pastas which don't necessarily drown in sauce. Not many here like their pasta al-dente. But pizzas should not be messed with. Naan pizzas, parantha pizzas are abominations and the sooner we get rid of them, the better.

I am not against hybrid food, I find it fascinating. Some people swear by it, I understand it and find it okay (though I do sneer at people when they say they prefer the chinese found here than in China). Mughlai or North Indian food just about edges out Chin-jabi  in popularity. Chinese tourists who visit India come in bus loads to eat at a very popular Chinese restaurant here, which, lets just say serves a milder form of Chin-jabi. They really seem to enjoy the food. It has become so popular, that a restaurant has opened in Shanghai that serves chin-jabi.

Manchurian and American Chopsuey anyone? Or would you prefer a chicken tikka rissotto?






Tuesday, September 13, 2011

Food From our Masters



India experienced globalization much before the word was even coined and made a part of the English dictionary. Due to our lack of cohesion and unity, we were trampled over by many dynasties and races. Notable amongst them, the Persians, the Uzbeks, Portuguese, Afghans and the British. The British were the worst amongst the lot. Most came here for our wealth and a rich reservoir of spices. However, we have to thank them for shaping our culinary history and determining the food we eat and love today.

Not only the dishes, but also a large varieties of the vegetables we eat today have been imports which were not known; let alone grown in India prior to foreign rule. Imagine Indian cooking without tomatoes? Hard, right? No butter chicken, dal makhni etc. It would certainly be a dark and depressing world without it. We have the Portuguese to thank for making the base of all our cuisines from the North to the South. Potatoes also, were introduced by the Portuguese. Frankly, I love the Portuguese for this. Anyone who has read my previous posts would know about my love for potatoes. Onion, garlic, cauliflower, okra, bitter gourd, all introduced by the foreign rulers. This makes me wonder, what did we eat before this? Rocks, mud, leaves?



We ruled the roost as far as spices were concerned, but the essential spices in our food? Fenugreek, coriander and chilli peppers came from Iraq, North Africa and Latin America(possibly) respectively. I will repeat what I said earlier, can we imagine what we ate before these spices? Mirchi, Dhania (powder as well as fresh) and Methi are as integral a part of Indian cuisine as salt and sugar. You love apples? They came from Kazakhstan, most probably imported by the Mughals. Water Melon was bought in donkey-loads by Babar, the founder of the Mughal dynasty in India. Oranges? The Portuguese are at it again.



Now, this was only the raw food. The cooked items have been tremendously influenced by the rulers. Do you love the stews found in North and South India? Influenced from the Middle East. In fact, the mutton stew that we all love is a spicier version of the Iranian 'Istu'. Biryani? Middle East again though it has been adapted and modified brilliantly in the different regions of India. Quorma? Middle East. The kofta, in all it's shapes and sizes resembles the Persian dish of Kufteh Tabrizi named after the city Tabrizi in Azerbaijan. Roasting meat on skewers also seems to be a habit influenced from the Middle East. Many of you will be surprised to know that the Jalebis originated in Jordan. Though it was served as one big desert. Almost the same size as a cake.



The British have relatively less influence on our food, surprising, considering the fact that they ruled us for a long time. But, probably because they were more interested in exporting than importing. If I was British, I would be writing an article about how Indian food has influenced British cuisine. Mulligatwany soup is probably the most famous food item that has been born out of British influence. They have influenced our bakery system though. Most of the traditional bakeries running in the hill stations, according to me, have been influenced by traditional British bakeries. The hill stations used to be summer vacation resorts for the British and they probably wanted the same tea and scones experience that they had in the good ol' Blighty.



So curse the invaders, lament the fact that we were run over and plundered by them, but thank them for the culinary heritage that they left behind!

Thursday, September 1, 2011

The Secret Ingredient

How many of you have seen Kung-fu Panda? Remember Po's father's secret ingredient soup? For those who haven't let me bring you up to speed. Po is a clumsy panda working in his father's noodle shop. One of the items there, which is the hot favorite, is said to have a secret ingredient which has been handed over from one generation of Po's family to another. His father tells him that once he takes over the business, he will be told all about the secret ingredient. The story then moves on and becomes a classic bollywood-esque coming of age tale. We again get back to the topic of the secret ingredient towards the climax when his father whispers to him that there is no secret ingredient in the soup, none at all. It is this supposed story of a secret ingredient that created the myth of it being something more delicious than the other just-delicious items of the shop. It is the reputation of the secret ingredient.

Delhi is an old city. It is a complete foodie's city, with delicious and fabled items that have been made there for generations by either the same people or by their son's, nephews etc. Every nook and cranny of Delhi has some restaurant or shop or food cart that has been making something for years and has gained legendary status. They've built a solid reputation amongst the citizens of this city who, according to me, are amongst the most discerning foodies in India.

Sadly, it is this reputation that has been the downfall of those once fabled places. Forgive me for trashing some of your favorite places but this is something which has to be done. These fabled places have lost what they were once famous for and are now riding the gravy train. Though mind you, not all of the old and reputed places are bad, some are still good. This blog is against those who are just relying on their reputation now and taking other things for granted.

Let me start out with Moti Mahal, the legendary chain which started the butter chicken revolution. Sadly, now, it can only talk the talk but cannot walk the walk. Just about average food, with appalling service and exorbitant prices. Oh, and did I mention that in their GK-1 joint, you get a free side of cockroaches? Their butter chicken is so-so, but I can tell you of many other places which serve tremendously better butter chicken. Al-bake in New Friends Colony according to me has the best butter chicken in Delhi. Gola Sizzlers in Defence Colony has awesome butter chicken and so does Mughals in New Friends Colony for take-away. In the same vein, the food at stalwarts Embassy and Gaylord is overpriced and mediocre at best. Aap ki Khatir which, once, was such a crowd puller that they used to run out of food by 9.30 pm, now is over-priced and a joke.

Khan Chacha in Khan Market has ruled the roll segment for decades. They have now shifted to a swankier residence in Khan Market. I remember going there for the first time in 2004. The rolls there were below average. I came back puzzled and doubting my taste buds for not liking something which the whole of Delhi raves about. At a recent outing in their swanky new outlet, 3 rolls (2 mutton and 1 paneer) cost an exorbitant 400 bucks. These rolls were ordinary, not of legendary status. If you want to eat legendary rolls try Salims which has now shifted to Defence Colony. Try Qureshis opposite Don Bosco School. Aunty Rolls in Alaknanda Market, just behind the telephone box makes excellent rolls.

Parathas near the Moolchand flyover are abysmal. Slightly overpriced for the whole experience, I would much rather have home cooked parathas. Try the parathas at the dumpster near Nizamuddin Railway Station. They are good and really really cheap. Chaat at South Extension market and at Prince Pan is a rip off and again mediocre at best. Nathu's, while hiking it's prices, has downgraded the quality and quantity of the food it serves. One place that gave me a lot of joy when I was a kid, Nirula's now just disappoints me. Once a pioneer of the ripped-off 'Big Boy Burger' and pizzas, it is a mere shadow of it's once behemoth self. Saravana Bhavan is one such gut-wrenching disappointment.

It is important for these places to realize that reputation, while important, is not the be-all and end-all of the restaurant business. They need to make good food to keep the reputation that their founders worked very hard for. Its easier to lose a reputation than to earn it and once its lost, it can be very-very hard to regain.

Though, all is not lost, some places like KareemNatrajChangezi Chicken Corner, Wenger's and Maxim's still live up to their reputation of serving truly incredible food for generations. It is only a matter of what one's priorities are and these places have stuck to providing good food, which is the engine room of any good restaurant.

PS: I have not been paid for praising restaurants and institutions here. This is just a reflection  of my thoughts and views. I might be wrong, I might be right. I would love to hear your opinions nevertheless.