Friday, June 22, 2007

Cuisine: Mexcon


Okay as Ali has told me, it's not very reasonable for me to make fun of the housestaff's kind efforts to please us with ethnic food. They are relentless in their attempts to keep us happy by making food they think expats like (even though we keep praising their Indian dishes to encourage them to stick to domestic food).

This meal stemmed from my visit last week to Q-Mart-- a small, expensive and dirty grocery store whose only redeeming value is that it's one of the few places in Hyderabad to find things like gouda, Old El Paso salsa and Skippy peanut butter. I came home with a bag full of food I had been missing: flour tortillas, cheddar cheese and salsa. The very next day, I saw the title of our dinner menu-- 'Cuisine: Mexcon' and found these two plates in the fridge: squashed burritos (one filled with breakfast potatoes, the other with a curry-chicken-veg mixture) and creamed corn. The housestaff definitely aims to please.

Monday, June 11, 2007

No monsoon; Yes dahi poori

Okay I guess this shows that I'm really not a local yet. Last week I reported that the monsoon had arrived in Hyderabad (see below), but I read in today's paper that those brief rainstorms were only a taste of what's to come. Apparently it will really be pouring and so I'll know the monsoon has come when it comes. Sorry for spreading false information.

In lieu of the monsoon, I'm bringing you a video of the preparation of my favorite chaat (Indian snack, usually street food). Dahi Poori is native to Mumbai, but this one is being made right here in Hyderabad. It's an incredible mix of salty, sweet, tangy and spicy flavors. The chaat is made on the spot while you wait, and you stuff the whole poori in your mouth immediately, so the flavors don't mush together. You taste each one on your tongue at a different moment and it's amazing! Spicy boiled potatoes and chickpeas are pushed inside a light and flaky fried ball and then the whole thing is topped with plain yogurt, tamarind chutney and a freshly ground roasted spice topping.


This is Arjun, my colleague on the product specialist team (we're a two-man team here), Scott and Sarah, my roommate, all enjoying some dahi poori before dinner.

Sunday, June 10, 2007

Karma

I'm at home in Hyd this weekend and really enjoying the downtime. Going back in time a few weeks ago, Bret and I visited Mumbai and were lucky to have a friend from the office, Nachiket, volunteer to show us around his hometown since he happened to be visiting his family at the same time. We spent the day walking around the city learning little known facts from our expert guide.







One of the highlights was visiting this quaint neighborhood in the western part of the city that seemed like more like a rural village than a pocket of the fast and hip Mumbai. We meandered through windy streets down a hill until we came to a rectangular pool of water surrounded by steps that led right up to the front doors of modest homes and a couple of temples.

Only then did Nachiket reveal that his uncle and aunt lived nearby. He gave them a call, and they were quick to invite us over. They ended up living in one of the cute houses that looked right over the pool of water, called the Banganga Tank. It was late afternoon and we had been walking in the sun all day, so all of us had sweat dripping down our faces when we arrived. We left our shoes outside and Nachiket's aunt greeted us with a tray of iced waters.

Bret, Sarah and I shared the same thought simultaneously. Drinking local tap water would be a death wish, but we had to react appropriately to the hospitality of our hosts. Despite being parched, I took a few tiny sips of the water, exaggerating the motion of taking the glass to my lips but never really swallowing much.

Luckily Nachiket's uncle had a son living in the U.S. and could speak enough English well enough to carry on a conversation. Everything was going well until Nachiket's aunt entered again, this time with a tray of glasses filled with ice and a fuscia-colored liquid. Bret, Sarah and I shared another look of dread. At this point, we knew we couldn't keep up our tiny-sip strategy. 'I give in,' I thought. I'm going to drink this, it's going to taste good, it's going to make the situation less awkward, it's going to make Nachiket's aunt happy, and I'm going to be up all night puking. I looked up at Bret and Sarah and it was clear they had made the same decision. We downed the salty, sweet, syrupy drinks in less than a minute. It was super-refreshing, but I couldn't help thinking about how miserable our flight that night would be, each of us taking our turn to run to the bathroom.

After some more chit chat about comparing life and work in India to the U.S., etc. we got a tour of the house by the man of the house. As there were only four rooms, it only took about four minutes. The kitchen was last. As we walked through the cramped cooking area, I spotted a disproportionately large water filtration system. Salvation! I felt a massive wave of relief in realizing that I would not have to hover over the toilet in agony for the next three days. This must have been karma.

Friday, June 8, 2007

RAIN

The monsoon season has officially begun. It's been raining off and on for the past three days, and it's amazing! The temp dropped from over 100 to 80-something, and last night I slept with the AC off and the windows open for the first time. It was nice, but as soon as I woke up I was reminded how the air outside always seems to be somewhat smelly (it's the burning trash). I think the monsoon might also be to blame for my recent sore throat, but it's worth it considering the loud thunder and dust-free streets. Tonight we are heading out to celebrate the monsoon with a nice dinner and dancing, as there will be rain and (kind of) cool weather here on out for four months!