indian redux 10/20/09

like most other white, middle-class, liberal californians, i like indian food. it's been cooler than sushi since at least the mid-nineties and as civilized cuisines should be, it's not raw.

because i grew up with parents from major american cities in a town with a double-digit population, i used to love people who loved indian food because i thought it meant they weren't bovine-humping rednecks. the first conversation i had about indian food was with a friend in fourth grade:

friend: what's that weird crap you're eating?
me: leftover indian food.
friend: i LOVE indian food.
me: really, wanna try some?
friend: no, i like chicken tikka masala.

here's a conversation i had years later in high school:

friend: whoa, that burp really stank.
me: sorry, indian food for lunch.
friend: i LOVE indian food.
me: oh, i have some at home, i'll bring you some tomorrow.
friend: no, it's cool. i just like chicken tikka masala.

this has happened dozens of times, so the next time i have this conversation, here's how it's going:

me: hey, wanna try my saag paneer?
other person: no, i only like chicken tikka masala.
me: oh, okay. go play in traffic.

you don't "LOVE the beatles" just because you love hey jude. you're just a schmuck who likes a song. the same goes for chicken tikka masala. if you like india's greatest hit, fine, just don't get my hopes up that you might be cultured.

(update: wikipedia says chicken tikka masala was actually invented in the UK, which would explain everything.)

anyway, i got indian food today. that pancake looking thing is called an uthappam (oo-tuh-pum). it's made of a fermented batter, composed of dal and rice. you pick what you want in it, i opted for onions and peas. (unfortunately, there were no chickens or tikkas or masalas to put in it, so it's probably not for most people.)

it's delicious. if king tut had been indian, they would have buried him with a mountain of uthappam and probably some virgins or whatever.

that yellow stuff is some potato thing that's delicious, but i can't remember the name of it.

that soup-looking thing is sambar, also delicious. you could try to eat it with a spoon and look like a moron, or you could douse your uthappam with it. of course, i shouldn't talk about being authentic since i actually ate my meal with a knife and fork, much to the horror of the OGs in the restaurant, who were all eating with their hands.

this meal was decidedly south indian, which is a really nice change from the easily-accessed indian fare of california's major cities.

FIN.