We’re taking a break from the recipes today to talk about Indian food.
Is it ok if we take some time to do that? I just feel that I’ve just got to talk about it.
Let me know what you think.
So, last weekend I got the chance to go with my sister and brother-in-law and two of their good friends to an Indian restaurant in Morrisville. Just so you know, dinner dates for Indian food are the best.
Indian food really holds a special place in Jason and my heart. Some of my first Indian meals were on my trip to Burma, where I got inspired a few months later to try out dal and chapati on my own. When I made that dish for dinner, Jason told me that it was one of his favorite meals that I’ve ever made (and probably one of the cheapest- gotta love him).
Then, we had some of the best Indian food we’ve ever eaten at an Indian buffet in Oklahoma City on Thanksgiving Day lunch with my family (we did the traditional turkey stuff for dinner).
Thank God I married a man who is also mystified and in awe by the complexities of the flavors and spice of Indian food.
Every time I eat Indian food, I am amazed by the perfect marriage of spices and flavors, most of which I don’t even know what they are. And the vegetarian food! They transform vegetables and make them shine in thick sauces that are perfectly paired with a pillowy piece of naan.
So, back to last weekend, we ate dinner at Dawat.
I got the Vegetarian Thali, which I recently found out (from a new Indian friend) indicates the large stainless steel plate that my food arrived on. It was a feast for the eyes, nose and the palate.
I’ve labeled each dish because that’s how excited I still am about it. The paneer (Indian cheese cubes) was smooth and creamy, the curry sauces perfectly spiced and the naan…oh, the naan! (If you’re curious, the saag was paneer in a creamy spinach sauce.)
The food was just as great as the atmosphere. No, the restaurant wasn’t full of 5-star service (it was fine) or the newest modern tables and chairs. It was full of people who knew how to eat a meal together.
As I looked around during our relaxing 2 1/2-hour meal, I could see old people eating from the same dish, passed around to land on each of their plates and to be scooped up with a triangle of naan or roti. People talked, ate, laughed and most of all paid attention to each other. No cell phones, no quick meals, no microwaves.
I think one of the reasons that I enjoy and connect with Indian food is that it takes time. I can’t replicate it, and in some way I can taste the years of spices and recipes within each bite. Indian food is treasured…it’s a treasure.
So is time spent around the table with new friends and old friends, family members, young and old.
I think that deserves a place in our modern world.