Alright, so tonight was Round 2 of my chapati-making attempts here in America. Still a fail, but better than last time. I don't think you can get them to puff up without use of an open flame. Chapati is basically Indian flatbread, a staple at just about every meal, in every home!
* Mrs. Mehta & I making chapati *
I decided that Indian food & I are a match made in heaven-- I love spice, starch, legumes & veggies, and I've never been that into meat. So we're perfect for each other! In addition to chapati, white rice is standard, usually along with some curried vegetable mix & dahl, which is a non-descript term for pulsed lentils, peas, or beans.
Other local specialties I sampled include samosas (a fried, stuffed pastry), pakora (dense, doughy fried bread ball with various fillings), rava dosa (a savory, crispy South Indian crepe), gulab jamun (a fan favorite in India, tastes like a soggy donut hole soaked in syrup) ... and so much more!
* Chili-spice & citrus fruit-- a surprisingly delicious duo *
I know there's a fried pattern going on here, and truthfully we stuck with those choices a lot because they were safe... but peelable fruits at least were still fair game.
And who can begrudge the lack of clean water when you can be drinking a beverage with "300% more oxygen"? Frankly, we should have just let our COPD-ers go & thrown them a bottle of Oxyrich. Forget that mountain air, my lungs had this bottled water to thank.
Visit anyone in the early afternoon & expect to be served chai & some sort of snack. That was one
of the strangest things to get used to: tea time. A magical hour... or two... in the middle of your day where everyone enjoys chai & just relaxes or takes a nap. How amazing is that?! And we aren't talking Celestial Seasonings black here, chai is made over an open flame with loose-leaf tea, milk, sugar and whole spices.
* Rinku: master chai wallah *
Sigh. Back to my world of PB&Js enjoyed over a stack of research papers. But just wait, chapati. I'll master you yet!
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