Taste of India

Golgappa alias Gupchup alias Pani-Puri is the favourite Indian snack which truly represents the taste of India.The first thing that comes to my mind when I think of Indian cuisine is "elaborate" and delicious ofcourse :)

Preparing good Indian food is a craft which takes years to master and that is because the core of preparing delicious dishes is possessing the expertise of blending accurately proper amount of spices, taming as well as timing the flame and many more things. Spices...aha...One can easily find at least thirty to forty odd varieties of spices, salts and other seasoning in a typical Indian kitchen. The idea of food goes like this...

A little sweet, a little sour, a pinch of salt, a touch of chilli, few drops of oil, a hint of tamarind ...Indians apparently do not believe in using a single category of taste buds at a time. It seems like they like to exercise all their taste buds simultaneously and thats the reason why it is not easy to please an Indian in matters of food.

Golgappa perfectly symbolizes the crazy Indian taste of combining all the tastes together.Probably it's the favorite Indian snack in most parts of the country.I have personally never come across anyone who is not excited at the prospect of having Golgappas to tickle their taste buds. Its presence is synonymous to celebration... children want to have it the day their examinations are over and they are all set for vacations; Girls love having it when the first drops of monsoon bring relief from the heat (Well girls don't need an excuse or occasion, rather its presence is an occasion:) ) pregnant ladies crave for it; People crowd at the Golgappa stall at marriage receptions as if no other food is inviting enough...

How is it made ? Dry peas and potatoes boiled and mashed together are seasoned with 10 different spices. Tamarind, mint, coriander leaves, chilly and jaggery are constituents of three to four different types of garnishing pastes made and served in little bowls. Little "puris" which are cracker like and hollow from the inside are then stuffed with the mashed mixture and seasoned with a mix and match of these garnishings. And when one puts them in the mouth, it feels absolutely delicious...what an aroma........... "mouthwatering" is the word.

Yesterday I made some at home when it was raining outside . Everytime I have them here, I think of home, family and friends, my childhood and all the good times when we had Golgappas together.It is nostalgic. The spices and the seasoning do make the Golgappa delicious. And that is why the Golgappas I made yesterday tasted .... it is well beyond words to describe it.

"We write to taste life twice, in the moment and in retrospection" - Anais Nin.