What's for dinner? Dal, rice and SURPRISE!

Indian version of eggplant parmesan

When I seat down to a meal here in India, most of the time I have
no idea what I’m eating. Rice? Yes. Paratha (a sort of Indian flatbread). Yes.
Beyond that, well the dishes put before me appear to creatively highlight whatever vegetables are in season – during the winter it’s radishes, broccoli, cauliflower, potatoes and some produce that remains a mystery to me. Dal (lentil dishes) are also frequently on our dinner plate. (By the way, my homestay host does all the cooking).

How does the food taste? Certainly not like what you have most likely eaten at an Indian restaurant in Minnesota.

Vegetables for sale in Dharamshala

It’s home cooking here; it is not spicy hot, but oh so flavorful. We eat meat maybe twice a week, and because it is part of a sabzi, the portions are small compared to what I serve in the USA.

We look forward to our frequent trips to the vegetable market as the produce is much more flavorful here, and I seem to be satisfied with smaller portions.
Chan’s salsa, which many of you have tasted and loved, is even better here with absolutely no spice.

We both have lost weight – more than 10 pounds each – and my digestive system, from top to bottom, is much healthier.

Our neighbor, prepares the soil for 

planting winter vegetables

Gardens are prevalent here - our neighbor who is a banker, is constantly working in his before work and on weekends, and as he told me ... "The ground doesn't sleep here." Crops are rotated and planted according to the season... the greatest challenge seems to be keeping a wandering cow from forging the goodies.

It’s now over two months since our arrival in Sidhbari, India, and with New Year’s just around the corner and our USA arrival date in late March, I’m focused on how to maintain some of the healthy changes I’m making here; however, it’s not easy to change over a half a century of culinary habits, but I realize for my own well-being I have to put forth the effort.

What I don’t eat or drink here in India

 Dairy- cheese, milk – taste is hard for me to get used to
Almond milk – limited availability, too expensive
Nuts (walnuts, almonds) too expensive

      Beef- not available

      Ground coffee (Nescafe available, but ground is harder to find)

e     Lettuce or any fresh leaf salad (I’m still to leery of uncooked greens – don’t know what parasites may be laying in wait)

      Beer- (I think for me it was more about opportunity than taste)

Poha is a traditional Indian breakfast

      Good artisan bread (just not readily available – access to oven baking is limited)

      Doughnuts and sweet rolls (Nothing compares to Donut Star in Eagan)

      Candy

         

What’s new that I eat or drink

   Lemon, ginger, honey tea.

   Chai

   Whatever sabzi that is put before me

     Lots of pulse-based dishes (beans and lentils)

COMFORT FOOD – my pretend taste of home

·         Peanut butter sandwich

·         Banana

·         Oatmeal ·         Chan’s salsa

·         French fries