With many Indian now living across the globe, Indian grocery stores are now opening around the world. With over 3,000 restaurant listings from over 20\r\n countries, this is one of the most comprehensive collection of Indian grocery stores.
Indian restaurants are popular all over the world and new ones are popping up every day. With over 17,000 restaurant listings from over 100 countries, this is one of the most comprehensive collection of Indian restaurants.
With over 7000 fans registered, we have been growing our fan-base at a fast pace. Signup as Facebook fan and you can get the latest updates and also get a chance to win some prizes in our giveaways.
We are a fairly lucky generation as we have access to modern tools, technology and round the clock electricity (or at least most of us do). Our modern kitchens are therefore equipped with gadgets such as grinders, microwaves, ovens, griddles, toasters....you get the drift. My grandparents and the generation before them were not so fortunate and had to rely on hand operated tools and gadgets in the kitchen.
One of the kitchen "appliances" my family used was the "Ragado" (that's what we call it in our native Konkani language). The Ragado or a stone grinder consisted of two heavy stones just like a mortar and pestle but really big (as you can see in the video above). The Ragado has been passed down through the generations and one of the them is still in our home. My mother does not use it as often as she used to and relies more on the electric mixers for her day-to-day needs but she says that the batter made in the Ragado is much better than any machine can make.
Electric version of this are available in India now, so one does not have to learn the skill. The old-school Ragado will die with this generation so we thought it would be good to capture it on film.
On our trip to India this year, we got the opportunity to take some pictures of the local markets in Hyderabad. For those living outside India, the closest experience you may have are visits to Farmer's markets. The street markets are typically by the side of the road and can sometimes stretch out for a long distance. Each vendor either has a little shop or their own little cart on which they sell their wares. In most cases they specialize in one item or a group of items such as certain fruits or certain vegetables. You can find stores selling clothes, vessels, bangles and other household things.
The day begins early for the vendors as they shop for their goods at the wholesale markets. Around 9-10 AM, while the home makers are getting ready for their day ahead, the vendors make their way to the market. By around 11 AM, the vendors have arrived and are ready for a long day ahead. As the morning unfolds, the hustle and bustle begins to grow with the housewives arriving to do their shopping. The late mornings are very busy with the morning shoppers and there is a bit of slowdown during the afternoon which is usually the time for a little siesta. By 5-6 PM, the markets are bustling again as those returning home spend time at the markets. The vendors typically close shop by 9-10 PM and go home ready to plan their next day.
What the pictures do not convey is the hustle, bustle and the bargaining
that goes on in these markets. The vendor is usually calling out to
customers, the customers are haggling for the best prices. The smells of street food, fresh vegetables and fruits, the noise, the crowd is something to be
experienced not seen via a picture. We hope that the little slide show below helps you get a
feel for the Street Markets in India.
To celebrate the 1500 Fans mark, we are giving away another autographed copy of Hari Nayak's Modern Indian Cooking book. The book is a collection of easy to prepare contemporary Indian recipes created for the modern living and entertaining. The recipes are very approachable which explores how wide world of Indian cuisine has fused into other cuisines around the world. The food has an international twist on the traditional flavors of Indian food.
In order to win this cookbook, you have to do the following
You can submit 1 review of any one of our Indian Grocery Stores listings. We have over 3000 listings worldwide. You can navigate down to your city or use the search button on the top right. Once you find your listing, use the review link to submit a review.
You can submit 1 review of any one of our Indian Restaurant listings . We have over 17000 worldwide. You can navigate down to your city or use the search button on the top right. Once you find your listing, use the review link to submit a review.
If you do not see the name of restaurant you are trying to review, send us the name, location and review via Facebook Message. We will accept entries via FB messages as well.
All reviews need to be at least 8-10 sentences long. Short reviews that say "It was good etc" will not be accepted.
Please make sure you use your FB name to submit the review so we can make sure you get the credit. Names of all accepted entries will be posted on the FB fan page.
You will get one entry for each review you submit.
We would greatly appreciate it if you would help spread the message (by sharing this link with your friends) and get others to sign up as fans too. We will announce more giveaways, such as cookbooks, dinners etc as we hit new milestones.
Thank you for being a fan and supporting our effort to help build a better site dedicated to Indian food.
Rules of the Contest:
1. The contest is open to everyone no matter where you live.
2. The contest will be open till the 31st December, 2010.
3. We will announce the winners after the 31st December, 2010. If the winner does not want the prize, we will pick another winner. The winner is responsible for any customs duty applicable in their country. We will send the prize by regular post.
If you are a fan of Indian food, then you must try Indian sweets. Indian sweets, known as mithai are made with sugar, milk and condensed milk, and cooked by frying. The bases of the sweets and other ingredients vary by region. Gulab Jamun, Ragoola, Kaju Rolls, Kaju Barfi, Cham Cham, Sandesh...the list goes on and on.
Indian bakeries on the other hand offer cakes that are popular in India such as cakes with pista or eggless cakes.
A very commonly made statement is that Indian Food is unhealty. In our
opinion, making a blanket statement like that gives Indian food a bad rap.
Indian food just like any other food can be prepared in a healthy way and an
unhealthy way. You can have a Subway Sandwich for about 250 calories or a couple
of KFC Double Downs for over 1000 calories. Its really in how the food is
prepared, what ingredients are used and what portions you consume.
The primary reason this impression about Indian food exists is because many
restaurants and folks use ingredients like Clarified butter, cream and such, in
order to get the best taste. With slightly different ingredients and a small
sacrifice in taste, you can still enjoy healthy Indian food.
The second reason
is that most Indian restaurants offer a buffet and people just eat more than
needed (from appetizers to desert) and then blame it on Indian food. If you chose
reasonable portions, you would be fine. Here are some tips on what you can order
at an Indian restaurant is you are watching what you eat.
Most Important Tip
Eat in Moderation. A successful diet is the triumph of mind over
platter.
We have just updated our Indian Restaurants and Indian Grocery Stores database in North Carolina. We have added more grocery stores and restaurants in cities like Raleigh, Morrisville, Cary, Durham and Charlotte. We have about 63 Grocery Stores and 92 Indian Restaurants in North Carolina .
The Indian Food & Grocery section of the website has a list of such stores. If you think one of the stores has incorrect data or if you have a new store you would like listed, please do contact us. We would greatly appreciate it, if you would provide a review of these stores.
Global Desi Yellow Pages - our partner site videsh.com has a comprehensive collection of Desi business from around the world. From beauty parlours, jewellers to Desi driving schools, these Yellow Pages should help you get your meet your Desi desire.
