According to the World Diabetes Foundation, India has the most diabetics in the world with roughly 50 million. The number is expected to grow to over 70 million by 2015. With the recent growth in the middle class wealth, there are certain elements and trends that I see that will make this situation even worse over the next few years.
Genetics - I cannot say this based on any proven scientific evidence but as I look around, I feel that there is something genetically different among Indians that make us prone to diabetes. Diabetes is normally associated with overweight and people who are closer to 50. However, I was 36 years old when I was diagnosed with diabetes. I am 5'11 and was about 63 kgs at the time. My father was the same age when he was diagnosed. I know a few others now who are young, not overweight and diabetic. Is there something genetically different among Indians, that makes more prone to diabetes?
Buffets and Mega Buffets - Indians are eating out more these days, especially feasting at the buffets. Almost all the major hotels and popular restaurants now offer a buffet during the week and also have the weekend brunch buffets that have a larger spread. An even scarier trend is the mega buffets that some restaurants have started where they have a separate buffet for each type of cuisine. An example of this is the Gobal Fusion in Mumbai which offers Chinese, Japanese, Thai, Pan-Asian and Indian food along with a special dessert bar.
Paisa Vasool Attitude - We also have the "Paisa Vasool (Value for Money)" attitude which means most of us will over-stuff ourselves just one bite short of having the trouser button snap. It would seem as if this is the last meal for many.
Dessert - No Indian meal is complete without a sampling (did I say sampling?) of desserts. Gulab Jamun with ice-cream, Jalebis, Kheer etc are great way to end a wonderful buffet. Of course, this must be followed by a Sunday siesta. India is the diabetic capital of the world and will continue to have more diabetics if people do not pay attention to their diets. I hope that anyone reading this article will be a little more careful with what they eat at the next buffet, it may just give you a slightly longer and healthier life to enjoy. I think the combination of our genetics, eating habits, lack of exercise, India is heading for a diabetic nightmare.
We go to our local Indian grocery stores on the weekend and the store had a lot of fresh vegetables today. It was a beautiful sight to see such colorful vegetables that we just took the pictures so we can share with our readers. We found vegetables like okra, tendlekay, karela, beetroot, brinjals, potatoes and onions. We found some herbs like coriander, mint and curry leaves. It was great to see such an array of colorful fruits and vegetables. We hope you like these pictures.
Continuing the Diwali snack making tradition, the next snack on our list is the Masala Puri. Masala Puri is a crispy and mildly spicy puri that is created by deep frying some dough. Masala puri can be made in many different ways but the basic recipe is the same. Masala puri is made using wheat flour, turmeric and ajwain or cumin seeds. The dough is rolled into small balls, flattened using a rolling pin and deep fried in oil. Take a look at the pictures below to get an idea for the steps.
You can find the recipe for Shankarpali in our recipes section. Masala Puri is really easy to make and you should consider it on your Diwali snack list. You can get a pretty big batch done rather quickly. If you store them in a nice air tight container, they will stay nice and crisp for a few days.
This was the 2nd snack for this year's Diwali. Some more recipes on the way.
Okra (or Bhindi as its called in India) is a very popular vegetable in India. This year we moved into a house with a backyard where we could grow some vegetables. I asked a few friends and they recommended some herbs like basil & mint and also Okra. They said Okra is easy to grow and requires little maintenance overhead. Since we love Okra I decided to give it a shot and for the most part I was successful in growing it and also cooked a couple of dishes but not before we learnt a few lessons which I thought would make for some good reading.
1. Spacing of the Okra Plants - The instructions said to plant the seeds about 12-24 inches apart (but who reads instructions) and I must have planted them 6-8 inches apart. Not a big deal, or so it looked like for the first few weeks but once they grew big, I realized my mistake. You can see from the pictures the all of plants are bunched close together and its quite messy. Plant your seeds about 18 inches apart or better yet, read the instructions.
2. Harvest / Pick Everyday - After about 7-8 weeks, you will start seeing the first signs of the Okra pods (which was super exciting) but I had no idea when to pick them and so we let them grow and grow (and grow they did). Some got to about 6-7 inches and I decided to read instructions (you are seeing a pattern here) and realized that its probably best to pick them when they are between 2-3 inches long. You will be surprised how fast they grow so you have to look at your plants everyday or 2 days at the very max. I have probably lost half my harvest because I was too late. You need to go look at your Okra plant everyday.
3. Okra plants are very itchy - I wish this was in the instructions (which I would have read after 2 lessons learnt). Yes, Okra plants are very very itchy. Sometimes just touching one leaf can give you a pretty strong itch. Given how close our plants were, I had to move some leaves and dig in to pick the Okra and I got a strong itch which lasted a few hours (a little Cortizone cream and a wash helped). Given that its summer time, most of us would not wear long sleeves, but please wear long sleeved shirts or gloves and make sure your face does not touch it. This is probably the most important tip. Okra plants are very itchy, so make sure you are well covered.
4. Okra plants are very generous - Once the plants grow and the pods start to form, you will be amazed how much Okra you will get. With about 4 plants, we could harvest enough in a week to make something with it.
Lesser known facts about Okra : - Gumbo is Swahili for okra. - It also also called Lady's finger in some countries. - Okra seeds may be roasted and ground to form a caffeinate-free substitute for coffee.
Overall, its been fun growing Okra this summer. I never had a Green thumb but I certainly do have an itchy thumb now.
Disclaimer : I am not a farmer or claim to be any expert on growing Okra or any other vegetables for that matter.
We just got this message from the organizers of a reality show in India called the "Food Food Maha Challenge Muqabala". The show is apparently being hosted by two famous personalities from India. One of the hosts is none other than India's most famous TV chef, Mr Sanjeev Kapoor and the other is the lady with the wonderful smile, Ms Madhuri Dixit. The show is looking for chefs to audition for the show Food Food Maha Challenge Muqabala. The show will be telecast on Food Food channel.
The show will feature a competition between male and female cooks, with Madhuri Dixit representing the ladies and Sanjeev Kapoor will represent the men.
If any one is interested you can call on 02242769017 between 11 am to 6 pm.
The auditions date are
Mumbai 8th July
Nagpur 10th July
Delhi 14th July
Kolkata 17th July
Hyderabad 20th July
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.
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.
We have been covering some of the foods that are very typical of Mumbai. We last covered Vada Pav and the next item we are covering is Bhelpuri or Bhel. Bhelpuri is a puffed rice dish with potatoes and a tangy tamarind sauce. It is a type of chaat or small plates of savoury snacks, particularly identified with the beaches of Mumbai (Bombay), such as Chowpatty.
Bhel Recipes typically consists of 3 parts - The Bhel is made using rice puffs, tomatoes, potatoes and onions. - Chutneys - There are two popular chutneys used, a dark purple sweet one made mainly of dates and tamarind, and a green spicy chutney made of coriander leaves and green chillies. Different chutneys impart a sweet or spicy flavour. - Puri and Sev - A Puri is fried piece of wheat dough just like a pringles chip only thicker. Sev is a fried snack shaped like thin noodles (see picture below).
These three groups of ingredients are mixed in a bowl as per the eater's preferences. Some prefer it more sweet while others prefer it spicy. Bhelpuri is best consumed as soon as it is made. If left for a while, the juices from the tomatoes, chutneys, etc. combine to render the sev and puffed rice soggy.
Another variation is to sprinkle the chat with chunks of diced sweet mango. The finished snack is often garnished with a combination of diced onions, coriander leaves and chopped green chilis. It is sometimes served with papri puris, a deep fried small round and crispy wheat bread. The result is a sour/pungent/sweet tasting evening snack that is a treat for the taste buds and a good source of carbohydrates and minerals.
There are many variants of Bhelpuri:
Sevpuri - a mixture of bhelpuri, chutney, papdi and sev
Dahi puri - a mixture of bhelpuri, chutney, papdi and savoured with lot of youghurt.
Sev papdi chaat - a lot like sevpuri but with 2-3 types of chutney, potatoes, chana masala
Bhelpuri is called Churu Muri in Bangalore and Jhaal Muri in Kolkata (meaning "hot puffed rice").
In Sangli, a dry variant of Bhelpuri popularly known as Bhadang is consumed after garnishing with onions, corriander and lemon juice.
Much like the Vada Pav vendors, you will also find Bhel being served at small Bhel vendors spread around the city. However, you are likely to find the better Bhel stalls at the beaches. In other countries, you are likely to find Bhel on the menus of many Indian restaurants but if you are lucky to have a Little India in your city, you can almost be sure you will find Bhel there. Some of the local Indian Grocery stores also serve Bhel packets.
The United States has a very large Indian community in many of the large cities such as New York, New Jersey, Los Angeles, Chicago, Dallas, San Francisco Bay Area among others. Some of the stores are small mom and pop stores selling basic needs such as rice, dals, spices and vegetables. These stores probably have most of the things you would need to do typical Indian cooking.
However in some locations like New Jersey, the Indian grocery stores are really large. These stores are almost as large as the American Grocery stores and sell other products such as cooking utensils, DVDs, CDS, Books and Magazines etc. They also carry a larger variety of the basic products.
The Indian Food & Grocery section of the website has a list of such stores. The site currently has over 2500 Indian food & grocery stores listed in the United States. 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.
If you happen to live in the Dallas Forth Worth metroplex, there is no shortage of Indian and Pakistani restaurants. With over a 100 desi restaurants, there are many favorites. In this article, we will be exploring the topic of who serves the best biryani in Dallas. Having lived in this area for over 4 years, we have sampled biryanis are many restaurants and have come to the conclusion that the following places serve the best biryanis in town.
BBQ Tonite - BBQ Tonite is a Pakistani restaurant located in Carrollton just of the Bush turnpike. BBQ Tonite is located in a quiet strip mall and is easy to pass by. In our opinion they have the best biryani in Dallas. The biryani is always fresh and they use very good tender Halal meat. Their portions are generous with lot of meat. The biryanis are also flavorful but not very hot. They are reasonably priced at around $7-9/plate. If you like a good Pakistani biryani, then BBQ Tonite is highly recommended.
Al Markaz - also located off the Bush Turnpike is Al Markaz. Al Markaz is probably the most popular biryani place in Carrollton town judging by crowds on the weekend. Their biryanis are also very flavorful with good tender meat. After having sampled both Al Markaz and BBQ Tonite, we feel that the portions at Al Markaz are smaller and they put in less meat as well.
Paradise Biryani Pointe - Paradise opened sometime in 2010 in Irving and served Hyderabadi food including the popular Hyderabadi biryani. With time, the popularity of this place has grown a lot and is the best Hyderabadi biryani in town. The biryani is on the expensive side compared to the other restaurants in Irving but its still very popular because of the great taste. On weekends, you can see the biryanis flying out of the door. The demand is so high that after 11 PM, they shut down the restaurant and serve only biryanis for the late night movie and party crowd.
Spice N Rice Indian Tiffin - located in the India Bazaar strip mall in Valley Ranch, Spice N Rice is a little hole in the wall restaurant. If you are vegetarian, we highly recommend their veg biryani. At around $4-5/plate, its an amazing deal. Their food in general is quite good and very reasonable rates. Verdict - For us, we love BBQ Tonite and they remain our favorite restaurant for Biryanis in the Dallas metroplex. A few new restaurants have opened up in the city like Ziyaafat and Mughlai that we have not sampled yet. Perhaps our opinion will change.
Its Diwali time, which means our house gets into the Diwali snacks preparation phase. One of the savory snacks we make every year is the Shankarpali, also called Shankarpara, Namkeen, Tukdi and many other terms across the country. Shankarpali is a deep fried snack in the shape of a diamond. Shankarpali is made from a dough of ghee, maida, semolina and salt. The mixture is made into dough and then mechanically cut into diamond shaped units which are deep fried in Ghee or Butter.
The savory kind can be made using chilli powder which the sweeter version is made with extra sugar. Many other versions of this recipe can be found online. It has a long shelf life. It is widely available in shops, as it is such a popular dish; people usually purchase ready-made shankarpali during the year and only prepare it at home during Diwali.
You can find the recipe for Shankarpali in our recipes section. The recipe is rather easy but it takes a long time as you have to roll the dough with a rolling pin, cut it into diamond shapes and then deep fry them. If possible, get a partner to help you and things will move along much faster.
This was the first snack for this year's Diwali. More recipes on the way.
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.
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