Cleveland isn't like Chicago, New York, LA, San Fransisco, Austen, Atlanta, Boston... It's one of those quarter-way-there "big" cities. There are a handful of Ethnic Restaurants scattered all across Northeast Ohio, and people aren't exposed to much here compared to NYC. The minorities are minorities, so there isn't much exposure to other cultures, foods, lifestyles, clothes, other than on TV.
A few years ago a 7 year old told me, "I'm sorry you will never be beautiful". This was because she had only ONE idea of beauty which was her "barbie doll" and Hanna Montana. Sad, I know. When I lived in Michigan (I will leave the city unnamed to not embarrass the fold), people asked me things like "Do you have Elephants as pets in India?" "How do you go to school?" "Is there electricity there?" "Have you ever been to a huge city like Chicago, or even _____ (City Name in Michigan)?"
Some may call this ignorance, I think it's lack of exposure. Most of these people were fairly young too, some were older, having seen a couple of wars, yet didn't know things. Anyway I think people in general are sometime scared to try new things especially if its something they weren't taught to do since childhood. My mom always told us to try everything and she made us like it - we had NO OPTION. So we grew up to be open to everything, and see things from different perspectives.
Here I am in Cleveland, and trying to make best of what diversity is at my disposal, the college campuses are always thriving with diversity, however not the main walks of life, especially not the suburbs (depending on which suburb). A few of my friends from my group of climbing friends asked me what was a good Indian restaurant in these parts. Having the best Indian food served to me at home by my mom, I really don't eat Indian food at restaurants. So I decided to take a tour of Indian restaurants 1-2 times a month all across North East Ohio, maybe even near Columbus, to help friends get comfortable ordering, understanding and eating Indian foods.
Most of the popular Indian food is Dhaba foods - the naans, the dahls, the paneer tikka masala, tandoori, biryani, etc. There is one or two South Indian restaurants, a chaat restaurant, and ok zero bengali, gujarati, etc. restaurants. It's all Delhi/ North Indian food! Anyway it's still yummy, and full of butter and ghee :-P
In some ways authentic/ home made Indian food is way healthier than what is served at restaurants, but it's still probably healthier than pizza, if eaten with roti and not butter naan. Indulge in the raita (yogurt salad eaten with rice), drink the lassi (refreshing milkshake), and taste lots of veggies in curries, the oxidizing spices. In school in Chennai (Southern India), we were always given the most healthiest Indian food to eat. All vegetarian lunch followed by fruit, a snack (egg-less cookie/ biscuit) and fresh lime juice in the morning, and another snack and milk in the evening (ugh the milk was gross though fresh). Lime rice, tamarind rice, pongal rice, bisibela baath (don't ask me to explain that one), sambar rice, rasam rice... Rasam - the best soup ever, it can cure you of any cold!
Although the food my friends get to taste is but a small fraction of the foods available in India, it's better than being oblivious to it! I wish I had an elephant to ride to school as a kid, that would have been a tale! Now atleast it is but a Tall-Tale!
Breathe!
A few years ago a 7 year old told me, "I'm sorry you will never be beautiful". This was because she had only ONE idea of beauty which was her "barbie doll" and Hanna Montana. Sad, I know. When I lived in Michigan (I will leave the city unnamed to not embarrass the fold), people asked me things like "Do you have Elephants as pets in India?" "How do you go to school?" "Is there electricity there?" "Have you ever been to a huge city like Chicago, or even _____ (City Name in Michigan)?"
Some may call this ignorance, I think it's lack of exposure. Most of these people were fairly young too, some were older, having seen a couple of wars, yet didn't know things. Anyway I think people in general are sometime scared to try new things especially if its something they weren't taught to do since childhood. My mom always told us to try everything and she made us like it - we had NO OPTION. So we grew up to be open to everything, and see things from different perspectives.
Here I am in Cleveland, and trying to make best of what diversity is at my disposal, the college campuses are always thriving with diversity, however not the main walks of life, especially not the suburbs (depending on which suburb). A few of my friends from my group of climbing friends asked me what was a good Indian restaurant in these parts. Having the best Indian food served to me at home by my mom, I really don't eat Indian food at restaurants. So I decided to take a tour of Indian restaurants 1-2 times a month all across North East Ohio, maybe even near Columbus, to help friends get comfortable ordering, understanding and eating Indian foods.
Most of the popular Indian food is Dhaba foods - the naans, the dahls, the paneer tikka masala, tandoori, biryani, etc. There is one or two South Indian restaurants, a chaat restaurant, and ok zero bengali, gujarati, etc. restaurants. It's all Delhi/ North Indian food! Anyway it's still yummy, and full of butter and ghee :-P
In some ways authentic/ home made Indian food is way healthier than what is served at restaurants, but it's still probably healthier than pizza, if eaten with roti and not butter naan. Indulge in the raita (yogurt salad eaten with rice), drink the lassi (refreshing milkshake), and taste lots of veggies in curries, the oxidizing spices. In school in Chennai (Southern India), we were always given the most healthiest Indian food to eat. All vegetarian lunch followed by fruit, a snack (egg-less cookie/ biscuit) and fresh lime juice in the morning, and another snack and milk in the evening (ugh the milk was gross though fresh). Lime rice, tamarind rice, pongal rice, bisibela baath (don't ask me to explain that one), sambar rice, rasam rice... Rasam - the best soup ever, it can cure you of any cold!
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| My home made dal (lentils)! it's actually really good! and healthy! |
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| Masala dosa and coconut chutney |
Breathe!
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| Upma, ginger chicken, butter chicken and guacamole (I like to mix it up) |
what kind of 7 year old says such a thing? :O that was my first reaction. but then again, kids are sometimes the most cruel...
ReplyDeleteThis is great! I forgot that I love to make and use ghee!
ReplyDelete