According to my notes, I started off my Indian birthday with a vegetable turnover. I didn’t take a picture, and I have no recollection of it. So you just have to use your imagination. I bet it was pretty good though.
In the middle of my day of sightseeing in South Delhi, I had lunch at a vegetarian restaurant in an area of Delhi called Defence Colony. (It was originally built for the homes of military officers and veterans.) The waiter brought over some condiments that I didn’t make much use of.
A strawberry sparkling soda sounding really refreshing after a morning trekking around the Mehrauli area. I freaked out when it came because it had ice in it. Drinking ice made from tap water can result in Delhi Belly. I didn’t want to be a jerk. But I also didn’t want to get diarrhea. I asked the waiter if I could get one without ice, but he didn’t understand me. He sent the host over, who also didn’t understand me. The host sent the manager over. The manager was able to get me an ice-free strawberry sparkling soda. Refreshment at last.
For an appetizer I got paneer cutlet, basically a fried cheese patty. Definitely something I could handle. If I have this correct, on the right is gobhi (cauliflower) masala.
For the main dish I had vegetable seekh kebab. Vegetables are minced, rolled up, and grilled.
So, it wasn’t my most memorable birthday feast, but I got something authentic.
For dinner, I went a restaurant in an outdoor mall in a business district. The commercial area was crowded with beggars. As a matter of fact, there was an area blocked off that was forbidden to beggars just to give the people working and shopping there some relief.
At the restaurant, they were so happy to see a westerner, they took very good care of me. I ordered chatpate tawa Mushrooms, described as “Delectable garden fresh button mushrooms with vegetables, tossed in a tangy sauce.” It’s possible I got something else, but there’s a good chance that’s what I got. I think it was okay.
Of course I was planning on ordering dessert for my birthday. But the kind manager brought me dessert on the house. And he didn’t even know it was my birthday! I think what he brought me was thandi kheer, a kind of rice pudding.
It’s not exactly what I would have ordered. I definitely would have gotten the chocolate kulfi (Indian ice cream) for my birthday. But it was so charming that they took such good care of me. Definitely a memory to cherish!
Leave a Reply