First thing
For maybe a month or more , we are seeing vendors with carts on the road, or men sitting on the sidewalk beside a HUGE pile of peanuts – in the shell. Ah, so it’s peanut season!
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| Roasted Peanut Vendor |
These guys roast their peanuts right where they sit, using a method of heating up sand until very hot – then adding the peanuts. You can buy a little paper of them for a few rupees or get a kilo or about 80 rupees. Delish, and HOT! I am also enclosing the info I found on Wikipedia.
Second Thing
In all the markets here, we see street food of every description being prepared and voraciously eaten until quite late every night. When we go out in the evening to our local street market, no matter what we have eaten for dinner, the sight and aromas of these various stalls is very enticing. One such cart makes paneer kabobs. Big hunks of cheese are skewered with green peppers, onions and tomatoes and then doused with tikka season (very reddish) before barbequing on a grill. Rob is tortured by these every time, so one day, we will have to try one out. You know we don’t really eat street food, because our gut is used to different microbes – plus, it is not possible to know about the hygiene practise of those who prepared it. But, we are getting a little bolder, the longer we are here – and figure that when food has been cooked at high temperature, it probably is safe for us foreigners. See Picture.
In all the markets here, we see street food of every description being prepared and voraciously eaten until quite late every night. When we go out in the evening to our local street market, no matter what we have eaten for dinner, the sight and aromas of these various stalls is very enticing. One such cart makes paneer kabobs. Big hunks of cheese are skewered with green peppers, onions and tomatoes and then doused with tikka season (very reddish) before barbequing on a grill. Rob is tortured by these every time, so one day, we will have to try one out. You know we don’t really eat street food, because our gut is used to different microbes – plus, it is not possible to know about the hygiene practise of those who prepared it. But, we are getting a little bolder, the longer we are here – and figure that when food has been cooked at high temperature, it probably is safe for us foreigners. See Picture.
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| Paneer Kabobs |
The Third thing is Chaat
My friend Shilpa used to RAVE about CHAAT. Her favourite street food – though she could never quite make me understand WHAT it was.
The picture I already sent from Pondicherry of that delicious concoction of chickpeas, onion, tomatoes and cilantro in a huge dish – ready to be scooped onto little plates – was a chaat.
My friend Shilpa used to RAVE about CHAAT. Her favourite street food – though she could never quite make me understand WHAT it was.
The picture I already sent from Pondicherry of that delicious concoction of chickpeas, onion, tomatoes and cilantro in a huge dish – ready to be scooped onto little plates – was a chaat.
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| Chat with chickpeas |
A very common snack we see in the markets is called Bhelpuri – Crunchy Snack. – another chaat. People just LOVVVVVVE it and I’m sure it is tasty. Pour in enough tamarind chutney and anything would be tasty, methinks. I am attaching a picture and a description from a recipe site I found online. I think the Bhelpuri in the picture has corn flakes, as well as puffed rice.
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| Bhelpuri |
Bhelpuri (Hindi भेलपूरी, Marathi भेळ) is a savoury Indian snack, and is also a type of chaat. It is made out of puffed rice, vegetables and a tangy tamarind sauce.
I know, I know – another email about FOOD. Simple pleasures. What can I say?
From Wikipedia
Hot sand frying is a common cooking technique for street-side food vendors in China and India to cook chestnuts and peanuts. A large wok is filled with black sand and heated to high temperature. Nuts are buried in the hot sand and occasionally turned with a spatula, then the sand and nuts are separated through a wire-mesh screen.
Hansi
Hot sand frying is a common cooking technique for street-side food vendors in China and India to cook chestnuts and peanuts. A large wok is filled with black sand and heated to high temperature. Nuts are buried in the hot sand and occasionally turned with a spatula, then the sand and nuts are separated through a wire-mesh screen.
Hansi
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