Hi there all,
Vinod, a guy who drives with us every day (Principal of another of our schools at CGI) got into the car one night with a huge bagful of wheat he had been given by a student (farm family). He told us he would get it ground into flour. We thought, “Yeah, right. That’ll be convenient!”
We told him we thought that might be more trouble than it was worth to which he replied, “Oh, there is a mill very close to my house,” and Harpreet agreed with him. We were skeptical.
Well, it turns out that once you start looking for flour mills, they keep popping up everywhere. In fact, on our walk over to Phase 5 yesterday, we discovered one right in the thick of things. By golly! Now that I know this, if someone offers me a big bag of wheat, I’m going to accept it!
In Phase 5 we found Amrit Bakery. This is a large modern bakery shop with sweets (not just Indian sweets) and savory things. It also has a dairy case with milk, yogurt and some cheese, but I think only processed cheeses by Amul Dairy here. At the back of the store was a large counter full of many different cookies, and low and behold, staring me in the face, were dark brown crinkle ginger cookies. Oh goodie. Sometimes, looks can be deceiving, so we asked to taste one, and yes, it was up to my high standards – very spicy almost hot ginger taste, reminiscent of the great ginger cookies laced with candied ginger that we used to be able to buy. So we said we would take a half kilo, which turns out to be two giant bagsful of ginger cookies. Good grief! I have been craving gingerbread [which I cannot make without a) an oven and b) molasses] but now I don’t have to as the cookies suffice.
In Phase 5 we found Amrit Bakery. This is a large modern bakery shop with sweets (not just Indian sweets) and savory things. It also has a dairy case with milk, yogurt and some cheese, but I think only processed cheeses by Amul Dairy here. At the back of the store was a large counter full of many different cookies, and low and behold, staring me in the face, were dark brown crinkle ginger cookies. Oh goodie. Sometimes, looks can be deceiving, so we asked to taste one, and yes, it was up to my high standards – very spicy almost hot ginger taste, reminiscent of the great ginger cookies laced with candied ginger that we used to be able to buy. So we said we would take a half kilo, which turns out to be two giant bagsful of ginger cookies. Good grief! I have been craving gingerbread [which I cannot make without a) an oven and b) molasses] but now I don’t have to as the cookies suffice.
The quantity is not going to be a problem. We took two jars to work today to share with friends, and…Milo has found what’s left, in the drawer. They won’t last long.
After work tonight on the drive home we were talking food. Harpreet said, “Shall we stop in Phase 7 and get aloo tikka?” Now Rob wrote in June about going with Harpreet to this street vendor to have aloo tikka – basically a potato cake – cooked outside on a nearly flat wok. This is another kind of chaat or street snack.
So we stopped, found the guy busily at work and ordered 6 - one each for Harpreet, Rob, me, and Aman, our driver, plus two take-out for Milo and Harpreet’s dad. I will attach pictures. These went well beyond any potato cake I have ever had, and could be one of the most delicious things I have ever eaten (well, this week, at least). Start with two crispy (on the outside) potato cakes, crumble papri - a crisp fried flour disc (or papdi - not sure if there is a difference) on top, then spoon on plenty of tamarind chutney, then yogurt, then green chutney made of coriander leaves . Don’t forget a handful of thinly sliced onion. Voila! Aloo tikka! Harpreet says this guy comes to that spot every evening at 5 and sells tikka until 8 pm or whenever he runs out – and he sells out every night, so you do not dare get there too late.
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| Aloo Tikka almost ready |
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| The finishing touches |
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| Aloo Tikka--Yummy! |
Hansi
P.S. I forgot to mention that in a case in front of the Amrit Bakery were several goodies for purchase. Two that amused me are the pasta roll and pasta pizza both of which I imagine would be a dietician's worst nightmare. Probably delicious. Heck, you could always serve lots of greens on the side, right?
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