Deep Bora writes about...

Diwali and Savory Dishes

Diwali is being celebrated in India — the "festival of lights" — symbolised by bursting of crackers and in which festivity millions of dollars equivalent currency is burnt to ashes. A waste of precious money yet a necessity, I suppose, in terms of a national celebration. Can you calculate the billion-odd dollars burnt overnight on New Year's eve? In 'International celebration' terms.

[Don W.] When I was a student, a roommate of mine, from Madras, cooked us a “home made” curry for lunch one weekend. Starving students, we both dived in when it was ready. My friend looked up and saw sweat pouring off my brow and tears running down my cheeks. “Terrible, terrible,” he exclaimed. “I should not have made it so hot.”

“Oh no, it’s delicious,” I sobbed. “May I have some more?”

Madras, now classified Chennai, is famous for its spicy and hot curries and the 'sambar' curry beats them all! It is served with dosas, idlis, vadas, etc. You were not the first to shed tears as hot south Indian curry affected your taste buds. The taste is simply like that: too good for a meal. I can well understand the predicament you were in.

But I would say you have missed out the north Indian cuisines and the west Indian, too. These are hot and spicy, yet comparable with south Indian delicacies. The Chaat tikkies, Cholay Bhaturay, Dahi Vada, puri-sabji, mutton rogan josh, chicken butter masala, and the list could go on.

The eastern Indian cuisine — to which I have become accustomed now — leans primarily to fish items and there are several mouth-watering dishes served with rice and an array of vegetables. Chicken and mutton also are an inseperable part of the diet, but fish is the main course meat.

Thank you for a most... tasteful... letter, Deep. There is only one drawback: now I’m hungry! I’m sure that Indian restaurants around the world can thank you and Bewildering Stories for their sudden increase in business. Could you send us some recipes? Even if we can’t pronounce the names properly, I’m sure we’ll want to try whatever it is.

Don