Indian Cuisine

Was there any doubt that I would be gorging myself in India?

I remember my first introduction to Indian food. Having moved with my family to Singapore I was confronted by a very different lifestyle to the one I had grown accustomed to in Australia. What shocked me the most was the amazing difference in the food and the attitude towards food. Spice wasn't something to be had everynow and again, it was a MUST with every meal. All of the flavours I experienced were new and at times, I can honestly admit that it felt a bit alien to me. Taste is an interesting thing, and I found myself wanting to eat simple foods I had grown up with, a meat pie, mashed potatoes, grilled chops .... I find it amazing, looking back at myself in those days, that my palate was as limited as it was.

As time went by I found myself wandering the streets in boredom with my brother (we were both still relatively new to Singapore and didn't have cable TV or the internet at the time to keep us busy). In the days before the third rail line was constructed, getting to the non-station places was alot harder. Eventually, we stumbled upon the Little India, the famous Indian district in Singapore. There we found a whole new world of spice, flavours and textures. The simplest masalas and biriyanis were like a smack to the face. The rotis and naans became instant favourites for my brother and I found myself drinking cup after cup of chai.

Our first stop in Chennai would prove to be one of the best for us food-wise. Chennai may not be the tourist Mecca like some other places, but it is unique. For one thing, it is the centre of Tamil Nadu, the largest Tamil state in the world. This gives the food of the region a distinct flavour that you don't find elsewhere. We were lucky enough to be treated to the cooking of Manu's mother. I love homecooking and this gave us all a nice insight into what it was like to eat in a normal Tamil home.Of the food that we were given, I noticed the emphasis on rice and coconut milk. It was Indian food, but there was a very clear tinge of South-East Asia in the style. My favourite in Tamil Nadu would be the mutton biriyani. I would search it out in other places, but would never find anywhere else that could create the perfect combination of taste and tenderness.

Doesn't the biriyani look appetising? Served on a banana leaf with all the condiments (God I wish I had some right now....)

The next stop was Kerala with its famous locally grown rice and fresh fish. Again, the feeling of the tropics was there in the food. The fluffy Kerala rice was delicious. It was the perfect compliment to the curries, soaking up their sauces.

The time we spent in Goa gave us a very different style of cuisine. Here we found a clash of cultures. While the food was still very much Indian, there was a distinct Portuguese influence. One of the most famous dishes was a pork sausage of all things. It was a coming together of the Christian and Hindu cultures. Each had their own specialities that mixed to form this strange cuisine catering to all. The strangest food experiences I had in India were definitely found in Goa. Curries would be eaten with European style bread rolls, street food consisted of stuffed potato croquettes.

At one point, we were also all lucky enough to wander into a Rajistani restaurant where we tried some of the vegetarian delights of the Northern states.But of all the places I went, my favourite food was definitely the Bengali food in Calcutta.

The food there was something special. The curries were amazingly flavoured, with a strong focus again placed on seafood (this trip definitely gave me a great appreciation for Indian style seafood). Of all the dishes I had in India, it would a dish I had here that would become my favourite of the entire trip. I have no idea what the name of the dish is, but basically it is a coconut curry prawn. The way they make this dish captures all the freshest flavours of the ingredients which I love. Firstly, they take the top off a coconut. Then they pour in a relatively basic curry sauce. Next the large prawn is added. Then the cocount is resealed and cooked! The resulting dish is like nothing I've ever had. The prawn is soft and infused with the flavour of the curry (which has been enriched by the coconut milk and the flavour of the coconut flesh). The coconut is also scraped out and the flesh is served as well, but it now bears little resemblance flavour-wise to coconut, as it has soaked up all of the flavours of the prawn and the curry. It is an amazing dish and I was lucky enough to eat it more than once!
The other food I had in Calcutta was fantastic as well, and we were all able to sample a wide variety thanks to the spread they put on for us at the wedding.

Calcutta was also a good place to experience street food. The region is famous for the snack "chaat" which seems to be word that captures a wide variety of food. It ranges from what looks and tastes like salsa to yoghurty fruit salads. Everywhere we wandered in Calcutta, we would try some of what the streets had to offer us.One of the specialties of the street was called "paan". We tried this in almost every stop we made in India (this particular picture was taken in Chennai).
It's hard to describe what paan is. It's a betel leaf that wraps a range of a different spices and fillings. Manu and Sunny both assured me that paan was famous as a "digestive aid" and they both happily ate (and swallowed) their helpings. Lian commented that eating paan was akin to "eating an Indian shop" due to the intense and almost conflicting flavours. After trying paan several times, I still wasn't quite sure if I was or wasn't a fan.

Not everything was perfectly delicious though. There were several times when I thought that what I was eating was clearly made by someone with no taste buds and the desire to either confuse or hurt the person eating. The "confuse" part was definitely the case when I was eating breakfast one day in Panaji in Goa. I wandered into the old Hotel Venite searching for an "authentic Goan breakfast". What I was presented was apparently what had been eaten back in the time of the Portuguese rule of Goa. It was a strange soupy, porridgy dish called "tisan". Ground millet made into a thin gruel. It tasted of nothing. Worse than nothing, it tasted of nothing but had a bitter aftertaste. Being a good boy who always eats what is put in front of me, I silently choked down this terrible breakfast.

However, the biggest disappointment for me were the desserts. I had been assured that Indian desserts were spectacular treats to be savoured. Sadly, I found that this was not the case. What I found was that the overwhelming sweetness of the desserts was not matched by the variety of flavours that I had hoped for. Instead, almost everything tasted of cardomom flavoured, ridiculously sweet something or other. Now, I don't jump to this decision lightly and without basis either. Having spent a fair amount of time in the Middle East, I knew what it was like to eat sickly sweet desserts. But this was different. In the Middle East, the desserts have an intense sweetness, but they are balanced by delicate textures and complenting flavours such as pistacchio and custards. I didn't find this in the Indian sweets though, the dominating flavours were just too much (alot like much of India). It hit you directly and without any subtlety.

Even the stores the desserts were sold in were brightly coloured and almost garish in appearance. It was a feast for the senses, but sadly I had no stomach for it.

Meeting the Locals

When you're travelling through Europe, many people will develop the "Not another cathedral" syndrome, where the thought of seeing yet another cathedral or church is enough to drive them to drink (that being said, there are many other reasons in Europe driving you to drink).

Old Goa was a bit different though. I still had fresh memories of walking into some of the cathedrals in Vienna, glancing around, and walking straight out after soon realising they were relatively uninspiring in comparison to what I had seen earlier. I was a little bit worried that this would happen again in Old Goa due to the high concentration of old churches and cathedrals in this relatively small area. Luckily, I didn't find myself getting bored. What I was confronted with in Old Goa was a huge and varied mixture. I found everything from the massive and grand cathedrals, to the small and reserved churches. Most impressive of all was the level of detail that was placed into the paintings and the decorations inside each of the cathedrals though. It gave a sense of European grandeur that I didn't expect to find in India.

The ruins of St Augustin's were the last thing we would see on our trip to Old Goa. In a way, it was fitting thing to leave for the end. The dilapidated ruins offered such a contrast to the other things we had seen, offering just a glimpse of the incredible scale of what was once there, but showing now the true condition of area.


Walking through the old ruins, we were also confronted by some of the locals. I've heard it said many times that the best part of travelling isn't the things you see or the places you go, but it's the people you meet. I never thought much about this in the past. In fact, I was usually of the opposite opinion. After all, who cares about meeting new people when you're in a place to "see the place". If anything, meeting random locals would distract you from the primary goal!

But, as I got older, I came to understand this statement in its true meaning. While I still want to see the sites of the places I go to, the interactions with other people adds an element to travelling that is special in itself. Meeting the locals gives you a perspective on a place that cannot be found in any book or by wandering around place, and meeting other travellers is always great for a laugh or to share some experiences with.

Wandering through the ruins, we were accosted by some area's children.

With their parents hard at work, these kids were left to run around the ruins to keep themselves entertained.

Running through the ruins with these kids was hilarious. Their contant laughter and smiles lit up our moods and changed the very feel of the place.
It was also nice just to see where they were running around within the ruins. They led us to areas we probably wouldn't have seen if we had gone ourselves and just added yet another interesting event to what may have been a "not another cathedral" visit.

The Incorrupt Body of St Francis Xavier

OK, this is the most amazing thing I would see in India.



I had been shocked many times before, but this, I was now certain was by far the most amazing thing to be seen in India.

This was the Basilica of Bom Jesus.

It's another beautiful and large structure.

And initially, you would wonder why this place is so much more amazing than the others?

It's what's on the inside that makes this place so special.
Inside this basilica are the mortal remains of St Francis Xavier.

This was the famous "Incorrupt Body of St Francis Xavier". The very St Francis Xavier who travelled through Asia and became the patron Saint of the Jesuit order!

After he died, his body was brought back to Goa where it was interned in this large casket. Apparently, even years after his death, his body remained perfectly intact.

It felt strange to be standing here in this basilica in front of one of the most famous Saints in the Catholic church, all the while knowing that outside I would be confronted by the heat of India....

The Wonders Never Cease

The Church of St Cajetan.

You'd think that after wandering around all of these churches and cathederals, we'd be bored by now.
Not really!

Every new place we walked into gave us a new insight into the wealth that Old Goa must have possessed.

This Church was particularly magnificent.

It reminded me a little of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.

And yet for all of the awe that it inspired it me, even here I was shocked to see the idiocy of others.

I was a little disgusted to see a tourist marching around in a loud voice and deciding that the alter would be the best place to set up his camera equipment to take his photos.

Hot in Old Goa

My God it's hot....

Just ridiculously hot.
After walking out of the Se Cathederal we went searching for some shade and a place to sit down.

The open fields between all of the churches created an almost regal feel. As though tea time and cricket were just around the corner.

I guess both were possibilities being in India, but not in the sense I was thinking....

The Se Cathederal

Next on the list of things to see was the Se Cathederal.
This was epic.

It was absolutely enormous in fact.

This cathederal was stunning.

It sits next to the Church of St Francis Assisi and amazingly it trumps that in terms of size and opulence.

Wandering through this cathederal, I genuinely felt as though I was in Europe again. The quiet feel of the place was once again, a world away from the noise of India.

It was also unsurprising when I discovered that the Se Cathederal is the largest cathederal in all of Asia.

This really is an enormous structure.

Entering Old Goa

Goa is famous not only for its beaches, but also for its interesting history.

Up until 1961, Goa was a Portuguese territory (until the Indian Army invaded) and this influence is clearly felt in the architecture.


So after wandering through Panjim, we headed towards Old Goa.

Old Goa was the original capital of Portuguese controlled Goa. Apparently during its peak it was the largest "European" city in the world, larger than Lisbon, larger than London.

Arriving there on the bus, it became fairly apparent that this city was indeed once something to behold. The first thing we decided to see was the Church of St Francis Assisi.

This was more than a surprise.

This was an amazing church. Gilded in gold, it would rival even the largest cathedrals I had seen when I travelled through Europe.

The intricacies of the interior was a clear demonstration of the oppulence and wealth that this city must have had.

No More Beaches

We were done with the beaches. It had been lots of fun lazing on the beaches around Baga, Calingute and Anjuna, but our time there was over.

From here, it was decided that a different side to Goa needed to be seen. A look at the more traditional side of life here.

So, after a bit of haggling we found ourselves a taxi driver who drove us to the capital of the state of Goa, the town of Panaji (now known as Panjim).

This was the seat of Portuguese rule in Goa, right up until the Indian army invaded in the 60s.

Though only about 20 minutes from the beautiful beaches, Panaji didn't feel like it belonged in the same world. It was a relatively small town and it had a much more relaxed feel than the other places I had been in India.

The small size was great as it meant that a walking tour would allow us to see most of what we wanted to see here.

Firstly was a Monkey Temple. It turned out that it was next to a primary school and we were confronted by dozens of kids confused by why random foreigners were aimlessly strolling around.
The main attraction was up the road though.

"Our Lady of the Immacuate Conception Church".

This large church has the prime position at the top of a hill overlooking the entire town.

It provided some nice views of the town. I was very surprised by how much it reminded me of Macau and the ruins of St.Paul's that also sit on top of a hill.

The streets of Panaji continue to hold their old world feel. They are narrow and the buildings are mostly left overs from the Portuguese rule.

It was nice to wander through these laneways, contemplating once more the ridiculous contrasts that India had thrown at us.

The Anjuna Flea Markets

Every Wednesday on Anjuna beach, there are the famous beach markets.

At least I was assured that they were famous.

To be perfectly honest, I had never heard of them in my life. But since I was in the area, I thought I'd head over and have a look.
The setting was nice.

In fact it was very picturesque.

The locals were out in force as were Karnatakans with their wares.

The wares of the Karnatakans were particularly impressive. The women, dressed in their full finery were a sight to behold, as they shimmered in the light.

And India being India ("TII") we were starting to get used to the bizarre sights that we came across on what seemed like a daily basis.

I knew that this was a touristy market, but it was a bit depressing being there. The Russians and Brits were everywhere, pushing and shoving their way through, demanding as always. This market wasn't a market for anyone besides tourists and the junk that was being sold was evidence of this fact.

But, it was a beautiful location, and it was pleasant to be able to wander through the stalls whilst listening to the Karnatakan musicians.

Nightlife in Goa

Goa is famous for its nightlife.

It's considered a party hub and it attracts tourists from all over the world for this reason.

However, do to the recent events in Mumbai, the tourists had stayed at home.

It made going out a bit of a strange experience. We found ourselves in some truly amazing bars and clubs ..... that were completely empty.
It was another one of those surreal experiences in India.

As we sat in these bars, LCD displays showed us images of the parties that had been occuring in the clubs only recently. Yet now, the parties were gone.

Instead, we sought out different entertainment.

Entertainment that was closer to the beach.

We were lucky enough for instance, to be given a travelling circus show one night!

And even if the clubs were empty, that didn't mean we couldn't have fun.

The beach was close, the service was good, and we had friends all around.

Fun times are bound to happen with such a combination regardless of whether other parties are occuring.

Fort Aguada

Lazing on the beach was fantastic.

But Lian and I couldn't keep still and we needed to go exploring. Whilst the others decided that they would prefer to lounge by the pool, we set off looking for new things to see.
After an early breakfast, we set off towards Fort Aguada. Starting off near Baga, we slowly walked the entire length of the beach.

After what seemed like an age (it included stops for swims and drinks), we reached the first part of the old fort.

Lots of restoration work has been done to make it look more like what it did during the time of the Portuguese in the 16th century.

Right next to part of the fort is a small section of beach, secluded away and used almost exclusively by the guests of the swanky five star resort.

Lian and I decided to continue walking around.

The landscape changed dramatically.

This really didn't feel like India anymore.