1)The first time I tried any Indian Food was back in 2012 when I and a couple of friends had gone backpacking in the foothills of Himalayas.
2)We had our base camp at Rishikesh and it was in one of the local dhabas that we first tasted any Indian food.
3) The dish was called "thali"(cuisine meaning in Hindi). It had a variety of dishes, including Rice, dal, Indian bread (naan) and a variety of vegetables. Of that, I just loved the "Palak Paneer". It is a lip-smacking vegetable dish made up of Paneer (Indian Cottage Cheese) and a gravy that mostly includes Spinach
4)Palak Paneer is by far my most favourite Indian Dish.
5) After our trip ended, I did try that dish again in a couple of Indian restaurants in my city.
6) Being a food enthusiast, I even tried cooking the dish at home. I downloaded the recipe from the internet. However, I could not get all the Indian spices that were mentioned in the book.
7) Yes, I have introduced the dish to my other non-Indian friends and they have absolutely loved it. I am even experimenting with cooking other Indian dishes as well. So far I have tried my hand at cooking Malai Kofta, Chicken Tandoori, and Hyderabadi Biryani. So far the verdict of my friends who have tasted these dishes has been good. This encouragement has nudged me to try my hands at cooking other Indian delicacies as well.