Indian food

[Monica Bhide]

Thanks so much for participating in this Q&A.

I understand that you have travelled to India. Can you tell us a bit about your trip? Where was your most memorable meal?

Also the India forum on eGullet, which I host, has had many discussions around the coming of age of Indian cuisine in the US. The consensus - we are still unsure if Indian cuisine has become as popular as say Chinese. Your thoughts?

Thanks once again.

Best wishes

Monica Bhide

[Mimi Sheraton]

My visit to India - about a month-long - was in 1960 but I do remember some wonderful meals. In those days, MotiMahal in New Delhi, had not yet achieved tourist status and the tandoori grilled meats and chicken, served with slivers of hot green chile peppers on the side, were a revelation, as was the naan. I also loved Bombay street foods such as bel poohri (forgive spelling ifi i differs from yours) and enjoy it now at Madras Mahal on Lexington Ave. in NYC. Indian vegetarian food is probably the world's best with so much flavor one never misses the substance of meat...flavor to chew on.

I think Chinese and Japanese are better know becasue theya re more prevalent and easier to understand and both offer many dishes not too exotically flavored. Upscale Indian restaurant had a hard time when they first opened in NY because like several other cuisines, they were fromerlly found only in cheap restaurants and the public was not used to paying high prices for them. Also many people I suggest Indian food to, say "I don;t like curry" and that's that..too bad for them.