I love curry. I grew up on it as my Mum lived in India for about 25 years so curry was a staple meal in our home. My Dad always says unless you sweat and have a runny nose when you are eating your curry it isn't a good curry!
Well I have been back in India now 3 1/2 months and it has been curry, curry, curry. I definitely have got to the stage where even the odd chocolate bar, packet of chips or biscuits can't satisfy my appetite for something different. So rather desperate for a different flavour I headed off around town, Mcleod Ganj, in the Himalayas where the Dalai Lama lives, to see what I could find. There are lots of Tibetan and Indian restaurants and restaurants that claim to serve 'continental' food though it is an Indian version of 'continental' food so still has the Indian flavours. I then stumbled across this Italian restaurant, Jimmy's Italian Kitchen. Looked a bit suss from the outside with a menu claiming all things Italian though being rather desperate at this stage I decided to take the plunge and try it out.
Menu looked good, pastas, pizzas, salads and even home made deserts like apple crumble with cream or a hot fudge brownie sundae! Though the proof is always in the taste test. So I ordered spaghetti, mozzarella and tomato salad and apple crumble for desert. First came the salad and after the first mouthful I was in heaven. One would never imagine I was tucked away in a side alley of a Tibetan street listening to country music by candlelight enjoying every morsel of a salad that had absolutely no flavours of India. If I closed my eyes I could be in Italy in some street cafe enjoying the fresh produce of the land.
The spaghetti arrived and it was just as good. The napolitana sauce was light and tasty and even the twirling of the spaghetti around my fork was a pleasure I had so often taken for granted before. This was then followed by my hot apple crumble with fresh cream. All this cost me Rupees 160 about $5 Australian dollars. Devine gourmet pleasure that came cheap!
As I headed back to my place the boys asked me how was my dinner. They just stared at me blankly as I described the delights of my Italian meal. "Have you every eaten Italian food" I asked them. "No" was the resounding reply. Well no wonder they just don't understand. "You have curry tomorrow night?" they ask. Anything else but curry! I need a couple of days break and then I will be back eating curries with a vengeance.
When reading the post "Marketman & Family Check into hospital..." at Market Manila it reminded me of a time, 25 years ago now, when I was living in Kuala Lumpur and my Mum started a foodie group called 'Galloping Gourmets'. Each month they would find some out of the way eatery with great food. My favorites were Malacca Mud Crabs and Clay Pot Chicken. Extra delicious due to eating with our fingers I am sure!
