Yes, I still remember the first time I tried Indian food, It was around March 31th 2011 or maybe April 1st. I had been in Dallas/Irving for about 4 days and me and my coworkers (whom are all Indians) decided to go out for dinner.
So, of course if you are hanging out with indians you don't plan for burgers, dogs and never think about Tacos in my area (Jefferson park in Irving) that would be the last option at least you want to have fake tacos from Taco Bell (later in time I discovered Chipotle which is has the greatest Barbacoa I've ever tried in the US, but that's another story). So we reached "Hot Breads", from the outside you find this place as... You can't tell anything about it, the logo doesn't seem like Indian, not even for the name. So we stepped into the restaurant and I felt like a bean in the rice... Or maybe the other way around, anyway my colleagues ordered something in the counter, luckily all of them order the same so it was no option, I order whatever it was, just "the same".
We took a table and opened our fabulous and delicious Biryanis I took the chicken one, so we started eating (BTW I felt the price to be expensive, around $7 but now I know is fair) and it was like lots of rice some of them white other ones yellow, some chicken and LOOOOOTSSS of species, you could feel all the species just by smell it, and of course complete cloves in the middle... It wasn't bad, but for each spoon I was taking I was feeling more and more pain in my stomach, until I'd had about half plate I decided to stop before ran into an emergency (run for restroom).
After that I decided I wouldn't eat Indian food never again, but as many things I've said I wont do anymore... Just like Britney says Oops I did it again.... I mean what can you do if all your friends, colleagues whatever are indians!! You have to have it!
So my stomach started to be tolerant to Indian food, I went to Rao's apartment for the south Indian version of Egg Curry (after that I had a painful and stinky night at my room), then I tried to prepare it at home which was a complete disaster (I still having the ingredients at home). But what I think was the turning point was Taj's Biryani... It's like a lady's first time, or like when you go deeper in depression... so painful but after that you enjoy. It was so painful that all night and complete next day I had the worst stomachache and diarrhea... But I was prepared, now I was ready for everything, so every time I had a chance I tried new dishes, from different persons... Sahil's, Patel's brothers (Ashis and Sumit) and my favorite Janey!!!! (FYI Janey is boy!).
By that time I also tried my first cup of Chai (Indian tea) which was awesome, I think mainly because it was so sweet and had milk on it, two things I love together, I must say this finding was thanks to Nainita.
So I'll go in detail with the dishes I've tried so far, starting with Janey, he cooks a different version of Rao's egg curry (which I must say is better) he boils and then fries the eggs, yes as you read first boil them and after that fry them... Weird ah? It tastes grate, he also prepares a delicious Rasma (beans) with maaaany species on it, once I tried to learn how to prepare it and I got lost just in the quantity of different species he added, also que prepares Dal (lentils) but not the lentils as I knew them these are yellow ones. That's all for Janey as far as I know, all of them of course with an Indian Basmati white rice.
Now is turn to go back to Hot Breads, I can say that the Biryani I couldn't finish in my very first experience with Indian food, now I find it superb... It is sooo tasty and the chicken in it is great, also you can add some rotten yoghurt on it but just as it comes from the box is very very good. Also from Hot Breads I really love Somosa which is a kind of bread stuffed with spiced potatoes, really really good! And just for 1 buck!!! (They say in India you can get Somosa for only $.10 but we are not in India right?).
Just a little stop to Taj's Biryani which was my graduation for Indian food from that day I knew I was ready for everything and also knew that they took around 7 hours to prepare the Biryani!! My god!
One that I am missing is my wife's friend Jitendra, fish with curry, sooo spicy, soo hot but the good thing is that Jitendra drinks beer so we had good beers with it and that helped to cool down my mouth, also Jitendra's wife prepares hand made Rotis, Roti is the Indian tortilla, so it was like having spicy fish with hand made tortillas! Can you imagine it?
Now I'll move to Chaat Cafe a nice restaurant attended by good looking Nepalis waitresses (of course nothing compared to Hooter's waitresses but they are in different leagues). In this restaurant for first time I found real meat in Indian food, even when it was goat. So I ordered Goat curry with some Chapati which is like a different type of Roti, and it was really good, from here I've also tried Chicken curry and Dal, last one not as good as Janey's one.
So now I've found my self in the way back home from office, feeling like having Biryani or Egg Curry or some Somosas, actually last night I suggested Janey to prepare Egg curry and I invited Estefania and myself to join him, of course he accepted, he's a very nice person.
If you made it to this point of this blog entry you've just finished reading my very first post in English and if I made yourself feel like want to give a shot and try Indian food you certainly must do it, but be sure you have a good anti acid at home ;-)
All the best... Alan
