My People

Guys, I’ve been all UP in my Indian-ness recently. My naani should be proud.

Over Memorial Day, I went to NYC where I visited my friend Lucy, who in turn took me to the Alvin Ailey Dance Studo (!) where we took a Masala Bhangra class (!!) from Sarina Jain herself, and proceeded to get the.best.calf.workout.of.my.life. No joke. For like 5 days afterwards my calves groaned and stretched and ached, and by the end of the recovery period, I had somewhat-well-defined calf muscles on my skinny chicken legs! Most importantly, though, I had a blast…it was full of heart. Full of drama and passion and strength. It was so much fun. I felt like I’d directly bonded with my people. Shabad, my 100% Indian friend who I grabbed breakfast with that same weekend, welcomed me into the Bhangra-loving-Indian-fold. It was a good weekend.

I’d like to note I haven’t made Indian food since the Vegetable Pulau episode which kicked off this whole blog a year and a half ago. It’s so strange. I’ll delve into Vietnamese, South American, Mexican, Italian, German…but I’m nervous to cook anything Indian. It's almost as if I can’t cook it, because it won’t ever be like home. Does that even make sense? Either way, my trusty roomie Roni was pushing me to make something Indian recently and I finally said okay then.

From The Vagabond Table

I searched all day online for something simple, vegetarian, and Indian. I couldn’t remember my G-ma ever making Chole Palak (Chickpeas and Spinach) so I didn’t feel too nervous. I even decided to make Parathas (minus, of course, the right kind of atta or flour my naani uses, but a girl has to make do with what she and the Whole Foods has, you know.)

From The Vagabond Table

So I came home and I made Indian food. My parathas were wheatier and heavier than my G-Ma’s, but that’s okay. They still tasted good. The Chole Palak was delicious and did what any good Indian dish does…makes your clothes and kitchen smell like spice for 2 days straight. It was a tiny personal triumph, and while a small thing, it was a big thing.

Sorry I've been gone for a minute...a work conference I've been helping to plan for the better part of a year just finished in San Antonio (great city!) and I'm resting for a few days in Phoenix before heading back. Joy to being home with my people, and more recipes to follow.