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 India Like This Only will be taking a break from posting for the month of November through till the end of the year. We will resume posting content very soon.


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Ajwain: don't take the name in vain

The first time I tasted ajwain was in Macchi Amritsari. I must have been about 17 at the time and a young student at the Institute of Hotel Management in Dadar Mumbai. I’d pick up work as a banquet server, working for hotels and catering companies that cater giant fancy events for fancy rich people. Harpal Singh was this giant of a Sardarji, who ran some of the best Punjabi food in Mumbai. My job for the evening was to be the invisible guy in a black bow tie who floats around with a tray of appetizers. “Amritsari Macchi, ma’am, sir” was what would tell the sahib folk, all engrossed in conversation. Of course, once in the back, I’d sneak a taste of the goods. The unique floral essence with a mildly bitter finish made my developing mind go “Ooh…. what’s that ?” That’s when I remember coming to isolate this peculiar flavor and understand it for what it is. It was ajwain that made that particular Amritsari Macchi spectacular. Otherwise it’s just another deep fried fish with spices. The ...
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A Sindhi Kadhi Experience

  Being the cultural melting pot of a city that it is, Mumbai is known for its opulent and extravagant food scene. However no restaurant can capture the warmth, authenticity and love of a home cooked meal. One of my most cherished memories of my Mumbai trip was a true Sindhi dining experience, thanks to the gracious invitation to dinner by my Sindhi school friend, Deepak Choithramani.  The Sindhi people originally hail from the province of Sindh, an area of great historical significance dating back to the Indus Valley civilization of 2500 BCE which is now in modern day Pakistan. This was a thriving community the country’s Independence in 1947. The partition caused the displacement of hordes of Hindu Sindhis, who were forced to flee to India to avoid persecution, forced conversion and genocide. They settled in many parts of northwestern India, primarily Gujarat and Maharashtra, and started their lives from scratch. In just a few decades of that happening, the Sindhis  esta...
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Diwali: Dancing like never before

The year 1996 was the last time I celebrated Diwali in India. Wow, that's 25 years ago! In May of 1997, I left India for good and made Toronto my new home. Diwali forever became a memory for me. Sure, there were small pockets of Indian immigrants who got together to organize gatherings in the community. These were fun, but nothing compared to the way entire cities would erupt into celebration in India. The country is transformed during this week. Being the festival of lights, complete city blocks after city blocks are covered in string lights. People illuminate their homes with little diyas, these tiny clay vessels candles scattered around. The characteristic sting of burning gunpowder makes your eyes water as rambunctious kids of all ages frolic around getting into all sorts of mischief. With each exploding firecracker, you are pushed one step closer to complete hearing loss. You are dazzled by the fountains of bright sparkles bursting into the air on every street corner. Little c...
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