And Now Introducing India...

Upon arriving in India we were immediately met by a large raised frieze of various mudras. These larger than life sculptures of hands in various meditative positions reminded me immediately that I was not in Kansas anymore, or Thailand, or Bali, or…well, you get the idea. Exiting the airport the air was some of the coolest and driest that I had felt in well over six months, and it was absolutely lovely. After only a little bit of hassle, we found our driver whom the hotel had arranged to fetch us from our flight, and we were on our way. The simply surreal sights of New Delhi, the wide and winding streets, the auto rickshaws (the Indian version of a tuk tuk), and the architecture echoing the rajas and sultans that had once led this land were starkly contrasted by a various assortment of new and well equipped cars, well manicured properties, and the blaring American hip hop music that our driver seemed to enjoy playing for us. Allow me to spend just a moment of your time here, as the music needs to be noted. I don’t think I have ever enjoyed Usher as much as I do now, after hearing him blared from our driver’s car. Or maybe that isn’t exactly accurate, maybe it isn’t Usher, but rather the Indian DJ who had mixed beautiful Bollywood with down and dirty dance. Genius!

We came in late on a Sunday night, and the traffic was at a minimum, as was the noise. Where was the Delhi chaos that I had heard so much about? Where was the mass of bodies in every direction? Where was the gridlock? Where were all the street food stalls? Where was I? Then the scene started to change as we passed the Old Delhi Gate, and I started to wonder –this time for very different reasons—where was I? Old Delhi could not be more different than New Delhi. Imagine the outskirts of Bangkok, but dirtier, filled with more homeless people, and a lot grittier—no help? Okay, imagine the slums of any major American city, and you would be getting close. We were prepared for things to be a little dirtier, stranger, scarier—and had in fact signed up for it willingly. We were not disappointed. As we made our way to our hotel, through the hotel, and up into the room, I found myself wondering why we had chosen The Tara Palace Hotel in Old Delhi. However, it was far too late to change our plans now, and we opted to keep our room in Delhi for the next couple of nights. As we fell asleep, I prayed that all would be well, and that we wouldn’t wake with bed bugs, or worse.

Prayers answered, we woke the next morning to a scrumptious breakfast of curried potatoes and fried bread which they refer to as paranthas. India does breakfast the right way if you ask me. We headed downstairs to discuss our options with the hotel’s travel agent, and found that we could hire a car for the entire trip for about $215 per person—given that we would be running close to this with trains, buses, auto rickshaws, and tours, we decided that in order to enjoy our 12 day stay more thoroughly it was well worth the cost—even if it was out of my budget. Social life this May? Social life smocial life! Who needs it? It didn’t take very long leaving our hotel behind to realize that the answer was, “Not me!”. Trying to navigate everywhere we went without a car would have been expensive, time consuming, and extremely frustrating.

The day began in earnest at Humayun’s Tomb one of the 15 UNESCO World Heritage sights in India. Humayun’s Tomb immediately conjures thoughts of an earth-toned Taj Mahal—albeit on a much smaller scale. The 16^th century structure brought Persian architecture to India. Constructed of red sandstone and white marble, the main building, smaller structures, and manicured lawns retain notes of the splendor that this complex must have once been. Walking the grounds, and wandering in and out of the main building had me bobbing along like a bobble headed doll, and snapping pictures like the paparazzi. It also filled me with a deep sense of gratitude, and enough awe to squeeze a couple of tears out of my eyes. I also found myself thirsty, ravenous, and more than a little hot after our hour long walk around the site.

Thankfully our driver took us to one of the best spots in Delhi for Tandoori Chicken, which we tucked right into, along with a spicy mutton filled nan, and the standard serving of pickled veg and chutnies. Who’s a happy girl?

Our bellies properly filled, and our bodies rehydrated we headed for yet another UNESCO World Heritage site. According to Lonely Planet the Qutb Minar, “is a Babel-like tower of victory, which closely resembles similar Afghan towers.” What they fail to mention is how this structure, which began construction in 1193, still inspires so much reverence from anyone who visits the site. The guide also fails to mention how when the sun is at a certain point in the sky, shadows fall in between the glowing rays this structure was built to catch. It also fails to mention that if you are very lucky, and very patient, the winds will pick up at just the moment when you are between the older structures’ dilapidated walls the wind will pick up just right, and you will feel the divine embrace you. Or maybe that’s just my over active imagination? Thank the powers that be for that gift ;) I spent nearly two hours wandering around the many gorgeous buildings, columns, and preserved yet crumbling structures of this site before exhausting every possible nook and cranny.

Maybe it was the heat, maybe it was my dehydration, maybe it was exhaustion, but when we next stumbled into the Delhi Haat Emporium I felt, rather euphorically, that I had stumbled into the den of 40 thieves. Glittering jewels, gorgeously grafted Ganeshas, and billowing bolts of beautiful fabric left me drooling. As is often the case in Southeast Asia nothing fit, and I almost made it out without a single purchase (which is saying something given how much I love Indian goods), that is until they pulled out a beautiful white silk bolt of fabric embroidered with glittering peacock feathers. Those of you who really know me know that this is the point where trouble came soon after. You guessed it! Within less than five minutes they had me measured and were off making two Indian ladies tunics for me out of this gorgeous find, which I am currently waiting for them to deliver as I sit writing this account of my very first day in incredible India.

For now I will leave you with this recipe for Tandoori Chicken, and warm wishes for all of your childhood dreams coming true.

Enjoy,

The Epicurous Gypsy

Classic tandoori chicken from India is marinated in yogurt, lemon juice, and plenty of spices, then grilled or broiled. Plan ahead. This recipe needs to marinate at least 8 hours or overnight.

Prep Time: 8 hours, 45 minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Total Time: 9 hours, 30 minutes

Ingredients:

1 (3-pound) chicken, cut into serving pieces, skinned and trimmed of all visible fat

1/2 cup plain yogurt

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice or malt vinegar

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1 tablespoon peeled and grated or crushed ginger root

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper

2 teaspoons salt, or to taste

Vegetable oil, for brushing

Fresh cilantro sprigs for garnish

Slices of cucumber, red (Spanish) onion, tomato and lemon, for garnish

Preparation:

Prick the flesh of the chicken all over with a fork. Then, using a sharp knife, cut slashes in the flesh to allow the marinade to penetrate. Place the chicken in a nonreactive large, shallow dish.

In a nonreactive bowl, combine the yogurt, lemon juice or vinegar, garlic, ginger, cumin, ground coriander, cayenne pepper, cardamom, cloves, black pepper and salt. Stir until well-mixed, then pour the mixture over the chicken and rub it into the flesh, turning the chicken several times. Cover and refrigerate 8 hours or overnight. (Do not marinate for longer than 2 days.) Remove the chicken from the refrigerator at least 30 minutes before cooking.

The chicken may be grilled or roasted. If using a charcoal grill, prepare a fire for direct-heat cooking. Position the grill rack 5 inches from the fire. Allow the coals to burn until white ash covers them and the heat is moderate.

Remove the chicken from the marinade, pressing lightly to extract excess marinade, and brush with oil. Place the chicken pieces on a well-oiled grill rack and; grill, covered, with the vents open, turning 3 or 4 times, 45 minutes or until the juices run clear when a piece is pierced near the bone with a knife.

If roasting, preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Place the chicken on a rack in a roasting pan, brush with oil, and cook, turning once, 25 to 30 minutes until the juices run clear when a piece is pierced near the bone with a knife.

Serve with sprigs of cilantro and slices of cucumber, red onion, tomato, and lemon.