Indo Italian Fusion

This is the last post of 2013. Let 2014 bring all my friends more prosperity and happiness than past. Let me take you to the first decade of this millennium and share a Indo-Italian fusion.

The new millennium brought in many changes in the food culture. Western fast food joints were already doing good business. KFC that had a hard time in last decade tried their luck with renewed efforts to stage a successful comeback. Australian coffee shop, Gloria Jean, was also trying for space in the Indian market. So all in all, everything was looking great with impressive economic growth.

The era was fusion was gaining ground. Spring Roll Dosa to Chinese Bhel and McAloo Tikki to McSpicy Paneer everything was becoming popular. At Domino’s Kheema Do Pyaaza started shaking hands with Chicken Mexicana. Pizza Hut designed Veg Pizzas, all different combinations were being made available to Indian customers. For various reasons Italians had a different say in India. Few Italians are so well-known as Pizza is known in India, right from Delhi to a village. Somehow apart from Pizza other Italian cuisine had not much of luck in India. Risotto, Lasagna, Spaghetti, and many other specialities could not attract average Indian foodie. Pasta has not really clicked in the Indian market. May be the pastas are bland and tasteless. It is the sauce, cheese, herbs etc add taste to the pasta, and perhaps that did not find favour of Indians.

Ingredients for Dal Botie

Pasta is a traditional Italian food. Pasta is made in most part of the world from wheat . Pasta can be in different forms either as a sheet or shapes or what one can commonly calls as a noodles. About 310 different forms of pasts have been documented. Basically there are two categories of pasta, fresh and dried. There is a subdivision as long pasta and short pasta. Long pasta has travelled across the world and depending upon the diameter it is referred as vermicelli, spaghetti, fedelini, capellini etc. In India we have it as semiyan, sevai, etc. In the eastern part of the world, wheat has been replaced by rice. China, Thailand, Indonesia and even South India have rice noodles, a form of long pasta. Iranians brought a different form of pasta to India, very often we have it with Kulfi, it’s what we call as Falooda. Middle East and North East Africa including Egypt, use the long pasta mostly for deserts and it’s known as She’reya. Semiyan are mostly consumed as a sweet preparation, with exception of South India where it is also used to make savory Semiyan Upma.

Short pasta did not attract the eastern part of the world as long pasta. Various forms like penne, macroni, farfalle, spighe, riccioli, rigates etc. have no takers in India. The Minute Pasta, also called as Pastina, is used more in soups, but again Indians did not accept it. Coming back to dried sheet pasta, I get reminded of a wonderful preparation that my mother used to make, it was a complete meal for me. For her it was a variation from regular meals and took same or perhaps more time to prepare. The preparation was Dal Dhokli, a Roti cooked in Dal. I took cue from same to make my own version of Dal Dhokli, it’s fusion of Italian pasta with Indian Dal. I have used whole wheat "bow ties", a form of farfalle pasta for this preparation.

Indo Italian Fusion

Recipe: Take a bowlful of leftover Dal. If you were too hungry to finish everything earlier night, then you will have cook Dal, preferably split and skinned pigeon peas (Toor Dal, Arhar Dal). Take 25 bow ties in a microwave safe bowl or casserole. If hungry you may add few more. Add water and ensure the water level at least half an inch above the bow ties level. Add little less than half teaspoonful salt. Microwave on high for twelve minutes. While bow ties are getting cooked. Place a yoke on gas stove. Add one and half tablespoonful refined oil of your choice. Avoid olive oil. Add mustard seeds, once these splatter, add half teaspoonful of Carom seeds (Ajwain) and add teaspoonful each or turmeric (haldi) powder, red chills powder, garam masala (any branded garam masala will do). Immediately add cooked dal to this. Add water to have desired consistency (as thick as good quality sweet corn soup). Let mixture boil. Remove bow ties from microwave, drain the water. Add these bow ties to boiling dal. Reduce the heat and let boil for two minutes. Add salt if needed (depends if the cooked dal had any salt). Add Little Dry Mango (Amchoor) powder or lime juice if you like sour dal (it’s optional) and  finally add chopped coriander leaves.

Pour the above in a serving bowl. Add spoonful or more of Desi Ghee (check with cardiologist and check your serum lipids) for that irresistible wonderful taste and flavor. Enjoy.

PS: Many of my friends in the US have started enjoying this preparation. Try out at least once.
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