Tourist in hometown 1

3rd day in Singapore after 10 months.  Visiting all my favourites within this short period of stay is my motto. So Pho! Vietnamese Summer rolls!! I can live on these rolls for a year!! Feels light and good. Vegetarian version. Now the management might have realised the increasing vegetarianism and didn't want to lose out that portion of market and included a few more options. Love you guys!! Now going back to ding into my fabulous glassnoodles.  Already a spoonful tasted amazing. My fav drink sourplum got a new name, Salty King! I dont mind as the taste is same. Eating hot is the best.

Indian Burger King

My visit to Burger King in India was delightful.  Hash brown was spiced with red chilli flakes.  Ice lemon tea felt very local.  So much of vegetarian choice with local flavours!!  

Restaurant on the way to Mount Nebo

As a vegetarian, and being a diabetic, I always worry about options on my tours. Though compared to many of my family members and friends from the same community, I am much of an adventurer when it comes to food. I like to taste new varieties of food from around the world.

When we planned Jordan, though many write ups on net mentioned amazing food available, I was skeptical. However, after the trip, I decided to visit middle east more to explore their culture and cuisine as their spread of vegetarian food is unimaginably colourful and delicious.

Though every restaurant was hesitant, offered vegetarian options as they were not sure what they were offering will be of my liking or not. For them, the main course is meat based and the "vegetarian" preparations are on the side. For me, those salads, dips, baked or steamed vegetables, breads, etc were more than enough.

This Restaurant Souk near Mt Nebo was the only restaurant for the tourists. Many Christians visiting Mt Nebo were like on pilgrimage. We observed many of them were fasting or on diet restrictions or somewhat were like vegetarians as they were picking food from the buffet was mostly vegetables.

The restaurant staff were very service oriented and were quick to every request.

Restaurant Terrace Souk : https://goo.gl/maps/TD6Cq7yK3662





 

Best Kunafe in Aman City

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kanafeh

On the second day of our Jordan tour, Nabil, our guide challenged us to a quick food tour for our lunch. After a hefty lunch at the famous Hashem Restaurant, we walked down the street towards Habibah Alley to grab dessert just like locals. As we approached the alley, we started bumping into people standing around with plates, scooping out something like caramel topped with pistachios. 

This is the first time I tried a middle east dessert and threw in towel, and bowed to their sweet obsession. As an Indian, I was always mocked for my sweet tooth. Here, I felt that Indians and their crazy obsession with sugar is nothing!

There were a few varieties. What we have tasted was a very soft cheese, topped with deep fried crispy noodles dipped in thick sugar syrup and topped with pistachios. 

We felt that, the portion was big enough to be a snack not an after meal dessert. None of us could not complete our take. 

Next time, we will be prepared.

No sugar sweet

Last year I decided to give up sweet or rather sugar or anything that has artificial sweetness in it. It is very hard to pass off Jilebi or rasagulla or chatpat or ras malai after years of eating them with love and passion! But I am still resisting them successfully.

However, once in a while I feel like eating something sweet. Then I am eating fruits. or dried fruits.

Last week I remembered  a home made sweet from my childhood. It was made in Courtallam. Its a wonderful peaceful too close to nature almost a village like in Tamilnadu. My great grand father used to live there in an ashram and I visited the place till he passed away when I was 23 years old.

Whenever we visited the place during jackfruit season, ladies in the ashram used to make the sweet with ripe jack fruit.

Here is the recipe:

1 cup cut ripe jack fruit
2 tsp pure ghee
pinch of cardamom powder

Put a heavy bottom pan on stove on low flame.

Add ghee.

(If you are using cow ghee, then it is even more better as our Ayurveda researchers say, it is good for your joints and is good cholesterol!!)

leave it on fire for 30 mnts, stirring occasionally.

After 30 mnts you will see a soft paste with rich aroma.

Add cardamom.

Remove from stove and eat hot or warm or cold.

The taste is divine (for me)

Good Vietnamese Rice Rolls in Singapore

Wrap & Rolls at ION Orchard, Level B4, serves good vegetarian rice rolls. They have only three vegetarian dishes on their menu. But the two plates we served with the delicious plum drink was more than enough for our dinner!

Vegetarians, don't get scared of your neighbour's plate. Just focus on your order and enjoy this unique rice and vegetables flavor. Its low carb, so don't worry if you are on diet :-)

I ordered Basil and my daughter ordered Mushroom. The restaurant uses vegetarian Oyster sauce. So, Vegetarians, don't worry or get scared when you hear Oyster.

South India Tour - 2013 - Vegetarian food

Our journey through Kerala and Tamilnadu was planned to be more of pilgrimage and spiritual. However, it turned out to be a lot more of food adventure!!!

 

As vegetarians, we didn't find any difficulty in finding good restaurants in India which serve pure vegetarian food. In Kerala and most of Tamilnadu, we enjoyed eating in fresh banana leaves. I must say 'fresh' here as many Indian restaurants in India and also abroad serve food in banana leaves but most of the time, the leaves are not fresh and when hot rice (which the hotel usually has no choice but serve hot) placed in it will smell strange but in the fresh leaves, the fragrance is much more appealing and the rice tastes more better.

 

I didn't get a chance to take many pictures but here are a few and a much more longer list awaits for you on internet to explore. A few times we ate in places which served both non-veg and veg. But we felt very good with the service as the staff in all the restaurants took care in seating us and also making sure that we get a good feel that the food inside was also prepared with care. Without fail we thanked the staff and the management for their special attention. You may think that they might have anticipated a good tip from this large group, but we saw the same treatment with the locals too.

  

In Kottaraka town, we had opportunity to eat at Amgalakkara Regengy's restaurant. The ambiance and 'smell' of the restaurant was pleasant and good. We got a chance to eat Kerala Matta rice here. The rice had a very light texture and felt somewhat sweet. The variety of side dishes we got very unique Kerala flavor. They were not loaded with usual masalas or oil. 

In Trivendrum we went to this absolutely tidy place with delicious thali. They don't serve any idli or dosa or poori. Just meals.

The staff were very friendly and spoke to our kids very gently and answered all their questions. Our kids wanted to know if they can get extra pappalam, less rice, only their chosen veg from the list etc etc.

The restaurant was on the first floor. On the ground floor entrance the pic at the right attracted our attention. Hotel for lady executives?! Felt very good. I had an opportunity once to stay at a hotel in Malaysia with highly secured 'Ladies Only' floor. That official trip went very good as I was at peace when I left my daughter in the hotel room.

Our stop at Trivendrum and Kovalam were filled with adventure with food at different restaurants. Some of them boasting about western food. One of them, along the beach, actually made very good pancakes!

As we reached Tamilnadu, our quest for food reduced and my opportunity to take pictures also reduced as we had to go to many temples and everywhere cameras were no allowed. Though the temples provide safe deposit boxes or rather places, I was not comfortable with them.

Here is my last pic of food in the journey. We were driving through towns and villages at lunch time thinking of finding a good place to eat. Finally what we found proved to be the best and worth waiting for :-)