Last Tuesday as a class we took a trip to the Taj Mahal Imports grocery store with the goal of experiencing an authentic Indian lunch. A short drive up the freeway took us straight into the heart of another culture. Taj Mahal Imports is located in a plaza sandwiched between a small café and a movie theater. As soon as you walk inside, you are enveloped by the smell of Indian cooking, even though only aisles of food and art are visible. Brightly colored statues of Ganesh ranging from one foot tall to four are arranged on a table to the left of the door. Copper pots of all sizes decorate the wall of the far side of the shop. Moving down the aisles, no familiar brands jump out, only imported ingredients and oddly modern takes on traditional Indian food (notably the “pizza samosas” in the freezer section).

After some early investigation of unfamiliar goods, we made our way to the very back of the store, where the chaat corner was located (as someone pointed out later, directly behind the hair dye aisle). Chaat, originally a roadside snack in Northern India (Sen 205), eventually became a popular fast-food option inside other businesses like grocery stores. This trend caught on quickly, moving to large cities around the country, as those who found out about these small eateries would spread the word, attracting a large number (and variety) of customers. Chaat, a word that “means to ‘lick’ or ‘taste’ in Hindi” (Sen 205) is known for its variety, and this restaurant was no different.

The menu board offered ten different choices, with small variations available for each dish (amount of spice, garlic/onions, etc). For the most part, these small vegetarian dishes were largely composed of the same ingredients, differing slightly between the balance of potato versus crunchy rice. As the first to order, I got an aloo tika and a samosa chaat. My mother is a chef who trained in classical Indian cooking in Southeast Asia for close to two years, and as a result I am relatively familiar with many Indian dishes, as we frequently eat Indian food at home. How

ever, I have never had chaat, so this was a new experience for me, even though many of the items on the menu were at least partially familiar. Both of my dishes were similar in composition, the big difference being the samosa versus the potato cake. Both were in the same dark flavorful tamarind sauce, filled with chick peas, onions, and garlic, and topped with sev and coriander. I really enjoyed both dishes.

On the way out, interesting snacks such as “masala munch” caught my eye, and while examining them I was approached by a shopper who offered to show me her favorite snacks. As a result, I walked out with a bag of moong dal, or salty fried split mung beans, which are in fact much more appealing than they sound.

After a tasty morning at the chaat corner, I gained a new perspective and higher understanding of the development of modern Indian food culture and how it has adapted to become successful in the states.