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Bazaar Food for a Bizarre Girl

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Our Civilizations of India Course recently took an intriguing field trip to the Indian Bazaar in Richardson, Texas. In the 30 minute car ride to the Bazaar I was left wondering what to expect out of this trip. All I knew was the information I gleaned from the article Professor Ball-Phillips gave. When I first heard about the field trip I only expected a restaurant that served street food, but I soon learned it was much more than that. This chaat cafe was a combination grocery store and restaurant.

Upon first entering the Indian Bazaar, I noticed both the bright green walls and the stacks and stacks of what appeared to be large bags of rice. I knew from the article that most of the items sold in the store would not be what I am accustomed to in a grocery store, but I was still surprised. As I rounded the corner I found a larger variety of fresh fruits and vegetables than I had ever seen before. I saw piles of uncut ginger and a pyramid of coconuts, both in an out of their husk. As I weaved through the isles I found myself relying mostly on how foods looked to determine their names since almost all of the branding was in a foreign script.fullsizerender-4

Once I had wandered around the store and made my way back to where I started, I noticed the small cafe that was towards the front of the Bazaar. The only Indian food I had experience with was curry so the menu that I was presented with was entirely new. I knew from the article that chaat cafes were known for their Indian street style food, which is easily assembled, as opposed to curries, which take a skilled chef to cook. Ordering randomly, I choose a samosa chaat and paneer puff to eat that night. img_1252Not knowing what to expect, I was surprised by what I was given. I’m still not entirely sure what the dish I ate was comprised of, but I know that it was delicious. The first shocking part of the ood was that it was cold. I’m not entirely sure why I expected it to be hot, but when I first grabbed the bowl from the counter I was shocked that something that looked like a cooked meal was cold. Later, after eating a couple bites, I was also shocked that something served cold could taste so hot!Next, I was also surprised by the contents. I had never eaten whole chickpeas before, but I can confidently img_1255say I will be looking for them in future meals. I was also slightly worried about the yogurt that was served with the chaat. I had never had unsweet yogurt before, but was pleasantly surprised by how the bitterness complemented the rest of the flavors that the dish contained.

Ultimately, my time at the Indian Bazaar was not as bizarre as I expected it to be. I was more than satisfied with both the food and the culture that I was surrounded with and plan on going back to try even more of the menu.

Micah Oxner

Sen, Arijit. “From Curry Mahals to Chaat Cafes: Spatialities of the South Asian Culinary Landscape.” California Studies in Food and Culture, Volume 34: Curried Cultures: Globalization, Food, and South Asia. Ed. Krishnendu Ray and Tulasi Srinivas. Berkeley: U of California, 2012. 196-218. Print.

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