Sunday Dinner with Friends: a Wonderful Evening

Food is an important part of culture of a country. It is not just eating but it reflects a lot of things about the social culture of the socity it belongs to. After coming to Germany I am discovering a very different food culture. This discovery is one of the most pleasurable experiences I am having here, more so, because I am not just a taker enjoying passively whatever coming on my plate but also participating in a food tandem partnership with Germany.
Last Sunday I invited some of my friends for dinner to experience some typical Indian home-cooked food. So, I cooked for my friends:
Alu Paalak --- Spinach and potato (North India)
Dimer jhol --- typical eggcurry we cook at home (Bengali food)
Kashaa Mangsho --- spicy chicken curry (Bengali food)
Aluseddho --- mashed potato, our kind
sada bhat --- steamed rice
Narkol naru (see below!)
Sujir Payesh (see below!)

My friends brought differnt types of chocolates for me, and wine of Wuerttemberg. Yes, I am, at the moment, in the heaven for chocolates and bread and bier! I must learn how to make these chocolates, some of them at least, before I leave this country!
But, icing on the cake was this:


I am really food-happy here because I am open to taste everything. Maultaschen is one of my favourites and so is Gaisburger Marsch, too. They made me fall in love with Swabia during my first few days here at the hotel.
As I browsed through the book, I came across this piece of wisdom I must share with you:
" Bei den Reichen lernt man das Sparen, bei den Armen das Kochen!"
So true!`

I am so glad that I will be able to cook some of the dishes I have enjoyed and appreciated only in restaurants so far.
Thank you so much, people, I love you! You gave me such a wonderful evening as a gift. And you are the motivation for my most serious hobby i.e.cooking!

Sujir Payesh

Friends for Dinner and My First Narkol Naru

Instructions via a few international phone calls to Mom in India and ingredients of wonderful quality from German supermarket made it possible.The result was a super hit. I prepared my first in life narkol naru --tiny coconnut balls, Kokonussbaellchen!
I am so happy that my friends enjoyed it. It was for them.




Ingredients:
Grated coconut
Sugar
Cinnamon (powdered)
Water(very little, not needed if you can grate the coconut at home)

How to make it:
Mix the ingredients very well.
On a low flame cook it by continuously stirring it until it gets a little sticky.
Let it cool down a little.
Make small balls.

Important:
1) Do not overcook. If it becomes totally dry, it will not be possible to make balls.
2) Make the balls before it becomes cold. When it is cold, it is too tight to give it a shape.

Nippon on My Plate: My First Sushi

Nuernberg, Germany! A gloomy (read: pleasant because not warm)summer evening. Three young people aged a little more or a little less than thirty from Indian, Russia and America are sharing a table in a restaurant that specialises in Sushi.
It was an adventure since Russia forgot even the name of the restaurant even though it was her idea to have Sushhi. LoL! America searched for it in the internet and, so his mobile played the role of a Navi. India happily followed them.

Reward was here:




I learnt how to eat with chop-sticks! That was my take-away!