No rest for the wicked

So I am in India now. Gujarat, India to be exact.



Shortly, after 48 hours touching down in Singapore from New York, I had to pack my bags for India for work. So, still nursing a bad cough which I picked up on my first day in Los Angeles two weeks ago, I had to step on a SIA plane for Gujarat, India. The food on SIA plane was outstandingly bad. Some roasted chicken breast thingy which truly upped the yuck factor.

Gujarat, India is quite possibly, the worst place for me. Gujarat is the only vegetarian and dry state in India. Majority of Gujaratis are staunch vegetarians due to the strong influence of religion. Note that it is a dry state not because it has little rain, but because it does not serve alcohol. The locals told me that it is to honor Mahatma Gandhi whose home was in Gujarat. So no meat and no alcohol. OMG. I am so damn hungry right now that the roasted chicken breast on SIA plane looked so good now. And I desperately need a drink. And I don't mean some drink made from urd.

Indian vegetarian food is the SUXX. I am not being impolite here. But given that I have been to India more times than I could count and had eaten all kinds of rubbish from many countries, I think I am entitled to my opinion on food. Firstly, because of the inconsistent rainfall in India, there are no leafy vegetables here. Seriously. No kangkong (which I thought grows everywhere), lettuce or cabbage. So you have long beans, cauliflowers and other tough vegetables that thrived on little moisture. I only eat leafy vegetables so double whammy for me.

Secondly, Indian vegetarian food destroys the vegetable. It throws so much oil, sugar and spices into the dish that you can't taste the vegetable. I dare anyone to tell me that he or she can taste the vegetable in Undhiyun (curry mixed vegetables) or Ringan nu Shaak. One taste the same as the other. And Indian vegetarian food is so fattening. So you can imagine my frsutration. The food sucks AND I still gain weight from eating these rubbish. I am reduced to eating a big breakfast (just bread and jam and cereal with cold milk) and just drinking water in the day.

I was brought to the best Gujarati restaurant in town to eat vegetarian food last night. The ambiene was nice; it was on the roof of a old colonial building. The restaurant was called Agarshiye and the locals praised it as the best vegetarian restaurant in Gujarat i.e. the whole vegetarian universe.

They poured gee into fulka roti before frying it quickly in flames.
The impressive array of Gujarati vegetarian food, all served on traditional tin platter.

My plate of beans, long bean and some cheese concoction which they told me was called meethi. Oh, the drink was not lassi. It was some "yogurt" drink called chaas and tastes salty. They favoured this milk with green chilies, ginger, coriander leaves and lemon. Sounds healthy? Don't bother. Many local Indians claim that it is healthy. Don't be fooled by the "yogurt" ingredient. They uses buttermilk and claim that it is yogurt.

I had Indian vegetarian food for two days and I am so, so hungry. I am tired half the time and worse still, I kept thinking of a steak.

What I wouldn't give now for a fat juciy Shack burger and a cold beer or vodka on the rocks. I had two of these burgers as my last meal in NY. Never regret it.

I will definitely start drinking on SIA plane back.