While living abroad, I often find comfort in routines or activities that remind me of home. I am absolutely enamored with grocery shopping, it is seriously one of the most enjoyable experiences for me whether it be at a local store, a big supermarket chain or at my beloved farmers market. The entire acts just puts me at ease. I love meal planning and prepping, the whole nine yards. I guess I am very lucky that I also happen to live with an amazing chef and the two of us always enjoy putting something delicious on the table (I promise that once I am home in NY I will post more about our edible and non-edible adventures in the Hudson Valley!).
So, I guess you could call me a creature of habit then. As in Antwerp, I have once again discovered somewhat of a weekend ritual here in the Bhub! Close to Ram Mandir Temple, there is a row of fruit stands that I have begun to frequent, with my darling friend Nicole, on the weekends. The colors and selection are absolutely fabulous and the prices are even better! Two small papaya cost me 40 rupees (64 cents) and I paid the same price for a kilo of the sweetest oranges, while 8 bananas cost 25 rupees (40 cents). The ultimate find was a box of 48 of the plumpest medjool dates for less than $2.50. It is definitely the little things here.
We worked up a bit of an appetite bargaining at the fruit stalls, so on we went to what I guess at this point I can call our favorite South Indian Restaurant. Hotel Priya is considered to be an institute for Southern cuisine in Bhubaneswar, and with good reason. This was our second visit here after a very appreciated recommendation. The first time, Nicole and I arrived early for lunch and enjoyed a chai (tea) while we waited for the kitchen to begin serving lunch at 1pm. The atmosphere is unapologetically Indian, with metal tables and chairs placed in every available space and a trough style sink for washing your hands after your meal, because in India, if you are cool, you eat with your hand. The waiters are polite and efficient as is the kitchen, and I can recommend that you come early or on time (real time, not IST) because this place fills up fast at lunchtime. On our initial trip, we ordered and split: Mutter Paneer- Indian style cottage cheese in a mildly spicy pea gravy, Chana Masala- roasted chickpeas in a liberally spiced red sauce and Mixed Vegetbale curry with Roti. And it was some of the best Indian food I have every had! The Chana Masala was incredible, as the chickpeas were not over cooked and still held a great deal of texture which worked perfectly with the spicy masala that coated them. I enjoy Paneer but it is not something I go out of my way to order, however Hotel Priya really hits the nail on the head with this dish. They sear the cubes first so they are a bit crisp on the outside and the inside is still creamy, all smothered in a slow cooked split pea gravy. For our second visit, we decided to really try the South Indian specialties and I am so glad we did. Hotel Priya is famous for their South Indian Dosas, basically a huge crepe made out of a batter consisting of ground rice and lentil paste, then poured out onto a hot griddle and cooked until it is a perfectly crisply, flaky and paper thing wrap. It is folded around the contents, which vary from buttered onions to potatoes and mixed vegetables. We choose the Masala Dosa, which contained potatoes and onions cooked until tender and spiced with a bright yellow tumeric masala, served along with the reserved tumeric sauce and coconut chutney. I will dream about this without a doubt until the next time I can break of tiny bits of the delicate dosa, pick up some of the delicious filling and transport it to my taste buds... which I am hoping will be soon. We also split Chili Paneer- cooked in a very spicy sauce with diced pepper and onion and Gobi Mutter- cauliflower simmered in a green pea gravy. Both were, as expected, phenomenal. I know I should keep trying new restaurants, but sometimes it is not the worst thing in the world to have a ritual as delectable as this one.
So, I guess you could call me a creature of habit then. As in Antwerp, I have once again discovered somewhat of a weekend ritual here in the Bhub! Close to Ram Mandir Temple, there is a row of fruit stands that I have begun to frequent, with my darling friend Nicole, on the weekends. The colors and selection are absolutely fabulous and the prices are even better! Two small papaya cost me 40 rupees (64 cents) and I paid the same price for a kilo of the sweetest oranges, while 8 bananas cost 25 rupees (40 cents). The ultimate find was a box of 48 of the plumpest medjool dates for less than $2.50. It is definitely the little things here.
We worked up a bit of an appetite bargaining at the fruit stalls, so on we went to what I guess at this point I can call our favorite South Indian Restaurant. Hotel Priya is considered to be an institute for Southern cuisine in Bhubaneswar, and with good reason. This was our second visit here after a very appreciated recommendation. The first time, Nicole and I arrived early for lunch and enjoyed a chai (tea) while we waited for the kitchen to begin serving lunch at 1pm. The atmosphere is unapologetically Indian, with metal tables and chairs placed in every available space and a trough style sink for washing your hands after your meal, because in India, if you are cool, you eat with your hand. The waiters are polite and efficient as is the kitchen, and I can recommend that you come early or on time (real time, not IST) because this place fills up fast at lunchtime. On our initial trip, we ordered and split: Mutter Paneer- Indian style cottage cheese in a mildly spicy pea gravy, Chana Masala- roasted chickpeas in a liberally spiced red sauce and Mixed Vegetbale curry with Roti. And it was some of the best Indian food I have every had! The Chana Masala was incredible, as the chickpeas were not over cooked and still held a great deal of texture which worked perfectly with the spicy masala that coated them. I enjoy Paneer but it is not something I go out of my way to order, however Hotel Priya really hits the nail on the head with this dish. They sear the cubes first so they are a bit crisp on the outside and the inside is still creamy, all smothered in a slow cooked split pea gravy. For our second visit, we decided to really try the South Indian specialties and I am so glad we did. Hotel Priya is famous for their South Indian Dosas, basically a huge crepe made out of a batter consisting of ground rice and lentil paste, then poured out onto a hot griddle and cooked until it is a perfectly crisply, flaky and paper thing wrap. It is folded around the contents, which vary from buttered onions to potatoes and mixed vegetables. We choose the Masala Dosa, which contained potatoes and onions cooked until tender and spiced with a bright yellow tumeric masala, served along with the reserved tumeric sauce and coconut chutney. I will dream about this without a doubt until the next time I can break of tiny bits of the delicate dosa, pick up some of the delicious filling and transport it to my taste buds... which I am hoping will be soon. We also split Chili Paneer- cooked in a very spicy sauce with diced pepper and onion and Gobi Mutter- cauliflower simmered in a green pea gravy. Both were, as expected, phenomenal. I know I should keep trying new restaurants, but sometimes it is not the worst thing in the world to have a ritual as delectable as this one.