Somewhat inspired by the (several) picky eater threads in IMHO right now - I don’t think I need linkies, because it’s not specifically about those threads - I am wondering what it is about Indian food that I don’t care for, and if there are Indian dishes I have not been exposed to that I might like? My exposure has been pretty limited, and I don’t want to dismiss an entire realm of cuisine based on the fact that so far, I haven’t tasted something I like.
The few Indian dishes I have tried seem to have an overpoweringly “dusty” taste to them, or they seem to contain WAY overcooked, mushy vegetables, or both. I have had a few Thai curry dishes that I didn’t dislike. Though I did notice a bit of that “dustiness” it wasn’t overpowering.
Is there a particular seasoning I’m detecting that can be eliminated or avoided? What dishes would you recommend that I might like? FYI, I don’t eat meat, so please only veggie options.
I see you live in the Chicago Burbs. It shouldn’t be too hard to find an Indian restaurant with a lunch buffet, so that you could try several different dishes.
I’d agree with Thudlow and say that’s yer problem right there. There was a great thread (I’ll see if I can find it) on Indian food recommendations. If I was you, I’d read that (or print it out) and head off to a decent Indian restaurant armed with new suggestions.
Thudlow - REALLY limited. I’ve sampled a friend’s … oh jeeze…SOMETHING curry. I tried lamb rogan josh (back when I ate meat, but lamb was never one of my favorie things to eat.) I’ve tried paleek paneer (frozen) and Trader Joe’s jaipur vegetables.
I think that turmeric has a dusty taste, and you may object to that. Not all Indian dishes have turmeric in them.
The tremendous variation in Indian food makes it too hard to say what you might not like. Biryani is sort of just rice, lamb, raisins and almonds, and not necessarily overly spicy.
But, vindaloo might have tomatoes, yogurt, onion/garlic paste, cayenne, cumin, stock, potatoes, etc.
I love Indian food, but a lot of people try it first and don’t care for it due to the spices. If you like Thai and curries, that may not be it.
You might try a buffet, as mentioned. I’ve had a few dishes that were definitely not good. The vegetables do tend to be cooked on the mushy side, but I was amazed that cooked spinach could taste so great! It’s also great for vegetarians in terms of variety.
Is it the turmeric? I can imagine turmeric being described as dusty–and if you don’t like turmeric, you’re liable to have a hard time with Indian food in general.
Hmm. Well, I have a jar of turmeric, which I occasionally use just for a dash of color, so I went and tasted it by itself. It has a bit of a medicinal taste to me, and possibly a lot of it wouldn’t be particularly pleasant, but I’m not sure that’s it.
I also have a jar of “curry powder” (and I understand that can contain any number of different spices depending on the brand and that actual Indian cooks make their own blends and pooh-pooh the jarred stuff). Tasting THAT solo, I can detect that “dusty” taste. The garam masala I have is sweeter, with a definite emphasis on cinnamon or clove.
Well-cooked vegies have been typical in all the Indian food I’ve ever eaten. I don’t think I’ve ever been served crisp, stir-fry style vegies in an Indian restaurant. I think that’s just how they like to cook them. Some places will add western-style lettuce salads to their buffet, but I think that’s just to please the salad-eaters among us.
Must have been something similar to tamarind I tasted during my first Indian meal. I remember thinking it didn’t taste at all like something edible should taste.
OTOH, naan. I could eat a basket of that. Also had a yummy lamb curry.
My Brazilian wife—who, upon arrival here, could only stomach Brazilian dishes she cooked herself, and who gradually began to appreciate (and in many cases, crave) Mexican, Thai, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and other cuisines, maintains a physical revulsion to Indian food. There’s something in the seasoning (it may very well be turmeric) that offends her completely, and she can’t even bear the smell.
I suspect it’s mainly a psychological objection now, and that there are likely to be Indian dishes she would enjoy, but I’ve pretty much given up trying after a couple of hellishly unsuccessful restaurant jaunts. (Actually she did eat a small bite of my saag paneer recently, and while she declined a second taste, neither did she projectile-vomit, for which I was grateful.)
Unfortunately I must now seek my Indian food fix in secret, creeping behind her back like an adulterer, praying she doesn’t detect the scent of cumin, saffron, or cardamom on my clothing or breath when I slink home. Meanwhile she hails from a land whose national dish typically includes pig ears, snouts, and tails. So it goes.
Unfortunately, I believe that “overcooking” vegetables is pretty standard for Indian cuisine. And most of the Indian vegetarians I know actively avoid raw salads. They liked things cooked, baby. However, you’re never going to get the best of the cuisine from frozen or pre-made items. And no matter how much I like Trader Joe’s, I would hazard a guess that nothing you’re going to find there is going to be anywhere near authentic Indian-style.
Going to restaurants is probably a better bet and the buffets are inexpensive, usually. However, I have to warn you that buffet food is not usually representative of the best quality cooking. So even there you might not really learn to like the stuff.
As for the “dusty” flavor … Hmm, I don’t know; it’s not something I’ve noticed. Perhaps it’s coriander (seed) or cumin? Both of those are very common in Indian dishes.
Also, in Indian cooking spices can impart different flavors depending on when they’re added to the dish as well as how they were prepared prior to adding. Some spices don’t keep in the cuboard for too long. I know I’m guilty of it. I have a jar of curry powder in there which I’m sure is five years old and probably doesn’t taste the same as a fresh mix would.
Anyway, I hope you can hunt down what’s causing the dusty taste you don’t like.
And while the following are also equally common, I have trouble believing that they might be perceived as “dusty,” especially as they are not commonly used in powdered form –
Curry leaves
Bay leaves
Coriander (cilantro) leaves
Ginger
Tamarind
