Magical Murugan

I was in Chennai recently for work. After a long day of meetings, my mind was exhausted from talking and listening - and I was craving some good old South Indian comfort food. Luckily, Chennai is just the right city for such a craving. An economist of repute, with whom we met that day, recommended a little coffee shop called Murugan Idli Shop.

The unassuming little cafe, tucked into a corner store front on North Usman Road (although there are 4 other locations in town), isn't much to look at. But the joint has been around for over 15 years. It's humble in trappings - but for visitors to South India looking for some 'authentic' local flavor, that may make it all the more appealing. Chennai residents certainly think so, as I'm told that all the local branches are packed during lunch time and on the weekends.

Murugan specializes in South Indian snack foods - idlis (steamed rice cakes with various flavors), uttapam (a flatbread cooking on the griddle, made from slightly soured batter), vadas (fried lentil cakes), tamarind rice, yogurt rice - and these delicious chutneys that accompany each dish. The food is served piping hot, freshly cooked, entirely vegetarian. And it is so, so tasty. Mom, you may not like to hear it, but their idlis are actually better than yours.

One of my favorite parts of Murugan? Everything is served on banana leaves. Not only do you get the authentic South Indian dining experience, but you also get the gratification of knowing you're being environmentally friendly! To further add to the shop's authenticity - you'll be washing your hands pre and post meal at the communal wash basin with the best of them, and you're lucky if your waiter speaks any English. But the fare here is so delicious, Murugan is a great opportunity and incentive to learn a little bit of Tamil - "innumonu , dhayavu saidhu" (one more please!).

Murugan Idli Shop
46/13 North Usman Road, T.Nagar
Chennai
Tamil Nadu
India

From Karnataka with Love: Mysore Pak

Karnataka is home to many amazing Indian phenomena: Bangalore's hi tech revolution, ancient buildings, the Mysore maharajas - perhaps most notably, Mysore Pak. This amazing Carnatic dessert is delectable - sweet, buttery and rich. Like an Indian shortbread, but better. Just don't pay too much attention to what goes inside. . .

That said, the best Mysore Pak in the country, I will venture, is not in Karnataka. It's made in a sweet shop in Chennai called Sri Krishna Sweets. It's utterly amazing, worth the trip out of state for a taste. And if you're only in Chennai for a short while, as I was - don't worry. Sri Krishna now has a stall in the domestic airport where you can buy a quarter kilo of this great stuff for just 50 INR (about $1.50).

Because the recipe is fairly simple, the quality of ingredients that you use is critical. Mysore pak's main element is besan flour - a fine chick pea flour that you're likely to find only in an Indian grocery store. Also, do not cut back on the amount of ghee used in here. No substituting with apple sauce or margerine or Crisco - just pure, unadulterated clarified butter. As much as your arteries may cringe when you're making this dish, just keep in mind that serving sizes are meant to be tiny - bite size. So enjoy it in moderation!

Here's a recipe that I've borrowed and modified from Mahanandi:
1 cup Bengal Gram (sift and aerate to remove lumps)
1 1/2 cups Sugar
1 cup Ghee (at room temperature)
1/2 cup Water
2 pods cardamom (crushed)

Directions:
1. In a big sturdy pot, take one cup of water, add sugar and bring them to boil till the sugar syrup reaches one string consistency. Reduce the heat.
2. Now pour the ghee and besan flour in a steady stream into the sugar syrup while stirring. Stir constantly!
3. Cook till the mixture becomes slightly frothy, thickens and the ghee begins to leave the sides of the pan.
4. Add in the cardamom powder.
5. Spread out on a greased pan immediately. Even and level out with a spatula. When firm, but still warm, cut the mysore pak into squares or diamond shapes.

Best Drink Ever

India is home to the best non-alcoholic beverage ever. Fresh lime soda, or nimbu-pani, is light, refreshing, delicious - and quintessentially Indian. It's even got a historical legacy - K.T. Acharya, author of the A Historical Dictionary of Indian Food, claims that it was ""the supreme quencher of colonial thirst" in India. Forget those brand name sodas or mango juice - fresh lime was here first. It's easy to make, tasty - and it continues to be the everyday beverage of choice.

One sip and you can understand why. The drink is a peculiar blend of tart and luscious, sweet and salty - and if you get it with soda, fizzy and smooth. Don't be fooled by the simple title either - there's a great deal of choice in how one orders a fresh lime. Are you a salty or sweet drinker - do you dare to mix both? Or are you such a devoted drinker that you can handle it with sulfuric black salt or chili powder? Would you take it with soda or straight water? And of course, ice or no ice? I'm a "soda, salty sweet with black salt please, no-ice" fresh lime connoisseur myself.

Fresh lime virgins may liken the drink to American lemonade - but the metaphor doesn't do this beverage justice. Lemonade is overpoweringly sweet and invokes images of Grandma's front porch and a plate of country cookies. The fresh lime is subtle and sophisticated - teasing your tastebuds. And in pairings, it's remarkably versatile. You can take it alone as a non-alcoholic aperitif in an elegant high glass, or straight out of a plastic disposable as you eat idli off of a banana leaf.

One thing's for sure - while the drink has been around a long time on the subcontinent, I've never seen it served up elsewhere. I think it's time for a little culinary exportation. . . For anyone interested, here's a recipe:

2 tbsp. simple syrup (made by first boiling together equal parts sugar and water,
then letting it cool)
1 1⁄2 tbsp. freshly squeezed lime juice (persian limes work best)
3⁄4 cup soda water
1/2 tbsp. salt
Lime slice

1. Fill a glass with ice cubes, then add simple syrup and lime juice. Add soda water and salt. Stir well, then serve garnished with a lime slice, if you like.

Indigo

Mumbai natives will hardly find this review surprising. They've been fans of Indigo for years. But since I visit the place every time I'm in town, I wanted to get it up on here too.

Full of pretty people and tasty food, the restaurant offers Western fare with a creative twist. Located in Colaba, one of Mumbai's most happening neighborhoods, Indigo gives you a taste for how India's changing - and why this is a metropolitan city in its own right. Dining in this city is hardly just about avoiding Delhi belly - you can have a fabulous meal and experience too.

The ambiance alone is worth the trip - the restaurant remains a hang out for the city's young metropolitan crowd. Uber chic is the theme du jour. Every day. Expect to see everyone from supermodels to investment bankers there on a weekend evening. Admittedly, that might sound like typical New York - but the fact that that crowd's gathered in Mumbai, half a world away, makes it slightly more unusual than you'd expect. And the decor is beautiful - cool whites and brown, unusual flowers accentuate a modern aesthetic.

And if you're there after dinner, the joint turns into a fabulous cocktail bar. You can rub elbows with Mumbai's beautiful people - with a seasonal cocktail to boot.

Food here is awesome, and the menu's full of great international fusion dishes. For lunch I was spoiled with a chestnut and pumpkin pasta, covered in nut pesto and sauteed squash. Eating out in Mumbai rarely involves actual Indian food - and with choices like some of those on Indigo's menu, I understand why. If you're there while the beet and coconut soup is on the menu, try it; may sound weird but it's delicious. And, after traveling halfway around the world, I still found a pastry chef who's skills are worthy of a gold star - Suresh Kumar, thank you for your creative and yummy cappuccino souffle!

Indigo
4 Mandlik House
Colaba, Mumbai