I ts rich culture has captivated foreigners for centuries, but what do outsiders really feel when first exposed to Indian traditions? Carolina D'Souza meets six people who sampled a slice of India - from seeing a first Bollywood flick, to visiting India, to tasting biryani for the first time ?
"As long as it isn't too spicy!"
Khanyile Dube, Zimbabwean, tastes Indian cuisine
Profession: Human resources officer, Lusaka, Zambia
Khanyile Dube looks at the plate of papads Azeem Khan, captain of the Handi restaurant, has placed on our table. "I recognise these," she exclaims. "I've seen them before."
It's 12.30 pm. We are seated for lunch at a corner table of this lavishly decorated Indian restaurant at the Taj Palace Hotel, Dubai. Apart from the soft canorous backdrop of popular Indian music, there are no distinct sounds, aside from our conversation.
"It's still early," I say. "The place will get busy in a while."
Earlier in the day, Dube, a Zimbabwean, had jumped at the idea of enjoying Indian cuisine and hospitality. Her experience with Indian food was limited, she said.
Restaurant manager Rahul Maini greets us. "I welcome you to experience authentic Indian hospitality," he says, before placing two leather-bound menus on our table.
"It was probably fusion cuisine I had before," Dube recalls, after a glance at the menu.
"I think I had something that tasted like crispy tortilla wraps with a filling and spicy mushroom pilaf. I also remember tasting a peanut butter-like sauce served with beef in gravy. I am looking forward to the real thing now."
"What is chutney?"
Khan waits to take our order.
"The doodiya murg tikka (grilled chicken cubes in milk) and kasoori gosht sheek kebab (lamb kebabs with dried fenugreek) are very good," he suggests.
"Is it spicy?" asks Dube.
He gives us a choice. The former is mild, the latter a tad spicy.
Dube, who is on a one-week holiday visiting friends in Dubai, says she is willing to try anything as long as it isn't too spicy. "I had an Indonesian meal in Detroit once. I asked for mild curry that turned out to be anything but mild. I ended up with inflamed gums."
Before starters, Khan serves lassi. "It is a sweetened yoghurt drink," he says.
Dube sips it cautiously. She looks at me quizzically then, seconds later, she smiles.
"It's really nice. It tastes like a sweet and sour milkshake," she says.
On the table there is a selection of in-house pickles and mint-coriander chutney. "What is that green sauce? Is it like a vegetable dip?" she asks. Azeem, who hovers nearby, senses we need help. I reiterate the last few minutes of my conversation with Dube.
"This is green chutney, a condiment. This particular one goes very well with kebabs. But it might be spicy for your palette. Do try the papad with sweet pickle as well," he says.
In the course of forksful of succulent kebabs, Dube talks about her country's cuisine. "Most people think Zimbabwean food is bland. Truth is, we do add spices like black, white and cayenne peppers. However, Indian cuisine is very different."
Halfway through starters, she draws my attention to the way the pickles are presented. "Oh look! These miniature baskets (that contain the pickles) are made of banana leaves," she says.
"Did you know food is served on banana leaves in parts of India?"
I tell her.
"Really?" she coos. "I know Far Eastern cuisine uses banana leaves. In Zimbabwe, traditionally, we use a wooden plate that is like a casserole dish and a wooden spoon. We use these to eat the local corn porridge. But most of the time we use our hands."
"Do you have bread rolls?"
The restaurant is getting busier. Groups of people filter in and nestle down comfortably.
"I've tasted these crisps (papads) with a filling in Zambia once," says Dube. "They tasted similar to our local dish of corn wraps, though not as crispy."
Sous chef Rashid Qureshi interjects. "For the main course, may I recommend our biryani?" he asks. "We cook it only after an order is placed. It takes about 25 minutes. And it is cooked on a slow flame in an earthen vessel, which has been sealed with dough to preserve the aroma of the spices."
Dube is convinced. She orders for a fish biryani along with a few more dishes that Qureshi recommends.
"Do you have bread rolls? The one that crumbles when you touch it?" she asks.
Chef Qureshi doesn't understand. He thinks she means parathas. So I probe. It turns out she meant puris (a kind of bread that is deep-fried)!
"We don't have puris, but I will serve parathas. They are just as delicious," he says.
Room for dessert?
Dube has learnt more about Indian cuisine - such as if you order a thali, a one-dish meal that used to be enjoyed by the Maharajahs, you will get a vast choice of dishes in one platter, including dessert. She now also knows how North and South Indian cuisines differ.
The former makes extensive use of dried fruits, cream and yoghurt; the latter employs tamarind, coconut, mustard seeds and curry leaves. We struggle to finish the main course. "I'm stuffed, but I love this Indian bread," says Dube.
We are offered dessert, which we attempt to decline politely. But Khan won't hear of it. He brings in kulfi falooda, which he introduces as "Indian ice cream".
Dube says, "Personally I love Chinese food, but Indian food is great. I didn't know 'mildly spiced' was an option!"
*Special thanks to Handi, Taj Palace Hotel, Deira for their hospitality.
"The experience is ineffable!"
Dr Andrea Clelia Zocco, Argentinean, on her first trip to India
Profession: ICU doctor, Rashid Hospital, Dubai
A 12-year-old Argentinean girl sifts through numerous books to learn about different cultures, especially Indian. She reads ravenously, savouring slices of mythology, history and tradition.
And grows up wondering whether she will ever leave her footprints on any of these distant lands ...
As she blossoms into a woman so does her love for faraway places. Her wanderlust takes her to Scotland, Germany, Italy, England, the Netherlands, Belgium, Australia, Egypt and Iran. And, most recently, India, the place she read so much about. She visits Kerala, a luxuriant, green state with stunning backwaters, brimming with nature's bounty.
Dream fulfilled
Dr Andrea Clelia Zocco, that little Argentinean girl, visited Kerala, southern India, in March. "I was always interested in Indian culture and I had heard so much about Kerala," says Dr Zocco, who moved to Dubai in 2002 because she fell in love with the multicultural spirit of the city.
It was her first visit to India. "This trip was too short a period for me to completely understand the place. I would love to go back," she says.
When she landed in Kochi, Dr Zocco was delighted to see a clean, tidy airport. "It was contrary to the stories I had heard and read," she says.
In Kochi, she recalls seeing various places of worship within a 100-metre radius; an observation that reflects the religious tolerance of its residents.
A visit to the palace of King Rama Varma, now a museum, was memorable.
"It had the ancient architectural style of Kerala in the form of a naalukettu (a quadrangular building with an open courtyard). The most fascinating (exhibits) were the huge paintings in vegetable dyes, which represented historical epics.
"They were amazing! The vision of the artists and brightness of the paintings after more than 100 years is a sight to behold," she says.
Tea leaves and misty mornings
The journey to Munnar passed through magnificent verdurous mountain ranges. Dr Zocco travelled in an Ambassador, the first car to be manufactured in India. "It was unique and comfortable. It handled the entire journey very well," she says.
In Munnar, she was enchanted by the scenic beauty of the tea estates. "Every hill had a tea plantation; I watched local workers pluck tea leaves. I visited the Connemara Tea factory and witnessed the tea blending process; a first for me," she says.
She stayed at the Mahindra Club Resort, where she saw a spectacular sunrise. "There is something breathtaking about the way the first rays of the sun pierce the lazy mist on the (mountain) ranges," she says.
During her stay, Dr Zocco was excited to see and touch an elephant. But this rush was soon replaced by a sense of sadness. "The moment I sat on it, I thought of the cruelty meted out by us humans," she says.
The next destination was Thekaddy, five hours from Munnar by road.
"In addition to the tea plantation there were acres and acres of spice plantations. For the first time, I saw spice plants like cardamom, pepper and cinnamon," Dr Zocco says.
She visited the famous Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary, where she enjoyed a three-hour boat ride on the lake. "I saw Nilgiri deer, Indian bison, wild boar, otters, monkeys and a wide variety of birds. The experience is ineffable!" she says.
Tranquil backwaters
Dr Zocco stayed at the Kumarakkom Resort, situated on the banks of the great Vembanad Lake. "I simply cannot describe the warmth and tranquil beauty of the place," she says.
A special moment was watching Mohiniattam, a classical dance of Kerala. Aside from the captivating performance, Dr Zocco was amazed to learn the recital was by a woman who was blind since birth. "I was also taken aback by the humility and devotion," she says.
For Dr Zocco, Kerala - a place of natural beauty, courteous people and tranquillity - was just her first Indian state. She hopes to visit Rajasthan before the end of the year. "These are more than just holiday souvenirs."
Narjess Hamecha, Ukrainian-Algerian, loves Indian décor Profession: Sales manager, Jebel Ali International Hotel, Dubai
The moment you enter Narjess Hamecha's living room, you are confronted by Indian ethnic curios and objets d'art. And if you sit on the plush settee and look around, you will recognise a few more ethnic souvenirs from places such as Barcelona,
Jordan and her native Ukraine.
But it is the presence of vivid, embellished Indian knick-knacks that make for interesting conversation.
Like the saffron-red table runner with the embroidered gold elephant, or the brightly-coloured patchwork wall-hanging, the marble elephant and miniature earthenware items. These are mementos of her trip to India last February, when she visited Ahmedabad, Agra and Mumbai.
Before the trip, she received a few gifts from Indian friends. "A pashmina shawl,
a decorative doorway piece with peacock feathers and an engraved key holder," she says.
A country of contrasts
Apart from the detailed craftsmanship in Indian curios, it is their vivid colour that captures this Ukrainian-Algerian's imagination. She visited India with an Indian friend, Sujit Mehta, and stayed with his family in Ahmedabad for a week. Before the trip, she had an entirely different mental picture of India, she says.
"I have always associated mysticism with India. I used to think of seers and cobras. But I was pleasantly surprised when I visited the place. I found state-of-the-art facilities.
Amid this development, I found traditional touches. Modernism and tradition coexisted."
Hamecha didn't need help with shopping; she knew what she wanted. "I had identified the colours and the kind of workmanship I wanted to purchase. I don't enjoy commercially made curios. I believe ethnic craft is unique because it is mostly handmade."
Mementos and memories
In her house, the ethnic touches lend an unmistakable warmth. "I like to include such objects, especially because each of these have a memory attached to it," she says.
"These are more than just holiday souvenirs to me. They have a special place in my heart because each reflects more than one sentiment ... Like my feelings about a place, or the kind of interaction that took place there, or even cultural values. Their presence is not just a part of the décor; it is a part of me," she says.
One reason why these seemingly trivial objects attract Hamecha is because she loves art and is an amateur artist herself.
For her, the best places to see and enjoy art and ethnic objects are travel exhibitions - whether they're held in Dubai, Milan, Paris and Moscow.
"Here I get to see a melting pot of cultures, different stalls, different goods. The best (stall) is the Indian one, of course. It is always the most attractive."