Above is the dhokla, a chickpea flour steam cake, topped with coconut and fresh coriander.
Aerial view. The accompaniment is a mint and tamarind chutney.
Next up, rava idli, a semolina salted steam cake, to be paired with the lentil soup (sanbar).
Below is the upma, a savory semolina porridge. I have to put in an applause for this dish. Forget southern grits. This porridge is unlike any American porridge. A spicy, savory blend of onions, vegetables and curry leaves, it has the consistency of a cake, dense, chewy, rich. I ate two, but I could have eaten the whole plate.
Below is the tamarind rice. Like fried rice but with tamarind! Spicy and sweet mixed with peanuts, curry, and coriander.
Okay. So next up is this combination called Bhel puri (rice puffs with tangy sauce). It comes in a spice pack mix and what can I say, but this is better than cereal. I could eat the whole bowl for breakfast. It has these delicious (of course fried) cracker things mixed with rice puffs, so it gives a "cereal" feel in your mouth. Hold the milk--your taste buds will be in for a spicy surprise! The chutney powder gives the dish some heat, but the fresh tomatoes, chopped onions and coriander leaves temper it nicely.
Below is the dessert, meethi sewiyan (sweet vermicelli) with slivered almonds, cardamon and saffron. Apparently, this is a very traditional and common dessert. I guess there is more to Indian desserts than my favorite--the gulab jamun.
