By the river Ganges

...i sat down and ate.

paubhaji is a mumbai specialty, a tasty snack of vegetables and spices all smooshed up into a paste and sopped up with warm bread. fortunately, as i found out, you don't have to be in mumbai to enjoy it.

with two uncles, one aunt, one cousin, a family friend and a clunky jeep (there seems to be no other kind in kolkata), a chilly evening tour of the city was capped with several helpings of this delicacy.

we drove to strand road and took a short walk along the banks of the ganges, india's most sacred and longest river (after crossing it twice, via the massive hooghly bridge, earlier in the evening). a section of the riverbanks are dotted with stalls offering snacks, among which paubhaji was my uncles' unanimous choice that i try.

good thing mr. paubhaji was game. :-) he let me step up beside him on his little platform and click away as he splashed a large, round griddle with water. he then ground up a steady stream of nuts, vegetables and spices with a metal spatula, which blurred and flashed as he worked. (uncle gautam named the ingredients for me should i want to try it at home, but i forget them now.)

he topped the mush up with a final dash of fresh-squeezed lemon juice and coriander leaves, before heaping some into a shallow paper dish for me to taste.

the verdict: earthy, spicy, with a burst of warmth from the coriander -- perfect for a chilly evening. i scarfed down the contents of the dish even before the rolls could be set down in front of me. (i was like, "ay. may bread pala. ehehe")

uncle gautam encouraged me and marlon to try making paubhaji at home. after he named all the vegetables in it, marlon was almost sold. "it sounds very healthy!" he said.

uncle gautam nodded. "yes. and then you fry the bread in butter..."

ay. yun na.


--

a shot of the river that i really like.

crossing the ganga (taken from a cab ride with marlon)