Support NeoGAF

[etiolate]

I had some sort of thing that was like chickpeas in a pastry sorta croissant.

 

[iamcool388]

Indian food is so wholly overrated.

South East Asian cuisine trumps the hell out of it. We've simply got better ingredients to work with, so better food culture developed. Plus, we've taken the best of indias stuff and incorporated into our cuisine, while leaving out the more average stuff.

The only reason IMO that Indian cuisine is as ubiquitous as it is, is because of the rate of immigration; there are a lot more Indians that South East Asian people*, so a lot more indian places are created outside their region. Plus South East Asian food is really technically the food of several different countries (Malaysian, Thai, Vietnamese, etc), so you don't get a sort of cumulative branding effect that you get with Indian food (I mean, who the hell knows what Gujrati food is outside of native indians? Very few people I imagine).

*although SEAs tend to have a higher rate of immigration thanks to their higher per capita affluence.

Ok...

A better way would have been to list some good dishes for a SEA Cuisine noob... I got nothing to eat tomorrow for lunch, and i'd love to try out something! (As long as its vegetarian though! :lol )

And I know that it can be difficult for someone to appreciate the difference cuisines of India i.e. the difference between Gujarati and North Indian cuisine... thats why I tried to give some dishes of each... I really think more people should venture out of the 'traditional english idea of what Indian food is' so that maybe they can widen their horizons as well as get to try some extremely delicious food!

But yeah man... I'm all for some SEA food... What would you recommend for a veggie? I dont eat any mean (includes sea food) and no eggs... but I really like tofu, noodles and especially fried rice!

EDIT: Just FYI, i'm perfectly fine with spicy food. The spicier the better.

 

[sprsk]

Do black people eat anything other than Fried Chicken? Do Jews eat anything other than Bagels?

Spoiler

Why does this thread exist, and why is "curry" capitalized?

Hey dude who didn't read the first post.

 

[xbhaskarx]

Hey dude who didn't read the first post.

You really think I didn't read your badly written five sentence OP?

Indian food is so wholly overrated.

South East Asian cuisine trumps the hell out of it. We've simply got better ingredients to work with, so better food culture developed. Plus, we've taken the best of indias stuff and incorporated into our cuisine, while leaving out the more average stuff.

I'm Indian and I completely agree as far as Thai and Burmese (try it!) cuisine is concerned, but I think Indian is a bit better than Vietnamese, and much better than food from the Philippines or Polynesia. I am not as familiar with Malaysian or Indonesian food as I would like to be.

 

[Zaptruder]

Ok...

A better way would have been to list some good dishes for a SEA Cuisine noob... I got nothing to eat tomorrow for lunch, and i'd love to try out something! (As long as its vegetarian though! :lol )

And I know that it can be difficult for someone to appreciate the difference cuisines of India i.e. the difference between Gujarati and North Indian cuisine... thats why I tried to give some dishes of each... I really think more people should venture out of the 'traditional english idea of what Indian food is' so that maybe they can widen their horizons as well as get to try some extremely delicious food!

But yeah man... I'm all for some SEA food... What would you recommend for a veggie? I dont eat any mean (includes sea food) and no eggs... but I really like tofu, noodles and especially fried rice!

EDIT: Just FYI, i'm perfectly fine with spicy food. The spicier the better.

Vegetarian and SEA food. Uh...

(There's plenty to be had, but off the top of my head, my favourites all include meats).

Here's a link I found
http://www.ivu.org/recipes/eastasia/se-asia-index.html

I'd probably recommend starting with the curries just to get a good idea of the contrast between SEA cuisine and indian cusine; SEA curries tend to be less sour, and more creamy affairs.

 

[sprsk]

You really think I didn't read your badly written five sentence OP?

Oh shit, who called the grammar nazi?

 

[elektrikluv]

Me neither and unfortunately, I just don't feel the need to go and try it.

Biggest loss in the world, seriously.

 

[Rewrite]

Biggest loss in the world, seriously.

That makes two people already! Damn. You know what? Fine. I will go and try it!!

 

[iamcool388]

Vegetarian and SEA food. Uh...

I know... its difficult, but there are some dishes which just *click* with me.

For example, in NYC there is this place called Yummy House... on 11th street and 3rd ave... They have excellent Scallion Pancakes, and I ALWAYS get their Szechuan Tofu (without meat) with white rice. I just tell them to make it extra spicy... and it is the best chinese food ever!

I dunno if Chinese food qualifies as SEA cuisine... but hey, its absolutely amazing!

Mmm... Szechuan Tofu.

 

[xbhaskarx]

Vegetarian and SEA food. Uh...

Uh... many Southeast Asian countries have large Buddhist populations.

 

[Zaptruder]

Uh... many Southeast Asian countries have large Buddhist populations.

I meant 'uh' only in the sense that I was having a hard time coming up with any off the top of my head.

 

[Iksenpets]

I'm just jealous of the attention indian food gets. When SEA food is so much tastier. I mean... I wanna hear about people from other countries going on about the various awesome dishes like Laksa, kolo mee, nasi goreng and nasi lemak, etc, etc.

What are you talking about? Thai food gets tons of hype. Indian probably gets a lots of attention because it's essentially become the national food of Britain as well, but in America I'd say Thai alone is about as popular as Indian. And I know quite a few American fans of Vietnamese pho, too.

 

[Pterion]

I think indian food is overrated. My ex GF was indian and she made me eat it all the time. There's like 2-3 things I enjoyed, the rest was tolerable to me.

 

[Dabookerman]

I was watching tv and they had this program on where they went around india trying to find people who ate something other than curry. They didn't find anyone. They went to peoples houses for home cooked meals, went to an elementary school and searched kids lunches and every single one of them was curry.

I thought it was really surprising something that seemed like a stereotype was actually quite true. So I'm wondering, India GAF, I know most of you don't live in India, but is it true Indian people eat nothing but curry?

No. They always eat curry. This is why so many of them in their 60s have heart problems later on. Pretty much what's going on with my dad ;x.. The only time you see scrawny ass indians is when they don't eat at all basically.
Well, if they don't eat curry it will definitely be spicy. No matter what.

I love curry, with chapatis. Chapatis are the best. Except I don't know the names of any of them, I know one is called Ghost.

Do black people eat anything other than Fried Chicken? Do Jews eat anything other than Bagels?

Spoiler

Why does this thread exist, and why is "curry" capitalized?

Bagels.. really? I never knew this. I love bagels.

 

[Cartman86]

I swear I have a problem. It's probably mental, but I can't stand hardly any food. I am the pickiest eater ever, and anytime someone says "Dude you have to try this" to me or even on TV to someone else I can't help but cringe. I suppose this is what it's like when I say to someone they must play a certain game or watch a certain movie

 

[Dabookerman]

Well, curry is quite easy to prepare and quite cheap, so yeah...

What they surely don't eat is nan (the bread that comes with curry many times), it's quite expensive over there, apparently. My gf has been in India over two years, she told me they also eat something called samosa.


And many other kinds of 'snacks' rather than real meals.

Chapatis I find is what they eat more than naan. Samosas are delicious, with ketchup, yummmm.

 

[Aegus]

What are you talking about? Thai food gets tons of hype. Indian probably gets a lots of attention because it's essentially become the national food of Britain as well, but in America I'd say Thai alone is about as popular as Indian. And I know quite a few American fans of Vietnamese pho, too.

Pretty much. There's about 5 Indian restaurants within a 4 minutes distance from me.

 

[Ignis Fatuus]

Why do Asian people always eat rice?

Same reason westerners always eat bread dur.

 

[Cerebral Assassin]

Indian food is so wholly overrated.

South East Asian cuisine trumps the hell out of it. We've simply got better ingredients to work with, so better food culture developed. Plus, we've taken the best of indias stuff and incorporated into our cuisine, while leaving out the more average stuff.

The only reason IMO that Indian cuisine is as ubiquitous as it is, is because of the rate of immigration; there are a lot more Indians that South East Asian people*, so a lot more indian places are created outside their region. Plus South East Asian food is really technically the food of several different countries (Malaysian, Thai, Vietnamese, etc), so you don't get a sort of cumulative branding effect that you get with Indian food (I mean, who the hell knows what Gujrati food is outside of native indians? Very few people I imagine).

*although SEAs tend to have a higher rate of immigration thanks to their higher per capita affluence.

You are deluded my man, unless you are referring to "indian" food you find in restaurants there is far more variety and ingredients available in India, its like saying French food is better than European food.

 

[Zaptruder]

You are deluded my man, unless you are referring to "indian" food you find in restaurants there is far more variety and ingredients available in India, its like saying French food is better than European food.

That doesn't make sense at all.

French food is a subset of european food.

OTOH, SEA incorporates some indian food traditions (from the large number of indian immigrants), but also has access to a larger variety of ingredients (because the region comprises a more ecologically diversified area, as well as a greater variety of cultures).

 

[Cerebral Assassin]

That doesn't make sense at all.

French food is a subset of european food.

OTOH, SEA incorporates some indian food traditions (from the large number of indian immigrants), but also has access to a larger variety of ingredients (because the region comprises a more ecologically diversified area, as well as a greater variety of cultures).

The point is that different regions in India have completely different cooking styles so to say Indian food is like saying European food, it really doesn't really mean anything, as for the larger array of ingredients & cultures :lol :lol :lol :lol

 

[chase]

I wouldn't.

 

[ice cream]

Curry is the cheapest thing to make, thats why we all eat it a lot.

 

[Zaptruder]

The point is that different regions in India have completely different cooking styles so to say Indian food is like saying European food, it really doesn't really mean anything, as for the larger array of ingredients & cultures :lol :lol :lol :lol

Well, I'm basing my opinion off the fact that SEA cuisine tends to incorporate a more global culture of cooking, including indian foods. The different nations of south east asia have all had different colonial pasts, and have had the chance to glean off different western nations. It also has a far more diverse mix of population as a ratio of the people; you get a wide mix of polynesian, chinese, indian cultures all mixing together.

On the otherhand, what is your argument? lol emoticons?

Even if indian food represents a wide variety of cooking styles, its still regionally distinctive from different regional cooking cultures; like mediterranian, north american, chinese, japanese and yes, south east asian.

But yes, I'm really just comparing signature dishes (that make it outside) of the region, as I have never been to india myself.

 

[JimmyV]

I thought it was really surprising something that seemed like a stereotype was actually quite true. So I'm wondering, India GAF, I know most of you don't live in India, but is it true Indian people eat nothing but curry?

And others arent? They really dont just pop out of thin air:lol

 

[jax (old)]

Whenever they sit next to me they smell like curry so probably not.

this is funny... .but kind of true. My friend who lives in a house adjoining his indian neighbours once complained to me about how they do their massive indian curry cookouts in the yard all the time and stank up his laundry... all I could do was express amusement and "really?"... :lol

Curry is the cheapest thing to make, thats why we all eat it a lot.

is it really? I mean, I don't think the meat that goes into curries really makes it any less cheap than say a roast chicken with roast potatoes.

 

[NotWii]

Whatever happened to Tim Curry?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DSvU8a_hn2Q

 

[Synth_floyd]

I was watching tv and they had this program on where they went around india trying to find people who ate something other than curry. They didn't find anyone. They went to peoples houses for home cooked meals, went to an elementary school and searched kids lunches and every single one of them was curry.

I thought it was really surprising something that seemed like a stereotype was actually quite true. So I'm wondering, India GAF, I know most of you don't live in India, but is it true Indian people eat nothing but curry?

I watched that same lame ass show on Japanese TV. The girl had the freakiest fingers.

 

[Cerebral Assassin]

Well, I'm basing my opinion off the fact that SEA cuisine tends to incorporate a more global culture of cooking, including indian foods. The different nations of south east asia have all had different colonial pasts, and have had the chance to glean off different western nations. It also has a far more diverse mix of population as a ratio of the people; you get a wide mix of polynesian, chinese, indian cultures all mixing together.

On the otherhand, what is your argument? lol emoticons?

Even if indian food represents a wide variety of cooking styles, its still regionally distinctive from different regional cooking cultures; like mediterranian, north american, chinese, japanese and yes, south east asian.

But yes, I'm really just comparing signature dishes (that make it outside) of the region, as I have never been to india myself.

My argument is simple, every region in India(pretty much) will be larger than most countries in SEA, comparing a Goan dish to a punjabi dish is a very different style of cookery , also Indian food has been influenced(and influenced) by European cooking, due to the Empire, also "Indian" restaurant food(which is what I assume you are refering to as Indian food) is more accurately Bangladeshi food(at least in the UK)

 

[smurfx]

is curry really spicy? i don't like spicy foods so that's why i've never eaten it. there is an indian place by my house and i would like to eat curry but i don't want it if it's spicy.

 

[Cerebral Assassin]

is curry really spicy? i don't like spicy foods so that's why i've never eaten it. there is an indian place by my house and i would like to eat curry but i don't want it if it's spicy.

Just ask/tell them you don't like it too hot(I'm assuming you mean heat when you are referring to spices) they should reccomend something suitable, or have some dhai(yoghurt) or Raita(yoghurt with cucumber) alongside your dish, also drink Lager rather than water(milk based drinks are best but you have to find somewhere that makes good Lassi)

 

[Nemo]

Indian/Pakistani food is the shit. I've been eating it once pretty much every week or so. I could totally live with curry in my food every day, with some fine rice. I used to go to London a lot back in the day with my father and we'd always eat at an Indian place, they really make it awesome over there.

I need to try some other currys some day, wonder how the Japanese curry is.

 

[Pein]

Yes, we do.

 

[GeneralIroh]

I think the most boring curry comes from Japan. It taste all the same. I like thai currries the most because of the variety. Green curry is awesome.

I wish people talked about cajun and creole cuisine more though.

 

[rezuth]

Well, curry is quite easy to prepare and quite cheap, so yeah...

What they surely don't eat is nan (the bread that comes with curry many times), it's quite expensive over there, apparently. My gf has been in India over two years, she told me they also eat something called samosa:

And many other kinds of 'snacks' rather than real meals.

Is that the soup nazi?

 

[somuchwater]

Oh for fuck's sake.

There is no such thing as 'curry'. In fact, I have no idea what people mean when they talk about curry. Is it a dish? A particular style of cooking? A collection of specific spices?

The only rough definition for 'curry' is that it's a dish that has gravy.

Other than that, you all have no idea what the fuck you're talking about.

 

[Mik2121]

Oh for fuck's sake.

There is no such thing as 'curry'. In fact, I have no idea what people mean when they talk about curry? Is it a dish? A particular style of cooking? A collection of specific spices?

The only rough definition for 'curry' is that it's a dish that has gravy.

Other than that, you all have no idea what the fuck you're talking about.

If you don't even know what people is talking about when they say curry you are fucking stupid in a level never reached by any other gaffer ever.

I hate when people like you come by thinking they are so awesome because they know what something everybody is talking about really means (yeah, curry really means 'side-dish', duhhrr...). If you don't know that we are talking about, get out instead of trying to sound like an smart ass.

If you are not able to relate it to this dish:

Seeing how almost everybody talking here is from Europe or South/North America, then you should rather get the hell out of this thread.

 

[ElectricThunder]

Never found a good chance to try any here in GA, though it does seem like it COULD be right up my alley. I'd need to know the specific ingredients within one heading into it though, as onions and the like ruiin meals outright for me. Somehow it almost always looks delicious in the various foodie animes I've seen over the years as well. :lol

 

[Zaptruder]

Oh for fuck's sake.

There is no such thing as 'curry'. In fact, I have no idea what people mean when they talk about curry. Is it a dish? A particular style of cooking? A collection of specific spices?

The only rough definition for 'curry' is that it's a dish that has gravy.

Other than that, you all have no idea what the fuck you're talking about.

Dish inspired by or of asian origin featuring gravy, often spicy, but always tasty. Happy?

 

[somuchwater]

If you don't even know what people is talking about when they say curry you are fucking stupid in a level never reached by any other gaffer ever.

I hate when people like you come by thinking they are so awesome because they know what something everybody is talking about really means (yeah, curry really means 'side-dish', duhhrr...). If you don't know that we are talking about, get out instead of trying to sound like an smart ass.

If you are not able to relate it to this dish:

Seeing how almost everybody talking here is from Europe or South/North America, then you should rather get the hell out of this thread.

I'm of Indian descent. I can actually cook what you would call 'curry' rather well. What I was pointing out is that it's a generic term of western invention that doesn't actually have any meaning - it's simply refers to a dish with spices. To someone familiar with the cuisine, it's bereft of meaning because what it in fact means 'a dish that white people aren't familiar with'.

So, no, curry does not mean side dish. It's part of a history in which English-speaking people, unable to subsume or categorize difference, negate it and make it generic.

Please excuse me for clarifying things for a white majority. You're right. I should just let the ignorance continue.

Now can I get you a fucking chai tea?

Spoiler

'Chai' means tea in Hindi.

 

[Mik2121]

blablabla

I know what chai means, there are enough Indians in Japan with Indian restaurants and I go there a lot, so you don't need to try and keep being an smart ass.

And curry doesn't mean side dish? Well then I'm wrong, I admit I got that info from wikipedia (it says so there). Again, there's no reason to come by trying to sound all cool saying you don't know what curry means when you clearly know it and everybody here is from the western, where curry is used for that exact kind of food.

Also, do you think I care about you being actual Indian? I have a friend from Sri Lanka and every time I tell him to go to some Indian and get some curry with chicken and whatever, he knows what I'm talking about. So yeah, stop trying to make a fool out of us 'whites'... :S (btw, Japan also calls it curry, and I bet outside India and maybe a few other countries around, everybody calls it like that).

 

[Zaptruder]

I'm of Indian descent. I can actually cook what you would call 'curry' rather well. What I was pointing out is that it's a generic term of western invention that doesn't actually have any meaning - it's simply refers to a dish with spices. To someone familiar with the cuisine, it's bereft of meaning because what it in fact means 'a dish that white people aren't familiar with'.

So, no, curry does not mean side dish. It's part of a history in which English-speaking people, unable to subsume or categorize difference, negate it and make it generic.

Please excuse me for clarifying things for a white majority. You're right. I should just let the ignorance continue.

Now can I get you a fucking chai tea?

Spoiler

'Chai' means tea in Hindi.

Let me ask you... do you use the term 'pasta'?

 

[industrian]

Is that the soup nazi?

NO CURRY FOR YOU!

 

[somuchwater]

Let me ask you... do you use the term 'pasta'?

Yeah. To refer to the starchy stuff.

Why, is that some random made-up term too?

 

[Mik2121]

Let me ask you... do you use the term 'pasta'?

Pasta? You gotta be kidding me. I'm from Spain, near enough to Italy to actually NOT UNDERSTAND what you are talking about. There are just way too many kinds of this thing you call pasta, EXPLAIN YOURSELF!.

 

[JimmyV]

iamcool.....seriously, is that your cat? Every damn thread you post in it grabs my attention for the longest time:lol

You and PantherLotus both :lol

 

[The Main Event]

Curry soup is one of the best meal in the world.

 

[Cerebral Assassin]

Pasta? You gotta be kidding me. I'm from Spain, near enough to Italy to actually NOT UNDERSTAND what you are talking about. There are just way too many kinds of this thing you call pasta, EXPLAIN YOURSELF!.

To be fair to him though no Indian person would refer to a dish as a curry and very few would cook anything resembling what you would call a curry.

 

[somuchwater]

I know what chai means, there are enough Indians in Japan with Indian restaurants and I go there a lot, so you don't need to try and keep being an smart ass.

And curry doesn't mean side dish? Well then I'm wrong, I admit I got that info from wikipedia (it says so there). Again, there's no reason to come by trying to sound all cool saying you don't know what curry means when you clearly know it and everybody here is from the western, where curry is used for that exact kind of food.

Also, do you think I care about you being actual Indian? I have a friend from Sri Lanka and every time I tell him to go to some Indian and get some curry with chicken and whatever, he knows what I'm talking about. So yeah, stop trying to make a fool out of us 'whites'... :S (btw, Japan also calls it curry, and I bet outside India and maybe a few other countries around, everybody calls it like that).

Wasn't trying to make a fool out of anyone. Just tired at how all cultures are made generic and uniform by outsiders - except, of course, for Western ones. Could you imagine if people said similar things about American or European cuisine or culture? People would go nuts.

And you know, curry is starting to be used by Indian people - in English - to talk about dishes with gravy. It's how cultural evolution and hybridity work. The key is actually respecting difference, rather than saying, "well, that's what I call it, so fuck you".

And I'm not an 'actual Indian'. I'm a very fake one. But then, no-one is an actual Indian.

 

[Mik2121]

To be fair to him though no Indian person would refer to a dish as a curry and very few would cook anything resembling what you would call a curry.

I know, but this is GAF, I'd say 99% of the people here calls this dish curry:

So there's no need to come by saying "I don't know what are you guys talking about, I'm from Indian descent and there's nothing such as curry!" ". It's out of place if you ask me.

Plus, he is from Indian descent, but if he is living somewhere in Europe or the US and doesn't know what curry is, it's just weird.

Wasn't trying to make a fool out of anyone. Just tired at how all cultures are made generic and uniform by outsiders - except, of course, for Western ones. Could you imagine if people said similar things about American or European cuisine or culture? People would go nuts.

And you know, curry is starting to be used by Indian people - in English - to talk about dishes with gravy. It's how cultural evolution and hybridity work. The key is actually respecting difference, rather than saying, "well, that's what I call it, so fuck you".

And I'm not an 'actual Indian'. I'm a very fake one. But then, no-one is an actual Indian.

You know American's call this:

Tortilla, when the real Spanish meaning for tortilla is this:

And same for MANY other things. Same goes for stuff that Japanese call when talking about stuff from the Western, and vice versa.