Indian food is an acquired taste. Truth be told, Indian food was never among my favorites. But having considered Singapore as my second home for five years, where Indians are the third largest ethnic group, I learned more about Indians and their cuisine.
Featured photo: Ms. Judeline Murjani lights the “diya” at Marco Polo Plaza Cebu’s celebration of Diwali.
Indian food is both exciting and intimidating. It is characterized by sharp flavors. Their dishes cleverly balance sweet, sour, salty, spicy, and bitter. Having said that, I actually couldn’t pinpoint just one Indian dish that is my favorite, so let me list six of them.
Chicken Tandoor. Those who are uninitiated should try this first. Chicken that is marinated for hours in a mixture of yogurt and spices, and then roasted in a tandoor (traditionally, a clay oven).
Rogan josh. Lamb curry, a feast for royalty!
Samosa Potato (or chicken) stuffed triangle-shaped bite-sized snack. Pair it with your favorite chutney.
Biryani. Like the Philippines, rice is a staple in India. Biryani is cooked with several spices, most prominently saffron, and marinated chicken or lamb.
Jalebi. Still got room for dessert? No this isn’t a play on the local fastfood store. It’s simply a wheat flour batter deep fried in coil-shapes and immersed in sugar syrup.
Gulab Jamun. Top off your meal by having some balls consisting of dried milk, slow cooked and boiled in syrup.
Together with the global celebration of Diwali, one of the most popular festivals of Hinduism, Marco Polo Plaza Cebu brings back its exciting Culinary Journey – Khana – A Celebration of Indian Cuisine.
Diwali, the festival of lights, signifies the victory of light over darkness, good over evil, knowledge over ignorance, and hope over despair. Celebration the explosion of aromas and flavors from October 17 to 24 at Café Marco as it explores the rich cuisine of India.
Khana, which means “food” in Hindi, will feature one of the world’s most colorful and diverse cuisines – from their local spices, to their herbs, even their vegetables and fruits that are very unique to our taste. To ensure that the intricacies of the country’s cuisine are presented to perfection, Culinary Consultant Ms. Judeline Murjani has brought her repertoire of experience and skills to the Café Marco kitchen. If you think Indian food is good, home-cooked Indian food is even better.
Along with Café Marco’s world class chefs, they will whip up an authentic Indian feast on top of the restaurant’s international spread.
Check out the rest of the Indian spread at Khana:
Khana’s dinner rate is at P1,440 net per person but the best value can be enjoyed at lunch for only P880 net per person on Mondays to Saturdays. So what are you waiting for? Go up to Nivel Hills and celebrate the Festival of Lights and experience a wonderful week of authentic Indian dishes only at Cebu City’s finest, Marco Polo Plaza.
It was a wonderful experience. Judy is a great cook.