India Sweets and Spices, Canoga Park

India Sweets and Spices

22011 Sherman Way

Canoga Park, CA 91303

818.887.0868

Wanna know how you can have surprisingly delicious and very affordable Indian food near you?  Well, just before coming to India, my cousins and I went to this Indian market that also serves ready made food.  I was VERY skeptical about it considering that they only serve vegetarian food and how it’s “really cheap.” However, once I saw the line I knew there had to be something about it.  My cousin was right about it though. The food was really good and tasty, and very affordable as well.  Although it was vegetarian, I swear you didn’t even miss the meat.  I couldn’t help but be a little giddy knowing that I’m going to a country that serves this food all the time, everywhere.  There are several locations, so you can always look for one near you.  If you’re not to keen on eating there, then you can get it to go.  Either way, be adventurous and check it out!

 Samosas

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El Indio Mexicano, Northridge

El Indio Mexicano

17019 Roscoe Blvd.

Northridge, CA 91325

Ok, enough with the Indian food for a bit.  Here is one joint in LA that you HAVE to try.  It is my ABSOLUTE FAVORITE Mexican food I’ve ever had, called El Indio Mexicano.  My mouth is watering just writing this.  I first found out about this from a friend after a night of clubbing…guess what, they’re open 24 hours a day!  I started out with the carne asada burrito, and nachos that are big enough to feed 4!  I loved it.  Then, weeks later, I accidentally came across the “al pastor” pork.  One bite of that and now I’m hooked for life!  I’ve never in my life tasted anything as delicious as their al pastor.  I always order the same thing, a number 8 burrito: meat, cheese, guacamole and of course, I make sure the meat is al pastor.  They also have chicken and beef as well, but I do not vouch for them. I can only say that the al pastor is what makes it so good.  FYI they only accept cash, and the place is a total hole-in-the-wall but don’t let that deter you.  I ate this twice before coming to India since I knew I’d be missing it, even drove there in the middle of the night…yes, it’s that good.

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Amrut Sagar, Bandra West, Mumbai

On the corner of Hill Road and Globis Street in Bandra West, there is a busy little restaurant serving only vegetarian food called Amrut Sagar.  Here, they are known for their Dosa’s, which are very large and round crunchy crepe and tortilla-like hybrids.  You can get them plain or filled with vegetables.  There are over 20 different options.  They are served with two types of sauces that are eaten with the Dosa.  One in particular that differed from anything I’d tried before is the coconut chutney (great for coconut lovers).  To drink, I ordered a lime-flavored soda called Limca, which to me tasted more like grapefruit.  For dessert, I ordered a wild concoction called falooda.  You may recognize that name if you remember my posting about “palda” aka “faloodeh.”  It’s their version of the same dessert except I’ve never had it served up like this before!  There are different flavors, and we happened to order the Kesar flavor, not knowing what it was.  I later found out Kesar is saffron.  The falooda dessert was layered with the noodles at the bottom, ice cream, whipped cream, gelatin-like seeds that I still have no idea what they were, surrounded in a saffron flavored cream for taste and for that yellow color that you see.  Next it was topped with whipped cream, rose syrup and cashews.  It was a very interesting combination.  If you are a lover of saffron, then I HIGHLY recommend this particular dessert simply for the uniqueness of it.  Otherwise, I would at least get a different flavor if you are ever in India.

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Golden Crown, Mumbai

When I want to get out of Bandra West, in Mumbai, sometimes I’ll take a taxi over the bridge to “townside” Mumbai.  Its such a nice view driving over the water and seeing all the skyscrapers from a distance.  It just feels like you’re in a different city altogether.  On this particular night, we went to a restaurant called Golden Crown.  The meal started out with mini snacks of peanuts, mint chutney, potato chips, garbanzo beans, cucumbers, carrots and a side of a masala powder that you can sprinkle on the snacks to give it more flavor.  For our entree we ordered vegetable biryani, which is spiced rice with vegetables.  This is a meal in itself. You may also order it with meat.  This was so delicious that it inspired me to make it at home, which came out great as well.  Alongside the biryani, I orderd a mutton masala.  The mutton masala can be very heavy and rich in flavor, so I preferred to eat it with the Raita (cucumber yogurt) and the vegetables.  The yogurt and vegetables added a freshness to everything.  It’s chow time!

Raita

Vegetable Biryani

Mutton Masala

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Ja’hind, Mumbai

I was told there’s a great seafood restaurant within walking distance of me called Ja’hind.  I was impressed with the very modern decor and the way they were able to fit so many people in such a tight place.  Although, there still was a 30 minute wait.  I was not feeling so well in the beginning, as I had come down with a cold and was in a miserable mood. But by the time lunch was over, I was as happy as a clam.  I ordered 2 kinds of fried fish: Pomfret and Bombil.  They were both delicious and easy to eat.  I devoured the whole thing excluding the bones, not caring what part of the fish I was eating LoL.  Next up was this flavorful Prawns Masala with a side of rice.   It was loaded with spices and a hint of coconut milk.  It is amazing how much flavor they can pack in such a little dish!

Fried Pomfret

Fried Bombil

Prawns Masala

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Mcdonalds!

Being in India, I really wanted to see if a chicken sandwich at Mcdonalds here would taste the same as the ones back home.  Was it a sight to see or what?! It was packed with people just pouring in.  There were some familiar options and some new ones as well like the McSpicy Paneer sandwich.  I was really craving a McChicken sandwich, but was torn when I saw the Chicken Maharaja Mac.  It’s basically their version of a Big Mac since beef is not commonly served in India.  My stomach was saying go for what I’m craving, but my adventurous side was telling me to try something new.  Naturally, I ordered the Chicken Maharaja Mac.  To be quite honest, I was not really happy with it.  In fact, I could not finish it, which is VERY unlike me.  The fries and chicken nuggets were pretty much the same as usual.  I later tried the spicy McChicken sandwich and THAT was tasty.  If I’m ever in the mood for McDonalds again, I would definitely get that next time.

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Golden Door, Mumbai

First Indian restaurant of my trip!  Golden Door in Bandra, within walking distance of where I’m staying in India, was just what I needed to kick off this food adventure.  Everything we ordered was fantastic!  Nothing to complain about here.

Masala Papad, cripy layer topped with tomatoes, cilantro, onion and spices

Raita, a cucumber yogurt side dish/appetizer

Grilled Paneer

Each dish had a side of pickled vegetables that complements the meal. It was my favorite part of the meal.

Pomfret Fry (Fried Pomfret fish)

Garlic Naan

Mutton Vindaloo

After-meal breath freshener

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Day 2 of my adventures: Gunpati Celebration

On the second day of my trip, there was a huge celebration going on. I stepped out of the house to see what all the commotion was about.  We came across a brightly lit alleyway with tons of street vendors all lined up selling all sorts of things.  It felt like Christmas except this is pretty much the norm here, year-round.  Here are some pictures of some of the things I sampled.

A little girl praying to Gunpati, the God of wisdom

The Indian ice cream man.  The ice cream was kept cold and scooped straight out of that portable metal cooler.

Ice cream flavors: Mango, pistachio, strawberry, and fig, served up on a leaf

THIS is what I wish we had in LA…a man on every street corner serving freshly-cut exotic fruits

Isn’t that GORGEOUS!?

Local Milk Man

Vendor selling nothing but dates

The Roasted Peanuts Man!?

Sweet Samosas, drizzled in syrup

Brightly colored thingamabobs called “bundi”.  They come in a sweet or savory flavor.  The baker laughed when I took pictures of the desserts and rolled his eyes saying, “Heh, Americans!”

  A local woman who made a big fuss of me being in  the alley. She wanted a picture with me so a few of them took snapshots of me with their camera phones like I was some kind of foreigner or something!?

A lamb, chillin in front of the butcher shop, probably waiting to be someone’s dinner.

“Bhari” is a sweet snack made from cow’s milk.  It looks like cheese and has the texture of silken tofu. I ate it every morning with my tea

 I hope you enjoyed the mini tour.  I was bright-eyed the entire time because there was so much to see and so many things to taste.  Trust me when I say that this isn’t even half of it.  There’s still plenty more to come!

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