Since I don't tolerate hot-spicy foods well, I've never tried Indian
cuisine. I've made some things with lentils at home, but I have never
eaten Indian food other than that.

Last night I attended a reception for a 13 year-old boy of Indian
heritage whose parents are wealthy doctors. The boy wrote a novel at
the age of twelve which was published by the company I work for. I was
the editor. The parents financed and threw a huge party for the
occasion. A large sector of the local Indian community was in attendance.

The food was catered by an Indian restaurant in San Antonio (250 miles
away). Young girls who were attending an Indian dance school performed
native dances in colorful costumes. They were amazing. There was also
a magician/illusionist, a wonderful Mexican Folkloric group from a local
high school and a Mexican string quartet (three guitars of varying sizes
and a harp-like instrument) who sang traditional folk songs. It was like
a Bar Mitzvah party :-)


As the editor of the book I was asked to say a few words. I made sure
that what I said was parent-pleasing. The kid does have a lot of
imagination and talent. He needs some grammar skills.

Back to Food:

There was one dish, in particular, that I really liked. It was not at
all hot, though it was well seasoned with a delicious spice mixture. It
was 'kofta' or 'kafta', which I knew as ground meat patties. These were
log-shaped in a yellowish sauce. I have Googled it but couldn't find a
recipe for what I ate. Does anyone have any ideas what it is officially
called so I can Google it?

The other item that was very interesting was a dessert that was made of
incredibly thin leaves of white dough with sugar. It appeared to be even
thinner than filo. It might have been a rice dough. It was a bit chewy.
Does anyone know what this is called?

I did try a samosa, but it was to spicy for me. There was a battered
and fried vegetable dish that was pretty good. Another dish was made of
small, whole eggplants and potatoes. The eggplants were good but the
potatoes were too spicy for me. There was also Tandoori chicken which I
could eat and another chicken dish in an orangey-colored sauce that was
also not too hot. The rice and the naan were excellent. There was also
a "salad" that was made entirely of onions and sliced jalapenos. I
removed the peppers and the onions were good. They were seasoned with
tiny seeds that I was not familiar with. Coriander seeds perhaps?

Anyway, if anyone knows the full name of the kofta dish and the pastry,
I'd love it if you'd post. A recipe or link to one would be most
appreciated.
--
From somewhere very deep in the heart of Texas