INDIA: Lunch Time

During lunch hour, my officemates and I would walk down to good ol' Verma's Kitchen. It's the closest and cheapest food joint around India Habitat Center. Three USD for a meal for five people. Not bad at all! Our other officemates warned us that if we don't want stomach problems, we better stay away from Verma's. I never got sick from eating there though! The usual lunch cast is Shraman, Anubhab, Shekhar, Shatish (not in photo) and myself.

"With one Indian, it's contemplation... 

With two Indians, it's argumentation...

With three Indians, it's a revolution!"

Right off the pan

Hardcore

Before

Spoils of war

After this particular lunch, the guys made me try sweet paan, an Indian breath freshener / after mint.  It's made from betel leaves, betel nut, areca nut and other dubious substances like rose-syrup, rose leaves and some colorful spices of different shapes and sizes. They ordered three pieces; the mysterious sidewalk vendor took some leaves submerged in a pail of water. He carefully cut the discolored parts of the foliage and used a small brush to spread the ingredients stored in the tin cups onto the green wrapper. He looked as though he was preparing poison or some voodoo ritual!

What can I do for you?

Pick your poison!

A closer look

Still alive!

I look excited but I was actually scared of getting wild diarrhea. As expected, the paan tasted like herbal mint candy. While chewing on it, the rose-syrup leaked from the leaf and I felt like I was eating a valentine's gift I'd give my mom or girlfriend. It was refreshing to the mouth but when the menthol worked its way up to my nose I just had to spit it out. The flavor and aroma lingered for the next half-hour so it still felt like it was inside my mouth. No more paan for me! Ever!