Instagram Post 10/7/2019

Part of the mission of the Association of Indians in America is to promote the image of India in the US and this past weekend, their 32nd Deepavali Festival in South Street Seaport achieved that goal with traditional entertainment, crafts and, of course, delicious food.

(Click on any image to view it in high resolution.)

There were two items that were particularly tempting and I wasn’t disappointed by either. This is dhokla, the delicious snack that hails from Gujarat, India. Soft, delicately spongy, and impossible to stop eating, it’s made from a fermented batter of rice and chana dal (split chickpeas) the proportions of which vary depending upon the type of dhokla. It’s topped with mustard seeds and green chilies and served here with spicy mango shreds and a yellow curry sauce on the side for dipping. Tiptop.

I confess that kulfi may be my favorite ethnic ice cream – sweet, creamy, intensely flavored, slightly chewy. It starts with milk that’s been cooked down for an eon or two, flavors are added, and it’s poured into molds and frozen directly, not churned. This process contributes to kulfi’s dense texture because no air has been blended in. Shown here is malai (cream) flavor but it’s not merely cream; classic malai kulfi is aromatic with cardamom and nuts, sometimes saffron, sometimes rosewater. This one, purchased from a modest orange truck, was small batch crafted employing a proper kulfi mold and one of the best I’ve ever tasted.