Mmmmasala

A friend from my husband's grad program, Deepak, invited us for a traditional Northern Indian meal in his home, and we were honored to join him. Before dinner, his roommate, Abhigit, did an amazing show-and-tell of Indian spices and pantry goods. Some of the spices he shared were hand-blended by his mom in India, and rightfully used with some serious discretion. On the left is her Sambar Masala and that's Goda Masala on the right. Both had rich, intense smells and flavors that couldn't be found in store-bought spices. Behind the spices is Gur, unrefined sugar that has more intensity and nuance than the grainy white stuff.

All that sniffing and tasting revved up the stomach acids, and we were ready to eat! The simple meal of potato and red bean masala with basmati rice was so delicious I had three servings! The ginger pickle you see in the background is a great complement to the meal, and can be picked up at any Indian Market for under 2 bucks.