Okay, it's not that glorious, but I was happy to see it! I was returning home from the cyber cafe and thinking, it's going to be a late dinner and I'm hungry. Well, isn't it just like God to provide...in front of my house was this little food cart. He only comes in the evening, and in three months I've lived here, it's only the second time I've seen him. So what's he selling that so wonderful Aloo Tikki. These potato pancake things - I guess the closest you can get to understand from a US perspective would be McDonald's hash-brown potato things that you get from the breakfast menu. But they are different - of course they're different, it's India! for a whopping 14 cents, you get two of these, freshly made before your eyes, discs. But that's not all. He puts all kinds of stuff on it - most I'm not at all sure what it is. I tried to get them plain, but I think tonight he just made them less spicy than he did last time. I know there's salt, a somewhat sweet sauce, a curd/yogurt sauce, some green chili sauce and something else. It looks more like this once it's given to you.
Now, there's a funny story about this food. Dan used to rave about some stand in the market that always has a huge crowd around them. So he'd get a bunch packaged and bring them home for dinner, except he called them Momos. Well, the first time he came home with them was when I was living at their house. I knew Momo's to be a Tibetan treat, not so unlike gyoza (a Japanese pasta snack). It had been over 5 years since I'd had these and I was so excited. But when he opened the bag I was a little disappointed. Okay, they were good, but they weren't Momos. I questioned the name that Dan had given them, so he tested it out. One night while ordering and eating some, he said to the man next to him, "These sure are some good Momos, aren't they?" He heartily agreed (of course, it might have been shameful to tell Dan they were called something else). Dan turned to another guy and asked him what the name was. Ha! This guy said "Hamburger, like McDonalds...ha, ha, ha!" Okay, whatever that was, it wasn't helpful. Then one night, we were sitting down to have some of these mystery cutlets and a neighbor from across the street stopped by. I asked her what she called them. She said, Aloo Tikkia (she speaks Hindi, so there would be a different way to say them then what the Urdu speakers say). Ah, now it's making sense. We laughed, but I still don't know where Dan got the name from. Then when we were all in Delhi, I saw a stand with actual Momos! I ordered some and shared them with everyone. So, now we are all well versed in what is and what isn't a momo.
Well, my snack is done and I need to start cooking - I've decided to have an American meal - fried chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy and some frozen American corn (it said that on the package). You'd think I'd save the comfort meal for a day that isn't going so well, but on those days I usually don't have the energy - tonight I do.
By the way, I've got my new Indian cell phone! I've yet to make a call, maybe I'll do that while boiling the potato (yes, as in one - I'm only cooking for me).
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