Pungent Spices Mark Indian Festival
Jul 10, 2003
CLOUDS of steam and sizzles arose from fiery charcoal stoves and pressure cookers, filling Munyonyo’s air with luring scents of grilled meat and chicken, pungent spices and several delectable Indian dishes whose exotic names I could not pronounce.
By Raphael Okello
Clouds of steam and sizzles arose from fiery charcoal stoves and pressure cookers, filling Munyonyo’s air with luring scents of grilled meat and chicken, pungent spices and several delectable Indian dishes whose exotic names I could not pronounce.
India has always seduced me with her unmatched diversity of cultural traditions. I considered last week’s invitation to this year’s Indian food and music festival as a nicely wrapped cultural parcel exported from the huge sub-continent.
The venue, Speke Resort gardens, Munyonyo was my cruise ship into a cultural voyage that is truly Indian.
By 2:00 pm, Indians streamed in hundreds. Astonishing beautiful Indian women in colorful traditional dresses stood out. Those in elaborate Indian saree - a silk embroidered material, artistically wrapped around themselves in different fashions, were more stylish in comparison to those in salwar kameez and churidar - simpler designs of tunic and shawl worn over a pair of trousers.
The buzzy crowd was in a convivial mood, strolling back and forth as they sampled Indian dishes prepared in the 18 food tents.
Each community dispensed gastronomic specialities with great flair, offering the crowd a chance to sample some of India’s authentic traditional cuisine.
Steamed rice noodles served with spiced soup, baked chapatis, grilled chicken, goat stew, heavily scented spices, pastry, a wide range of vegetable food products and freshly squeezed sugarcane juice.
Rice seems to be a main food ingredient used by most Indian communities, only prepared in different forms. For instance from Andhra Pradesh, the Southern state of India, they prepare idly (rice cake), vada which is squashed rice made into paste and left out to ferment.
My favourite was biryani - curried rice, carrots and Irish potatoes served with lemon, spiced meat stew and pepper. Biryani is like an edited Indian cuisine.
The real magic began at 6:00pm when the stage dramatically lit up with elegant Indian music and exuberant dance recitals. Rumbling Indian drums, the liquid sail of the flute and prickly tunes constantly seized Munyonyo’s lakeside night air as we travelled through India’s vast cultural panorama.
From the state of Kerala, six women dressed in an off-white silk cloth with gold embroideries performed Thirvathira, an elegant dance performed by girls of marriageable age seeking for respectable husbands and married women for the welfare of their husbands.
The Muyindi mantra (a band comprising Indian working class) performed 18 songs from the 60’s to the 90’s. Their performance of Roop Tera Mastana, originally performed by Kishore Kumar, was a crowd favourite.
The community from Punjabi state-smacked the crowd and crackled the stage with Bhangra, a charismatic dance that commemorates the harvesting season.
Fifteen minutes of yelling, stomping and swiveling, showed that Bhangra is not for the fragile souls.
In all the lively performances and sumptuous dishes prepared by each community, there was a profound Indian demonstration: The passion for their food and music.
From the slow to fast rhythmic Indian classics and modern songs, graceful to vigorous dances, the crowd reacted with squeals and whistles.
Whatever wonders will lure them back to next year’s festival, for me it will be the sight of beautiful Indian women and the delightful Indian music and dance, the charm that has always endeared me to India.
Ends
Clouds of steam and sizzles arose from fiery charcoal stoves and pressure cookers, filling Munyonyo’s air with luring scents of grilled meat and chicken, pungent spices and several delectable Indian dishes whose exotic names I could not pronounce.
India has always seduced me with her unmatched diversity of cultural traditions. I considered last week’s invitation to this year’s Indian food and music festival as a nicely wrapped cultural parcel exported from the huge sub-continent.
The venue, Speke Resort gardens, Munyonyo was my cruise ship into a cultural voyage that is truly Indian.
By 2:00 pm, Indians streamed in hundreds. Astonishing beautiful Indian women in colorful traditional dresses stood out. Those in elaborate Indian saree - a silk embroidered material, artistically wrapped around themselves in different fashions, were more stylish in comparison to those in salwar kameez and churidar - simpler designs of tunic and shawl worn over a pair of trousers.
The buzzy crowd was in a convivial mood, strolling back and forth as they sampled Indian dishes prepared in the 18 food tents.
Each community dispensed gastronomic specialities with great flair, offering the crowd a chance to sample some of India’s authentic traditional cuisine.
Steamed rice noodles served with spiced soup, baked chapatis, grilled chicken, goat stew, heavily scented spices, pastry, a wide range of vegetable food products and freshly squeezed sugarcane juice.
Rice seems to be a main food ingredient used by most Indian communities, only prepared in different forms. For instance from Andhra Pradesh, the Southern state of India, they prepare idly (rice cake), vada which is squashed rice made into paste and left out to ferment.
My favourite was biryani - curried rice, carrots and Irish potatoes served with lemon, spiced meat stew and pepper. Biryani is like an edited Indian cuisine.
The real magic began at 6:00pm when the stage dramatically lit up with elegant Indian music and exuberant dance recitals. Rumbling Indian drums, the liquid sail of the flute and prickly tunes constantly seized Munyonyo’s lakeside night air as we travelled through India’s vast cultural panorama.
From the state of Kerala, six women dressed in an off-white silk cloth with gold embroideries performed Thirvathira, an elegant dance performed by girls of marriageable age seeking for respectable husbands and married women for the welfare of their husbands.
The Muyindi mantra (a band comprising Indian working class) performed 18 songs from the 60’s to the 90’s. Their performance of Roop Tera Mastana, originally performed by Kishore Kumar, was a crowd favourite.
The community from Punjabi state-smacked the crowd and crackled the stage with Bhangra, a charismatic dance that commemorates the harvesting season.
Fifteen minutes of yelling, stomping and swiveling, showed that Bhangra is not for the fragile souls.
In all the lively performances and sumptuous dishes prepared by each community, there was a profound Indian demonstration: The passion for their food and music.
From the slow to fast rhythmic Indian classics and modern songs, graceful to vigorous dances, the crowd reacted with squeals and whistles.
Whatever wonders will lure them back to next year’s festival, for me it will be the sight of beautiful Indian women and the delightful Indian music and dance, the charm that has always endeared me to India.
Ends