Not long ago, Colvard Student Union director Eddie Keith said, “The Union is not in need of much improvement, but there is vacant space to fill.” Now, for a person like me who salivates at a plethora of eating options, that is indeed some food for thought. What could possibly be brought in that hasn’t been subjected to various palates of the unyielding Mississippi State patrons? As much as I racked my brain, I could not come up with a unique solution that would satisfy everyone’s taste buds. That is, until I thought of my home: India.
Coming from a place that offers such a vast and amazing range of delicacies, I shouldn’t have looked too far. At the risk of sounding overtly patriotic, I can safely say I could never get to taste everything India has to offer. In fact, this is true about all big nations.
If the Union hosts more cuisines before settling on some, Indian food could be a very delectable option. I say this keeping in mind the kind of setting (academic and not uber commercial), the ambience (lively, lifting atmosphere) and the people (student body) to which it caters. The stuff Indian cuisine has to offer can be easily slotted into breakfast, lunch and dinner.
There couldn’t be a healthier, simpler, more unpretentious delicacy to start a day than with a very famous South Indian item called idli. Made of nothing but a batter of black lentils and rice, both fermented and steamed in molds to the right proportions, these white wonders can help one jumpstart a day the right way. Accompaniments are many: mixtures of lentils and spices humorously called gunpowders, intoxicating broths of tamarind and pulses called sambar and mashed and pulverized pastes of cilantro, spices and coconut called chutneys. Acting perfect foil to idlis are vadas, which are crispy fried dumplings of lentil batter and long lost cousins of doughnuts. The picture they generate when served together on a virgin banana leaf is beyond words.
And then you simply cannot go wrong with piping hot lentil and rice pancakes called dosas. All these are made of almost the same ingredients, but each tastes and looks so different from the other that they deserve separate mention and honor.
Very high on carbohydrates and proteins without an iota of fat, one cannot ask for more wallet-friendly and girth-friendly breakfast options. Since they can be made en masse with limited preparation, these options make a lot of economic sense too.
For lunch, one could have an assortment of dishes, starting off with the staple roti, flattened bread of kneaded wheat dough, or steamed plain rice. Rotis, with or without clarified butter, can be plain or padded with the stuffing of choice. Again, rice can be plain or flavored with seasoning or mildly fried. Nothing can be more soothing than a cup of yogurt either in its plain or flavored form. Raw vegetables could be sliced and grated to form a salad. Finally, the array of curries to go with these could be really mind-boggling, and there are more curries in Indian cuisine than there are stars in the Milky Way. Need a testimonial to that? Ask the Britons.
Someone like me will be sold by the taste, but if you look closer, there are plenty of reasons for every single item being on the menu, nutrition being one of the most important. Yes, people sometimes complain about the greasy nature of the food, not to mention the levels of spice. But like any food, Indian food could be customized, keeping the local tastes in mind. The spices could be toned down. As is the norm, nutritional charts could be displayed to make an informed choice.
In my limited travel in the U.S., I have noticed there are more Americans who flock to the Indian restaurants than Indians, which is representative of changing and flexible tastes. At least going by their body language and general ease, the delicacies in their hands do not seem to be weird objects from a far-off alien planet. Indian food is no longer an exotic concept appealing to a few. Restaurants have mushroomed all over the U.S., appealing to expats and natives alike.
Indian food lends itself very well to the current Union setup either in a buffet form or … la carte, and I am sure with the variety we already have, different brands and cuisines could happily coexist.
Aramark has nothing to lose here. Since they have tried various options, there could be room for one more foreign cuisine, too. There should be a trial run. If it runs, good. If it doesn’t, get back to the tried and tested options. But at least you are giving people a chance, and when given this chance, I am sure everybody will be smiling. The eating public will be smiling for sure. Aramark will be one level up, laughing all the way to their local coffers.
Santosh Kumar T.K. is a graduate student in forest products. He can be contacted at [email protected].