Exotic Youth

When I was 10 years old, my family moved to a new town. It was only about 5 miles from where we had lived, but very different for me. Gone were the sidewalks and busy streets, and my mother's warning of "never cross the street." I felt as if we had moved to the country, and was thrilled to finally be allowed to ride my bike around our new neighborhood.

My new school was modern and had several classes of every grade, with each being split up into "levels." There were three levels, and for some reason, all of the new students were placed in the "second" level, regardless of their intelligence.

My new class had three of us newbies. Within one week, the girl from Asia was whisked away to the top group. I was bored silly, but I had made quick friends with a girl named Gretchen, and refused to budge out of the class. When her family was transferred back to Texas, I was devastated.

The second term brought a new girl to our school, and she was quickly placed in my class. I was mesmerized by her exotic clothes and caramel colored skin. Sarwat was from India, spoke English with a British accent, and was certainly one of the smartest girls I had ever met. She wore a Sari and leather sandles to school, and brought unusual food with her for lunch.

We became friends and would get together at one another's homes. Her dad was a cardiac surgeon, and was doing a stint at a local hospital while he prepared to take his U.S. Medical Boards. They lived in an apartment, which I found fascinating.

My mom became friendly with the parents, and helped them adjust to living in America. Before long, Sarwat wore less of her traditional Indian clothing, and enjoyed spending time with her new friends.

I will never forget going to her home for two birthday parties, for they were my first introduction to Indian food. Most of the girl's were only willing to try a bit of rice and Tandoori Chicken, but I loved everything. I wanted to move in with them.

Many years later, my younger daughter would be best friends with an Indian girl, and she too would end up falling in love with the flavors of India. Imagine my surprise, when my chicken tender, peanut butter eating child announced, "Mom, I ate goat stew tonight. It was delicious."

Over time, she developed a love of several Indian dishes, so I decided to start making Indian food. One of our favorites is Channa Masala, pictured here. Made from chick peas, onions, tomatoes, and a long list of spices, it is delicious and a perfect for a meatless meal. We had it with some jasmine rice and onion flatbreads, and our home smells of ginger and warm spice