Last year I had an amazing meal on my ship for Indian Independence Day. The chicken curry that I had, which I gave the nick name the “blood curry” because of its dark red color, was one of the most amazing and delicious foods that I’ve ever had. So when I saw signs around the ship advertising Indian Independence Day, I knew I was in for a treat.
Watching, I saw the variety of foods being brought in. The vat of white liquid drink was a curious addition as well as a display of brown, doughy dessert balls that was carefully delivered on a 3-towered tree.
As more food that came into the mess, a crowd of the curious as well as the hungry crowded in the mess hall. Finally, as the last of the food came in, the room was filled with people to not only celebrate, but also partake in the delicious festivities. Photos were taken with the head chef with his labors of love surrounding him. The cake was centered on the table where people could see as well as take photos of.
The proceeding 25 minutes was the chef and his crew taking photos of the food and them standing in front of it. I asked one of the chefs about the meals that he and his fellow cooks prepared. He proclaimed that it took EIGHT hours of preparation and cooking time to make. The cooking process was long but well worth the wait he assured me.
I told him that last year that I got some great food on another ship and I was very excited to have it again. The chef started to apologize to me for the meal he and his team prepared. He told me that a lot of the spices and food was prepackaged so it would never taste the same as a homemade Indian cooked meal, which of course they would normally make fresh.
After the captain came down and had the first plate, the head chef and his cooks crowded around and began to sing Indian national anthem. They stood in front of their dishes smiling and proud. All 20 of them stood by their dishes and expressed their love of not only their country, but also their craft by singing loudly; some with their hands over their hearts.
After they were finished I went and stood in line and grabbed a plate I filled it so I had food cliff hanging off the sides of the plate. I tried to get a little bit of everything, but managed to fit on my plate some Jainga Malai Curry (coconut shrimp curry), Chicken Masala, Pork Vendaloo, Beef Rogan Josh as well as some flat bread. The taste was some of the best that I’ve experienced - even in India where I visited only a few months ago. The colors and textures were a delight and felt inspired after finishing my tasty plate. The strange white liquid tasted sort of like a mix of milk and Sprite that I wasn’t particularly fond of but was still glad that I tried. If there was ever a time to be glad to be stuck on a boat, it would be during Indian Independence Day. -DB
