Diwali Excitement

Diwali Excitement

Note: This is my second post today, so you may want to look at the previous entry to see if you have read it or not.

Wednesday, Oct. 18, 2006--Madurai (Cont.)

I ate an egg-chicken parota pocket for lunch today. Parota is a flat bread. They folded it in a square-shaped envelope and filled it with shredded chicken, shredded onion, and a thin layer of fried egg. Then they put the whole pocket on the griddle and browned it on both sides. They served it with ketchup. It is a breakfast item that they serve until 1:00 p.m. and just seemed like something new that would be worthwhile to try. I enjoyed it.

After resting at the hotel for 3 hours and reading, I went back out to see Madurai at night. Like all the cities in this part of India, it is really alive this week. Diwali is this weekend. The stores are decorated with flashing lights. Sales are on everywhere. Kids are shooting fireworks at the entrances to stores. I even saw a small band in uniform performing as they and a group of men who seemed to be soliciting donations went from store to store. Everyone has shopping bags in their arms. It's the time for last-minute shopping and preparations. Diwali is in two days!

For dinner, I wanted something spicy with meat. The waiter suggested butter chicken. Although I have had it several times already, I took his suggestion. The other chicken dish I asked about had bones in it. It was spicy. And the naan I had with it was cooked in the front of the restaruant in a real tandoori oven. I saw the cook slap the dough on the wall of the oven and then pull it off when it was cooked and slice it in half. It was so fresh and delicious that I ordered a second helping of the naan.