Living the Indian Life

So I have moved into my new place and am fairly settled. I had many friends take me around the gather the things I need to live comfortably. Pots and pans, blankets (since I now have AC), garbage bins, mops, brooms…you get the point.
I have decided on two important things; most working people in India have maids, either to clean the house or do the laundry (by hand) or to cook meals, and some have both. I have decided to have neither. People think I am crazy- how am I going to find the time to clean my place, do laundry and cook for myself. I just tell them I’ve been doing it myself for over 10 years and nothing has changed that fact.
There are reasons for my “madness.” Firstly, I have seen the maids clean, I actually told Tim to just pay me what he pays her because I’ll do a 100 times better job. I’ll clean my own damn place, thank you very much. Then I know it is clean!! Secondly, I figure this will be a good way for me to learn to cook Indian food myself. I mentioned in an earlier blog that I had hired a cook. She actually never ended up showing up to work. So I just downloaded Indian recipes, and with some friends help started learning to cook Indian style.
So I decided to do it all by myself. Today I did my first bucket wash ever. OK, so I have occasionally washed my underwear in the sink while traveling. But I just did a full load of laundry scrubbing and squeezing all by myself. They actually have products here for bucket washed as the majority of families do not have a washing machine. You can get a tide scrub bar and on the back of the Tide package it gives you handy instructions on how to do a bucket wash. I think it went well, although I probably have to spend more time rinsing the clothes before hanging them to dry outside on my makeshift clothes line.
The cooking is actually not been to difficult, yes Indian food uses a lot of spices, but it is fairly simple, although I did need to buy a mixer grinder so I could make thick curry pastes. I have to yet to try to make any of those yet as I just got my grinder. In India there is no such thing as curry powder. Curry here is a mix of mostly chilli powder, turmeric, cumin, coriander and ginger garlic paste. Along with tomatoes and onions you can make so many different types of masala (curries). I don't eat much rice, so I have been practicing making roti (or chapatis). It is simple in that it is a mix of whole wheat flour and water. Getting the right mix is essential or else the dough could be too sticky or dry. Then you make small balls and roll to a thin pancake like size. It's not as easy as it sounds. Getting the right shape is difficult, and I have made some square looking rotis. Then you put it on a roti making pan and flip and flip until cooked, you can also hold the roti over the open flame to give it a nice texture. I am finding it kind of rewarding cooking all this Indian food. People just are soooooo impressed when they find out I cook not only by myself with no help but Indian food to boot.
I'll be sure to post my trials and tribulations of my Indian cooking attempts, hopefully with pictures. I hope to get pictures up soon of my apartment and scooter. I promise.