Advice on feeding Hindu guests, please.

HI,

A visiting relative is bringing along her Hindu Mother-In Law. They hinted they would take care of themselves since they are bringing beans.

My Mexican relatives prefer to eat Mexican food. They politely put with my cooking for a few days, then take over the kitchen to prepare food they prefer. Of course, I don't mind eating Mexican.

I am used to preparing meals for guests taking into account their wishes. I started to list meals the Hindu branch might enjoy. I was thinking Macaroni and cheese, ratatouille, corn served various ways, tomato pie, eggplant Parmesan, potato salad and such. I am taking into account they don't eat meat (not quite sure their position on eggs, though I recall they eat a lot of yogurt). I am thinking they might want to try food 'we' eat as I would eagerly eat exclusively Indian when visiting them.

I'm wondering if I will be spinning my wheels making food they will politely eat. While they hope I just leave them to cook their own food.

Any experience and advice on what to do is appreciated.

Regards,

My Hindu friend eats eggs very sparingly, and only in baked things.

I made her a pasta with sauteed spinach and great northern beans. I sauteed the spinach and beans in olive oil, garlic, italian seasonings, and quite a bit of dried chili flakes. Also I think pasta with sauteed cauliflower and toasted pignoli nuts would be nice.

She also enjoys cheesy potato casserole and Mexican food!

I also made apple crisp. I find Indian desserts to be quite sweet, so I made it with more sugar than I would normally.

I'm hindu myself, so I suggest check if they are strict vegan or vegetarian, & will eat dairy products and/or eggs. Some dairy-eating hindus won't eat eggs. If they do take dairy, plain yogurt is a necessity. I'd keep basmati rice on hand, & chapati flour too if they plan to cook.

Some popular dishes my mother usually has on offer for guests include baked cauliflower & cheese, she'll also vary it with adding potatoes & carrots; grilled portabello mushrooms; various soups such as minestrone, cuban-style black bean, red lentil, & vegetable purees; chinese or thai-style stir-fry or curried tofu, also falafel, hummus, baba ganoush etc. Veg pizza or pasta is usually popular too (spicy eggplant & tomato sauce is v. popular).

If eggs are okay, quiche, frittatas, spanokopita etc are all good options.

I'd ask specifically about eggs, and about onions and garlic. (Some Hindus won't eat those, either.) This is from the nightmare wedding planning experience of a U.S.-born Indian friend who married a nice Italian girl from New Jersey - they ended up with two entirely separate reception buffets, because how the hell do you cook Italian food without onions or garlic?

That was a fun wedding, but definitely one in which you could tell the bride's side from the groom's side.

My parents aren't very hardcore Hindus, but many of our family friends and relatives (including my in-laws) are pretty strict about the Hindu brahmin diet - tons of dairy, rice, vegetables, legumes, and flour-based stuff (chapati, papad, etc.), avoid eggs (unless they're an indistinguishable ingredient, as tcdup mentioned), and eschew all meat & meat-based products (no animal-derived gelatin, no lard, some know about & avoid animal-derived rennet in cheeses, etc.).

If they're just plain ol' Hindu vegetarian, they'll eat onions, garlic, etc. If they're adherents of certain sects or followers of certain gurus/swamis, they won't eat those, but will eat other root vegetables. If they're Jain, they won't eat anything that, when harvested, would have resulted in the death of the plant (a.k.a. no root vegetables or onions/garlic).

When my in-laws visit, we don't really eat Indian food unless MIL cooks. They're perfectly happy with pizza, Mexican, Thai, and veggie subs/sandwiches. However, after a few days of that, they do start to crave Indian (specifically, her homemade Indian), and we're happy to cede the kitchen over to her and enjoy the results.

HI,

This has all been very helpful. I know which questions to ask, especially on how vegetarian/vegan she may be. I know it isn't be Jain level.

If it were not for a hurricane this weekend, I wouldn't be seeing them at all.

Pork belly into the freezer until they go home.

Regards,

This is from the nightmare wedding planning experience of a U.S.-born Indian friend who married a nice Italian girl from New Jersey - they ended up with two entirely separate reception buffets, because how the hell do you cook Italian food without onions or garlic?

I can top that one! My Punjabi cousin (i.e. an alcohol-consuming, meat & egg eating family) married a Gujarati girl - (the family is vegan, teetotaller Brahmin). Now imagine the parents negotiating six days worth of event menus for a wedding in Dallas that had 800 people at the wedding & 400 people at the reception. Nightmare doesn't even come close when the father of the groom announces he's not attending unless his favorite whiskey is available at the reception (he won, btw).

Athena wrote:

This is from the nightmare wedding planning experience of a U.S.-born Indian friend who married a nice Italian girl from New Jersey - they ended up with two entirely separate reception buffets, because how the hell do you cook Italian food without onions or garlic?

I can top that one! My Punjabi cousin (i.e. an alcohol-consuming, meat & egg eating family) married a Gujarati girl - (the family is vegan, teetotaller Brahmin). Now imagine the parents negotiating six days worth of event menus for a wedding in Dallas that had 800 people at the wedding & 400 people at the reception. Nightmare doesn't even come close when the father of the groom announces he's not attending unless his favorite whiskey is available at the reception (he won, btw).

Oh, my friends were very much afraid of similar issues - in fact, they only got their way by basically threatening to elope and not have a wedding at all! They managed to cut down the guest list by schedulng the wedding on a big Hindu holiday so a chunk of the Indian contingent wouldn't come.

Athena wrote:I can top that one! My Punjabi cousin (i.e. an alcohol-consuming, meat & egg eating family) married a Gujarati girl - (the family is vegan, teetotaller Brahmin). Now imagine the parents negotiating six days worth of event menus for a wedding in Dallas that had 800 people at the wedding & 400 people at the reception. Nightmare doesn't even come close when the father of the groom announces he's not attending unless his favorite whiskey is available at the reception (he won, btw).

At least there was whiskey...hopefully the Punjabi side also got to choose music for the reception.

My worst nightmare was an all-Jain Gujarati wedding that my wife dragged me to, 10 years ago when we were still dating. 850 people, awful bland food, no booze, no music, no catering or venue staff - various aunties cooked all of the food in giant commercial pots & pans, and all of the younger guests (a.k.a. anyone under 30) were drafted to setup tables & chairs, help serve food, etc. My bitterness at being dragged to that has only recently started to fade.

At least there was whiskey...hopefully the Punjabi side also got to choose music for the reception.

There was - open bars for the sangeet & reception! Plenty of meat at the reception, lamb & goat, though not the wedding itself, veg including some dairy for that, & just one chicken dish at most of the other events, separate areas & tables for the veg food. And yes, plenty of bhangra,

My worst nightmare was an all-Jain Gujarati wedding that my wife dragged me to, 10 years ago when we were still dating. 850 people, awful bland food, no booze, no music, no catering or venue staff

Ouch. I've been to such self catered, no music affairs, but they've usually been very small family dos, less than 100 people & even if bland by Punjabi standards the food was at least edible. If nothing else you could just sit & gossip over tea & sweets. Now I think about it, they've all been Gujarati affairs.

Punjabis I'll grant one thing, even when they ditch the meat & booze, they always try to make up for it with the music & plenty of rich veg dishes. There's a reason Amritsar is the heart attack capital of India.

Hi,

I learned she will eat no eggs in any guise, though garlic and onions are fine.

I was asked to obtain brown basmati rice. My relative favors brown rice and such, I am wondering if this is the lady from India's desire or her daughter-in-laws?

Do Indians eat tofu?

I've been asked to consider cooking vegan.

Regards,

Cathy2 wrote:
Any experience and advice on what to do is appreciated.

I would suggest a visit to Mana Food Bar for inspiration. In particular, their vegetarian chili (may be vegan, I don't know; you could ask) will make you forget there's no meat in it. Chef Baran was telling me a story about how she won a chili cookoff with this recipe even though she was up against a bunch of other meaty chilis made by teams of fireman. Everything else I tried when I was there was equally good, and you know I'm not exactly the meatless type. You might get some ideas to be able to offer them a taste of American vegan cooking. Stretch their boundaries with something tasty and they will probably thank you (or not ).

Mana Food Bar
1742 W. Division St
Chicago, IL 60622
773-342-1742

Cathy2 wrote:Do Indians eat tofu?

I can't think of any reasons why they might have a problem with it, given its plant origins. My mom sometimes uses it as a paneer substitute.

I was asked to obtain brown basmati rice. My relative favors brown rice and such, I am wondering if this is the lady from India's desire or her daughter-in-laws?

I just came back from a trip to India & brown rice was being offered everywhere, the first time I ever recall being offered this as a matter of routine. Not sure if its just a fad, or something lasting though.

Do Indians eat tofu?

Yes, definitely. Its popular used as a paneer substitute. My mom makes slices of tofu marinaded in masala paste & then pan grilled for sandwiches or served with chutney for a tea snack, for example. Thai & Japanese food is incredibly popular right now & that means tofu. Also Chinjabi food has been popular for years, & most Indians are familiar with tofu from that.

Hi,

I bought paneer tonight largely to see if it is rejected in favor of tofu.

I was advised she does not eat mushrooms, either. Not sure if this is personal preference or an observance.

This is going to be interesting.

Regards,

I was advised she does not eat mushrooms, either. Not sure if this is personal preference or an observance.

It might be an observance, but its an increasingly rare one in my experience. Brahmins traditionally don't eat mushrooms, but the reasoning was because they were grown on dung. Except nowadays mushrooms are generally cultivated on sterile media, so the reason for the objection is generally obsolete & an objection is often only voiced to wild mushrooms.

Mushrooms are rare in traditional Indian cuisine anyway, they are most commonly found in Kashmiri or Punjabi cooking & then are usually fresh or dried local morels. I've never seen mushrooms refused in those communities. With the advent of the availability of white cultivated mushrooms in India, the range of recipes offered exploded & they are extremely popular nowadays.