Light Hearted

When Vani and I first moved to the USA back in 1997, the landscape for Indian cuisine was starkly different from today. Cooking everything from scratch was not just a choice, but a necessity. We are both fond of snacks, and Vani, my poor girl, had to quickly master the art of making all that delicious chatpata stuff. While I could barely manage to make rice, she was whipping up tikkis, samosas, and patties from start to finish. It was a labor of love, but what a load of work it was!

Fast forward to today, and the scene has dramatically transformed. On a recent trip to our local Indian store, I stumbled upon Haldiram’s new frozen momos. It instantly took me back to my last trip to India, where momos were all the rage. To see them on the shelf in an Indian store in Troy, Michigan, was an irresistible surprise. I had to pick up a pack, and this isn’t the first time I’ve noticed such authentic Indian snacks entering the frozen food market.

Just last week, I came across puff patties, a nostalgic snack I used to eat all the time growing up. This burgeoning variety in frozen snacks has been nothing short of revolutionary for us. It spares Vani the exhausting hours in the kitchen and the tedious task of gathering all the little ingredients needed for homemade snacks.

Indian restaurants here in the US are a mixed bag. While I feel lucky to live in Troy, where there are ample options to get these snacks, I’ve often found that the authentic flavor is missing. The frozen snacks from Haldiram, on the other hand, deliver such an authentic taste that it makes me question whether restaurant-made snacks can really compete.

Let’s take a moment to appreciate how far we’ve come in the last 25 years. From the limited choice of just French fries, we now have a plethora of authentic Indian snacks available in the frozen aisle. These snacks, when cooked, come out so true to their roots that they give even the best restaurants a run for their money. And here’s the kicker: they’re often available at half the price, with sometimes double the taste.

I’m not here to promote any particular brand, but for me, Haldiram’s frozen snacks have become the perfect companion for weekends. They bring a taste of home that is both convenient and satisfying. Yes, I am aware that boxed food tends to be higher in sodium and calories, so it’s not something to splurge on regularly. But when the craving hits, I find myself reaching for the frozen options more often than considering a trip to a restaurant.

This brings us to a crucial question: what’s better, frozen or restaurant food? Unless we start seeing more great chefs who can authentically recreate those beloved flavors, I’m leaning towards frozen snacks. In many cases, restaurant offerings feel like someone is trying out a recipe from YouTube and serving it at an exorbitant price. Meanwhile, the frozen counterparts are not only more affordable but also often taste closer to what we remember from home.

So, what do you think? Have frozen snacks become the new champions of convenience and authenticity? For me, they certainly have, and I can’t wait to see what other delightful surprises the frozen aisle has in store.