I feel very lucky to have children that are not particularly picky. Don’t get me wrong — they’ve gone through some seriously picky stages, but I’ve continued to request they try three bites of whatever-it-is. Jake has been a great eater for a while (though not always — there was a time when eating a plain piece of grilled chicken was the equivalent to torture). Noah has also started to come around and lately they’ve been especially receptive to new foods.
Drew’s mom offered to take Laura for some grandma-time and who was I to say no to that? So we thought that perhaps we could convince Jake and Noah to go to try Indian food since our local restaurant offers a buffet on Sunday nights. Jake was really excited about it, and Noah needed a little convincing (but not much). So we headed down to the Red Hook Curry House for dinner, hopeful that they would at least find something they’d enjoy. We’d explained that sometimes Indian food looks a little… well, let’s face it — it doesn’t always look all that appetizing. I could eat it every day of my life, but some of the dishes aren’t so pleasing to the eye.
At any rate, they enthusiastically took a spoonful of this and a spoonful of that. We all sat down and I nervously watched them take their first bites of what was for them an exotic new cuisine. Although I cook a lot of Indian-inspired dishes at home, they’ve never been interested in trying any of them. Until now… Although they didn’t love everything they tried, they certainly had their favorites. Noah couldn’t get enough of the Tandoori chicken and the chana masala (chickpea curry). He also ate his weight in Nan, I think. Jake loved the shag aloo (spinach with potatoes), the vegetable biryani, and the eggplant fritters. He also like the chana masala a lot. (Squee!!! Guess what’s going on next week’s menu?)
Noah wanted to be called “Tandoori Noah” and after sucking the bones dry, I think that nickname is fitting!
Jake loved just about everything he tried (except… go figure… the Tandoori chicken). Mulligatawny was another of his favorites.
For dessert they enjoyed some glob jaman and a cup of chai. I was thrilled that the night was such a huge success! There were no scrunched up faces and no resistance to try new foods. It’s taken a little encouragement and persistence, but I’m happy to see my boy expanding their culinary horizons and not fearing the unknown.
