Flavour of India at Obama’s first State Dinner

[FarCenter]

It was a taste of India at President Barack Obama’s First State Dinner, where he welcomed Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in Hindi and treated him to a range of vegetarian delicacies, including dishes prepared with herbs from the White House kitchen garden.

Even before Dr. Singh, the state guest, and more than 300 other invitees were served some of the Indian delicacies at the huge tent pitched at the South Lawns of the White House, Mr. Obama set the tone by greeting in Hindi ‘Aaapka Swagat Hai’ (You are welcome).

Some of the dishes were prepared by the White House chef from the kitchen garden of the First Lady, Michelle Obama.

To begin with, the guests were served ‘Potato and Eggplant Salad, White House Arugula With Onion Seed Vinaigrette’, followed by ‘Red Lentil Soup with Fresh Cheese.’

Then the guests were treated to ‘Roasted Potato Dumplings with Tomato Chutney Chick Peas and Okra’, ‘Green Curry Prawns Caramelized Salsify with Smoked Collard Greens’ and ‘Coconut Aged Basmati’

‘Pumpkin Pie Tart Pear Tatin Whipped Cream and Caramel Sauce’ was on their desert; and finally they were served ’Petits Fours and Coffee Cashew Brittle Pecan Pralines Passion Fruit and Vanilla Gelees Chocolate-Dipped Fruit.’

According to the White House, Ms. Michelle Obama worked with Guest Chef Marcus Samuelsson and White House Executive Chef Cristeta Comerford and her team to create a menu that also reflected the best of American cuisine, continuing with the White House’s commitment to serving fresh, sustainable and regional food, and honouring the culinary excellence and flavours that are present in Indian cuisine.

<SNIP>http://beta.thehindu.com/news/international/article54489.ece?homepage=true

Dang! No Texas barbeque?

[napi21]

1. I wouldn't mind trying all of those dishes. It's not my first choice,

but they all sound good. I think I'll look up the recipe for potato & eggplant salad though. I suspect both the potato & the eggplan must have been cooked .

[lapfog_1]

2. greeted him in Hindi?

Why? Dr. Singh is not a Hindu, he is Sikh... and his native tongue is Punjabi.

And while many Sikhs are vegetarian, there are many who are not.

BTW, he was born in Pakistan. He attended school in Chandigarh and stayed on in Amritsar after the partition of Punjab. The Punjab people were promised their own country only to be betrayed by the British.

He is the first Sikh to hold the office of Prime Minister.

[Richard D]

3. Strange that.

Did the WH not know the difference?

[lapfog_1]

4. You gotta believe that there were people briefing the

President on that sort of thing. I doubt that there is very much about Dr. Singh that the White House and State Dept. don't know. Perhaps its a protocol thing (using the dominant language of the visiting dignitary's country, however, I don't believe that India HAS an "official language"). But even if it was, a quick follow up "aubhagat karna" or even "adar karna" ("Welcome") would have been a nice personal touch.

I lived with a group of Punjabi guys for about a year just a few years ago. One of them is one of my very best friends in the world. Respect is a big thing to them.

[JI7]

6. Hindi is a language, Hindu is a religion, this Sikh PM IS a vegetarian

and he was born in India. the part he was born in is now part of Pakistan but it was India when he was born.

[lapfog_1]

8. And that means what?

Not a single thing you said contradicts anything I said.

Yes Hindi is a language. But it's not his native tongue. The most common "second language" (after each state's official language) is English. There isn't an national language, however Hindi is used as the "state of India's language. However each state in India can have their own "official language".

As for Dr. Singh being vegetarian, that's something I didn't know, but it's not something that you can simply assume.

And yes, where he was born was India at the time of his birth. But if you talk to Punjabi people, it is significant to them that he was born in what is now Pakistan. And it is a source of anger that a nation of Punjab, made up of parts of Pakistan and India, wasn't created at the time of the partition as was promised.

If you wanted to entertain with food from Punjab, Saag Paneer would have been one of the required dishes, as it is held by Punjabi people in the highest regard... so much so that they compose and sing songs about it. Not that one should serve Indian food to visiting dignitaries from India.

[JI7]

10. and Singh is there as a representative of India,not just Punjab

and Hindi is more widely spoken than the individual state languages.

and most Punjabis don't care for independent state of their own. maybe among a few or a few years ago but it's not that big an issue anymore. especially with Singh becoming PM.

and foods from various parts of india are common in all parts now. one of the most popular foods in the country now is chinese food.

[liberalpragmatist]

13. Hindi is the official language of India, although other regional languages are recognized as well

Also, Punjabi is an ethnicity, not a religion. There are Sikh, Hindu and Muslim Punjabis. Sikh Punjabis have at times pushed for an independent state, but that demand is largely dormant.

At Partition, Sikh religious leaders feared losing most of their holy sites to Pakistan, so they asked for a Sikh state - however, there was no region in which Sikhs were a majority (at the time), and the demand never had any popular support. A stronger Sikh independence movement arose in the 1980s, at which time Indian East Punjab had a Sikh majority. That movement too, however, is largely extinct.

[omega minimo]

5. Fan Fucking Tastic. Cultural diplomacy.

[Cant trust em]

7. I am so hungry now. nt

[Toots]

9. Okra

That and Lima beans are two things I can live without...

[shadowknows69]

11. I'm so happy for our President. I however had a PB and J and Ramen noodles for food yesterday,

Good solid Murican foods. In other words the only food Muricans can still afford.

[AnnieBW]

12. I'd go for the Green Curry Prawns

I love Thai Green Curry, so I'd love to try the Indian version.