Festival of India

Last weekend the Greater Richmond Convention Center hosted the Festival of India.

We went and had a fabulous time. The food was great. The dancing competition showcased favorite Bollywood songs. I think we were the only couple who did not recognize them.

The music was energetic. The clothing vendors offered colorful flowing items. The jewelry vendors featured adornments that sparkled with 22k gold.

Did I mention the great food? We began with samosas filled with potato and chickpeas and served with tamarind dipping sauce. We enjoyed a salty lemonade (sherbert) to drink.

The butter chicken was spicy (at least to us!). The plain rice helped cool our mouths.

The best dish was the chicken kati. Kind of like an Indian-style burrito that is traditionally street vendor food. The chicken curry was graced with mint chutney before being rolled up in an egg-based Indian flatbread. Truly outstanding!

The festival was free and I assume it will be free next year, too. All of the food vendors had posted menu items with all of the ingredients clearly listed. This helped us newbies as we decided what to eat. I encourage everyone to attend next year. I'm looking forward to it!