Taste of the Himalayas

02/21/2024

https://svma.charityproud.org/EventRegistration/Index/15001

Join us for an extremely rare opportunity to experience the profound practice of Zhanak, led by award-winning, master Tibetan dancer, actor, musician, and producer, Tsering Dorjee Bawa. The Zhanak or Black Hat Dance is a sacred cham dance practiced throughout the Buddhist Himalayas, performed by Bu....

04/13/2023

https://www.instagram.com/reel/Cq-6tu8JxBd/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

51 Likes, 1 Comments - Tibet Today () on Instagram: "Sikyong Penpa Tsering responds to a media question on video circulating of His Holiness the Dalai..."

04/01/2023

As the kids would say, this post is fire.

In related news, forecast has Sonoma in the low 80’s in the 10 day forecast. ☀️

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03/30/2023

Traditional tandoor ovens are made of clay with insulating material like concrete or mud on the outside. They are cylindrical and curve inward toward the top like a beehive to concentrate the heat. A top opening left clear to allow access and ventilation.

A fire is built in the bottom, which heats both the walls of the oven and the air inside to upwards of 900° Fahrenheit, similar to Sonoma in July.

Flatbreads like naan get slapped against the sides of the oven. They adhere to the super-heated surface, cook quickly, then peeled off when they’re done. Meats are usually cooked on long skewers that are either inserted directly into the oven or cooked over the mouth of the oven.

This pic was taken this afternoon These are all formed by hand. Shanti told me she had made over 100 of them...this was at 2pm. 😮

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03/14/2023

Just a Mixed Tandoori here with a guest appearance by some Tikka. NBD.

Happy Monday. Closed today, see you tomorrow!

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03/10/2023

If you’ve been to the restaurant, you’ve seen these outside. Lungta prayer flags represent the Tibetan culture honoring interdependence and need for harmony among gods, elements, human, and animals. It reveals the deep reverence that Tibetan culture holds for the gods and spirits above; respect for the natural elements; and the love and harmony with the animals around. There is a bigger backstory to these flags, much too long for a social media post. Ask anyone in the restaurant about them next time you visit, and I’m sure they’ll fill you in.

03/09/2023

No matter how you take it — whether you prefer it strongly spiced, milky, or sweet — Chai is a ubiquitous drink that transcends socioeconomic borders, bridges communities, and even crosses continents. Across India, you will find it being stirred by Chai wallahs (tea vendors) on crowded streets and ladled out of simmering pots in household kitchens. In Western countries, you might find Chai Lattes on cafe menus (like ours), or even within Chai tents at music festivals. The fascinating story of Chai weaves from its inception through to ties with colonialism and family-brewed recipes passed down through generations, all finally resulting in its present-day popularity.
- Tara Worthington

Tara forgot to mention how it goes well with lunch, especially lunch in w**e country.

Especially lunch in w**e country in the Sonoma Plaza.

Especially lunch in w**e country, in the plaza, down a walkway, past a bakery....😉

See you soon.

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03/07/2023

The conversation: “Excuse me,” says a man to the chef. “This chicken tikka is a bit dry, can you please bring something else, something better than this.” Wanting to please his customer, the chef returns to the kitchen. Looking around he spies a can of tomato soup and has either a light bulb moment or a moment of desperation. He warms the soup, throws in some spices and a dollop of yogurt and pours it over the chicken. He presents the dish to his customer, who is thrilled with the result, returning again and again for what is now one of the UK’s most popular dishes, chicken tikka masala.

For the origin of chicken tikka masala, we should first travel to 5,000 years ago when tandoor clay ovens were invented. Next, the small bite-sized pieces, which we now call tikka, that came into existence thanks to the nitpicking of Babur, the founder and first emperor of the Mughal dynasty. He was so sick (or afraid) of choking on chicken bones, he ordered his Punjabi chefs to remove the bones before cooking the meat in the tandoor. The resulting delicacy was called ‘joleh’, Persian for tikka.”

From here on out, Mondays are for Masala.

03/03/2023

Date night plan:

Watch Emily

TOH for Vegetable Tandoori and hear tunes from
Walk down to for dessert.

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03/01/2023

Behind the scenes.