309: Taste of India Food Area

Just by standing at the entrance, Li Qinghe caught a strong whiff of curry.

No wonder Dragon Country People people always have an indelible curry smell about them; it has a lot to do with their eating habits.

We find the smell of curry disgusting because we find the country and people of India disgusting.

Especially the delicacies made from clean and hygienic Ganges water, which are simply a grand gathering of the Earth's bacterial legions.

But in fact, Indian delicacies made in truly clean and hygienic kitchens are not as disgusting as imagined.

Especially in a place like Singapore, where the requirements for food hygiene and quality are relatively high.

Lilia felt a bit like a fish in water here, but her fair skin seemed a bit out of place.

Because there were so many people, Lilia naturally took Li Qinghe's hand and weaved through the crowd.

Also because of her skin color, Lilia didn't encounter any harassment in the crowd.

After squeezing through the dense crowd, Lilia led Li Qinghe to an even more crowded area.

“Li, this is the best place for Indian pancakes and pies.”

Lilia was beaming with excitement.

The best pie Lilia was talking about is called Murtabak, and here there are several fillings: mutton, chicken, and sardine.

The prices for different fillings are all the same.

Small size is 5 singapore dollars, medium is 6 singapore dollars, and large is 8 singapore dollars.

It's interesting that although all the surrounding shops are Indian-owned.

The signboard of this shop even used Dragon Country People characters to label the fillings for its signature pancakes.

Perhaps it's because East Asian faces are not uncommon among this shop's customers.

Among the hundreds of Indian food stalls in the vicinity, this one stands out.

Here, Lilia ordered a large mutton pie and a small mutton pie; according to her, this filling is the best here.

Lilia insisted on paying because Li Qinghe had given her a sari.

Facing the young woman's insistence, Li Qinghe didn't argue much.

Let her handle this small amount of money.

While waiting for the pies to be cooked, Lilia went to the adjacent Indian coffee shop and bought two cups of Teh Tarik.

This drink, made from traditional Assam black tea and condensed milk, is poured back and forth between two cups; the more foam created, the better it tastes, and it is considered a specialty of South Asia.

However, Li Qinghe took one sip of the Teh Tarik Lilia bought and stopped, not for any other reason than it was too sweet.

Drinking this kind of beverage is simply a crazy challenge to the insulin's ability to regulate blood sugar.

Although Li Qinghe can eat sweets, he really can't accept this level of sickening sweetness.

However, it is said that Teh Tarik from other places isn't this sweet, as Zhang Rui had also recommended this drink to Li Qinghe.

Teh Tarik can be called Singapore's national drink; many people drink it directly from plastic bags with straws on the street.

And what makes many Dragon Country People familiar with Teh Tarik is the phrase “It's three o'clock, time for tea,” and what this guy has in his hand is the simple version of Teh Tarik.

He just didn't expect it to be so sweet in this shop, which made Li Qinghe wonder if there was still a need to try other Teh Tarik.

“Li, it seems you don't really like sweet drinks.” Lilia smiled and placed Li Qinghe's Teh Tarik next to her.

“It's okay, I'll drink all of it later.”

“Uh, Lilia, do you mind that this is considered an indirect kiss?” Li Qinghe asked this question directly, looking at Lilia, who seemed not to mind at all.

In fact, he was also using this question to indirectly test Lilia's true thoughts.

“Why? Why should I mind? Your skin is so rosy and radiant, proving that we are both healthy, aren't we?”

Lilia held a cup of milk tea and looked at Li Qinghe with a smile.

Okay, it's settled.

Li Qinghe instantly understood Lilia's intentions.

My brothers are going to eat again, fresh.

Lilia was probably also stimulated by her classmates pairing up as she reached a certain age.

Li Qinghe took advantage of this opportunity without hesitation.

Next time he goes to try other Teh Tarik, he can just bring Lilia along and let her deal with the overly sweet ones.

The two had only chatted for a few moments when their pies were ready.

Before the pie even reached his mouth, a rich aroma of mutton mixed with onion immediately wafted into his nostrils.

It smelled quite good.

It was Lilia who got up to bring it over; as a new-age woman in Singapore, although constantly in an environment advocating female independence, the submissive culture of traditional Indian women still influenced her to some extent.

This was a gift from an Indian mother.

The large one for Li Qinghe, the small one for herself.

On a long plate lay the golden-brown pie, wrapped into a cuboid, with a bowl of curry chili sauce beside it.

Mutton pie

Smelling the pie, Li Qinghe immediately felt his appetite awaken.

He used the plastic spoon and fork next to him to lift the pie crust and took a look.

Inside was a rich mixture of mutton and onion filling, intertwined with the hot aroma of other spices.

He cut a piece of pie and put it in his mouth; the taste was quite good. With a filling of mutton and onion, it's hard for anything to taste bad.

Looking at Lilia across from him, she was already happily cutting the pie and dipping it in the curry hot sauce.

One bite of pie, then a gulp of Teh Tarik.

No wonder the young woman was so plump; the sugar bomb that is Teh Tarik seemed to have no effect on her palate.

A young woman nurtured by cross-cultural influences, her taste buds integrated characteristics from both sides, embodying inclusiveness and diversity.

Lilia was very thoughtful; seeing that Li Qinghe really couldn't accept Teh Tarik.

When he had eaten half of his pie, she went next door and ordered a cup of coffee, placing it in front of him.

This slightly sweet coffee was more acceptable; Lilia must have specifically asked the boss to make it less sweet.

The pie dipped in curry sauce, paired with coffee, didn't feel too greasy after eating.

After leaving this shop, Lilia was worried that Li Qinghe wouldn't be full, so she bought some Indian flying bread along the way, both sweet and savory, with various flavors that perfectly filled the gaps in Li Qinghe's stomach.

Walking through the Zhu Jiao Center food court, one could see that it was mostly populated by dark-skinned South Asians, including not only Indians but also Pakistanis and Bangladeshis.

Li Qinghe noticed that even in Singapore, many Dragon Country People still ate their rice with their right hand.

Perhaps it tastes better with a touch of their own flesh.

“Li, how about we walk from here to Kampong Glam? It only takes 20 minutes.”

Lilia shook Li Qinghe's arm beside him.

He could feel that she really wanted to stroll through the streets of Singapore with Li Qinghe.

“Of course, no problem. It's a good way to walk off the food. If we can find a Teh Tarik that's not too sweet along the way, that would be even better.”

“Okay, leave it to me. I know a Teh Tarik place on the way that's less sweet; it should suit your taste better.”

Lilia patted her thick, fleshy cushion, causing a natural tremor.

“Lilia, do you usually live in the dormitory or at home?” Li Qinghe probed step by step.

“Most of the time I live at school, sometimes I go home for a few days, mainly depending on the course schedule.”

Lilia tilted her head and glanced at Li Qinghe.

“However, I don't have to go back to school tonight.”