I arrived in Melbourne at 7 a.m. yesterday, after a long flight from Mumbai via Dubai. I left Mumbai at 4.20 a.m Sunday morning, arrived in Dubai three hours later, waited for four hours, then boarded my 13 hour flight to Melbourne. I normally come home via Singapore, but the flight with Emirates via Dubai was the cheapest one this time.
Then, it was another two hour drive to my parent’s house, east of Melbourne. Both my parents (who had gotten out of bed at 4 a.m. to pick me up from the airport) and I were exhausted!
To welcome me home, mum cooked a huge, typical Australia meal of roast chicken and vegetables. It was delicious.
Being back in Australia is going to take some time to get used to though. For a start, dinner time is much earlier here than in India. Dinner was served before 7 p.m. last night. At that time in India, I’d normally be munching on a vada pav, to take away my hunger before making dinner much later, at around 10 p.m.!
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Welcome back!!!! That roast looks so good! Bugger I’m hungry.
That whole early dinner early to bed thing in Aus has to change… Back in India, I love how people make the most of the evenings by going to walks or just going to a CCD to hang out or the movies; it annoys me how here people go home after work and stay glued to their TV’s.
Have you indulged in the snack classics yet ( shapes, tim tams, cotties cordial)?
I think reverse culture shock is the bigger shock. You forget so easily what it was like and then you are surprised that you could ever have forgotten! So you said you are going home for Christmas (?) so are you doing it early or are you going to be in Oz all through December? That would be the weirdest time (as far as culture shock) of all, with all of the holiday commercials/shopping/family craziness… I know we are going to the US this year and get there on the 23rd, the same day as my family’s Christmas party. Not to mention the day before Christmas Eve which also involves parties/church/etc. So my Japanese guy will literally meet about 50 people all in one go, not to mention church for the first time. But I guess it erases the possibility of awkward silences. It must be a relief to go to the craziness of the city to just the three of you in a quiet house so you can transition at your own pace.
Have fun visiting home.
Since I married my Indian hubby (and live in US), I have adjusted my dinner time to between 8-9:30. My family don’t know how I eat so late!
Hi Sharell,
must be great to be back home in Australia…have loads of fun!!
Although I have never had an Australian meal( and dont think I am destined to have one anytime in the future) that meal looks delicious. Enjoy your visit to Australia…It must be really refreshing to back home.
Do you follow cricket, btw??
Awesome. Looks good. I tried to find the chicken in it but couldn’t. (thank God)
Hope you have a great time back “home!”
My husband and I always laugh about the difference in dinner time in India vs. other parts of the world. We lived in Canada for a year and I promise people there eat dinner at like 4:30 (especially in the winter)! We were in awe.
If we ate that early, we’d be having our vada pav at 10 pm!
Yum! Would love this for lunch, but I am waiting for my dabba with rice, daal, another same tasting curry…
Enjoy it!
Good to hear that you are back in Australia. The meal looks good. I am sure you will love it specially after eating the extremely oily and extremely spicy food in India.
Have loads fun there
cheers to you
IndianTies, wow, 4.30 p.m. is a really early dinner time! I was up until midnight last night, and started getting hungry again when I went to bed. Meanwhile, my parents were off to bed by 9.30 p.m.
Ramit, the chicken is half buried under veggies at the bottom right of the plate (to the right of the dark green stuff)!
doctordeath, unfortunately I think cricket is really boring. Actually, I think most sports are really boring. In that regard, I’m very un-Australian because most Aussies are sports crazy!
V, I haven’t had any snacks yet. I’ll have to go out and buy some tomorrow! Mum cooks so much healthy food, there are never any naughty snacks in the cupboard.
motoakijane, reverse culture shock sure is bad! I feel like I’m in a completely different (and foreign) world. The accents are the worst! I’m finding it hard to get my Aussie accent back, and to realise that I CAN actually talk really fast here and people will understand me!
It’s also so unbelievably quiet here. But very peaceful. It’s also very strange here because Australia is in the southern hemisphere — it’s spring time, and will be summer in a couple of weeks. Whereas in India, winter is approaching. I’ll be here all through December. I’m returning to Mumbai on 28th, just after Christmas.
Yeah it’ll be better if I don’t see it
Heehee…
@DoctorDeath, the meal may look delicious but I am not sure how many Indian tongues will find it so , if you can imagine boiling all vegies ( sabji) like carrots/cauli/peas etc in salted water and then throwing the water away and eating the vegies.
@Ramit, the white stringy stuff is the roast chicken and again not sure how many indians ( of course not veg ones like you) will like chicken with absolutely, no spices.
As far as I know Aussies may have an early dinner but then begins time for snacks or supper where they have lots of nibblies. Dinner or Tea as they call it doesn’t mean the end of eating for the night, for most people here.
Thanks for the update Vandana. I will not like it for sure.
Boiled veggies? Gah!
Uh Sorry Sharell.
Ramit, not everything is about taste. Boiled veggies are not so bad, once you get used to them. And grilled chicken too. Besides, they are veeeery healthy. We are what we eat
You eat meat?
I just assumed that you converted to Hinduism — especially since you were living in that strict veg-only housing.
Interesting. does your husband eat meat as well?
@CG..since when did throwing the water the vegies were boiled in, made these more healthy than say, stir-frying them or cooking them with spices? And for most of us food IS about taste, and let’s suppose aussies do eat boiled vegies for health and not taste, then why do most of them then go and pickle their insides with booze????
Hi Alpaca-fan!
It’s a little complicated. My husband’s family are meat eating Hindus, particularly a lot of seafood (because they come from Orissa). The apartment complex I live in (well, used to live in since we’ll be moving!) is a Gujurati one, hence the people there being strict vegetarians. I haven’t converted to Hinduism, although I do participate in some rituals. My husband isn’t a strict Hindu. He’s more spiritual than religious, so we have the same outlook. 
vandana, it’s true that the meal would have very little appeal to most Indians. It’s very bland by Indian standards! But I love being able to actually taste the veggies, rather than masala!
Claudia you have a point. But you know what, Vandana just made a better one. Though I am towards healthy eating too, but I love my Indian spices. Come to India, maybe I’ll cook for you.
I’m in lurrrrvvveeee with the Masalas!
Vandana, you are right at some point. Sometimes i also stir-fry the vegetables in a little bit of olive oil and that’s not unhealthy at all. My point was – instead of eating all sorts of heavy foods, oozing with oil and ghee or other fats, its a good thing, from time to time, to be able to appreciate a blandly-cooked healthy meal, such as boiled vegetables. If we live only as slaves to the taste, we would give credit to junk food (tasty, but terribly unhealthy). As for spices, they are wonderful, but one should be careful in when and how much they use them in food.
As for the “booze”, that depends on the lifestyle. Personally, i despise alcohol. A glass of wine of certain occasions is fine, but more then that… No way!!!
Ramit, you cook?
That’s wonderful!! I also like Indian food, but I dont know if I could eat it on a daily basis…. Maybe it’s all about getting used to…
@CG, I agree, liking or not liking spices is a matter of personal preference. BUT where spices are concerned, they are not just “wonderful” as you so tamely put it but good for you too, sometimes having more antioxidants than fruit and vegetables and are well known for their cancer fighting properties especially curcumin.
Check out this artcle:http://www.fitnessmagazine.com/recipes/healthy-eating/nutrition/health-benefits-of-spices-herbs/
Of course, these benefits have only been discovered recently and there is more research on the way.
Also, you must know that the NEW WORLD was discovered when europeans set out on their quest to get spices. So europeans must have known its value too, don’t you agree? Else why would legends like Columbus/Vasco get onto the hazardous seas???
So use spices. correctly and appropriately, do that it doesn’t smother a dish but enhances it.
Personally, I also discovered that spicing up vegetables helped my kids relish eating vegies from a young age while their aussie friends created a fuss when it came to eating the bland vegies on their plate and always went for the not-so-healthy red meats. Making kids eat their vegies was once a national issue with T.V and teachers all involved.
One of the best examples of the power of spices, is found in the land of ” bland and insipid cuisine” itself, that is U.K. where Indian foods is top of the charts, and they have almost made Chicken Tikka their national dish
That’s my two bob’s worth ( aussie slang).
While I’m not an Aussie, I think I’d chip in my two paise. The taste of foods matter a lot to me as well, eating being one of the pleasures of life. However, I don’t find veggies and meats drenched in spices very tasty. Rather, spices overwhelm and adulterate the subtle delicacies and flavours in vegetables or meats. Grilled, roasted, boiled, steamed or lightly fried foods help retain the flavour and enjoy the taste in its unadulterated glory.
By the way, I don’t think everything in the above dish is boiled. The peas look fried and the potatoes have a tinge that can come only from roasting or frying.
Lol Vandana making kids eat their veggies is a world issue all over. So is making them drink their milk!
2 cents, 2 bob’s, 2 paise! Why is it always two in every country? Why not three?
Yeah I cook Claudia.
Vandana, I also love spices and i agree – used correctly, they are healthy and make food delicious. Personally, I use spices for soups and sauces, because these compose my favorite meals
So, what do you usually cook, Ramit?
Simple Indian food. Vegetarian without eggs.
What’s wrong with eggs? If you don’t eat eggs or meat, where do you get your proteins from? Yes, i know, you will say from some veggies bla bla, but they won’t ever make up for the quantity normally meat or eggs give.
I admire your style of life in India, cause people there are mostly vegetarians, but unfortunately I can’t live like that myself. We are such a carnivore nation, that here I know people who would faint of they won’t eat meat for a week! It’s not my case, though, even if I was brought up in the spirit of “eat anything without complaining much”…:D
Claudia I’ve never really bothered to question my elders about the restriction on eggs. I’m not a nutritionist and have no idea about proteins & carbs. I guess I get them from pulses. We generally eat pulses atleast once a day.
We eat pulses, rice, wheat, milk, vegetables, fruits mostly. I guess that must make a healthy combination because none of us has ever complained so far!
And I don’t know if they are called pulses or lentils. I’m sure Shaunak will clarify.
Have a great stay! Now a days Melbourne is very hot…me also enjoying summers may be we meet on each other on streets some day:)
I do understand how lovely is the home cooked meal, specially when served by mom:)
That’s an impressive plate right there.
Ramit, your meals seem very healthy and I can only admire your style of living. I also like pulses. But, out of curiosity, you never tried eggs or meat? Not even once?
Wow. that looks so “healthy”. Must be good to be home after so long. Enjoy!!!
No I have never.
@Claudia, neither has my family ever tasted meat and we have lived in OZ for more than 25 years and my parents have survived into a ripe old age ( still going strong) with no cardio-vascular problems. My sons were born here and grew up healthy & strong& tall ( 6’4″ and 6’2″) and they never needed meat, just the right food combination. So Ramit and the millions of vegetarians worldwide do not need meat in order to exist, that theory is old hat!!!
@ Ramit, I’d love to sample your cooking, if you’d extend us an invitation.
Dear CG ,
As far as eating eggs and meat is concerned we have far better vegetarian things to eat like Shahi Paneer , Dal Makhani , Palak Paneer , Malai Kofta , Masala Dosa , Uttapam etc . Our pulses ( dal ) , soya beans provide us with adequate proteins and nutrition . As such killing animals for food is against our ethics . All living forms ( including animals ) have an equal right to live on this planet . Just imagine how would you feel if tomorrow aliens from Mars or Jupiter start devouring humans as food . Just because we humans are strong and intelligent doesn’t give us the right to exploit animals for our selfish ends . Non Vegetarian food such as beef ( red meat ) is a major cause of bowel cancer , obesity , global warming , green house gases etc . etc . On the othe hand Fruits and Vegetables are good sources of anti-oxidants , vitamins and minerals that improve the immunity of the body and fight diseases ( including cancer ) .
Dear Shaunak,
Generally, you are right. Being vegetarian means being, in the majority of the cases, healthy and not harming any living thing. Still, it is a matter of culture also. Maybe, if you have been raised to eat meat since childhood, it wouldn’t be so easy for you to give it up later, even though, when we are adults, we can make our own choices.
Personally, I follow a healthy diet routine, close to the vegetarian one, but not vegetarian, since I love chicken and fish. I dont need any other types of meat, since i don’t like them. But chicken and fish have quality protein and Omega 3 (the fish), are tasty and I feel at ease to include them in my diet. It’s my personal choice.
As for the red meat, I don’t like it, but it won’t cause any cancer if it’s prepared blandly.
Dear Claudia,
Please forgive me if I have inadvertently hurt you . I understand that being a vegetarian or non vegetarian is a personal choice . I have no right to advise others on their diet , but at the same time one must try to reduce intake of meat as eating meat amounts to unnesscary sufferings on animals and environmental damage .
Shaunak, I have nothing to forgive you for – you didn’t hurt me by explaining why it is the best choice to be a vegetarian. Because it is indeed the best choice and I agree with you. But my system is not prepaired to take it at the moment and mentally I would also fail in adopting it. Maybe, in time, if I succeed to relinquish my craving for fried chicken and fish….:P
Vandana, I didn’t mean it that way – of course, eating meat is not a must for survival, even if not all the vegetarians know indeed how to get all the important nutrients from their food. It’s not only a matter of what you eat, it’s also about how, when, how many times you eat.
I admire the fact that your family is leading a healthy lifestyle, including your kids! More families should do the same!!
Looks like the thread turned to a vegetarian vs. non-vegetarian debate. I might as well chip in.
I am an unapologetic meat eater. I respect a vegetarianism as a lifestyle choice or cultural oligation, but that doesn’t mean I have to be apologetic about being a meat eater. There is no substantiated study proving that meat eating makes a person more unhealthy or more prone to cancers than vegetarians.
I also don’t believe that it is more ethical to be vegetarian. If being a vegetarian were the natural order, carnivores and omnivores wouldn’t have existed. Meat eaters are simply a part of the food chain. We have teeth designed to tear flesh. We have stomachs that digest meat. Hence, we are not natural harbivores.
I went vegetarian during my early college days when I was dating a vegetarian girl. After the status quo for a year, I realise that I simply can’t afford to go vegetarian if I were to maintain my fitness and strength. I need meat to get enough proteins, cretins and omega-3 acids to maintain my physical built.
Vandana, you’re more than welcome anytime.
Honestly, 6 two & 6 four? Wow! Can I borrow some?
Abdullah? You were dating? Are you kidding me? Wow!
Actually, I am not surprised at all that Abdullah was dating. He doesn’t seem to be the type of person to accept somebody else (such as parents) choose a girl for him.
What does surprise me is that he was actually, for some time, following a vegetarian diet just because the girl was vegetarian! Now, that’s sensitivity
She must’ve made quite an impression on him 
Claudia said it perfectly.
Ramit, you don’t eat eggs–are you Jain? My in-laws also don’t eat eggs and follow a pretty strict Jain diet. It was a big deal for my MIL to even eat onions and garlic when she was staying with us for 5 months last year!
Some foods we westerners eat seem pretty bland (or “dead” as my husband would say) to the Indian palate. For instance, mashed potatoes. I adore them. Thanksgiving is coming up and I cannot wait to eat some mashed potatoes with lots of cream and butter. My husband, on the other hand, wants to retch at the thought. Another time, I made gnocchi (Italian potato dumplings) once and afterwards my husband pleaded “please, no more yonkees!” The same goes for pasta. So these are things that I make for myself when my hubby is out of town, or I order them at a restaurant or make them when we’re doing “fend for yourself” night instead of me cooking for both of us.
Fresh, crispy veggies though, like asparagus, green beans, etc…we both love them very simply prepared to enjoy their true flavors, as well as in the Indian style!
I’m lucky my husband loves mashed potato (although we season it with garlic, chilli powder, salt and pepper), and pasta as well.
He calls my western cooking “fine dining”. 
D. Jain, I’m not Jain. My last name is Grover and I’m Punjabi (hindu). Mashed potatoes would be yuck yuck to most Indians. What Sharell does is season them garlic, chili etc. and that makes it more a cooked veggy. That’s why Pradeep ji enjoys it mostly. Pasta is becoming popular here in Delhi now. Maybe for the past two or three years as people are becoming more willing to experiment. But that’s just what it is, an experiment. No one would be willing to have pasta as a staple dinner regularly. Once or twice when me & my wife go out she might order pasta and I might have a bite from her’s. I wouldn’t order it for myself though. If you were to come India, you probably wouldn’t be able to handle all the spicy hot cooking day in and day out. I can live very well on western veggy food though. I’m ok with having just plain salads for dinner, though my wife might not like it.
Western food is bland for us, but it’s not that we wouldn’t enjoy all of it.
The reason that I don’t eat eggs is that none of the elders in my family eats them. That’s all I know. I’ve never really questioned them why. It’s just the way of life.
Though I do eat a lot of fresh butter and when no one is looking I eat a lot of deep fried foods too. Yummmmy! (hope my wife doesn’t see the last line!)
Oooh, a Punjabi!! Do you dance the bhangra, Ramit?
Yeah. My wife does it much better. I just stand in one place and lift my hands with the index finger pointed upwards. Not much of a dancer though.
Coffee girl, like your blog