Exploring the Meaning of Authenticity Through the Lens of Chinese and Indian Food

Making Aloo Matar

Chopped onions and garlic

Halve Golden Potatoes

Add tomatoes and blend

Add blended sauce back to pot and add peas

Making Chinese Fried Rice

Chopped half of large white Onion

Quickly cooked scrambled eggs and set aside

Put old white rice into pan

Add chopped onions to rice

Add eggs to Rice

Fry together and add green onions

Making zhīma qiú in Mandarin: 芝麻球 and in Dui in Cantonese

White sugar

Glutinous rice flour


Water added

More water added

Form into ball

Prepare sesame seeds by wetting them

Form small circle to make the donuts with

Add red bean paste

Roll donuts with wet sesame seeds

Heat oil

First fry

Second fry


Making Ghee for Coconut Ladoo

Cut butter into small pieces


Scrape froth from top of simmering butter

This is a process that goes on for the entire 20 minute simmering process. The froth is removed in order to clarify the butter, which is what makes ghee different than regualr butter.

Strained and finished Ghee

Once the ghee is done simmering and all the froth is removed. It is taken off the heat, cooled, than strained through a cheese cloth.

Toast coconut

The dried coconut flakes are toasted to get rid of any excess moisture.

Add Milk

Once Milk is added, the mixture is stirred till it forms a sticky dough like ball

Sticky ball formed

Add cardomom powder

Roll in more dried toasted coconut flakes