Monday, August 6, 2012

Taste of the Punjabi Market

I had a great visit to Vancouver's Punjabi Market. I've been meaning to go down Main Street around 50th Avenue to peek into the grocery stores and see if I could find henna for my hair. I did indeed find Henna.  I was very pleased with my selection and the cost of the product but the real test will be in how it works.

Before going to the market, I got a tip from my friend Jo about buying samosa pastry sheets to use in making samosas.  I had never heard of this item before but I was able to find it at the Punjab Food Center.  I was also able to buy some coconut cream, curry and a few other items for future cooking adventures!  Some day I'm hoping to try Jo's samosa recipe here.


The Punjab Food Center has such an amazing array of spices. These two photos show the bagged spices but the store also carries a lot of bulk spices.  When I have more time I will take a better look at the spice selections.  I  was also impressed with the selection of "exotic" flours and oils. I know where to return when I need a special ingredient.


I didn't have a lot of time at the Punjabi Market because I had many other errands that day.  I only had time to hurriedly snap some street scenes and storefronts to give you some idea of the stores in the neighbourhood.  I bought one very nice cotton maxi dress for my niece. I am tempted to keep it for myself and use it as a pattern.  But the better idea is to perhaps go back and buy another one to use as a pattern.
 




Of course all that shopping made me hungry.  I asked the owner at the Pumjab Food Center where to get good samosas in the area.  He said anywhere would work.  I stopped at Jubilee Restaurant & Sweets and had a wonderful lunch.  I could only eat about half of the food on my plate. It was all very good though I found the pakoras were dried out.  I think it was because it was very late in the day, almost dinner and the pakoras were probably prepared for lunch.  I will have to go back another day and try some of my favourite dishes. I found the eggplant dish (green "blob" on the right side of the plate)  especially good and the chapati was very nice too.


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If you missed my post on Little Linet in Kenya, please read here

32 comments:

Vores have said...

Hello Joyful.
Great pictures you show in the "Our World Tuesday"
Wishing you a great Tuesday :)
Hugs Hanne Bente

Denise said...

Thanks for the tour.

Diane said...

Looks like an interesting market. I love Indian food so I would be very happy there :) Enjoy your day Diane

Indrani said...

Great sights of piece of India there. :)

Joyful said...

Thank you Indrani. Hopefully I can get better pics next time.

cloudbusting2 said...

You certainly had a large selection of spices available there. Nice culinary journey. The eggplant blob...hah hah, funny.

Jan said...

You have such interesting shopping trips Penny. I love coming with you on your days out and seeing the great range of markets you have nearby. Love the lunch stops too. Thank you. x

lotusleaf said...

Looks like a familiar street in India!

Rajesh said...

This looks like a real cool place to shop. Nice shots.

Jo said...

Oh yum! Your lunch looks superb,Penny. I'm so glad you found the samosa leaves and will be able to make your own. The Punjabi Market looks so clean and bright compared to the markets I frequent! Hugs Jo

Unknown said...

Noe I'm hungry!! Boom & Gary of the Vermilon River, Canada.

Walk in New York said...

une belle promenade dans cette rue, et tout cela me donne faim :))

Publicity ;o) Every Friday (and the Weekend), The Challenge "Walk In The Street Photography"

Sr Crystal Mary Lindsey said...

Indian food with curry, eggplant,chapati.. oh YUM!!! Indian is my favorite food. I had an Indian friend who's cooking was the best.

LindyLouMac said...

How great to have such a place to purchase all the spices you may need.

Carver said...

That looks like a great market to have.

G.N.SHAW said...

so Indian food are very favorite to many .

Marleen said...

Great pictures, and very nice to read your story.

NatureFootstep said...

the dish seems delichious. :)

SandyCarlson said...

That dish looks wonderful. It's a great reminder of how complex and beautiful our world is. Thank you!

Sally in WA said...

That was quite the collection of spices! Thanks for the tour.

Susan said...

Ooooo, looks like fun shopping and eating. I LOVE Indian food. Thanks for your visit and comment to my blog, too! Have a good Wednesday. Susan

LV said...

Wow, this is my kind of place! I would go crazy in a place like this. The food on your plate looks delicious.

Dorothy said...

Great post! I found you over at Crystal Mary ;)
I love coconut cream. I use it in my coffee as I can't take cow's milk or soy. It's delicious and makes my little indulgence, even more of a luxury!
Blessing,
Dotti:)

You will let us know how the henna works, right? ;)

Danica Bridges-Martin said...

The plate of food looks sooooo good, makes me want to order Indian food tonight! :) Danica Martin

Fred Alton said...

Awwwww Girl! Chapati's and Samosas - two of my favorite foods! Gotta be careful where you eat though, as you could wind up with a terrible tummy ache. Ha. Had taht experience a few times in Kenya. But - never got sick from eating them if cooked in a person's home. Glad you have found a good place like the Punjabi mkt.

Pat said...

The Punjabi Market sounds like the perfect place to find any Indian spices you need. I saw Jo's post on samosas, too, and they sound mouth-watering! Have fun making them.

Joyful said...

I was a little concerned about the henna as it was a deep bright green after I mixed it and let it sit overnight. But it worked just fine ;-) Having coconut cream in coffee is something I never thought of. I may try it some time.

Joyful said...

This was an all you can eat buffet. I'm afraid I couldn't finish one plate as that often happens when I wait too long to eat. The couple at the next table did not have that problem. I counted at least 5 plates each for their late lunch/early dinner. So they really got their money's worth.

Joyful said...

It was a delicious lunch, Jo. I won't be making samosas for awhile but at least I have the sheets on hand. the Punjabi Market Center was very well organized and neat.

Anonymous said...

Penny, I Enjoyed seeing photos of the market place and town. The different foods are interesting as well.I've never had Samosa's before.

Dorothy said...

Oh... I would be worried about bright green too! Glad you're please with the end result! It's good to find a winner, isn't it?
Blessings
;)

Brenda Green said...

Well, my friend,
Sounds like you had a very nice day. WOW, what a lot of unique foods they have there!!!!

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