Blog #6: Discoveries at the International Market

 While it can seem mysterious and scary to some, one of the best ways to try new food is by visiting your local, international market. Every city I’ve ever lived in has at least one and if you live in a town or village, it could be a fun and short road trip to visit your closest city and explore one nearby! I personally love going to grocery stores in foreign countries and can get lost in colorful aisle after aisle. You can learn so much about a countries culture simply by perusing their markets and food stalls. 


Today I’m going to focus on Rani’s World Foods in Las Vegas. The name of this store is ever so slightly misleading because it is predominantly an Indian (and its surrounding countries) market.  While it could be a bit overwhelming, I encourage you Vegas folk to take a peek! I think one of the greatest things about this store is that they have many traditional dishes in “short-cut” forms for your consumption. For example, maybe you tried a chutney (a spicy condiment) or a meal such as South Indian dosas ( savory crepes) that you enjoyed very much in a restaurant but have no idea how to recreate. Well, don’t you worry! You can buy chutneys by the jar or from the frozen section and even find dosas as a ready made mix that only requires you to add water (Gits brand is my favorite).


Sometimes you can even find the batter, already made, in the refrigerated section! I mention dosas because I am of South Indian descent and my mom made these every weekend from scratch (the dough takes 2 days to prepare) and it’s literally the one Indian food that I crave on a weekly basis. Dosas are not commonly served in Indian restaurants but now you’ll know to look for them! A dosa is a rice pancake made from fermented batter and it resembles a crepe. Try it with the coconut or tomato chutney which you can find in packets in the frozen section. Anyone I’ve ever introduced to the dosa has fallen in love. Trust me, you just have to try it, and now you can, right in the comfort of your very own kitchen! However, the pan and spoon that you use are imperative to having a successful experience. You want to have a round, flat pan and a ladle for spooning out the batter.

You start by pouring one ladle full of batter into the center of the pan and you work the crepe out (from center to edges) in a circular motion with the spoon. This part is a bit of an art. You want the crepe to be round, thin and a little crispy. Once bubbles start to form in the crepe, you can add a bit of oil (I prefer butter!), and then flip it. An ideal dosa has a golden hue. Growing up, Saturday mornings were not omelettes and bacon in our house, they were delicate dosas with home-made chutneys (to this day, I’ve never tasted better than my moms) and I wouldn’t have had it any other way. 


I understand, you can’t always know what to choose or buy, but many of the products sold in international markets have instructions on the back and usually in English! Try some murukku (a crunchy lentil and flour, fried snack) in lieu of your potato chips or some gulab jamun (India’s version of a deep fried dumpling in sugar syrup) in lieu of a krispy creme donut.



If you’re not delighted by what you try, at least you can say you expanded your horizons for a moment and demystified an otherwise, seemingly strange food! In fact, if you decide to brave this concrete jungle of sweet, savory and spicy treats, leave me a comment below with any questions you might have. It would be my pleasure to help you discover the undiscovered. 



Rani’s World Foods

4505 W. Sahara Ave

Las Vegas, NV 89102

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