Wednesday, July 18, 2012

Crunchy,spicy goodness - Magic Masala

Ahh ! Frito Lays ! The creator of The Chip - that tiny bite of crisp saltiness that gets you hooked. You can choose from a smorgasbord of flavors; some favor the plain salty, some the subtlety of sour cream, and yet others like it cheesy. 


None of those pansy-a$$ flavors for me, though. I like bold, fiery - I want my chip to kick me in the face ! In India, my staple favorite (for years) has been the Magic Masala flavor of the rippled Lays. It's been a constant companion - for studying until the wee hours in college, through the tumultuous years at the job, late night chats or books that I can't put down.


It's what I instinctively reach out for when it rains, or when I get bored of bland foods, or simply when 1 am (or 6 pm) cravings hit. It was an easy (though unhealthy) snack at work - packaged, non-perishable, cheap, and delicious. 


So you can imagine my chagrin when I discovered that my favorite blue bag had not made it to the shores of USA ! I searched desi grocery stores all over Houston and Frederick and Jersey, to no avail. Was I doomed to making do with Doritos, or having dad spend ridiculous amounts  to ship me a few bags ? 


Up until now, yes. But then...........a miracle ! We walked into the friendly neighborhood desi grocery store in Greenville, and presto ! There it was - the familiar flash of blue that had me drooling in anticipation.




I happily slapped 2 packs into our shopping cart; the husband recoiled in horror ! He knew what was coming - arriving home to a sea of crumbs, blue wrappers and a fat wife smelling of garlic and paprika. 


That's when I swore to myself I'd never let that happen. I no longer eat these by the pound; I stretch one 2-oz  bag a whole week. I now treat these calories bombs like an indulgence, not a meal. And I gargle with mouthwash afterwards. 


All is well.


Uh oh, it's 1 am..........


P.S. Some say chips go best with beer; I say nothing beats a chip chased down with a cold Thums Up (more on that later).

6 comments:

  1. If I had a penny for summer nights spent with the holy trinity of Harry Potter, Magic Masala and Thumbs-Up, I'd be a rich kid by now :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Bahahahaha ! I think I should start doing that again. Then again, those 3 pounds were REALLY hard to lose.

      Delete
  2. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  3. hahaha...i remember this blue wrapper used to be on your bed all the time and your thums up in our fridge and not to forget your bhutta...everytime i went to market i knew i would have to get alteast one of these.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Everyone who has lived with me knows my grocery list - chips, thums up, bhutta, mangoes, grapes, milk powder, maggi. Thank you for all the bhuttas ! Will write about that sometime. :)

      Delete
  4. hahaha..loved it...reminds me of ur fixation to good old pack of blue lays

    ReplyDelete