#Traditional Indian Chai | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

ranilla-bean · 7 months

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culture tips for writing asian settings: tea varieTEAs

atla's got major Tea Guy representation in iroh but let's be real, even non-tea guys are going to be drinking tea in an asian-inspired setting—you'd be served it instead of water most places. so, what kind of tea are you picking for them?

as an east asian reader, it can take me out of the setting to see the characters drink something like chamomile (from europe/west asia) or... most herbal teas, to be honest. ngl it was weird to see iroh in the show, characterised as a huuuuuuge tea snob, drink stuff like jasmine (it's fine it's just basic, is all! imo!) or like.... a random flower he encounters in the wild.

when we're talking tea, real asian tea, we're talking about the leaf of the camellia sinensis plant. the huge variety we have of tea is actually from the different ways of processing that exact same leaf. popular varieties include:

green: the leaf goes through minimal processing, can have a bright and even leafy/grassy flavour (examples: gunpowder, longjing aka dragon well, matcha, genmaicha)

white: also undergoes minimal processing, with a lighter flavour than even green (examples: silver needle, shou mei)

oolong: the leaf is semi-oxidised, curled, and twisted—can be characterised by a tanniny flavour with a bright aftertaste. my personal favourite! (examples: da hong pao, tieguanyin, dong ding, alishan)

dark (black): note this isn't the same as black tea as we think of it in english. the leaf is fermented to produce an earthy tea with a flavour like petrichor (examples: pu'er)

all the teas listed in the "examples" are fairly credible teas that i think a real tea snob like iroh would drink.

ok, but what about...

"black tea" as we know it in the west—assam and ceylon etc? this variety is actually called "red tea" in chinese. we don't drink it with milk but to be honest, i've just... never really heard of anyone drinking chinese red tea? which is why i've kept it off the list. (there's lapsang souchong, but i associate that with bri'ish people...) anyone who does drink it, let me know! on the other hand something like assam/ceylon, while extremely delicious and also asian, is a product of british colonialism and is consumed with milk. i think if you wanted to massage some of the traditions & have chai-drinking indian-influenced characters, though, that's cool!

do you actually not drink herbal tea? we do... but a lot of it is considered medicinal. we've got stuff like herbal "cooling tea" with ingredients like sour plum, mesona, or crysanthemum; tea that warms you up like ginseng or ginger. the whole concept of hot/cold in chinese medicine though... that deserves another culture post

camellia leaf murdered my family & i have a grudge against it; what else can my blorbos drink? there'a some good, tasty stuff made of wheat, barley, buckwheat, even soybean. wouldn't be egregious for the characters to drink that!

is milk sacriligeous? a real tea snob would think so, but a lot of asians nowadays are chill about milk in tea—usually in western-influenced red tea. hong kong, thailand, india, taiwan, and malaysia (among others) have their own cultures of milk tea, which has even become a democratic rallying point.

what do you think of iroh inventing bubble tea? my main issue with it is it's anachronistic! it was invented in taiwan in the late 20th century, but atla's set in the equivalent of the mid-19th century... you could also make arguments about whether iroh's too snobby about tea to invent it LOL

there's soooo much more i can say about all this so: keep your eyes peeled! i'll talk about medicine & tea ceremony in the near future <3

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#atla #atla culture #atla meta #avatar the last airbender #iroh #asian culture tips #tea #so i'm making this post as not QUITE a certified Tea SnobTM the way iroh is #but i do really love and enjoy many east asian teas #and i start every day off with a cup of strong milk tea (probably reflecting my own cultural heritage tho ;) )#and i do look down on white ppl tisanes. that shit aint good!!

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juleswrites223 · 2 months

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Desi Girl

Pairing: Carlos Sainz jr x indian!reader

Context: Attending a desi wedding with bae

ps: No specific faceclaim, i got every image from pinterest. Desi girls need some love too and i love carlos so i thought he would be the perfect fit for this.

yourusername

yourusername shaadi (wedding) time!!

ps; not my shaadi, my sister's

tagged: carlossainz55

landonorris where's my invite

yourusername remember the time we invited you for diwali and you almost burned yourself bc YOU INSISTED TO LIGHT FIRECRACKERS WITH MY BROTHER landonorris no regrets yourusername you almost died dummy landonorris like i said no regrets carlossainz55 .... ynloversz i love how carlos is so used to their banter that he stays out of it lest he too face the wrath of y/n yncarlos tired older sister and annoying younger brother dynamic ynmylove the fact that she already has a younger brother who annoys tf outta her and now she gotta deal with lando and her lil bro mywifeyn my girl cant catch a break😭

charlesleclerc i wanted to come too...

yourusername you can come when we get married carlossainz55 what she said^^^

yummyyn they’re so in love😩😩😩

carlitoyn mother is mothering; daddy is daddying

ynwifey shes so so mommy😩

randohater yeah must be fun mooching off your millionaire bf

ynloversz oh someone hold me back im boutta get violent

mywifeyn its always these ignorant americans smh 🤦

ynmyqueen her family is hella rich and practically run almost everything in India so before hating on someone who is way richer and prettier than you, do your research cuz this is embarrassing for you.

f1wags

f1wags Carlos Sainz and his girlfriend Y/n Y/l/n in Jaipur, Rajasthan at her cousin sister's wedding. Both looking quite good in traditional indian outfit.

carlito55 OMG CARLOS IN A KURTA. THIS IS NOT A DRILL I REPEAT CARLOS IN A KURTA

carlyn MY JAW DROPPED. THEY LOOK SO GORGGGGG

Ynfanacc mother slaying as usual

yourusername

youusername with meri jaan (my life)🫶

tagged: carlossainz55

ynloversz “meri jaan”🥹

carlitoyn tell me why I’m crying

carlyn they love each other so much I’m crying

carlossainz55 tum meri jaan ho ❤️ (you are my life)

ynwifey Carlos replied in Hindi Oml I’m boutta cry

landonorris did yn help you type this or did you use google translate??😑

yourusername I may have helped a bit

carlossainz55 tu gadha hai (you’re an idiot) landonorris

yourusername now that’s all him, I’m so proud that he’s learning hindi 🥹 (btw my brother taught him that)

yourbrother roasteddd

Ynnnn55 they visited a temple together omlll

ynpyaar (pyaar means love) I literally met them today and they are even cuter and down to earth in real life.

yncarlos I love that even though both of them are really rich they’re still so down to earth which honestly makes them even more attractive

carlitoyn it’s not even just yn, but her entire family is also like that, honestly love her family, they’re such kind souls, it’s no surprise yn is too

carlossainz55

carlossainz55 with mi amor ❤️(my love)

yourusername I love you ❤️

carlossainz55 I love you more baby landonorris i see you have no shame yourusername what is our crime?? landonorris having fun without me yourusername 😐 carlossainz55 😐

yncarlos THE IT COUPLE!!!!

carlitoyn MISS MAAM YOUR OUTFIT!!!! THE HENNA ON YOUR FEET!!! THE FIRST PIC SO CUTE IM GONNA PASS OUT

liked by yourusername and carlossainz55

ynwifey THEM DANCING IS SO ADORABLE

carlossainz55 posted a story

caption: everyone is tired 🫨

yourusername

caption: 🥳🥳

yourusername

caption: Congratulations didi (older sister) and jiju (brother in law)

carlossainz55

carlossainz55 fun couple of days with mi amor

tagged: yourusername

yourusername carlos drank so much chai, he has become a certified indian now🫡

carlossainz55 mazaa aaya (had fun) yourusername Im glad 😘

landonorris better get an invite to y'all's wedding

yourusername of course lando carlossainz55 could be any day now so you better check your mail ynloversz WHAT

carlitoyn always eating with the looks queen 😍

f1wags you guys are a beautiful couple truly ❤️

comments have been limited on this post...

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author's note: Y'all would not believe how much i enjoyed this. Ive been super inactive because ive been super busy with stuff plus with not wanting to write but hopefully im back and will be writing more stuff, a lot F1 related bc im into F1 rn.

#f1 #f1 x reader #formula 1 x reader #carlos sainz x reader #carlos sainz jr #f1 imagine #f1 x you #f1 smau #f1 social media au #formula one imagine #lando norris #charles leclerc

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guhmshuda · 4 months

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DESI JAMES POTTER HEADCANON

Disclaimer: this is not era-typical. this is strictly subjective, this is my way of projecting my delusions and hoping I meet someone like James Potter some day!!

James craves parental and academic validation.

Now before I get jumped, lets all be real for one second. You are telling me James Potter is a desi first gen NRI and he does not crave validation? I refuse to believe that!! And it was not that Effie and Monty pressurized him... it was the opposite actually. they did not say a thing and my boy just felt he had to be the best because he has such nice parents who never ask for anything how can he ever live up to it??

He was the kind to lose sleep before important days. Right before the big matches and papers you would find James F. Potter roaming the halls of the school in the wee hours of morning, hands tightly clutching onto a mug that says, "You are ENOUGH" (his parents gifted him this in 3rd year when they noticed he was not doing well). The mug is obviously filled to the brim with either masala chai or cold coffee (the indian one).

2. He smelled like cloves

now this is something I have observed in my day to day life and feel like James too, would partake in. He would be the kind to use "spicy" toothpaste. simply because he thinks they last longer or smth. Effie also makes him homemade oil that has cloves (idk what they do I just associate the spice with him OKAY?) So basically when his partner(s) kiss him, they taste and smell clove. And it is not a comforting spice like cinnamon but imagine a whitewashed Regulus getting used to the sting of cloves and the horrible dant kanti-esque taste because the boyfriend uses them. There is a point when Regulus just starts carrying around a small bottle of clove oil or a box of clove and elaichi daana because James smells like cloves and Sirius like cardamom (FIGHT ME.)

3. Resident Problem Solver

Was he mischievous? Hell yes. Did he still make efforts to make sure everyone was okay? Duh.

James would be the kind to ask everyone about their day at the dinner table and be actually interested in what they have to say. He would notice when one of his friends were having a hard day and just drop a ladoo on their plate or ask them if they would like "non-spicy" chai. He would be the peacemaker. ALWAYS. He DID not like conflict. It hurt his soul to watch his friends fight or give each other a cold shoulder.

4. He LOVED being Desi.

he had the diaspora issue, obviously. But Effie and Monty came from the pre-partition India and tried to hold onto their country as much as they could. So James was super used to all the desi things. He had a head full of thick luscious curls because his mother massaged oil and gave him champi every week. When he moved to Hogwarts his hair suffered a little before the Summer when Sirius visited the Potters. Effie taught both of them how to apply oil onto each other's scalps and then it became their tradition at Hogwarts.

5. When Sirius returned bald.

there is a very popular HC that one year Walburga shaved Sirius' hair off because he was being disrespectful or smth. That year, James developed a variant of Indulekha x Parachute Coconut Oil (come on Desis i know you know what I mean) and made sure Sirius had his long hair back before Christmas. He would personally look after his diet, forcing amla tea down his throat or making sure he is eating 3-4 meals that consist of healthy things and not just meat as Sirius would otherwise have it.

Regulus fell in love with James around this time because he did smth he could not, protect Sirius. He went as far as daring Walburga to try to do it again, James would make sure Sirius grows his hair longer than ever.

ps. he was the one who came up with curl-care routine for the marauders and all of them had PJO cast like hair it was so cute jadfiqgfuiwgiuu okay

6. He did not practice any religion

James was not religious, he was spiritual. He did whatever his mum, who herself practiced two religions, told him to do. Both Effie and Monty believed in giving back to the society more than giving to some religious institute, so imagine a first year James rushing into Poppy's wing with an injured bird in his hand begging her to save it.

7. He was the people's princess.

fight the wall. everyone, even the slytherins, secretly LOVED him and the gulab jamuns he would give out on Diwali every year.

8. Enjoyer of classical music.

I have said it before, I will say it again. MY MANZ LISTENED TO GHULAM ALI. idc if he was muggle or what, he loved his music, language be damned.

he enjoyed urdu ghazals more than anything else tbh.

9. TRAINED CLASSICAL MUSICIAN

he was trained in sitar and he could sing as well. he was basically an in house singer. He learnt electric guitar in his 2nd year and then there was no looking back. If he would not have been a professional quidditch player he would have been a musician or a music teacher or smth.

10. he was a STEM student.

okay this is non-canon but comp sci major James? who also happens to enjoy botany? yes. just the best.

11. James who would slip into Urdu when he was overwhelmed, who loved when people played with his hair. James who wrote letters in Urdu or Hindi or whatever regional language his parents spoke and wrote.

12. James potter who hated how his eyes were brown, just brown, growing up. but then one day his mother told him it is what she loves the best about him.

13. James Potter with bitten lips, he does that whenever he is nervous.

14. James Potter who was born during sunrise, his mother believes he is the sun.

15. James who would lay his life for his friends. James who loved hugging Peter, James who committed crimes for Remus.

16. James who adored and admired Minerva so much that he would try everything to get her attention, except he was her favourite student after Lily and Remus (Sirius was her son, let us all be honest).

17. James who played Carnatic Music while studying.

18. James who would wear short kurtas. james who is obsessed with shawls.

19. James who carried a bag full of supplies his friends might need. Like imagine a pouch filled with hair elastics for Sirius and the girls, painkillers for Remus, fidget toys and stress ball for Peter, and cloves for Regulus.

20. James WHO FOUGHT THE AUTHORITY!!!

-- I WILL ADD MORE DW LET ME THINK--

ADD YOURS TOO BTW COME ON HELP A DEMIGIRL OUT

#desiblr #desi stuff #desi tumblr #marauders #james potter #the marauders era #dead gay wizards #desi james is my love #desi james #desi james potter #james x regulus #james and sirius #jegulus #baby james potter

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cherlockgomes · 1 month

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Bridgerton: A romantic poem about Indian culture.

As an Indian, Desi representation in the media can be difficult. It dances precariously between romanticism and downright insulting. It stands to change the world’s view on those with an ethnic background, often pushing the “white saviour” agenda forward. Speaking from personal experience, I can attest that it creates an internal battle. Growing up, I watched shows like Phineas and Ferb, where characters like Balgeet or Ravi from Jessie were portrayed as kooky, with exaggerated accents and quirks. While I agree stereotypes can often aid the comedy in a show, repeatedly watching the Desi characters be used as comic punching bags created an air of displeasure within me. I found myself wanting more and more to be like Hannah Montana, with her blue eyes and blonde hair, rather than one of the Patil Twins from Harry Potter. It took years to unlearn the racism I had internalised and finally see the beauty in my culture.

It is possible to argue that the growing number of comedies starring racial minorities has facilitated racial tolerance. Take, for instance, the second season of the popular Netflix show Bridgerton, which centres around the romance between a viscount and a character of Indian descent, Kate Sharma. I liked the show's appreciation of my culture through romanticism. Three unique scenes stand out to me in particular—the hair oiling, tea brewing, and Haldi.

In the hair-oiling scene, Kate comforts her younger sister by running oil through her dark tresses. Sitting at your mother/grandmother’s feet while she oils your hair is a canon event in every Indian girl’s life. It is an intimate act of devotion and love in Desi culture, as the person takes great pains to massage the oil into every crevice of your scalp as it stimulates hair growth. In Western culture, oily hair is often looked down upon. While I grew up in India and thus had no first-hand experience of the same, I’ve read multiple stories about how brown girls were bullied and belittled for having oil in their hair. Therefore, seeing something as trivial as oiling a loved one's hair being romanticised in a popular show could change people’s perspective on Indian culture, enabling the rest of the world to see it as we do.

A quintessential experience in a desi household is watching the chai (tea) being brewed as the aromas of its spices fill the air. Desi tea is more than just milky dishwater. It's a delicate blend of floral notes and spice that warms the back of your throat, only to be soothed by the creaminess of the milk. Making it is an art you’re forced to pick up as you watch your family members painstakingly observe the handi (pot) to ensure it doesn’t boil over. Like the hair-oiling scene, Bridgerton brings out this tradition quaintly. In an episode, Kate removes a few spices from a richly decorated pouch and adds them to a strainer suspended above a teacup, along with a handful of tea leaves. She then pours hot water over the mixture before adding milk to it. It is a scene shot in solidarity with close-ups of Kate’s actions to create an almost Wordsworthian romanticism of an activity nearly second nature to my people. Indian food is often criticised for being too smelly or having a flavour profile that’s too strong. Like the hair oil, Desi children are frequently belittled or bullied for bringing cultural dishes to school. Therefore, watching the precision and complexity that goes into making something as simple as masala chai (spiced tea) can change people’s opinions on the cuisine.

As Indians, Haldi, or turmeric, is a spice that’s ever-present in our lives. It’s used in our dishes and is an answer to almost every disease and injury. As children, we’re urged to drink Haldi Doodh, or, as it’s better known by its gentrified name, golden latte. For centuries, it’s been used to treat injuries. When we get injured, the yellow powder is usually pressed to the wound as it is believed to hold natural healing powers. Thus, it comes as no surprise that we’ve even found a way to include the marvellous spice in our marriage ceremonies. The Haldi Ceremony is performed a day before the wedding. It takes place in the couple’s parental home, where a mixture of Haldi, oil and water is usually rubbed onto the face and upper body by the couple’s close friends and family. In Bridgerton, we see a similar practice carried out by Kate and their mother the night before Edwina’s wedding. The scene is portrayed in an intimate manner compared to the grandiose version you might see in a traditional Indian wedding. Nonetheless, seeing a critical Desi tradition integrated so well into a mainstream show was quite a surprise and a good one at that. I loved that they paid such close attention to detail, going so far as to drape the characters in yellow clothes, which are considered auspicious during a Haldi.

I watched a beautiful Indian woman cast as the main character in a Netflix show instead of some caricature, and it healed something inside me. I loved that my culture was finally getting the appreciation and exposure it deserves. The way the show’s creators integrated age-old traditions into the storyline instead of repeating harmful stereotypes like with Apu from The Simpsons, made me appreciate the show and its gradual shift to accurate inclusivity.

The entire point of the Romanticism movement was to take seemingly mundane things and describe them in such a way that makes them seem extraordinary. It aims to change the person’s view on the subject by painting it in a remarkable light. Take, for example, the poem “The Orange” by Wendy Cope. It describes the simple joys in life, like sharing a fruit that graces almost every fruit bowl. It changes the way you look at things, and that’s why the romanticism of the Indian culture in something as mainstream as Bridgerton is so essential. It has the power to change how people view Indians and how we view ourselves.

#bridgerton #kate sharma #edwina sharma #viscount #you are the bane of my existence and the object of all my desires #haldi #desi #desi representation #romanticism #stereotypes

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najia-cooks · 9 months

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[ID: Rice noodles topped with yellow fried tofu and chives; piles of chili powder, peanuts, and chive stems to the side. End ID]

ผัดไทย / Phad thai (Thai noodle dish with tamarind and chives)

Phad thai, or pad thai ("Thai stir-fry") is a dish famous for its balance of sour, sweet, savory, and spicy flavors, and its combination of fried and fresh ingredients. It's commonly available in Thai restaurants in the U.S.A. and Europe—however, it's likely that restaurant versions aren't vegetarian (fish sauce!), and even likelier that they don't feature many ingredients that traditionalists consider essential to phad thai (such as garlic chives or sweetened preserved radish—or even tamarind, which they may replace with ketchup).

Despite the appeals to tradition that phad thai sometimes inspires, the dish as such is less than 100 years old. Prime Minister Plaek Phibunsongkhram popularized the stir-fry in the wake of a 1932 revolution that established a constitutional monarchy in Thailand (previously Siam); promotion of the newly created dish at home and abroad was a way to promote a new "Thai" identity, a way to use broken grains of rice to free up more of the crop for export, and a way to promote recognition of Thailand on a worldwide culinary stage. Despite the dish's patriotic function, most of the components of phad thai are not Thai in origin—stir-fried noodles, especially, had a close association with China at the time.

My version replaces fish sauce with tao jiew (Thai fermented bean paste) and dried shrimp with shiitake mushrooms, and uses a spiced batter that fries up like eggs. Tamarind, palm sugar, prik bon (Thai roasted chili flakes), and chai po wan (sweet preserved radish) produce phad thai's signature blend of tart, sweet, and umami flavors.

Recipe under the cut!

Patreon | Tip jar

Serves 2.

Ingredients:

For the sauce:

3 Tbsp (35g) Thai palm sugar (น้ำตาลปึก / nam tan puek)

2 Tbsp vegetarian fish sauce, or a mixture of Thai soy sauce and tao jiew

1/4 cup tamarind paste (made from 50g seeded tamarind pulp, or 80g with seeds)

Thai palm sugar is the evaporate of palm tree sap; it has a light caramel taste. It can be purchased in jars or bags at an Asian grocery, or substituted with light brown sugar or a mixture of white sugar and jaggery.

Seedless tamarind pulp can be purchased in vacuum-sealed blocks at an Asian grocery store—try to find some that's a product of Thailand. I have also made this dish with Indian tamarind, though it may be more sour—taste and adjust how much paste you include accordingly.

You could skip making your own tamarind paste by buying a jar of Thai "tamarind concentrate" and cooking it down. Indian tamarind concentrate may also be used, but it is much thicker and may need to be watered down.

For the stir-fry:

4oz flat rice noodles ("thin" or "medium"), soaked in room-temperature water 1 hour

1/4 cup chopped Thai shallots (or substitute Western shallots)

3 large cloves (20g) garlic, chopped

170g pressed tofu

3 Tbsp (23g) sweet preserved radish (chai po wan), minced

1 Tbsp ground dried shiitake mushroom, or 2 Tbsp diced fresh shiitake (as a substitute for dried shrimp)

Cooking oil (ideally soybean or peanut)

The rice noodles used for phad thai should be about 1/4" (1/2cm) wide, and will be labelled "thin" or "medium," depending on the brand—T&T's "thin" noodles are good, or Erawan's "medium." They may be a product of Vietnam or of Thailand; just try to find some without tapioca as an added ingredient.

Pressed tofu may be found at an Asian grocery store. It is firmer than the extra firm tofu available at most Western grocery stores. Thai pressed tofu is often yellow on the outside. If you can't locate any, use extra firm tofu and press it for at least 30 minutes.

Sweetened preserved radish adds a deeply sweet, slightly funky flavor and some texture to phad thai. Make sure that your preserved radish is the sweet kind, not the salted kind.

For the eggs

¼ cup + 2 Tbsp (60g) white rice flour

3 Tbsp (22.5g) all-purpose flour (substitute more rice flour for a gluten-free version)

1 tsp ground turmeric

About 1 ¼ cup (295mL) coconut milk (canned or boxed; the kind for cooking, not drinking)

¼ tsp kala namak (black salt), or substitute table salt

Pinch prik bon (optional)

To serve:

Prik bon

2 1/2 cups bean sprouts

3 bunches (25g) garlic chives

1 banana blossom (หัวปลี / hua plee) (optional)

1/3 cup peanuts, roasted

Additional sugar

Garlic chives, also known as Chinese chives or Chinese leeks, are wider and flatter than Western chives. They may be found at an Asian grocery; or substitute green onion.

Banana blossoms are more likely to be found canned than fresh outside of Asia. They may be omitted if you can't find any.

Instructions:

For the eggs:

1. Whisk all ingredients together in a mixing bowl. Cover and allow to rest.

For the noodles:

1. Soak rice noodles in room-temperature water for 1 hour, making sure they're completely submerged. After they've been soaked, they feel almost completely pliant. Cut the noodles in half using kitchen scissors.

For the tamarind paste:

1. Break off a chunk of about 50g seedless tamarind, or 80g seeded. Break it apart into several pieces and place it at the bottom of a bowl. Pour 2/3 cup (150mL) just-boiled water over the tamarind and allow it to soak for about 20 minutes, until it is cool enough to handle.

2. Palpate the tamarind pulp with your hands and remove hard seeds and fibres. Pulverise the pulp in a blender (or with an immersion blender) and pass it through a sieve—if you have something thicker than a fine mesh sieve, use that, as this is a thick paste. Press the paste against the sieve to get all the liquid out and leave only the tough fibers behind.

You should have about 1/4 cup (70g) of tamarind paste. If necessary, pour another few tablespoons of water over the sieve to help rinse off the fibers and get all of the paste that you can.

3. Taste your tamarind paste. If it is intensely sour, add a little water and stir.

For the sauce:

1. If not using vegetarian fish sauce, whisk 1 Tbsp tao jiew with 1 Tbsp Thai soy sauce in a small bowl. You can also substitute tao jiew with Japanese white miso paste or another fermented soybean product (such as doenjang or Chinese fermented bean paste), and Thai soy sauce with Chinese light soy sauce. Fish sauce doesn't take "like" fish, merely fermented and intensely salty, and that's the flavor we're trying to mimic here.

2. Heat a small sauce pan on medium. Add palm sugar (or whatever sugar you're using) and cooking, stirring and scraping the bottom of the pot often, until the sugar melts. Cook for another couple of minutes until the sugar browns slightly.

3. Immediately add tamarind and stir. This may cause the sugar to crystallize; just keep cooking and stirring the sauce to allow the sugar to dissolve.

4. Add fish sauce and stir. Continue cooking for another couple of minutes to heat through. Remove from heat. Taste and adjust sugar and salt.

To stir-fry:

1. Cut the tofu into pieces about 1" x 1/4" x 1/4" (2.5 x 1/2 x 1/2cm) in size.

2. Separate the stalks of the chives from the greens and set them aside for garnish. Cut the greens into 1 1/2” pieces.

3. Chop the shallots and garlic. If using fresh shiitake mushrooms, dice them, including the stems. If using dried, grind them in a mortar and pestle or using a spice mill.

4. Roast peanuts in a skillet on medium heat, stirring often, until fragrant and a shade darker.

5. Remove the tough, pink outer leaves of the fresh banana blossom until you get to the white. Cut off the stem and cut lengthwise into wedges (like an orange). Rub exposed surfaces with a lime wedge to prevent browning. If your banana blossom is canned, drain and cut into wedges.

6. Heat a large wok (or flat-bottomed pan) on medium-high. Add oil and swirl to coat the wok's surface.

If you're using extra firm (instead of pressed) tofu, fry it now to prevent it from breaking apart later. Add about 1" (2.5cm) of oil to the wok, and fry the tofu, stirring and flipping occasionally, until golden brown on all sides. Remove tofu onto a plate using a slotted spoon. Carefully remove excess oil from the wok (into a wide bowl, for example) and reserve for reuse.

7. Fry shallots, garlic, preserved radish and tofu (if you didn't fry it before), stirring often, until shallots are translucent. Add mushroom and fry another minute.

8. Add pre-fried tofu, drained noodles, and sauce to the wok. Cook, stirring often with a spatula or tossing with tongs, until the sauce has absorbed and the noodles are completely pliant and well-cooked. (If sauce absorbs before the noodles are cooked, add some water and continue to toss.)

9. Push noodles to the side. Add 'egg' batter and re-cover with the noodles. Cook for a couple minutes, until the egg had mostly solidified. Stir to break up the egg and mix it in with the noodles.

10. Remove from heat. Add half the roasted peanuts, half of the bean sprouts, and all of the greens of the chives. Cover for a minute or two to allow the greens to wilt.

11. Serve with additional peanuts, bean sprouts, banana blossom wedges, chive stems, and lime wedges on the side. Have prik bon and additional grated palm sugar at table.

#phad thai #pad thai #vegan recipes #cooking #thai #gluten free #garlic chives #Chinese chives

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gwenstacyluvr · 1 month

Text

A little rant about Pavitr Prabhakar ♡

As an Indian the amount of joy this silly little indian spider man gives me is unhealthy

okay so first of all pav is so unapologetically Indian and so proud of it which is literally so amazing, because I've noticed that Indian who have grown up in the west tend to mock their own culture for laughs and are internally racist but pav isn't like that

Another thing I've noticed in Indians who appear in western media, they usually have an extremely exaggerated accent, unlike pav, he was noticed by an Indian, he actually sounds like one of us

The fact that he lives in a city "Mumbattan" which is based of a real city in India called "Mumbai" and previously called "Bombay" is just so cool too

Another thing was his suit, the way that there is traditional clothing incorporated to his suit and it actually looks AMAZING, if you didn't know the bottoms he wears on top of his suit are a type traditional Indian bottoms for men called sethukrishna dhoti

His personality itself is just so cool because in western media Indians are usually nerds (from what I've seen) but pavitr is so much more than just his brain, like yes he is very smart but he's also charismatic and funny too and i swear the "chai tea" joke is very overused but still it is true and I just love him for that.

He may not seem like much to everyone but to me he's everything. The way MY culture has been represented so beautifully in western media means so much. The fact that his accent isn't made fun of and is instead appreciated. Anyways Pavitr just might be the best Indian representation ever ♡

#shitpost #rant post #pavitr prabhakar #into the spider verse #across the spiderverse #spiderman #spiderman into the spiderverse #spider man india

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belle-keys · 5 months

Note

I'm really missing Cordelia right now and I know how much you adore her too. Do you have any interesting headcanons for her? How about songs that remind you of her? Anyway here's a pic of my Funko she's keeping me company while I work

Cordelia! That's my whole damn cousin! Here are my headcanons:

She lowkey loves to bullshit white Englishmen about her ethnicity. Sometimes they come up to her asking “What’s Arabia like?” or “ Which part of India are you from” or some nonsense lumping all brown people together because they’re ignorant like that. Instead of lecturing them about Persia, she starts playing along and saying things like “Oh yes, I’m actually the lost queen of Rajastan, third in line for the throne”. James wants to punch the men but Cordelia plays along and she and Alastair laugh about it later.

Her chai game is simply not as strong as Alastair’s because cmon, Alastair is the British-Persian king of chai! But they still have chai-making battles which they force Sona to judge.

She likes experimenting with various types of dance as a hobby. From traditional Persian dances to ballet to classical Indian dance. She finds it’s a great way to destress when her Clave duties become taxing. Plus, James thinks it’s super hot.

Her dream vacation destination (after Constantinople) is Petra.

Absolutely no one can beat Cordelia at chess but she absolutely sucks at card games (because girls weren’t really taught to play card games back in the day). However, Lucie happens to be good at card games because the Thieves taught her, and Anna is good at them too because Anna is Anna. Hence, Cordelia’s greatest secret goal is to get as good as them to beat James and Matthew one day and relish in their frowns.

She is deadly scared of bees and she will not hesitate to whip out Cortana and attempt to slay them… often to no avail. “What a great warrior,” mutters Alastair whenever this happens.

Some songs that remind me of her:

La Chute est lente by Alma (she’s a lovergirl)

Cupid by Victoria Monét (she’s a lovergirl)

The Great Mermaid by LE SSERAFIM (she will take absolutely no shit)

War of Hearts by Ruelle (she will beat your ass)

Anywhere But Here by PVRIS (jordelia)

Akasaka Sad by Rina Sawayama (breaking generational trauma)

#cordelia carstairs #jordelia #the last hours #tlh #tsc #chain of thorns #chot #chain of gold #the shadowhunter chronicles #herondaisy #cordelia headcanons

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fatimajpeg · 10 months

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i said i wouldn’t talk about spiderman india but i think i will now. i went in expecting the lame millennial chai-tea naan-bread jokes but halfway through the film i started to hope it would be better considering the love and care the writers put into miles’ culture and background. so while i wasn’t curveballed by the lazy jokes and stereotypes i couldn’t help but feel disappointed. The more i sat with the writing the more it became clear to me that they didn’t really try with pavitr and his world at all. his costume? like unless he’s learning traditional bharatanatyam dance why would it look like that? mumbattan? idk if it’s from the comics but why would mumbai and new york be merged together esp if the british still colonised india in this alternate reality and speaking of that i found it funny (and telling) that even in the fun spider multiverse we were STILL colonised. there’s also like tons of spiderman jokes in online desi spaces (mentioning cuz there was a lot of internet humor in the movie) especially eespiderman like that’s a song! they could’ve easily licensed it and make it a fun reference for desi viewers that would’ve been equally funny to non-desis. And then i find out there weren’t many south asian writers/creatives/artists working on atsv (if there were any esp for all the big creative decisions), and it was like damn. why even include him then? The voice actor had to jump in and give them notes about how one dimensional pavitr was (and tbh i can’t believe that the version we got was somehow an improvement). Lbr south asians don’t really need representation from hollywood cuz we have our own entertainment industries esp indians; but if you’re gonna include us then idk maybe try a little?

#atsv #i know im dumb to expect anything better from a very american centric blockbuster lol. fool me one fool me twice etc #might delete cuz im just blogging and idk if im being coherent wayl

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blue-sterling0357 · 1 year

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Can I get a thing where Agni spends the holidays with his fem s/o? Maybe they meet her family?

(does the fact that it's feb stop me from writing this...No, it does not, because I was basically absent and into a horrible situation!!!!)

Agni and S/O spend the holidays!

✧ If there is one thing I wish to say as an Indian like him, is that we don't popularly used to celebrate Christmas as it isn't of our main religions' or Hindus' or Muslims'.

✧ Agni also being an Indian, probably didn't celebrate Christmas because many Indians don't follow Christianity, but they follow Hinduism or Islam, and since Christmas isn't a thing for Hindus or Muslims, but other than that there are other festivals too! Like the Diwali if it occurs in December, Ekadashi where Gods wake up and most marriages are recommended to be celebrated and karwachauth where the bond of a husband and wife is celebrated!

✧ Although, he doesn't celebrate Christmas, he will be willing to celebrate it with you, if you'd explain the Christmas traditions to him otherwise he'll ask Sebastian about it...

✧ He would love to bake cookies with you! He may not know, but he secretly has been practicing with Sebastian on how to make perfect Christmas flavoring cookies!!! He made a cranberry flavored one too!!!

✧ India has a huge variety of clothing material, so getting some good high quality material for Christmas sweaters is quite nice, though they won't have any designs though....But it's okay, cause he's happy!!!!

✧ He would love to play in snow, spending hours to create beautiful letters, messages, drawings and make things with it like castles and just try to make you smile!!!

✧ He will probably make you Indian sweets and if you ask him hard enough, he will put his cooking insecurities behind and make you some Victorian desserts as well!

✧ He would help you pick a Christmas tree and help you decorate it, and then you both end up buying two tiny ones and have a competition to see how will decorate their tree the best and as always Agni won, even Sebastian lost in front of him.....

✧ He will probably take you around the Indian city, bringing you chai and different treats to eat as you both walk around and spend time with each-other and later on you both end up dancing in a newly wedded couples dance show-room....He looked handsome in the lighting.....

✧ Soma would also love to spend Christmas with you and you both being menaces, with you teaching him Christmas rituals and all that and you both making a mess which is gonna give Agni a headache while he tries to clean the shit up....

✧ You teaching Soma how to sing Christmas carols and he tries his best, but he barely know how to pronounce the words correctly and when he does, he forgets the words, but it's okay cause it gets a laugh out of you and it makes Agni smile seeing you happy and laughing!

#agni scenarios #agni x reader #agni black butler #kuroshitsuji agni #kuroshitsuji #kuroshitsuji x reader #black butler #black butler headcanons #black butler x reader #black butler x y/n #kuroshitsuji x you #black butler x gn reader #black butler x you #x you #x gn reader #x male y/n #agni kuroshitsuji x reader #agni iyer #black butler anime

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conitagray · 10 months

Note

OK BUT HEAR ME OUT PAVITR WITH A SOUTHEAST ASIAN S/O

I’m Indonesian myself and I barely see SEAsian!Reader content and I’m currently writing one rn bc I LOVE this idea

HELLO??? THIS IS SO CUTE WHAT THE FUCK i love it with u anon THANK YOU LOVE<33

im gonna make it as hcs because IM SO LAZY to make a fic sobsob IM SO SORRY ITS SHORT MY BRAINCELLS R DYING RIGHT NOW

okay i feel like

he would adore your special traits i mean he would LOVE IT

you guys rule the world being the most diverse couple

he would learn your language no DOUBT no matter if its hard or easy he would do it he would say little phrases in your language and its SO CUTE

but if your hindu/sindhi like him yall would never never talk in english, he would literally embrace every moment and will be so grateful he has a sindhi/hindu s/o

he would try your traditional food and he would be in LOVE like he be melting n shit

but if your hindu/sindhi like him he would have chai sessions w you every day with pav bhaji (UGHHHH AMAZING)

if you have a rough hair day, he would put coconut oil in your hair (the brand parachute coconut oil ALWAYS saves the day!!!!!!111)

would watch kabhi kushi kabhi gham with you everyday and will always cry to it even if u arent indian and you would cry to it too!!! (whoever is reading this PLEAAASEE WATCH IT ITS SO GOOD I PROMISE)

call eachother petnames in yalls language its so adorable im melting physically

EITHER WAY he really really really loves you

(i need him im so deluSIONAL)

#across the spider verse #fluff #astv x reader #headcanon #pavitr prabhakar #pavitr x reader #pavitr x SEA!reader #hearts4hobie

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darkestprompts · 11 months

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What kind of beverages (they don't need to fit within the DD universe) would the heroes drink? I feel like PD would be fascinated with the pearls in milk tea to a concerning extent. I want to give Abom a caprisun. Love your takes btw!!!

Alhazred: loves a good coffee, likes to try different types, but is very particular about the quality of the beans and torrefaction.

Josephine: gave Alhazred the hint of where to get his perfect 100% arabica, but is more of a tea girl. Her favorites are traditional indian chai and hibiscus kombucha.

Paracelsus: you are correct, she loves a good taro with tapioca pearls. She justifies it by listing the many benefits of mixing tea and milk, but really, she just likes the consistency and the funny balls.

Boudica: mead, of course, but also sports drinks like Gatorade. She needs to replenish her strength!

Barristan: milk and yogurt drinks, abides by the wisdom that you NEED to drink your milk to keep strong and healthy. Only one that thinks Yakult isn't gross.

Missandei: don't ask me why, but she strikes me as a milkshake girl. Like she treats herself with a big burst of sugar at the end of the day because, damn it, she works hard and she earned it!

Audrey: yeah, it's absinthe, big shock. She's also fond of cocktails, especially Death in the Afternoon.

Amani: citric juices. They give her energy and make her think of sunlight when she misses home.

Bonnie: mulled apple cider, hot enough to burn your tongue off. She finds it comforting.

Baldwin: enjoys all sorts of fragant herbal teas, especially flower-based ones.

Bigby: needs to discover hot chocolate IMMEDIATELY.

Damian: is a silly man that dislikes nice things. Only drinks fresh water and communion wine.

Junia: she'd love guaraná (guarana-plant based soft drink). It's fresh and sweet and bubbly and has no sinful/decadent implications. A guiltless pleasure.

Highwayman: distilled drinks like brandy, gin and whiskey. Likes coffee but unlike Alhazred is completely happy with the cheap stuff.

Reynauld: swears he actually likes those super healthy grain and nut based drinks. Nobody believes him.

Margaret: I'm thinking eggnog for some reason. Maybe because it's something you'd drink at a family party and she had a stable home.

William: makes the kind of vitamin that mixes everything under the sun. It's surprisingly good, though.

Sarmenti: gets obsessed with one drink for like three weeks then spends two years unable to look at it.

Edit: Fuck, I forgot Tardif

Tardif: loves sangria. It's alcoholic enough to get him buzzed but the sugar and vitamins in it are good to keep you from getting completely hammered or the dreaded wine hangover.

#darkest dungeon #asks #anon #dd lists #dd ensemble

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glove1 · 1 year

Text

Tea Time (Gender Neutral)

Cypher x Reader fluff

Words: 925

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You and Cypher have a little tradition after missions. It was always to grab tea that was native to the area you went to, come back to the base, sit down, drink tea, and talk. This helped Cypher a lot since he is always on edge about his family, and you were always happy to listen to his rambling about his life or the mission you two just went on together.

Your most recent mission with Cypher was at Lotus in southern India. You both geeked out a bit when you found out you were going there due to the fact that India has good spices and teas. Immediately after the mission was over, you took Cyphers arm in excitement and rushed to the nearest local market. Your eyes sparkled as they wandered over the vast amount of spices and teas. Cypher let out a chuckle and removes your hands from his arm.

“Shall we (Y/N)? You get to pick this time.” He starts to walk away looking at all the different stalls not noticing the small blush on your cheeks.

“Sounds good!” You say following his actions and looking at different stalls. Each one was very unique and different. Some selling Indian cuisine, others selling fabrics and jewels. Your eyes gaze over all the options but ultimately stop at a small spice stand. You clap your hands together excitedly (like the gremlin you are) and rush over. Cypher looks back and sees you giddy over the spice stand and laughs a heart felt laugh and walks over to you.

You gawk at the different colors and textures of the powders and chunks of different spices. Some you could point out like cinnamon, lemongrass, or jasmine. Others, you had no clue. But that’s why you’re here right? To try new things. You also noticed the stall had a metal pot to make the tea in and give to you. The merchant looked at you, expecting you to know what you are doing. However, the puzzled look on your face gave everything away. The merchant chuckled a bit and spoke up.

“New to the area?” He asks. You look up your eyes wide still trying to comprehend the aroma you are smelling right now. You give him a small, polite smile.

“Actually I’m here on vacation. My friend and I usually try teas from around the world and I haven’t tried any from India yet. Any suggestions?” You ask hoping he gives you a good tea. He nods in understanding and gives you a smile.

“I see, one moment.” He says as he starts to rummage around grabbing all his ingredients. Cypher is behind you watching the merchant doing his craft. You stare in awe as he skillfully grabs black tea leaves places them in the pot, adds water, and lights the flame underneath to boil the water. He then grabs cardamom pods, cloves, fennel seeds, black pepper corn, nutmeg, star flower, and cinnamon and places it into a mortar and pestle and grinds it into a fine powder. You take note of the tea he used and all the spices so you can ask for some to go.

Once the water is boiled and the tea is done steeping, he adds in the spice powder, sugar, milk, and ginger and mixes it up. He then strains the mixture into two separate cups and gives them to you and cypher. You excitedly take the cup, looking at the light brown liquid. Cypher takes his and seems uneasy. He doesn’t want to remove his mask to drink it but shrugs his shoulders in defeat and lifts up his mask only up to his upper lip. You take a small sip and moan in delight as the flavors of the tea dance around your tongue. Cypher hums in delight as his body almost melts. As you relish in the tea, the merchant speaks.

“It is called masala chai. A very popular drink in India. I hope you enjoy.” He smiles. You widely grin back at him and thank him for the tea. Cypher gives you his cup to hold and asks for the dry spices. The merchant obliges and gives cypher all the ingredients he needs to recreate this chai. Cypher pays for both of the drinks and spices and grabbed your arm to walk around the market more.

A few days later, you two were back at valorant base. You and Cypher go to his workshop and make quick work if recreating the chai. You start to grind the spices together as Cypher boils the black tea. You both add the ginger, milk, and sugar and stare at the liquid gold in awe. You give him a wide smile and pull out your regular tea mugs. “Ready to relive that amazing tea experience?” You ask as you strain the tea into both mugs. Cypher removes his mask and takes his mug.

“Definitely.” He gives you a smile and walks to the small table in the middle of the room. You quickly follow and sit down across from him like you usually do. You both savor the aroma steaming from your mugs. You take a small sip, and are instantly transported back to the little market in India. You moan as the flavors dance on your tongue like they did in the market. Cypher let’s out a satisfied hum.

“Good choice little one. You may have beat the last tea we got.” He says as he continues to drink his cup. You nod, savoring the moment between friends.

#valorant cypher #cypher x reader #x reader #valorant

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siriusblack-the-third · 1 year

Note

oooh is it Holi tomorrow? :DD can you give us some ideas or headcanons about James celebrating Holi with his parents/Sirius/Harry? <33

Honestly, depending on a few factors, everyone celebrates Holi on a different day (the traditions for Holi are different depending on the sect of Hinduism and region of celebration as well). Also, North Indian होली and Maharashtrian होळी (search up the differences in pronunciation, it's a bit hard to describe) are two completely different religious holidays. The Hindi होली (ho-lee) is equivalent to the Marathi "ranga panchami" (ranga- colour, panchami- fifth day of a lunar cycle). As far as I know, the Marathi होळी doesn't have an equivalent.

The traditions I'm going by are my family traditions— the Marathi traditions of my region— so i hope you enjoy. Let's goooo!

Oh yeah, this is before Harry turns eleven and goes to Hogwarts.

The day of होळी signifies the first day of spring in Maharashtra. Every year, the members of the Black-Potter family start the day by watching the sunrise together with cups of spicy chaha (marathi for chai).

The day is pretty much the usual, except for food. James cooks up a storm in the kitchen, making all the pancha pakwaan (pancha- five, pakwaan- dishes) with puran poli (a sweet flatbread), three different vegetables, rice, amti (somewhat like daal, either drunk from the bowl or poured over rice), and a traditional dessert. They invite the Weasleys, the Marauders and the Longbottoms over, and have a veritable feast for lunch and dinner. A very chaotic affair, but the Black-Potters love it.

All three of them absolutely adore panchamrut (pancha- five, amrut- nectar of the Gods. It's made of five ingredients- milk, ghee, sugar, curd, honey). Once James is done with his pooja and the naividya (the first morsel/sip of any food/drink is always offered to the Gods), the three of them pounce on the drink with all the vigour of someone who hasn't had anything to eat for days.

As the evening draws closer, Harry, the Weasley kids, Neville, and Lily and Remus out to the woods that surround the house and collect dried wood for. Meanwhile, James, Sirius and Peter gather the panchamrut and a bite each of the pancha pakwaan, and ready the porch for lighting a safe fire with the help of the Molly, Arthur, Augusta, Alice and Frank.

Just as the sun sets, the bonfire is lit, and the blaze reaches high into the sky within minutes, helped along by magic. Everyone sits around it in a circle, closing their eyes and praying— the fire signifies the destruction of the bad energy of the previous year and the purification of the soul for a better new year. Holi is the first day of spring, a mark of new beginnings, a symbol of clean slates and fresh starts. The Holi fire is where you throw all your baggage of the last year so it burns till it is gone, to prepare yourself for the upcoming year.

The pancha pakwaan and panchamrut are poured into the fire to loud cheers from the children, and then the real festivities begin. Everyone walks around the fire in a circle, howling at the top of their lungs. The sounds are slightly terrifying, especially when the darkness really sets in and the only light is the massive bonfire, but Harry loves the ferality of the entire thing. It's primal, the way the war cries rise up with the fire, echoing throughout the massive grounds of Potter Manor like the echoes of screaming ghosts.

Sometimes, Harry, Ginny and the Weasley twins start war dances instead of the howling. Those times, Bill and Charlie eagerly join in along with James, Lily and Alice, and the hard and fast thumping of their feet on the packed mud porch makes it seem like an earthquake is cracking the ground open.

Other times, they write their mistakes, insecurities, bad thoughts and regrets of the past year onto slips of paper and throw them into the fire, to signify the new start. Last year does not matter anymore; it is done and you cannot change it. You can have a new beginning, though, and Harry vows every year that he will be a better person.

James loves these times, where everyone he cares about is close to him and glowing with happiness. Holi is his favourite festival, because it is the day he and Sirius kissed for the first time. It is the day he remembers with fondness— childhood years spent with his parents and grandparents and cousins in a crowded wada (kind of like a palace but the size varies from anywhere between four bedrooms to like 70), sneaking panchamrut from under his mother's nose, dancing Garba around the fire with his Gujju friends in India, the day the Potter family first moved to Britain right before his 11th birthday. People expect his favourite festival to be Diwali or Ganpati Chaturthi because they are loud and huge and phenomenal celebrations, but his favourite is this— all his favourite people in the same place with the same happy smile and the same traditions that he loved when he had blood family.

Holi is a festival for families and loved ones, and the Black-Potters have a lot of love to go around. Family isn't defined by blood, after all.

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the-cookie-of-doom · 6 months

Text

My Victorian AU is so much fun to think about, and one of my favorite parts is the way I'm trying to present the characters various relations to their culture?

Chay and Porsche were brought to london as children, before being stranded there when their parents died. They were young enough that Chay barely remembers them, or his life before London; he's completely cut off from his culture, except what he's able to piece together from the influences around him growing up. Except London had a much higher Chinese/Indian influence than Siamese/Thai because of the various trade agreements.

Porsche knows it's important to remember their roots, especially for Chay who doesn't have a tangible connection to them, so he tries. But he's much more focused on keeping them afloat to worry about maintaining traditions. He assimilates into the local cultures, picks and chooses what suits him best at the time.

Then you have Kim, who's coming to London for the first time. He's spent his life in Siam, except for his recent year or two studying abroad; either in China or Europe, I haven't decided. (Probably China for diplomatic reasons; most of Siam's trade at the time was indirectly through China, which was larger and more accessible to western powers). But despite growing up with the culture, Kim is actually, largely cut off from it. He doesn't maintain the traditions, doesn't practice the religions (Buddhism doesn't mix very well with organized crime and murder). He could be an invaluable resource to Chay, but... he had the luxury to not pay attention to his culture, because he never had to worry it would be taken away from him.

#cookie writes #kimchay #victorian AU #i just have Thots okay #once kim realizes how important this is to Chay #he'll try #starts telling Chay stories from his childhood #they're painful to remember but he wants to give Chay this much at least #even if it feels like revealing to much of himself #idk how I want this fic to end #but it would be really nice if Kim took Chay back to Siam with him #even if temporarily #let them rediscover their culture together

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sakamakisaywhat · 1 year

Note

Hello,can I get headcannons on How would the diaboys react to an indian s/o (btw I really love your blog)😄

You didn't specify characters so I've just done the Sakamakis :)

I'm not from india and I don't really know anything about indian culture so I had to look a lot up, sorry if anything is not accurate! I don't think that they would treat you any differently so this ended up being how would they react to certain things lol

SHU

Shu wouldn't react much when you initially tell him you're Indian, but you will probably have to fend off several kama sutra jokes before you put your foot down

Indian classical music is so different from the Western fare he grew up performing, so he'd be intrigued by any old songs you have to show him

Might even try to master some traditional instruments if he gets the opportunity

REIJI

He'd be very interested in India's history, especially since there are still so many ancient practices and languages alive for him to learn about

Probably the most likely to ask you to actually take him to visit India

And of course, knowing he's a tea maniac, how could you not introduce him to chai? He wouldn't drink anything else for weeks

AYATO

For some reason, I see Ayato as being really shocked that you're not Japanese - the first time he hears you speaking your native language throws him for a loop

("Ayato," you say, "I even have an accent when I speak Japanese..." and he's standing there as if you've told him you've got three tits)

To his credit he does try to engage in your culture, but his way of doing it is searching "cool funny indian things????" on YouTube

Don't bring him to any weddings because he will have tried to learn some terrible 2000s Indian pop music video choreography and he will perform it

KANATO

Kanato would love seeing you dressed up in your traditional clothing for any occasion - it's not the frills and pastel colours he's used to but he'd be obsessed with seeing you in a sari

It's a bonus if you can bake him some of your sweets, too - he was hesitant to try them at first since they're a little different from Japanese cuisine, but now he loves jalebi especially

LAITO

Laito is excited to get to know Indian culture - you're both Asian but it's so different, he wants to know aaall about you

Very into the movies and ugly-cries at them

When he meets your aunties they adore him, it’s kind of embarrassing how easily he charms them

And also kind of sad how they seem to like him more than you...

SUBARU

Of course Subaru's noticed that you look different from the other Japanese students at school, but he's never thought to ask you that much about India

Subaru has never been passionate about human food, but he surprisingly likes what you cook, especially the spicy curries from your region

You are yet to convince him to try any dancing, though

#shu sakamaki #reiji sakamaki #kanato sakamaki #ayato sakamaki #subaru sakamaki #laito sakamaki #sunday-yay #sakamakisaywhat #headcanons #diabolik lovers #sorry for giving ayato dumb bitch disease yet again

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the-library-and-the-teashop · 8 days

Text

The Jasmine Throne

&

The Oleander Sword

Author: Tasha Suri

Genre: fantasy

Format: novel

Serie: yes, named The Burning Kingdoms. Third and last book (The Lotus Empire) out in November.

Editions: Orbit

Romance: wlw, slow burn, no love triangle.

Other representation(s): brown-skinned characters (full cast) as the story takes place in a country inspired by India.

TW: forced captivity, non consensual drug use, feminicides, death by fire, death by various means, grief, hallucinations, fratricide, verbal et physical abuse on a child by her brother, religious fanatism, sexism, systemic homophobia, body horror, war.

Rating: 8/10

Tea association: a chai in the pure Indian tradition, the heat of the spices and the strength of the black tea, softened by the milk. Or a jasmine tea for the empress and for the the plants Priya grows.

.

Synopsis of The Jasmine Throne:

Author of Empire of Sand and Realm of Ash Tasha Suri's The Jasmine Throne, beginning a new trilogy set in a world inspired by the history and epics of India, in which a captive princess and a maidservant in possession of forbidden magic become unlikely allies on a dark journey to save their empire from the princess's traitor brother.

Imprisoned by her dictator brother, Malini spends her days in isolation in the Hirana: an ancient temple that was once the source of the powerful, magical deathless waters — but is now little more than a decaying ruin.

Priya is a maidservant, one among several who make the treacherous journey to the top of the Hirana every night to clean Malini’s chambers. She is happy to be an anonymous drudge, so long as it keeps anyone from guessing the dangerous secret she hides.

But when Malini accidentally bears witness to Priya’s true nature, their destinies become irrevocably tangled. One is a vengeful princess seeking to depose her brother from his throne. The other is a priestess seeking to find her family. Together, they will change the fate of an empire.

.

My thoughts:

Malini and Priya aren't the only characters we'll be following in this epic tapestry of a story. Bhumika, the last temple sister of Priya still alive is an important part of the story, as is Ashok, the third and last temple child alive with the other two girls. Rao often gives a different perspective and is an important support character. A handful of other characters give their point of view through out the two books. All of them combined tell us this story of war.

Because war, along with religion, is the central theme of those books. Some of the characters fight for power, other for survival. Some fight for their loved ones, other for freedom and their way of life.

The first book is about survival and escape. Getting to safety. Cutting a deal. Many deals actually. The characters want freedom and peace, but are not against fighting for it.

The second book is all about war. About the rise of an empress and the fall of an emperor, mirroring what happens in Ahiranya.

The third book will probably be about war too, but against a far greater enemy.

With all those struggles going on, there's not that much room for anything else, but it's there. Emotions. Love. Two women falling for each other in the midst of chaos. A mother cherishing her infant daughter. Friendship and brotherhood. But there's also grief, longing, hate, terror.

Faith and magic are also central themes in the books. Both always means sacrifice, but that sacrifice has to be done by a willing person. Magic comes from that willing sacrifice. However, sometimes the person seeking power doesn't know what it would cost them. Sometimes it's their life, sometimes their soul, or even their body. But it's never without a price.

As the plot unfold in front of you, you realise that not everything is morally clear cut. You realise that what you thought you knew about this or that was wrong, or wasn't as simple as you previously thought. The plot is beautifully woven, and I can't wait to finally read the last book. I feel like it's gonna be a killer!

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A word about the cover art:

I'm not the biggest fan of the first book cover, which if I'm not mistaken, depicts Priya.

The second book cover is better, showing Malini with a murderous look her saber in her hand, though it's a little too green to my taste.

The last book cover though... It's stupendous! The colors, the details, the movements, the poses, everything is eye-catching. Priya in her green sari has lotus flowers growing in her hands and is surrounded by her greens. Malini in the back in her white and gold sari, the colors or Paridjat, is surrounded by fire, wielding fire. From what the ending of the Oleander Sword is hinting, that cover art seems really fitting for what's ahead!

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