Next stop: India in Rustan's Supermarket culinary fest

MANILA, Philippines - After a gustatory offering of Italian specialties — from handmade fresh pasta and cheeses to authentic wines and cured meats — that took shoppers around the European country’s most popular food regions, Rustan’s Supermarket’s five-month long culinary festival “Wonders of the World” now makes a culinary pit stop in exotic India.

Ongoing until Aug. 24, Rustan’s Supermarket’s focus on India features key products and ingredients of Indian cuisine, as well as exciting activities.

The heart and soul of true Indian fare are masalas. Featuring a blend of distinctly fragrant spices that add flavor, character and depth to the dish, this classic dining staple has found its way from the kitchens of historic India to countries all over the world. Rustan’s Supermarket offers some of India’s most popular masalas via ready-made mixes from MDH such as Chicken Curry Masala, Tandoori Chicken Masala, Chana Masala (chickpeas), Kasoori Methi (dried fenugreek leaves), Fish Curry Masala and Egg Curry Masala.

Other ready meals featured in the food festival are palak paneer (spinach and Indian cottage cheese), paneer butter masala, sambhar (stew made with tamarind and pigeon peas), jeera rice, tamarind rice and aloo matar.

Traditional snacks are also in store for shoppers, as the supermarket offers a lineup of light yet tasty options such as moong dal (yellow split peas), dal biji (lentil flour and cantaloupe seeds), murukku (a savory snack flavored with chili, cumin and other spices) and soan papdi (a flaky dessert with cardamom and rosewater).

Masala madness: Rustan’s Supermarket offers some of India’s most popular masalas via ready-made mixes from MDH.

Of course, not to be missed is the array of aromatic spices for do-it-yourself Indian cooking, including cumin, fenugreek, cardamom, curry leaves and fennel seeds; and an extensive lineup of liquors and beers featuring brands such as McDowell’s, White Mischief and Kingfisher.

For those who want to whip up their own Indian feasts at home, learn how to master the featured country’s delicious specialties with Rustan’s Supermarket’s weekend cooking demos. Learn from guest culinary experts as they reveal the secrets of authentic Indian cooking on Aug. 6 (Rustan’s Supermarket Rockwell), and Aug. 13 (Rustan’s Supermarket Ayala, Cebu and Rustan’s Supermarket Makati).

Finally, get the chance to go Mumbai, India, with the Grand Raffle, where two lucky winners are picked every month to experience the trip of a lifetime via roundtrip tickets (plus pocket money) to the food capitals of the four featured destinations. 

To encourage shoppers to continue with their food exploration, the supermarket is also giving away limited-edition Wonders of the World Recipe Books free for a minimum accumulated purchase from July to October 2011.

Rustan’s Supermarkets are located in Glorietta-Makati; Rockwell Power Plant Mall; The Gateway Mall in Araneta Center along Katipunan Road, QC; in San Antonio Plaza Arcade, Forbes Park, Makati; Greenbelt, Makati; Paseo de Magallanes, along South Superhighway; Corinthian Hills; Ayala Center, Cebu; Arcenas Estates, Banawa, Cebu, and Il Terrazzo Mall, Tomas Morato, QC.