India live! (well, that depends on how you mean this)

But this is definitely a fascinating stop.

Just east of Rural along the north side of Apache - and almost on top of the semi-luxurious light rail line - there sits India Plaza (Where India lives! - or so say the signs).

A mash-up mini-strip with a restaurant, grocery and boutique (everything from kitchen equipment to shaving needs and all you'll need in Bollywood's best), India Plaza could be your gateway to not just a new cuisine but also a full cultural experience.

Possibly the most amazing part of India Plaza's small grocery is the array of dal - lentils - available. In bulk. Pink, green, brown, black and several shades in between, if you like lentils, this is lentil paradise.

Besides the cook 'em yourself varieties, you will also find packages of lentils in nearly every format (except French-style). We're talking stews. Casserole-type side dishes. Soups. I think there might be a lentil drink in there, too, but then - didn't look that hard.

I haven't stopped at India Plaza for some years, and this is definitely a better-stocked emporium with a good variety of produce, spices, and jars and jars of pickles (who knew lime pickles came in so many forms???).

There are also two walls of freezer cases, stocked mostly with varieties of ice cream (mango! pistachio! and tooty-frooty which I am informed tastes interestingly of gardenias), along with Pillsbury samosas and an assortment of main dishes.

Aside from the ice creams, these are mostly a tad on the pricey side. However, since I stopped primarily to pick up information about upcoming cooking classes.

These include tours of the grocery, so students can learn exactly what spices, herbs and more they'll need.

I want to take the classes not only to learn about Indian cooking, but also to begin understanding more about how to incorporate the flavors of Indian cooking into our own foods. (One of my favorite recipes for cauliflower depends almost entirely on mustard seed and turmeric, so I know there have to be a lot of possibilities.)

So we'll do more on India Plaza in the near future. Meanwhile, you must try the mango ice cream.