Carla’s on an Indian kick right now. And when she goes for something, she goes all out.

This morning a big – like, microwave-size - box turns up. In amongst all the air bubble plastic sixteen boxes of Japanese sesame soup, Vietnamese pho, and Singapore curry hang suspended mid-bubble.

Guess I’m in shock. Carla got it online from Cost Plus World Market (372 4th Avenue, East Village, 619-236-1737).

The order

“Don’t worry," Carla says. "These have hardly any fat, and they’re only $1.79 per bowl. A dollar seventy-nine! That’s cheaper than your coffee...

The box

...And the guy says they taste like you’re eating from a street stall in Singers or Bangers or Honkers.”

(Translation, Singapore, Bangkok, Hong Kong. Carla picked that up over there from a Brit she once fancied.)

The brand

So, nothing like the present: We boil some water, shake the packets of coconut powder and seasonings they include, pour in the water...

...stir the noodles, and voilà.

The $1.79 soup

I love it already ’cause it’s $1.79 for a lunch. More, when I see it’s actually made in Thailand. And when those tastes – ginger, shrimp, coconut, green onion, paprika, chile, and a mild curry drumbeat - start flooding the gills, I realize we’ve found a mini-Nirvana here.

Plus, hey, I’m trying to lose weight: climb down from 210lbs to 200. This has got to help. Even though, yeah, I do notice each serving contains 780 mg of sodium. That’s like 33 percent of your recommended daily amount.

But man, wafts of street stalls of Singapore? This is a find.

Next meal’s going to be more of a challenge. A second box arrives, loaded with cans and jars: more Indian stuff.

The relish, the tikka masala curry

Carla says she’s starting with "chicken tikka," the tikka masala curry with chicken, and a lime relish that’s sour, a littler bitter-sweet, curry-flavored, and made for fire-breathers (Carla get mild? Fuggedaboutit).