WHAT TO EAT IN INDIA
Cuisine is a way of getting to know a culture and a country by savouring it.
In India, one eats tasty spicy dishes that vary from country to country and region to region.
Most dishes are vegetarian (cows are sacred here and graze blissfully on the roads). Spices, which have always been linked to the concept of health and are often considered miraculous, are used almost everywhere.
Below are 9 traditional Indian dishes to try, region by region.
Beef roast and porotta, Kerala
Made with roast beef, onion and tomato, Indian roast beef is served with porotta, a special and delicious bread typical of Kerala.
"/>
Hyderabadi dum biryani, Andhra Pradesh
Rice, meat and vegetables are marinated in yoghurt and then caramelised: a delicacy that is also a complete meal when served with rice.
"/>
Kaali daal, Punjab
Daal is a typical dish in all regions of India. This particular and delicious version is special to Punjab.
Lauki ke kofte, Rajasthan
A tomato, onion and herb sauce in which this particular Indian gourd (green, small and elongated, very similar to a bottle) is cooked.
Macher jhol, Bengali
The secret of this Bengali dish is the sauce made of tomato, mustard and cumin and usually used to season freshwater fish.
"/>
Neer dosa and Chicken curry, Mangalore
Neer dosa are thin rice crepes that are very easy to prepare. Served with chicken curry they form a complete meal, while spread with coconut milk they are a quick and very good breakfast.
Puran poli, Maharashtra
This special flatbread is a sweet flatbread baked in the classic tandoori. It is usually served as a main dish with rice and vegetables.
It can also be eaten as a dessert.
"/>
Rogan josh, Kashmir
Loin meat, an exceptionally spicy sauce and classic Indian bread; only exists in the classic Kashmiri version not suitable for vegetarians.
"/>
Undhiyo, Gujarat
It is eaten with freshly baked puri (small Indian flatbreads of which there is also a version with lentils) or roti. It is a mix of vegetables in a special herb and spice sauce. It is a winter dish in Gujarat.
What do Indians eat for breakfast?
In India, breakfast is neither a ritual nor an important meal. One nibbles something savoury quickly and usually in a fragmented manner.
In some parts of India, savoury doughnuts made of legume flour, fermented rice cakes, are often found at breakfast, to be eaten together with spicy coconut or mint-based chutneys (sauces).
Utapam (a kind of soft crepe made of legume flour, often topped with a lot of onion), dosa (very similar but crispy and well-cooked) and puri (upright and with air inside) are other dishes you will find at breakfast. They are eaten while drinking a spiced tea brewed in milk instead of water.
Typical Indian desserts
In India, desserts are called mithai, they are particularly sweet and usually very spicy.
Malpua is one of the most popular desserts. It is a fried batter soaked in sugar and rosewater, whose versions and the spices used vary from region to region.
Rabri is eaten in some parts of North India. It is a milk-based dessert flavoured with cardamom and saffron, enriched with dried fruit grains.
Bandar laddu is a dessert made with chickpea flour, clarified butter and powdered cardamom.
Anarsa is found at all Indian festivals: made from rice and milk with raw cane sugar and ghee, it is delicately covered with crunchy poppy seeds.
What do Indians eat for breakfast?
In India, there is no real breakfast. People nibble on something in the morning, in a piecemeal manner and without any real ritual.
As soon as you wake up, you will find in hotels or kiosks a special spiced chai that is prepared by boiling tea in milk instead of water.
To eat you can choose uttapam, a kind of crepes made of legume flour seasoned with lots of onion.
The dosa, very similar but crispy and well cooked, can be found almost everywhere, as can puri (a kind of bread with air inside that is also made with lentil flour).
Indian vegetarian dishes
Dahl is a dish made from red lentils and saffron. The lentils are cooked so much that they flake and form a kind of yellow puree to be eaten with traditional bread.
Biryani rice is one of India's best-known vegetarian recipes and is also eaten in the West.
Biryani Rice
Biryani rice is a recipe based on basmati rice and vegetables. The vegetables are stir-fried together with onion and spices. Lemon juice is also used, which is squeezed over the vegetables placed on the separately cooked rice.
Indian food: most popular recipes
Let's take a look at other well-known recipes from the Indian tradition.
Thayir sadam is a simple basmati rice to which spiced yoghurt is added after cooking. Dhal (red lentil curry puree) can also be added to make it a complete dish.
Chicken biryani is byriani rice (basmati rice with vegetables) with the addition of chicken pieces.
Indian chicken specialities
Chicken is a widely used meat in Indian cuisine. Many of the chicken dishes are famous recipes found in all Indian restaurants in India.
Tandoor chicken is a shredded chicken cooked in the tandoor oven and seasoned with a red spice mixture.
Chicken Makhani is a buttery and tasty skewered boneless chicken.
Chicken madras is a chicken dish with a curry sauce that is quick and easy to prepare.
How to eat in North India
In North India you eat with your hands, taking food gently with your fingers, while in the south you use your whole hand taking food in your palm.
To eat in North India you will spend around 15 rupees (in places where only Indians go) and around 500 in restaurants for tourists.
Traditional North Indian dishes include thali, which is a full meal served on a tray with bread, rice and several small bowls with sauces, soups, vegetables and sometimes chicken.
Aloo Tikki are delicious vegetable meatballs.
What to avoid eating in India
Avoid eating food that is cold and already exposed to the bacterial load of a tropical country. It is better to prefer cooked and hot food.
Drinks with ice or made with water whose source is unknown are always best avoided.
It is best to be wary of milk drinks, such as lassi (fresh milk left to stand for a day with lemon juice), which are delicious but often lethal for the intestines.
Bhang is a cannabis-based drink with variable and often dangerous ingredients such as datura seeds.
Left hand and food
Indians eat everything or almost everything with their hands, the only utensil used being bread with which some foods are eaten.
The hand used for eating is the right hand, which is also the one you extend to your neighbour and for greeting. The left hand is never used for eating, it is in fact used for much less noble and hygienic purposes.
It is used to clean oneself after needs.
India
