Food, what a great subject. I am a foodie. As a foodie, there is a lot to say about Indian food. I don’t think there is anywhere else in the world that you can be a vegetarian and get the variety that you can here in India. For the most part, the western version of vegetarian food is pizza, pasta and salad. I mean obviously if you go to a special vegan restaurant, you would have more choices but, if you take the average restaurant or event high end restaurants, there is often a chicken, fish, red meat and a token choice on the “Menu du jour”. The token choice is usually pasta. But here in India, there are also different levels of vegetarianism for instance you can be an eggatarian (I don’t think this word exists outside of India but its meaning, I think is obvious) basically an eggatarian eats eggs and usually that also includes cheese….but it might not).
In all my travels, never have I been able to get a full non-veg menu and a full veg menu offered to me. I mean it makes the possibilities so broad and offers so much to chose from. South-Indian food like idly and a masala dosa are my favourites…that steamed cake of rice with a spicy sambar and coconut chutney is so flavourful and makes a combination that is most uncommon to a foreign palate. My non-veg favourites have always been Punjabi kebabs…ummm those yummy mouth watering mutton burha kebabs and chicken tikkas with pickled onions and mint chutney and green chilly naan…..they are usually good anywhere in India…a highway dhaba, a fine dining establishment or street food wallah they are classic definite winners on my personal list. Another veg favourite of mine is khadi chawal…that mustard gravy with pakoras on rice is usually the first thing I get when I am in India.
Another aspect of Indian food is the variety of savory, spicy and sweet snacks. Samosas, pakoras and I think an all-time favourite is Mumbai bhel puri, a type of chaat that is made out of puffed rice, vegetables and a tangy tamarind sauce. Everyone on Juhu beach can’t miss out on it ! Chole bathure, chick peas in a spicy brown gravy with a deep fried bread…the list goes on forever because the choices are endless.
