Foods of India

Let’s see…What did we eat in India? A better question is: what didn’t we eat in India?

I kept telling Aaron that THIS is the best food of the trip so far (so far! Singapore was next, which blew our mind as foodies). First, it’s important to remind you that we traveled all over this vast country. Generally, Indian cuisine is divided into two major categories: North Indian and South Indian. When you go to an Indian restaurant in a western country, you will get a menu full of North Indian dishes. South Indian is hard to come by in the West. North Indian dishes are heavier and more greasy than the South Indian dishes, which have a light coconut base to them most of the time. Also, it is more difficult to find meat dishes in the South. Let me take you through our Nomnomnom journey through India:

In the overview of India blog, I already mentioned an awesome street snack we got in Mumbai: chicken tikka wrap – not to be missed:

Of course the staple of North Indian cuisine is chicken tikka masala and we couldn’t get enough!!! The best we tried was in Goa – fresh spices do not compare to the best chicken masala I’ve had in the States:

We usually paired it with extra spicy, simmering vegetable makhanwala:

A great starter dish is Paneer Pakoras – deep fried delicious Indian style cheese. It also tastes well coupled with Kingfisher beers!

Dal has been tasty all over both South and North India – full of spices and simmer it’s great over both rice and naan. This dish is Aaron’s favorite:

Palak paneer has always been one of my favorite Indian dishes. Again, it tastes much fresher, spicer and just more delicious in general in its homeland – a staple that is not to be missed on your trip to India:

Another treat to pick up on the streets of India is a coconut – super cheap, fresh and it will keep you hydrated during a long day of sightseeing:

Since we are on drinks, I must mention Chai – the all-Indian drink that locals drink all throughout the day. It’s done well in the Motherland. However, be careful where you get it as it might be made out of faucet water, which is bound to make a westerner sick. Also, it is mixed with milk, freshness of which should also be questioned by you as a foreigner. However, it’s easy to find a spot to enjoy perfectly spiced and balanced chai just as I did:

In Kochi, seafood is quite popular and very fresh given all the Chinese style fishing nets in the area:

You can easily purchase a fresh catch of the day. Not surprisingly, we had to sample the local seafood.
Garlic and ginger prawns – very fragrant, melted in our mouths:

Prawn curry – spicy, hot and fresh:

Some of our favorites from the South included puttu for breakfast with bananas and honey, sambar, masala dosa and cabbage pesarapappu. However, my preference still lies in the savory dishes from the North. Typical lunch in the South:

Of course, don’t forget to wash down these dishes with a cold Kingfisher!