India offers of the most varied cuisines of any place on the planet. However, many visitors have not been exposed to the full variety of foods that are available in India and tend to stick to the same dishes they order in their favorite Indian restaurant at home. To help you break new ground in ordering, here are a few regional specialties you can look for as you travel.



It is inaccurate to lump all India food together as each area has regional variations, though these distinctions are blurring. These days you will find north Indian dishes commonly available in the south, and South Indian specialties in the North. However, there are some distinctive foods commonly served in the South, and we'll try and describe them.

Restaurants: -

First, a word about restaurants. In India only a fancy place would call itself a restaurant Most Indian-style places call themselves ?hotels? (Don't go looking for rooms at most of these hotels. You have to go to a ?Lodge? for that. ) Sometimes they are called ?cafes? (pronounced Kef), and they are not to be confused with European style cafes.

The most common Indian hotels, especially in South India, are strictly vegetarian. No meat, no eggs. There are non-vegetarian places, sometimes called? military hotels?, and they will serve omelets or fried eggs, as well as veg and non-veg. Dishes. Most up-scale establishments offer both veg and non-veg cuisine.



Eating Meat; -

India is one of the best countries in the world to travel as a vegetarian in, but if you eat meat, you may not want to miss some of the excellent meat dishes served here. However, It is wise not to consume meat on the scale that many do in the West.

India is a hot country and in the traditional medical thinking. Some foods, including meats, heat your body.

South Indian Rice Meals: -

Traditionally for lunch and dinner Southerners eat rice meals- the famous thali that really should be eaten with your fingers. You can still find it served on a banana leaf, though it is now most commonly served on a stainless steel platter, surrounded by small dishes of sauces, curries, and curd (Yogurt).

(If the thali is served on a banana leaf, it is good hygiene to sprinkle just a little of your bottle water on the leaf and carefully wash it with your fingers. Do not rub against the veins of the leaf, or it may tear. Then tip the water off onto the table or floor. Watch others around you for the technique.)

North Indian Vegetarian

Aloo: Potato Gobi: Cauliflower Palak: Spanish Bhendi: Lady Finger

Mattar: Peas Paneer: Mild farmer's ?style cheese Dahi: LaLYogurt

Channa: Chickpeas Dhal: Lentils

These are ordered a la carte, and be served with rice, chapatti, puri, or parotha, and also with naan and roti ? special breads also cooked in the ovens.

North Indian Non-Vegetarian

North Indian non-veg cooking relies a lot on the tandoor (oven). Marinated and meat are usually eaten with the breads also cooked in ovens. Here are some terms that might help.

Kheema: Minced meat

Kababs: Usually ground meat, sometimes chunks, cooked on skewers

Tikka: Pieces of boneless meat or fish, sometimes paneer, marinated and cooked on skewers in the tandoor.

Tandoor Chicken: Jointed of chicken, marinated and cooked on skewers in the tandoor.

Western Style Food

Chinese food, now commonly available, isn't much to write about either. Pizza has hit India and can be ordered in all major cities now, even arriving by scooter at your home or hotel The standard menus borrow heavily on British boarding house cuisine-palatable but uninspired

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