Jasdip asked me to write something about my gastronomic adventures here in India. When I first arrived I was extremely cautious. I was paranoid to eat something that would make me sick. My first venture away from hotel food was with the freshly prepared fried food one finds everywhere at small chaat shops. The somosas here are particularly good, and at about 7 cents each, I could eat myself sick on them. One day with a friend, I stopped at a chaat shop in Dehradun, and we ate our way through plates of somosas and pakoras.
My next step was to start eating at dhabas (small, simple road-side eateries). Before I left, Jasdip told me that these were his favorite place to eat. I have to agree. The food is simple, usually dal (lentils), sabzi (vegetables) and roti (flat bread). I have found the food in fancier restaurants much too rich. Here I started with Aloo Paratha (potato filled flat bread), piping hot off the griddle. I particularly like the dhabas here in Amritsar, because they all have tandoori ovens, and the roti are delicious.
Hands down the best food I’ve had here was home cooked food. I was invited to lunch by Punjabi friends in Mussoorie. The mother made ‘makki ki roti’ (thick corn flatbread) and mustard greens.
As I write this, I have arrived in Dharamsala, which is overrun with westerners. For this reason, many restaurants serve western food. I have avoided these for the most part, but did have some good lasagne last night, and I have been eyeing some quiche.
I have heard that most people who visit India have a great time, and lose lots of weight. So far, I’ve been gaining weight. Maybe I need to do some hiking to work off all this food.
For all your penchant for the Punjabi food, you could easily be proclaimed as a Punjabi. Now, as far as the language is concerned, Punjabi is very similar to Hindi. Ask any Punjabi and he will (over-)confidently tell you he knows Hindi. 😉 Have fun in Dharamsala.
Wait till you move down south !! The food gets interesting and spicy. I know you like south indian cuisine. In fact, as you keep traveling west and south, each state/region will provide you with great variety and diversity in food. Gujarat has the BEST cuisine for vegetarians, since most of the state is vegetarian and the variety in their cuisine is amazing. So, don’t miss out on it.
have a good time.
Dude I am following your travels and it is hard to belive you are doing all of that. The food in the south is better and spicy. You’ll need to get up with me when you get back…whenwill that be?
Kris
I am the Komala Vilas guy from Sunnyvale. As you head south particularly Tamil Nadu you will see food that you have eaten often at KV.—swami
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Okay, let me add that some of my favorite food in all the world is that at Komala Vilas in Sunnyvale, California. It is simple, but delicious.
–Geoffrey
Can I eat food prepared in the places above without fear of health problems?
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Hmmm…India is a third world country, and food bourne illnesses are not uncommon. I have only been sick one night in my six months here. My general rule is to eat food that is prepared fresh, and is hot off the stove. Avoid food that has been sitting too long. This is one of the reasons I like dhabas, since they are busy and the food never sits long. Avoid drinking unfiltered water. I have never had a problem eating fresh fruit and raw vegetables, but the guide books do advise against it. Finally, all I can do is give you my experience.
It is also advisable to have your Hepatitis A & B immunizations.