Tourists, who have read or heard about delicious Indian cuisine, after arriving in India, they often get disappointed with the food served by local restaurants. Menu, especially in small towns, it is not very varied and consists mainly of rice dishes, vegetables and lentils. More sophisticated dishes are served in restaurants in larger cities.
Contrary to popular belief, not all Indians are vegetarians. Tradition, ordering you to refrain from eating meat, survived mainly in the south, where white settlers and Muslim invaders did not reach, and also among the inhabitants of Gujarat. Meat dishes lovers should not expect high quality of these dishes, often prepared and stored in scandalous conditions. It is strictly forbidden to eat meat from cows, considered sacred here, forces Indian chefs to replace beef with other types of meat. As a result, you can meet such culinary antics here, like a mutton hamburger. Only Muslim restaurants serve steaks, but even there they are made of the flesh of an ox. Muslims, on the other hand, avoid pork, which in India is only available in regions inhabited by a Christian community (e.g. in Goa), and also among the Tibetans of Himacal Pradesh and Sikkim.
In India, there are tons of restaurants specializing in European cuisine, however, the quality of the dishes served there differs from generally accepted standards. This mainly applies to small towns.
The meals served in the restaurant cars are cheap and tasty. Trains stopping at stations are besieged by crowds of sellers, offering drinks and something to eat. They work round the clock and often, even at night, sleeping travelers are raised a terrible cry : „Chai! Chai!"Or" Ah, coffeecoffeecoffeel”. These cheers, how characteristic of noisy Indian railway stations, They remain in the memory of tourists for a long time.
Adapting to a specific eating style, what is in India, may take a while. It happens, that Indian food is not very beneficial to the stomach and well-being and is the cause of weight loss and weakness. The body must then be supplied with more protein, including eggs in your menu. Nuts and fruit are also easily available and extremely nutritious: the stands in the bazaars bend under the weight of bananas, tangerines, oranges and peanuts. Vitamins taken in tablets will also be useful. Even the most thrifty tourists should indulge in an exquisite meal from time to time in a hotel or one of the luxurious restaurants. There, which are put off by the amount of the bill, let them compare it with the price, what they would have to pay for such delicious food in Poland!
The cuisines of North and South India vary greatly. This is largely due to a different climate and historical conditions. On the north, where more meat is eaten, applies the so-called. Mughal style, similar to the cuisine of the Middle East and Central Asia. More spices are added to the dishes, and less chili. Instead of rice, the menu is dominated by bread and flour dishes.
In the south, more rice and vegetarian dishes are eaten, and the curry here is very spicy. Cutlery is not used here; the food is eaten only with the fingers of the right hand. This may seem a bit confusing at first, but after just a few meals, you get used to eating. This method allows for a slow tasting, even celebrating the meals you eat, extremely important for the inhabitants of this region. In addition, there is no need to worry, whether the cutlery provided is clean, This problem is often faced by Indian restaurant patrons.
Mostly Indian restaurants, here called dhaba or bojanalya, the ordered dishes are prepared in the presence of customers, so that they can watch the work of the cook. Vegetables are usually simmered all day long, therefore, for the visitors from Europe, they will probably find them too soft and spongy. Dhal, a popular Indian dish made of lentils with hot spices, usually you can get it for free, however, you pay for chapati,memory,puri and rice. Set consisting of vegetables, dhalu and a few slices of chapati costs approx. 15 INR. To add variety to the meal, you can ask for half a portion of several dishes, for which you pay correspondingly less. By ordering additionally hot spicy sauce, along with a free plate of bulbs, we get a solid vegetarian meal, at the price of approx. 30 INR. If it is also to include a meat dish, the price will be 40 INR. Those who eat in train station restaurants and other cheap venues should always check, whether they were not overcharged.
Food served in 5-star Indian hotels and luxury restaurants are – compared with Polish prices – relatively cheap. In many high-end hotels, such as, for example, the Umaid Bhavan Palaces in Jodhpur, guests pay fixed prices for the buffet, eating any amount of food. The Lake Palaces in Udajpur is a highly recommended hotel, where for only 10 $ you can try any number of Indian culinary specialties in one of the most beautiful parts of the country. The price also includes the dance show and the fare for the boat ride. This is a unique opportunity for tourists, who do not have a lot of cash, and they want something exquisite.
Tourists visiting India will find it difficult to get used to the extremely spicy curry at first. Before the palate gets used to this spicy spice (after returning to Poland, all dishes will seem surprisingly mild and bland), some time will pass. Roasting can be mitigated with curdled milk or yoghurt (there) or fruit. Water is not very suitable for this purpose.