jmgorga

My husband and I hope to travel in India independently for three weeks in September. We have traveled through Asia including China but have never been to India. We will use a combination of trains and car-driver. The problem? We are completely unacquainted with Indian food. Many years ago we had a curry that turned us off and we haven't ventured back. Where do we start to learn what we might like. Sort of Indian Food for beginners. We do not eat much meat but do like fish. My husband does not care for chicken sensing that he can taste the fish meal used as chicken feed in the USA. That may not be such a problem in India and he may like the chicken there. We like vegetables. We obviously cannot count on eating Western food for three weeks nor do we want to. We do not have Indian restaurants in our small New England town but could go to Boston to try some recommended dishes. Any suggestions? I will be checking Chowhound also for recommendations.

annhig

Gosh.

I can't help with Boston, but in general, I would suggest starting with lightly spiced dishes and seeing how you get on. Vegetarian curries are generally very good and perhaps not as hot as some meat dishes so they might be a good bet too.

You can also cool them down with plain yoghurt - called Raitha on the sort of indian menu with which I'm familiar [which is pretty familiar as indian restaurants are plentiful in the UK, even here in rural Cornwall, though the quality is variable]

How did you manage in the other asian countries you went to?

sghosh

What areas do you plan to visit? Food can vary a lot from region to region.

That said, there's always bread and rice. You can find biriyani almost everywhere, and though it's quite spicy in some places (Andhra), it's more usual that it would be quite mild. In the south, you'll also see lemon rice, tamarind rice, and others, which are palatable to most.
Breads can range from very plain, similar to a tortilla, to something quite rich but usually fairly mild. What you'll see and what it's called will depend on where you are, though.
Also, unless you intend to really rough it, you'll always have a few western-ish options to fall back on.

annhig

Certainly in Sri Lanka [the only asian country of which I so far have any experience apart from 3 days in HK] it was surprisingly easy to get "western" food [mostly British food circa 1950] and surprisingly hard to get authentic Sri Lankan dishes, even when we asked for them.

Unless you are really going to rough it, I suspect that it's not going to be as much of a problem as you are anticipating, but perhaps those with more experience of India than I will know different.

someotherguy

Food in India is always available as "veg" or "non veg". Even if you normally eat meat, there's a lot to be said for going veg: the meat generally contains bone fragments and you can easily bust a tooth. Paneer (curd cheese) is a useful protein dish if you are going veg. And fish counts as veg in some areas (but will have bones). You can generally find egg dishes for breakfast.

jacketwatch

Begin by trying Indian food in your area at local restaurants. Usually lunches are buffet so you can be exposed to a lot of different foods at the same time.

Food varies by region so try restaurants that specialize like north and south Indian food, the latter of which will have fish that is usually curried, deep fried or in a stew. There is a veg fav called a masala dosa that you can try as well.

If you are in areas with big hotels you can certainly get non Indain food, no problem.

Sauces can be heavy so go easy on them and ask for easy on the spices.

If you are near Boston there should be plenty of places to try. Again look for buffet lunches as this will give you a fuller exposure and it's cheaper too,
.

Good luck. I found that once I got used to spicy Indian food I had to have it.

thursdaysd

Good for you for being willing to try. As jacketwatch says, a lot of Indian restaurants (at least in my part of the US) offer lunch buffets. And biriyani is usually mild. You can always ask for food to be less spicy - not all Indians eat very spicy food. In Indian restaurants in the US I often have to ask them to spice it up.

In India you are unlikely to see pork (not allowed for Muslims) or beef (not allowed for Hindus), except perhaps in Goa, but it is unlikely that chicken will taste (or even look) like what you are used to in the US. Many Indians are vegetarian so you should have no difficulty eating vegetarian. You need to follow the same food safety precautions as for the rest of Asia.

Another possibility, if you like to cook, is to try cooking some Indian food yourself. There are a number of Indian cookery books written for Western audiences available, and many places now have Indian markets where you can buy the ingredients, although the basic spices should be easy to find in any supermarket.

annhig

a very good idea from Thursdaysd.

if you can find them, the books by Madur Jaffrey are very good and the recipes are easy to follow and make; they are much more like indian domestic food than what you get in westernised "indian" restaurants:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Madhur-Jaffr...8&node=1039806

jacketwatch

Well if you go to nice hotel restaurants you can get most kinds of meat though they go have more lamb and goat which I prefer from them.

I find that a spicy chicken curry or murgh there is quite good too as is tandoori chicken.

You can actually get prepared Indian food packaged or frozen in Boston I am sure or get the various sauces jarred and add meat or verges yourself. That is another option but fresh made is of course the best. You may also like a nice Indian beer too. .

jacketwatch

Oh and as for cooking yourself yes you can. I do this often though b cause my wife is Indian (and can cook with the best of them ) we have all the spices here. At first it may seem daunting to get them but if you find a recipe, make a list and take to to an Indian grocery store they will help you find them.

jmgorga

Thank you for all of your helpful suggestions. Online I have found several restaurants within an hour's drive that have lunch buffets so I think we will start there. I will also look at the frozen foods in the supermarkets to get some ideas. Thanks again.

loncall

Cooking yourself has the advantage that you can add very small amounts of chilli in the first instance if that is what is creating the challenge. [I am not sure that frozen foods will give you the authentic taste]

Any UK based food website will have dozens and dozens of recipes from all over India as it is so widely eaten here. I am sure you will find something to like as so very varied

e.g. http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/se...%5B0%5D=indian

jacketwatch

Actually you would be surprised by how good the frozen food is. Try the Patak brand if you can't make it or get it fresh.

inquest

I've tried to compile information,to give you an idea of what,by and large,Indian food is about and what to expect.The Indians like the Italians and many others, have take Indian food wherever they've gone.

Its incredible and among the best-sellers are grilled chicken (murg) in various marinades(a plethora of spices powdered and mixed)are Tandoori chicken, Chicken tikka,butter chicken,dal makhni, shahipaneer and burrah kebab, chicken pakora,
reshmi,kebab and garlic chicken kebab and a variety of grills(tandoor) which would also include a choice Lamb grills(sheek),Raan and so on.


Let me try and break up a day's culinary journey you would probably embark upon in India.

Breakfast:

Practically every hotel you stay in would offer eggs the way you choose to order, omelettes, scrambled,bull's eye, poached and so on. Your breakfast should be satisfactory unless you decide to be more adventurous.

North India differs from the South dramatically when it comes to breakfast.The standard fare is a dollop of butter on the Aloo Paratha (flat wheat bread stuffed with spiced mashed potatoes) served with a bowl of natural curd, spicy pickle.

Bhature ( flattened wheat bread deep fried ) and served with chole/cholay (chickpea cooked with tomatoes in roasted cumin, garam masala,onion,garlic,green chilli and lime juice) and onion rings.

A South Indian's affair with breakfast is a very elaborate one. It could a multi course meal in itself. Idly(steamed rice patties), vada (fried split gram doughnut with chutney and sambar (lentil soup),Masala Dosa (rice pancakes) served with spicy mashed potato & coconut chutney,a variety of dosas, Uppama (roasted semolina cook in spicy garnish and many more dishes you wish to experiment.Appams and stew in Kerala is unique in its own way.

It time for lunch and dinner.Both are reasonably big meals in an Indian household,more often than not the family eat together,guess mainly for dinner.

It would be any stretch of imagination to say New Delhi is also the food capital of India.Some of the fines restaurants offer great traditional Indian cuisine, more what grandma would make.The most unlikeliest of places have some of the most lip-smacking food.Talk to the locals to figure out.

Bread,a staple in diets,in almost all cultures, has deep roots in India too,in different forms though.

Naan,Roti Kulcha,Parata,Chapati,quite simply break bread....it certainly goes well with what is elaborated below..


For the staunch vegetarians

Paneer( Cottage Cheese) Kofta,Paneer Korma,Paneer Makhani,Paneer Pasanda,Shahi Paneer,Paneer Makhana Curry, Palak Paneer etc

Aloo (Potato) Amritsari,Aloo Dahi Wal, Aloo Dum,Aloo Ghobi,Aloo Ki Sabji,Aloo Rassewale,Aloo Took,Baigan Aloo,Dum Aloo ,Aloo Palak,Aloo Methi.

Bhindi(lady finger) Anardana,Karela Masaledar,Khoya Matar,Sarsoon Ka Saag,Rajasthani Bhindi

Navratan Korma ,Stuffed Tomato,Assorted Vegetable Curry
Stuffed Capsicum,Rajma ( Kidney Bean) Curry. These are just a few.

For the carnivores its a feast.Most recipes have been handed down generations and have origins in Persia,brought down by the invading armies into this boiling pot of cultures.

Its practically impossible to list out, but some of the popular 'tried and tested' ones are fantastic.

Chilly Chicken Gravy,Spicy Hot Chicken Curry,Murgh Kali Mirch,Kadai Chicken ,Chicken Tikka Massla, Hariyali Murgh,Butter Chicken Masala.The same gravy with probably lamb and/or sea-food would be list seperately in the fare.

Mind you, this again is just the tip of the iceberg.I've not even tried to chronicle the various regional food that I've enjoyed.I admit I'm a foodie and would risk anything for Indian food.Fallen ill many a times, this has not put me off.

Take the usual precautions,its been debated and dragged over hot coal in this forum,cooked fresh food,hygienic restaurant ( unfortunately this is no guarantee in India),water is often the culprit.Sea-food,probably in a speciality restaurant and probably by the ocean.Avoid cut fruits and raw salad. Do it yourself.

Finally, try and gradually increase the intake of spice over a period of time to get your system used to this amazing and exilarating land of the Kamasutra and everything hot !!

inquest

Oh yes ! How could I ever forget the ubiquitous Biriyani. There are a good 20+ different types across India.I wouldn't forget the Nawabi Biriyani at the Nizam Club in Hyderabad,many moons ago.Heavenly !!

vp_singh

A very difficult question to answer. I will attempt to answer in the hope that it may have a bearing on your India travels, later this September.
India is disparate in cultures, cuisines, languages, etc. etc. Every region has it's own special recipes. These are available in the entire length & breadth of India, but you may still find some local shops/restaurants which are known exponents of that particular recipe. These local champions offer great food at a fraction of the cost, normally dished out in 5* hotels. Some of the erstwhile Princely states offer great recipes developed over generations by royal cooks and these may still be preserved & disseminated.
Some of the best known region-wise recipes are: Kashmir; Amritsar; Lucknow; Hyderabad; Sailana, Marathi; Goanese;Chettinad; Bengali; And many more.
You will need to do more research on these recipes to conclude which suits your palate.
A word of caution, though. Attempt these, if you may, in authentic local restaurants, known to dish out great & hygienic stuff. Your local Guide is the best man to ask where to try what.
You need to be very careful while imbibing food in India!

jmgorga

Many thanks again for all of the extensive and comprehensive replies. We are continuing to plan our trip and hope that it will indeed take place.

jacketwatch

Great answer Mr. Singh.

Also whatever you eat wash it down with an Indian beer. You must try it even if you are not a beer drinker. I mean you are all the way there!

Kingfisher is probably the best known but try Flying Horse if you can get it.

Namaste!

vp_singh

'Zurra nawazi ke liye shukriya'...meaning: without your well-informed appreciation, I am worthless!!
Thanks, jacketwatch.