The India 15

Anyone who knows me knows how much I love Indian food. And now we're in India and it's been in my face, quite literally, for almost 4 weeks. You'd think I'd be sick of it, but NO!

I wasn't a big drinker during my university life. In fact, I didn't drink beer until my trip to Europe with Aran. I also didn't live in residence and so I was able to avoid the dreaded Frosh 15. Well, my time has come...or should I say, my 15 pounds have come...

Without my bike (oh I miss my bike!) there's been nothing to offset the glorious tastiness at my fingertips.

Speaking of fingertips - eating with your hands, more specifically, your right hand (the left is used for other unpleasantries), is THE way to eat in India and it's fantastic! It allows me to shovel in the food as fast as I've always wanted AND lick my fingers when I'm all done. When I'm brought a fork and knife, I look at these foreign utensils and wonder, "do I have to use these?".

We eased ourselves in with favourites from home - palak paneers, aloo ghobis, and garlic naan. But there's so much more! 

Our love for the street-wallah started our first night in Bombay, about 1am after arriving from Johannesburg, we grab a paneer tikka roll from the street for about 60 rupees (that's about $1.20). The next day its a plateful of pakodas (yes, pakodas here, not pakoras) packed with huge chunks of onion for 17 rupees. And among those heavenly street-wallahs we discovered a new favourite, gobi manchurian! Basically, battered cauliflower cooked in a wok with green peppers and onion in a wicked sauce.

Then, pav bhaji - dear God - a fresh roll soaked in butter that you break apart and use to scoop up mouthfuls of savoury curry. To wash it all down? How about a vanilla milkshake or fresh fruit smoothie (mineral water only, please, oh and hold the ice and it's accompanying parasites, ah thank you!)

Some other finds include Navarathan Khurma, a thick, white yogurt-based sauce with cashews, fruit, vegetables and raisins, or Mushroom Masala, tender Tandoori chicken, Malai Kofta and Veg Makhanwala. 

Or perhaps a paan to cleanse the pallette? A paan leaf wrapped up with sweet stuff, lime, betel nuts, and other crunchy bits that explodes with flavour in your mouth, as you struggle to consume it all at once without making a fool of yourself, and that leaves your breath minty fresh.

Breakfast has brought some new flavours as well. Dosas are a thin, crunchy bread that comes rolled up in a long tube with a "dose-a-something" yummy inside, and usually a spicy chutney on the side. Or uttapam, India's version of a pancake, made with rice and onion and topped with cheese! I did not particularly like Idlis, little rice cakes that you dunk into curries, but it was worth a try.

A large contributor to my India 15 is all the bread! And let me tell you there aren't any whole wheat options for paratha, flaky bread stuffed with paneer, potatoes, veg or all three! Or Kashmiri naan, topped with fruits, raisins and pistachios. And the rice! Pilau, Jeera, Ghee or my fave biriyani...just recently enjoyed in Goa with spicy prawns!

And how could I forget mithai! Desserts like creamy kulfi - milky, pistachio-flavoured ice cream to cool down on a hot day wandering through ruins. Or Dani and Ger's favourite, gulab jamoon! Imagine old-fashioned timbits soaked in maple syrup. One night in Aurangabad, Aran and I took a gamble on cassatta and it did not disappoint. It was sort of like ice cream cake with a shortbread base, then a thin layer of cherry jam, 3 layers of ice cream, mango, chocolate and pistachio, topped with crushed nuts! One night out in Mysore we stumbled upon a bakery and the super friendly security guard helped us pick out the best selections...we had barfi, I know sounds gross, but tastes like fudge! And jalebis, crunchy deep-fried curly things soaked in syrup, and a couple other goodies that were simply scrum-di-di-ly-umptious! And of course lassis...lots and lots of lassis! Mango, banana, coconut!

But what it all comes down to is Chai. Chai is the best dessert. And you can have it any time of day. We usually have one in the morning to help wash down our GSE (grapefruit seed extract Lish recommended to keep us bug-free..so far so good! Thanks Lish!). Chai is a staple here. It brings people together. You never have to find it...it finds you. On the train, in the street...you can hear the chai-wallah calling "Hot Chai!", with their steel thermos in hand, ready to serve up a cup for 5 rupees. 

Last but not least - in fact our number one favourite - THALIS. If all that other stuff didn't cause my additional 15 pounds, then thalis did. 

Thalis are India's version of all you can eat. "No sharing please" - as the menu reads. Sharing? Are you nuts? I don't want to share a single bit!

The simplest thalis are served on a banana leaf with 2 or 3 curries, a pile of rice and a pappadam. While the more extravagant come on a metal tray with 7 to 10 small bowls just waiting to be filled with delicious curries of potatoes, tomatoes, dhal (lentils), paneer, onions, palak - usually 3 equally amazing concoctions. Another bowl is filled with raita. Two are dedicated to soups. Another to a couple gulab jamoon. One more for sweet curd or custard. In the space  not occupied by the bowls they drop pappadams and chapatti, followed by “ghee, madame?”. Sure, a scoop of melted butter on top won’t kill me will it?

Next up is salad. Diced cucumbers, onions, capsicum and tomatoes. A couple small spoonfuls of relish; small, because they’re so damn hot they’ll burn your lips for the next 3 days. And of course a couple of sweet and spicy chatnis (chutneys!)  mmm

All of this is delivered by multiple waiters. One for each “group” of curries, breads (this guy carries the butter too), soups and desserts. 

So we dig in (with out fingers of course), thinking WOW all this for $4? And then…they come BACK! And they keep coming back. “Oh I’m so full, but sure fill ‘er up”.

After about 3 refills, just like Lonely Planet warned, the rice shows up. Not one rice, but three kinds: biriyani, jeera and khichri – a blend of rice and lentils.

It’s heavenly, and keeps us coming back for more, just like India. We love it here. We can’t get enough and we’re already talking about where we’ll go on the next trip to this subcontinent. 

p.s. Dani, Ger and and Holly...Diwa is definitely the closest!