EatinIndiaPictures
What to Eat in India for BreakfastThe first question I get asked when someone hears that I am going to India is, “What do you eat over there?” I think eating is such a fundamental need for us. We know that if we have food, we can probably survive. And in each person’s mind they are asking themselves, “Could I too do something like run off to India? Would I be able to survive if I chose to take on this adventure?” The answer is yes, and not only would you survive, but you would flourish. My guess is that you would be eating much more healthfully than you do at home.
Here are some pictures from breakfast with my good friend Chase yesterday. He is affectionately called “Eater-man” by a friend of mine. This is a high compliment because it means that he has strong internal fire (read metabolism) and can eat a lot but still stay lean and clean. Chase delivered when he sat down and ordered 3 separate dishes for breakfast! First there was the idly and sambar. This is a small rice cake with 3 chutneys that are very spicy. It also comes with sambar, which is a not so spicy mixture that you pour on top of the idly. Many Indians eat this for breakfast each day.
Another South Indian dish that is common to breakfast (and any other time of the day) is called dosa. This is like a huge thin pancake with filling in the middle. It is not spicy at all and tastes very good. You could eat it plain with no filling, or choose from a variety of different potato fillings inside. Then you tear off the dosa with your hand, making sure that you get a little filling in each bite, dipping it in a yummy sauce and throwing it in your mouth without getting any on your shirt. Good luck with that one!
The third dish that Chase ordered is called pongal. It is so delicious and not very spicy. Have you noticed I am giving you hints about things that are not very spicy? After a while, you just can’t take any more spice. The Indians are use to it, but the delicate digestive track of an American cannot handle so much spice meal after meal. Here is a recipe for pongal if you would like to make it at home.
Sweet rice known as ‘Pongal’ is cooked in a new earthenware pot which is placed where the puja is to be performed. Fresh turmeric and ginger are tied around this pot. Then a delicious concoction of rice, moong dal, jaggery and milk is boiled in the pot on an open fire. According to the ritual, this Pongal rice is allowed to boil and spill over. Once the rice is cooked, it is tempered with cashew nuts and raisins fried in ghee.
Ingredients
» 1 cup Rice
» 1/4 cup Moong dal
» /2- 1 tsp jeera
» 1/2-1 tsp peppercorns
» 1/2 tsp pepper powdered fresh
» A few Cashew nuts broken
» 1/2 cup dessicated (shredded flakes) Coconut
» A pinch of Turmeric powder
» Ghee
Method
1. Fry the Moongdal a little till you get a light flavor.
2. Mix the dal with the rice, add 2 -3 cups of water (the rice should cook very very soft)
3. Add turmeric powder, coconut, a few peppercorns and a 1-2 tsp of ghee to the rice and pressure cook till done.
4. When done, take a kadai add sufficient of Ghee to it-the more ghee, the better it tastes, add jeera, pepper corns and cashew nuts.
5. Add the cooked rice mixture, add pepper powder, salt and mix well with the ghee and jeera/cashew nuts.
The pongal is ready!!! You can add some more ghee at the end if you need. It is best eaten fresh and hot. You can serve it with Coconut Chutney, or Onion/Tomato Raita.
You might notice that all of the dishes in the pictures come served on a beautiful banana leaf. Something about eating off of a banana leaf makes you feel closer to nature. I just love it.
Oh, how could I forget South Indian coffee and tea? There is only one word for it, AMAZING!!!!!! You see, I have been trying not to drink coffee and tea for some time because it disturbs the prana in my body. I have a lot of internal heat and coffee and tea just makes me even hotter. So each day I try to “walk on by” the delicious tea. It is Chai flavored with creamy milk and sugar. You can guess how many days I am actually making it past the tea (not very many). South Indians drink it all day long, even when it is 100 degrees outside. So my advice to you is to just allow yourself this guilty little pleasure while you are here. You can quit caffeine when you get home again!
When you finish a meal they always bring an after meal mouth cleanser and digestive aid. Basically it is cumin seeds with sugar melted all over them. The too are delicious. And, like most spices in India, are given for a reason. To help the digestive process begin after the meal has ended. There is much emphasis on this in India. The spices in the food are all for a purpose, like nature’s medicine.
I will write another blog on lunches and dinners so that you have some ideas about what you might eat during those meals. But don’t worry you will have plenty of nourishment for your adventure in India. The only thing I would recommend is that you do not eat from the street vendors. You never know what type of hygiene standards the vendors use. I choose just a few restaurants that I know are safe and stay eating in these few places. I also drink bottled water all the time, never the water that is put on the table from the tap.
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