India still suffers from a bad reputation. Archaic, poor, dirty… Gandhi’s country is fortunately not limited to these few adjectives. India is, above all, a palette of unique sensations and intense and subtle emotions. Whether you dislike or love India, this millennial land never leaves you indifferent! As I’ve been living in this great country …
Onam is Kerala’s biggest festival. It falls in the Hindu month of Chingam (August-September) and marks the return to Earth of the legendary king Mahabali. It is the occasion for colourful festivities that spotlight all that’s best in Kerala culture. Although the origin of the festival lies in Hindu mythology, Onam is celebrated with enthousiams …
Breakfast in India is usually savoury and spicy. It’s a full meal and often versatile, some dishes being suitable for any time of day. Here is a selection of the most popular indian breakfasts.
A selection of the most popular non-alcoholic beverages of India. Chai / Masala tea Let’s start by the most popular beverages of India: chai tea! Chai is a black tea with milk and a good dose of sugar :). Mixed with spices, it takes the name of “masala chaï”. The word chai (tea in Hindi) …
Indian desserts, like the country itself, are colourful and infinitely varied. There are two kinds of desserts in India, those based on milk, like rasgula, rasmalai and burfi, and those based on flour, like gulab jamun, halwa and ladoo. Either way, there’s no stinting on sugar and oil. 🙂 Here is a selection of some …
Most Indian breads are flatbreads, made without leavening and cooked on a flat or concave pan called a tava or fried in oil. Bread is a staple of the Indian diet, especially in the North where a meal without chapatis is almost unthinkable. I make a small aside concerning the flours used in India.There is …
Sambar Sambar is a lentil-based vegetable stew or chowder based on a broth made with tamarind and other spices. It is popular in South Indian cuisines, adapted in each to its taste and environment. Sambar is usually served with steamed rice as one of the main courses of both formal and everyday South Indian cuisine. …
In India the main dish is usually a vegetable, meat, or pulse curry with rice and/or some form of bread. Rice is the typical accompaniment in South India while in the North wheat-based breads such as chapati and naan are more common. Here are a few examples of the infinite variety you can find. Thali Thali …
Indians love snacking and there are snack stalls on every street corner. Here are a few examples of the infinite variety you can find. Chaat Chaat is a term describing savory snacks, typically served at road-side tracks from stalls or food carts. The chaat variants are all based on fried dough, with various other ingredients. …
Indian food without herbs and spices is unimaginable. They are at the heart of every dish. They have been used since ancient times and are mentioned in Hinduism’s oldest sacred scriptures, the Vedas. Most of the numerous spices used in India are grown on the subcontinent. Some are “hot”, others add a delicate flavour to …
Dhal, or Daal Dal is the name given to dishes of legumes, but it is also used to refer to legumes. Lentils and legumes in general are an integral part of Indian cuisine. In a country where the population is more than 40% vegetarian (500 million people), these legumes are adding their full of protein and …
