Eating in India

Hi Foodies of Philadelphia! Greetings from New Delhi, India! I have been studying abroad here for the last 3 months, and have been eating more Indian food than imaginable. I have been living in South Delhi with a homestay family, and traveling throughout the North of India to places like Jaipur, Udaipur, Chittorgarh, Aligarh, and more. And oh, have I eaten well.

To premise this post, I was extremely worried about food in India before coming here. I typically cannot handle spicy food; mild salsa used to make me want to cry. That in mind I was very concerned about what would happen to my stomach here. But, as I have discovered, one adapts to spicy, and now I love it!

I lived in a homestay with an Indian family, and my mother was the BEST cook. She cooked only vegetarian food, but I have never tasted flavors this rich in my entire life. Every night we had some different type of vegetable dish with more roti than we could ever need and fresh cut vegetable salad. I thought I would get sick of the spices, but she was so great at cooking that everything was distinct tasting and delicious. She would make us paranthas for breakfast, which are like stuffed flat breads, that were to die for. And her chai was spectacular. Honestly, I cannot rave enough about her food.

Besides the food I got at home, street food was the next best thing. It is slightly dangerous for westerners to eat all the Indian street food they can find, as it can reek havoc on our digestive systems. Delhi Belly is real. However, if you are wise about the kinds of street foods you got, it is safe. A few of my favorites: boiled corn with masala and lime juice, freshly cut open green coconuts, momos, and pani puri. Honestly, street foods provided me with some of my favorite meals I have had in India.

There are also just a host of fruits and vegetables here that I have never laid eyes on in my life. From custard apples to jackfruit, the produce stands on the side of the road are fascinating.

Needless to say, eating in India has been a foodie’s dream. I have experienced more flavors here in 3 months than I have in my whole life. I can’t wait to take my new food knowledge home with me and try to replicate some of the flavors!