Breakfast generally consists of a choice between Indian and Western breakfast dishes. Most mornings I'll have a marsala omelette (with red onion, capsicum, maybe tomato and some spices), toast, fruit and a cup of tea. Sometimes boiled eggs feature. Local options may include naan, spiced breakfast rice, dahl, rice cakes and sambal, but given that I am on the India run for eight weeks, I'm happy to pace myself. Oh, and yes, the vegemite has made a showing once or twice (thanks mum!).
Lunch and dinner are interchangeable. Depending on where we are will determine which will be the bigger meal for the day. I've mostly stuck with the veg options, but the very occasional chicken tikka has snuck in. Options include curries with cauliflower, potato, peas and spinach. A must-order will be eggplant curry when I can find it. Sometimes the dish is like a dry roast, other times with a rich tomato based or yoghurt sauce. Accompaniments include rice (plain, lemon, cumin...), veg briyani, raita, and/or flat breads such as naan or paratha. Hungry yet?
Cooking using the tandoor is also a feature, with plenty of chicken dishes to choose from, but also veg/ cottage cheese skeek kebabs and tikka paneer (a dry cottage cheese - similar to tofu in consistency, but soooo much better).
Sometimes you can order a 'thali' which is like a mini smorgasboard for one, complete with curries, bread, pappadums and maybe even dessert!
Desserts after dinner aren't a big feature, apart from gulab jamuns (dumpings in syrup -yum!), icecream or a sweet noodle pudding. We've visited a sweet shop where it is customary to buy a box when visiting friends/ family to celebrate special occasions. These are mostly milk based, flavored with things such as pistachios or chocolate, and can be gorgeously decorated with silver or gold foil.
Another sweet stall favorite is 'jalebis', deepfried circles of light batter which are then soaked in honey or sugar syrup. I came across some freshly made in Jaisalmer, still warm - I was in heaven!
Drinks? Well, a chilled sav blanc is a rare sight in India, and will come at a cost of $10 per glass (ie, more than the rest of your meal), so that would be one of the few suggestions I have to improve this country! Other options include Kingfisher beer, a refreshing lager, and gin and tonics. The lighter options include fresh lime/lemon and soda (plain, sweet or salted), and the yoghurt based lassis. A sweet marsala tea (spiced with ginger and cardamon) is also a popular option.
This is just a thumbnail sketch of the great array that culinary Indian has to offer - but for now, dinner calls!
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