Beginners Guide to Indian Food
5. Snacks
Indians really love their food and it shows. Tea time is usually a hearty affair with cups of either tea or coffee and a variety of snacks. The most popular snack is the ‘Samosa’ – a filo pastry, filled with spicy potato mixture, which is deep fried. Other popular snacks include ‘Dahi Wada’, ‘Pakora’, ‘Aloo Tikki’, ‘Bhelpuri’ among others. Each of these usually accompany endless cups of tea. Just like teh other course, snacks too differ from region to region. South India has a number of snacks made from a fermented rice and lentil dough like ‘Idli’, ‘Dosa’, ‘Uttappa’ etc. These are served with coconut chutney and sambar (a tangy lentil soup). North India is popular for its tangy and fried snacks like the ‘Kachori’, ‘Aloo Tikki’, ‘Pani Puri’ etc. The one snack that wins hands down from western India is the ‘Vada Pav’, nicknamed the poor man’s burger. This humble snack is what keeps the hungry and poor going through the day. ‘Vada Pav’ consists of a fried potato dumpling, battered with chickpea flour, served inside a bun and served with a dry garlic powder and fried green chili. The list is long running and it would take ages to savor each and every Indian snack but you are sure to cross path with some in your culinary journey.
This interesting piece on Indian food is just like glancing through the titles in the library. The width and depth and variety of Indian food across religions, regions, states, cities and even households is like a gourmet’s dream come true. No one book can capture the beauty of each and every type of Indian food in entirety. As mentioned above, this is only the tip of the iceberg and Indian cuisine is like a whole new country, waiting to be explored. Bon Appetit!!!
