Khana, Peena, Ghumna (Eat, Drink, Travel) - very little sona (sleep)

As I traversed the length and breadth of India this summer I was fortunate to more than sample my fair share of nostalgic treats and some new ones.

When the Michelin folks talk about their stars and Zagat goes ga ga over a chef and their haute cuisine, they often seem to completely miss the most important aspect of what makes for a mouth watering experience.  Taste.  Thus the most recent top 100 restaurants in the world includes ZERO Indian establishments.

I think the world is missing out.

India offers a cornucopia of tastes.  As chaotic and screwed up as it is, the geography has still retained its heritage of cranking out perhaps the most diverse culinary experience this planet has to offer.  From the morning chai to the evening mouth freshener there are more SKU than Messrs. Proctor and Gamble may have dreamt of in their entire existence.  That is saying something.

 Here then are the varieties, the platters, the textures and colors of what constituted my diet for the last 30 days.  Jealous yet?

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day (and then the importance of the meals IMHO just keeps increasing);

So for breakfast - a taste of the Udipi food right in West Central India (in Pune) ...

Idli (white steamed rice and lentil mix) and Wada (savory lentil donut deep fried in oil) in Sambar @ FC Road, Pune, Maharashtra

Onion Chili Cilantro Uttapam with Sambar and Fresh Coconut Chutney

 And random afternoon elixirs -

A Falooda (this you can drink or eat or slurp) - is a mix fruit concoction with Vanilla ice cream (good to eat anytime of day- we had it as a snack during a hot afternoon)

Mix Fruit Pulp (As the name suggests with emphasis on Mango)

 

 Then there was dinner (this time in Royal style @ the Taj Falaknuma Palace near Hyderabad, AP)

Shuruat (Starter - shrimp and lamb kebabs)

Gnocchi - Italian fusion

Thande dimag se socha - kya ye kimat theek hai - jawab aya JE HAAN (Sweet Palate)

Chocolate Ganache roll with Mango Ice Cream

Cold Coffee and Tiramisu to wrap the Palace Experience

Sometimes I ate healthy - was I nuts? No its nuts and kishmish (dry fruits) - Charminar Area, AP

Lamb Kebabs @ Bidri in the Marriott Hyderabad

I want some of that and that and ... Mithai showroom (there was room in my intestines so Mithai vanished)

APTDC Filter Coffee to cure the food hangover next morning (20 cents - best tasting filter coffee in the trip), Visakhapatnam, AP

In Pondicherry the driver dropped me at a Non Veg place.... for 5 USD I had a better meal than the (after the fact comparison just based on food quality) excessive dineros we spent at the Palace a few nights ago...

Kamatchi in Pondicherry, Prawn curry and Aloochi bhaji of all things on Keliche Paan (Banana leaf) - delicious

Bangda (sea fish) deep fried with a cold one (or two)

I felt all my energy come back after this snack!  Not sure why.

 Finally I packed a couple dozen mitha paans (sweet leaves) for the road (I dearly miss this very unique Indian mouth party after every meal - sweet due to the desiccated rose petals dipped in simple syrup and the mentholated dried dates in it).