Sampling food around the world can be quite fun. Your may be the adventurer in your heart and not afraid of experimenting with food but remember your stomach may not be in synch with what your heart wants. While travelling it is important to make sure you take in only what suits your metabolism and which doesn’t result in you ending up being sick. Nobody wants that! It’s not that the food at home is always better and healthier than the food you get abroad. It’s just that you are not used to the preparation, the spices and moreover weather too plays its part. Hence to prevent any sort of distress like the commonly known ‘Traveller’s Tummy’ you need to have some background on the food that you are eating and of course common-sense to realize what to eat and what to avoid.
India is diverse not only in its culture but in its cuisines too. From Kashmir to Kanya kumari and Arunachal to Gujarat, there are thousands and thousands of cuisines and varieties available to amuse your taste buds. Take the Indian Breakfast for example; there are abundant options at your disposal. Come walk with me taking in the aromas of a few of the Typical Indian Breakfasts.
Typical Indian Breakfast
Depending on the part of the country you are visiting, the dishes available vary too. If you are on a tour of Northern India you would as a rule find poori sabji, poha and paranthas on the breakfast table among a hoard of others. Paranthas are Indian breads made up of pan frying whole wheat dough and are usually stuffed with boiled, mashed and flavoured potatoes, cauliflower, leafy vegetables or cheese. It is usually served with curd or butter or pickles. Poori, on the other hand, is made up of whole wheat flour or refined whole wheat flour dough rolled in small circles and deep fried in vegetable oil or clarified butter; generally served with potato based curries. Parantha and poori are slightly on the higher end of the calorie scale being oily in nature but are otherwise perfect for chilly mornings of the north accompanied with a hot cup of tea. Poha on the other hand is made up of flattened or beaten rice and good for digestion. For the calorie conscious Poha is definitely a great option. It is also a popular breakfast dish all around India often called by different names. It is healthy and will certainly not be a burden to your weight or digestion.
If it’s the south of India that is your destination then the morning aromas will be that of Idlis, Dosas, among other. The south Indian breakfast in general is healthy and of low calorie. Idlis are savoury cakes made up of steamed fermented black lentils and rice and usually two or three inches in diameter. Teamed with chutney or vegetable stew this is an ideal breakfast on the table. Dosas, on the other hand, are fermented pancakes made from rice batter and black lentils served with Vegetable stew again. It is rich in carbohydrates, contains no sugar or saturated fats and good on the body.
Apart from the dishes staple to the part of India you are visiting, you would also find bread and omelettes as a must on the breakfast table. Various Hotels also serve English breakfast along with Indian. In fact you could even find Italian and other Continental delicacies for breakfast depending on the city you are in and the hotel you are staying in.
Hence, breakfast in India wouldn’t be much of a problem in India. However, keep in mind there would be some dishes which would be high on oil and fat content. Considering it may be hot and humid in India, it is best to avoid those options unless your metabolism is trained for spicy breakfasts. Enjoy your Indian breakfast.