To walk some city street in India is to get smacked in the face with an array of smells so complex its description would be incomprehensible. Most of this is related to heavily spiced food being cooked an all sorts of streets and sidewalks. In a place like New Delhi or Jaipur, you’re never farther than 15 feet away from some sizzling street food; even stuck in traffic on the highway you could probably find a kind old woman selling sliced cucumber with chat masala.
So below are some of my favorite images from the wide-ranging meals of the subcontinent, from dosa to Dal Bhat. Some inspire a salivating wistfulness for me, others bring a memory that turns my stomach. All were an experience.
Tibetan bread- Our host in Kyanjin Gompa whipping up the classic staple of white Tibetan wheat bread.Dosa!! Think of a lightly fried crepe made of rice flour and lentils- this South Indian cuisine is a true gem and must-try of India. This picture is taken at our favorite restaurant in Delhi, a South Indian chan franchise called “Saravana Bhavan”, located in Connaught Place, New Delhi.Langtang Dal Bhat- the most basic dal bhat in existence. Basically, this is what you eat when you go to the high Himalayas. white rice, yellow lentil, and potatoes. maybe a green from their garden if you’re lucky. We got pretty sick of this after a while 😅Yellow curry with buttered Nepali roti- Jordan and I are feasting on this amazing, cheap meal at a street food stall in KathmanduTibetan egg thukpoa- a Tibetan staple of chicken broth, garlic, cabbage, and some greens. This is the type of food that warms your soul and of course it was invented in a place as cold and unforgiving as Tibet.Mokthuk- tibetan tomato-based soup with meat, veggies, and momosTingmo! A tibetan floofy bread with a gooey, doughy, buttery inside. Great for dipping into soupIn India, “masala” just means spice. There’s an infinite quantity of permutations of masala for every type of dish- this one happens to be “chat” masala which kind of like Tajin and great to put on raw veggies like cucumbers or tomatoesClassic Indian breakfast- “chai” sweet milk tea, and “Aloo paratha” potato fried in Indian bread. Started to get real sick of aloo paratha in the Indian countryside.The classic sauce of North India- pickled lemon. Imagine lemons and limes pickled In a tart vinegar. They add this to all sorts of stuffUttapam- another South Indian delicacy. This is a type of dosa, its rice/lentil batter is cooked to be thicker, with heavy toppings of onion, garlic, and cheeseAnother amazing South Indian spot located in Hauz Khas, New Delhi: NaivedyamI had this chicken wing in a Srinagar restaurant on September 12, 2022. It was a mindblowing chicken wing for many reasons, foremost that it was the first chicken wing I had eaten since arriving on the subcontinent. I had been observing the fall NFL season wistfully from afar and being able to have a true chicken wing was very important in this moment. Anyway, the Kashmiris know how to whip up the chicken- best chicken I’ve ever eatenA Kashmiri salad, served for free before the course of heaps of chicken that is every meal in SrinagarBread stand in Pahalgam, KashmirRajma Thali in Ladakh. This is an all you can eat meal of beans, various curries, and chapati for about 80 cents. So simple, so cheap, so good.Punjabi Thali in Himalchel Pradesh. Can’t really go into the nine or so unique dishes in this assortment but suffice it to say thali is the king of all meals in IndiaTika in Delhi- lightly fried wrap with cabbage, garlic, onion, paneer and spices. super delicious, cheap, and handheldFruit shakes are so cheap and ubiquitous in IndiaTibetan Laphing from an amazing noodle spot in Boudhanath, Kathmandu, called Hot and Cold Spicy Noodles. There are many variations of this classic famine food but this one has noodles wrapped around hard ramen noodles with nuts and spices. Absolutely delicious!A street food stall in Kathmandu- these places are everywhere and they dish out classic Nepali dishes like Samosas, Jalebi, and PakodaThali at a family “Puja” in the woods outside PokharaThe women were whipping up tons of different curries in these big pots over wood fires. A side story, the white rice was cooking separately at the Puja and I went over to look at it and take pictures. Immediately the women rushed over and ushered me away from the white rice. Apparently only the brahman priest at the puja can behold the white riceTruckstop thali- In India, the word “Thali” just means plate (of food). It can refer to anything but usually looks something like this. Here is a cheap meal i got at some dilapidated roadside truckstop in rural Rajasthan. Two unidentifiable curries with delicious chapati. In India- the closer the restaurant is to falling down, the better the food tastes.Butter chicken Thali in the mountains.Dal Bhat after the end of a long bike ride into Mustang. Pictured above is the town of Kagbeni.Delicious Nepali Dal Bhat. I ate this almost every day- one dish of all you can eat costs around $1.50Udaipur Thali- This is from a restaurant called “Natraj”- probably one of the finer Thali places in the city. For a whopping 350 rupees ($4.32) I had all you can eat of a dozen unique curries. Waiters would circle the restaurant with carousels of the curries, ready to fill up my little silver bowls if any emptied. This meal was truly amazing.Nepali truckstop buffetChicken momos in Pokhara, with tomato based chutneyChyang- Do not mess with this oneA classic Dal Bhat meal at a homestay on the langtang trekFried chickpeas with onion and green pepper. Simple and extremely filling. This was my go-to meal at many Nepali truck stopsDal Fry with rice noodles? Some dal fry with rice noodles, chicken, and onion? Can’t really remember this one but damn it looks tasty.Aloo Gobi- Curried aloo (potato) gobi (cauliflower) with buttered chapati. This was one of my go-to curry orders since it was so light and filled with vegetables, i always felt really good after eating it.Jaipur Tikka Masala- After ~2 weeks of pure vegetarianism in Rajasthan I got to the big city of Jaipur and gorged on this amazing Chicken Tikka Masala with onion and green mint sauce. I have to say this was probably one of the most heavenly meals i’ve ever had in my life.Jodhpur Corndog(?)- Indian spiced potato and onion wrapped in a corn based bread and deep fried.Jodhpur Streetfood Stall- Here is a classic roadside street food vendor in Jodhpur. When I approached this place, i felt totally intimidated by the crowds, the language, the strangeness of the food… fortunately a local Indian kid of around 19 years age approached me and asked if I’d like him to order for me. Gotta love Indian people!Rajasthani Chapati- At a small “Dhaba” in rural Rajasthan, i was enamored watching this man making chapati over the wood fire. Clearly, doesn’t require high tech kitchen appliances to make awesome food…North Indian Breakfast- The most classic North Indian breakfast- chapati with curd and pickled lemon. This is so delicious the first nineteen times you have it but then it starts to get a little old…
