India

3 months in India: Kolkata, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Goa and Kerala

Itinerary:

Kolkata
Bodhgaya
Chennai
Tiruvannamalai
Mysore: day trips to Srirangapatna, Somanathapura & Talakadu
Kulshalnagar (sleep in Bylakuppe Village)
Munroe island (Munroturuttu)
Kovolam beach: day trips to Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum) for the Attukal Bhagavathy (Attukal Pongala Festival)
Panjim
Arambol
Mumbai

Average costs based on solo travel, with a focus on keeping things budget-friendly:

14 €/day (Jan, Feb and March 2024)

This average daily budget includes:

eating only local food in low/medium range restaurants and some street-food
staying always in guesthouses
using public transportation (mainly trains and buses)
entrance tickets for tourists attractions like natural parks, museums, palaces, etc
no spending on alcohol, tobacco, or soft drinks
doing my own laundry
SIM card for local network

NOTE: This daily average does not include expenses for shopping, souvenirs, medical or health-related costs, or visa fees (as these vary depending on your country of origin). Also doesn’t include in and out flights as also the domestic flight Bodhgaya – Chennai

on the road … from Leh to Srinagar

(this post was originally publish in June 2013)

Now that we are approaching the day to leave Srinagar, after a stay of about two weeks, it is time to tell how we got here.

After a difficult journey between Manali and Leh, which took us 21 hours to cover the 490 km of the famous Manali-Leh Highway, we didn’t want to face again the dangers of this winding and narrow mountain road to return to Manali, that despite being middle of June was still flanked by thick layers of ice.

So, the only option was to continue forward, towards the Kashmir region facing the National Highway 1 (NH1), which is the only road, linking the Ladakh region to the rest of Jammu & Kashmir state, passing close by the Pakistan border.

Just to make it clear, the term “highway” has nothing to do with what we know by that name in terms of commodities, speed or safety conditions. It’s a term used to identify a main road linking to major places. Maybe the term “highway” should be read literally as a road located at high altitude, usually winding, narrow and carved into the steep slopes of the mountains, far from being safe and where circulation is dependent on the weather conditions that in the rainy season end up in landslides.

Closed more than half of the year due to the extreme weather conditions of the Himalayan winters, the Srinagar–Leh Highway crosses the Zoji La, a high pass at 3528 mm, that despite not being the highest elevation point of this road, Zoji La is famous for being the most danger highpass of the Srinagar-Leh Highway, due to the combination of factor like the bad pavement conditions, steep slopes, narrow road and frequent heavy rain…. but not none of these we knew when we took our decision to lead to Srinagar!!

Srinagar and the Kashmir surrounding region were out of the tourist circuit until about ten years ago, not even appearing in travel guides, as this region was closed to foreigners due to the civil war between Indian troops and the separatist movements that claim Kashmir’s independence, as also the several conflicts during the Indo-Pakistani War which last battlers occur during 1999, known as Kargil War.

Despite the heavy history of these region, the information and feedback that we got from other travellers that we met in Leh, were very positive, referring Srinagar as a beautiful city, with nice and friendly people, a strong Muslim influence, and despite the army presence, it doesn’t appear to have safety problems. So, Srinagar becomes our next destination after Leh, and the NH1 was the only option!

To cover the 434 kilometers separating Leh from Srinagar we decided that it would be best to go by jeep because the previous experience of the mini-van trip between Manali and Leh did not leave comfortable memories. We learned later that the bus service provided by the local company JKSRTC would have been the best option, in terms of cost, of course, but also in terms of safety as the drivers take time to rest and don’t drive in the night. But the two days of travel required by a bus trip were not tempting.

By jeep, we had a ten-hour journey ahead, made mostly at night, and strangely we were the only passengers. Soon, we realised that it was not going to be an easy trip and it would take us a lot longer… the driver was quite bad, sometimes driving in the opposite side of the road, often too close by the verge, making sharp turns on the steering wheel, overtaking without any care…all these while typing messages on the mobile phone and picking the teeth.

In one of the many stops we made during the night was in Mulbekh, which was a place we wanted to visit because of the Buddha statue with about seven meters high, carved in the rock between the 7th and 8th centuries. But this was not for sightseeing or just to eat or drink a “chai”. Here the driver decided to rest vanishing in the dark night. So we end up spending several hours inside the jeep, parked on the roadside, in a completely isolated place, deserted at those hours, surrounded by dense darkness facing the chill night under Buddha’s protective gaze.

At dawn, we made a short stop in Kargil, from where the signs of Muslim culture became clear: mosques, flags in the green colour of Islam, Arabic calligraphy, women with heads covered by scarfs… it didn’t even seem that we were in India anymore. The Dalai Lama pictures that usually show up on the walls a bit every place in Leh, were now replaced by Ayatollah Khomeini images. The face features of the people also changed, and we couldn’t anymore spot the traditional Tibetan round faces and slanted eyes, but instead by the long bony faces, narrow noses and the long beards.

As we move further, the landscape became increasingly green, leaving behind the aridity and dryness of the Ladakh landscape. The road goes smoothly up, describing winding curves in a mountains landscape crowned with snow and valleys lined with grass where rivers meandered. Flocks of sheep and goats led by nomad shepherds move along the road, transporting their possessions and goods in small caravans of mules.

After passing Dras, another village without any remarkable thiing, we went up and up in the mountain towards the highest point, Zoji La, the famous highpass situated at 3529 meters of altitude. The temperature started to drop down and the visibility conditions were drastically diminished with the thick fog, forming small drops in our air and cloths, almost like rain. As we were getting close to the highpass, the conditions worsened, with the bumpy pavement road giving place to a narrow and muddy path, which wasn’t more than a thin line carved in the steep slopes of these mountains, without any protection from us and the abyss.

Moving further become hard and slower due to the intense traffic, mainly overloaded cargo trucks, and got worsened by streams that quickly formed by the intense rain, crossing the road and falling off the slopes like small waterfalls, dangerously eroding the verge and creating small landslides.

Crossing vehicles become a difficult and risky task, requiring long stops, as certain sections of the road are only wide enough for one truck, which creates long lines of trucks and buses. At the most critical points on the road, the military help to control the traffic and monitored road safety conditions, where landslides often close the road even during the few “summer” months where it is supposed to be open.

Faced with this scenario that got worst as we went closer to Zoji La, the driver of our Jeep didn’t show any sign of changing is danger driving style, but instead, started to speed up while honking his horn furiously, trying to make dangerous and unthinkable overtaking, pushing our car too close to the verg, like un unconscious mad-man. It was too much for me, and couldn’t avoid shouting at him to stop!!! It work out for a few minutes…

All these resulting in an extreme accumulation of tension, which left me on the verge of despair, to the point I decided to get out of the car to continue the rest of the way on foot… at last until reach a less scary part of the road. But the persistent rain, the strong wind, the mountain cold and the mud, which almost made me slip as I set foot on the road, restrain my impulse and push me to go back to the car again.

This whole nightmare, framed by a heavy grey sky that make the midday almost look almost like dusk, only subsided when we started to descend towards Sonamarg, where the sun started timidly rising through the clouds, leaving behind the arid and grey landscape of the high mountains, where the summits were still covered with snow.

The rest of the trip was made smoothly, through green and flowering valleys, with the road crossing small villages. It was like a blessing, leaving behind the frightening experience of crossing the Zoji La and enjoying a smooth trip, with the road running along the Sind River, where wild horses graze calmly and where the road is every now and then shared with flocks of sheep.

Without doubt, the Srinagar–Leh Highway is something remarkable in my trip in India and I’m glad (and in a certain way proud) that I did it but I’m not sure if I’ll ever do it again! I respect the courage of people that do this road, as also Manali-Leh Highway, by motorbike… I wouldn’t dare!

From all this intense experience, can’t share much more than words, that are never enough to describe the mix of feelings that range between terror and fascination, or the amazing landscapes from dry steep mountains to green bucolic valleys. But with so many things going on, taking photos pictures was something that was left behind and now I regret don’t have any more images to share.

After an 18 hours trip (almost the double of what it was told us in the beginning), we finally arrived at Srinagar, around two o’clock in the afternoon, and were dropped off by our driver somewhere, on a wide and busy street. The sound of the horn honking and the chaotic intense traffic, that was absent in the Ladakh region, made us realise that we were back in India!

Food of Punjab

For those who quickly get tired of the menu offered in the Golden Temple canteen, which varies little beyond dhal, chapati and rice, there are many interesting options in the city.

Punjab is famous for its food, which has become an image and brand of ‘Indian food’ in European countries, which is characterised essentially by thick and spicy curries; heavy but tasty.

Bhai Kulwant Sing, que pelo nome e pelo turbante envergado pelo homem que s encontra à entrada a receber os pagamentos, é propriedade de sikhs, oferecendo uma boa variedade de kulchas e onde se pode saborear o ‘special lassi’.... a não perder a ‘panner kulcha’ e o espesso lassi!!!! — Bhai Kulwant Sing, who by name and the turban worn by the man who finds himself at the entrance to receive payments, is owned by Sikhs, offering a good variety of kulchas and where you can taste the ‘special lassi’ …. miss the ‘panner kulcha’ and the thick lassi !!!!

‘panner kulcha’ servida com um caril de grão e um pickle à base de cebola e chilli, no Bhai Kulwant Sing, situado a pouco mais do que cinco minutos do templo, numa das ruas estreitas da ‘Old City’, do restaurante Bhai Kulwant Sing. Este prato é consumido geralmente como pequeno-almoço, sendo as ‘kulchas’ também servidas como acompanhamento dos pratos — ‘panner kulcha’ served with a grain curry and an onion and chilli pickle, at Bhai Kulwant Sing, located just over five minutes from the temple, on one of the narrow streets in the ‘Old City’, of the Bhai Kulwant restaurant Sing. This dish is usually consumed as a breakfast, with ‘kulchas’ also served as an accompaniment to the dishes

vendedor ambulante de kulfi, um gelado feito à base de leite, muito açúcar, cardamomo e pistácio. Fácil de encontrar também em pequenas lojas no bazar que se encontra à entrada do templo, perto da ‘Old City’ — street vendor of kulfi, an ice cream made from milk, a lot of sugar, cardamom and pistachio. Easy to find also in small stores in the bazaar at the entrance to the temple, close to the ‘Old City’

Bharawan da Dhaba... não confundir com outro exactamente com o mesmo nome, situado ao lado. Este é o ‘oldest and world famous’ dhaba que serve thalis ao estilo do Punjab — Bharawan from Dhaba … not to be confused with another exactly with the same name, located next to it. This is the ‘oldest and world-famous’ dhaba that serves Punjab style thalis

thali do Bharawan da Dhaba, de caris espessos, à base de lentilhas e grão, onde o panner marca forte presença e o arroz surge discreto, sendo suplantado pelos pelo naan (pão espalmado) e pelas estaladiças e amanteigadas kulchas — thali from Bharawan da Dhaba, with thick curries, based on lentils and grain, where the panner is strongly present and the rice appears discreet, being supplanted by naan (flatbread) and crispy and buttery kulchas

Lassiwalla, estabelecimento que fabrica e vende os lassis, feitos à base de iogurte, que é batido e açucarado, sendo servido em grandes copos: frio, espesso e espumoso, com uma camada de curd, no topo. Em Amritsar, nas ruas do bazar que envolve o Golden Temple encontram-se talvez dos melhores lassis experimentados na Índia, servidos tradicionalmente em recipientes de barro, que se deitam fora depois de usados, mas que aos poucos vão sendo substituídos por copos metálicos — Lassiwalla, an establishment that manufactures and sells lassis, made from yogurt, which is whipped and sweetened, served in large glasses: cold, thick and foamy, with a layer of curd on top. In Amritsar, in the streets of the bazaar that surrounds the Golden Temple are perhaps the best lassis experienced in India, traditionally served in clay containers, which are thrown away after being used, but which are gradually being replaced by metal cups

Despite only lacto-vegetarian food is served in the Golden Temple canteen, the sikhs are free to choose any kind of diet including the consumption of meat, except the one from animal killed in a ritualistic manner (the opposite from muslim and jewish).

So, I Punjab, as in general in the North of India, the vegetarian food is widely available but most of the restaurants also serve meat, being rare the “pure veg” restaurants like in South of India. Yet, it’s not difficult to find a typical vegetarian meal or a snack, but it is worth making sure that what is servile does not include meat.

South Indian food

To all the attractions that southern India has, in particular the state of Tamil Nadu, we must add the food, which here presents a greater diversity of vegetables and spices, resulting in a wide variety of flavors, colors, and aromas, dominated by spicy, served on banana leaves and accompanied with the ubiquitous cooked rice, which in the south replaces the chapatis that in the north always accompany them with meals. What is also never missing are papadis, a thin sheet of grain pasta seasoned with spices and which is fried and crispy.

For breakfast, dosas are served, a kind of very thin and crispy crepe, made with rice and lentil flour, stuffed with vegetables (almost always potatoes) and served with a fresh and spicy coconut chutney, and with the sambar, a light vegetable curry, where the dosa is soaked.

This combination of sambar and chutney can also accompany iddlys, unfermented bread made from lentil flour, which is steamed, or wadas (or vadas), rings of pasta made with lentil flour, flavored with spices and fried in oil.

But the new was pongal, a paste made from overcooked rice, seasoned with cumin, mustard seeds, pieces of fresh ginger and cashews, all wrapped in ghee and cooked with many leaves of rail. Like other breakfast alternatives, pongal is also served with coconut chutney and sambar or another vegetable curry..

The curry tree leaf, which is used here fresh, appears in almost all dishes served in traditional meals, thalis, consisting of rice and a set of three or more side dishes. Many of the meals include the so-called buttermilk, which is a kind of milk, waterier and slightly fermented that gives it a slightly acidic flavour and is served lightly seasoned with salt..

But more often than buttermilk, it is yoghurt that is mixed with rice and the other side dishes that make up a typical South Indian meal.

In traditional southern dishes, coconut, a flower and the banana tree trunk are often used. The panner (fresh non-melting soft cheese made by curdling milk) that was a constant in the north of India, here in the south has a very discreet presence, away from the Muslim areas.

As for the bread… no naans, no chappati or rotis… here are parathas (here pronounced parotta), made of very elastic dough that is spread with the help of oil, beating the dough on the counter until it is thin and starting to tear, when it occurs a knot tying the ends so that after resting it is extended again with a rustic hand and cooked on a plate, often heated with firewood; they are cute and separate into layers… and of course they accompany with a vegetable curry, usually served in the afternoon, as a snack, but never as a side dish of a meal.

The dahl, stewed with lentils, which is served here in the south, thick and consistent, does not compare with what is usually found in the north of the country: very liquid, more like a soup.

The ever-present chai is drunk at any time throughout India, both after meals and as an accompaniment, also serving as an excuse to take a short break during the workday. In Tamil Nadu, chai is often replaced by coffee, which is also sweetened and drunk with milk, served in metal cups, which in turn come in a cylindrical cup, also made of metal; before serving the coffee is poured from one container to another, several times, before being drunk.

Also in the south, with the characteristic tropical climate, there is a greater variety of vegetables. In addition to the potatoes, carrots and herbs, which are ubiquitous in Indian curries, here is common the use of green leafy vegetables, kelas (a kind of nutty cucumber with an intensely bitter taste but which is quite beneficial for purifying the blood), drumstick (or moringa), coconut (the fruit as also the “milk” and oil), banana (trunk and flower also) and jackfruit, as also a wide variety of legumes that often I cannot identify.

As for fruit, mangoes and bananas dominate, which come in many varieties, not only on the outside but also in flavour. Coconut is also sold everywhere, and its pulp is eaten, with the help of a sliver of coconut skin, cut with a machete, after drinking the liquid from the inside.

Thali típico do sul da Índia, servido sobre folha de bananeira e composto por uma grande variedade de caris, servidos em pequenas taças... o arroz veio mais tarde! — Thali typical of South India, served on a banana leaf and composed of a wide variety of curries, served in small bowls, a *puri*, often served as breakfast and a *papad*… rice came later!

Porothas acabadas de fazer — Freshly made porothas… always a bit oily but delicious when warm even plain without the usual sambal

um das muitas bancas que na rua sevem snacks e refeições ligeiras. A massa das porothas, é estendida e esticada até ficar muito fina , sendo depois enrolada formando um nó para depois de repousar, ser estendida com a mão — one of the many stalls serving snacks and light meals on the street. The dough of the porothas is extended and stretched until it is very thin, and then rolled into a knot so that after resting, it is extended by hand

Os pequenos pães brancos são iddlys, que juntamente com a wada acompanham um sambar e um chutney de côco. Como este pequeno-almoço foi comido num restaurante com mais categoria, foram servidos ainda mais dois condimentos, um à base de menta e o outro uma pasta vermelha e muito picante — The small white breads are iddlys, which together with the wada accompany a sambar and a coconut chutney. As this breakfast was eaten in a restaurant with more category, two more condiments were served, one based on mint and the other a red and very spicy paste

Preparação dos iddlys, em que a massa liquida é deitada sobre um prato metálico próprio, com pequenas concavidades. O pano serve para impedir que a massa escorra pelos pequenos orifícios do prato que permitem aos iddlys serem cozinhados ao vapor, em grandes panelas metálicas — Preparation of the *iddlys*, in which the liquid dough is placed on a metal plate, with small concavities. The cloth serves to prevent the dough from dripping through the small holes in the plate that allow the *iddlys* to be steamed in large metal pots

pongal... uma especialidade servida ao pequeno-almoço por todo o estado de Tamil Nadu, acompanhado por um chutney de côco e pelo sambar. A mistura vermelha é uma pasta de malagueta que nunca cheguei a utilizar pois o prato em si já é picante e bastante condimentado. Come-se misturando os acompanhamentos e o pongal com os dedos. — *pongal*… a speciality served for breakfast throughout the state of Tamil Nadu, accompanied by coconut chutney and sambar. The red mixture is a chilli paste that I never got to use because the dish itself is already spicy and very spicy. You eat by mixing the side dishes and the *pongal* with your fingers.

Experimentai o pongal por sugestão deste rapaz nepalês com quem partilhei a mesa de um restaurante em Madurai. Como é tradicional por aqui, o pequeno-almoço é acompanhado pelo café, com leite, servido num copo metálico, e que é servido juntamente com uma taça, para a qual o café é vertido diversas vezes antes de ser bebido pelo copo. — Try pongal at the suggestion of this Nepalese guy with whom I shared a table in a restaurant in Madurai. As is traditional here, breakfast is accompanied by **coffee**, with milk, served in a metal cup, which is served together with a cup, into which the coffee is poured several times before being drunk from the cup.

Este foi um dos mais tradicionais restaurantes que encontrei em Thanjavur, em que nem prato havia, sendo a comida servida directamente em folha de bananeira colocada em cima da mesa. As doses de arroz são sempre exageradas. Os acompanhamentos vão sendo servidos sempre que um empregado passa com pequenos baldes e se apercebe que não são suficientes para acompanhar a dose de arroz, podendo-se repetir as vezes que se quiser. — This was one of the most traditional restaurants that I found in Thanjavur, where there was no dish, the food being served directly on a banana leaf placed on the table. The doses of rice are always exaggerated. The accompaniments are served whenever an employee passes with small buckets and realizes that they are not enough to accompany the dose of rice, being able to repeat as many times as you want.

Num dos restaurantes tradicionais de Thanjavur, onde repousam em cima da mesa os "baldes" de onde é servida a comida — In one of the traditional restaurants in Thanjavur, where the “buckets” from which the food is served rest on the table

paan... mistura de nóz moscada partida em pequenos pedaços e que pode ser misturada com vários outros ingredientes, incluíndo tabaco. Esta é uma versão adocicada que é frequentemente consumida após as refeições, sendo colocada na boca até humedecer e posteriormente mastigada. Acredita-se que reduz a acidez da boca após a refeição e assim previne as cáries. Contudo o consumo diário e excessivo de paan provoca manchas vermelhas nos dentes que se vêm frequentemente entre a população mais pobre. — *paan*… mix of nutmeg broken into small pieces and that can be mixed with several other ingredients, including tobacco. This is a sweet version that is often consumed after meals, being put in the mouth until moist and then chewed. It is believed to reduce the acidity of the mouth after a meal and thus prevent cavities. However, daily and excessive consumption of *paan* causes red spots on the teeth that are often seen among the poorest population.

Uma fruta frequente do sul que não consegui fixar o nome: O sabor e textura assemelham-se a uma anona, mas o exterior parece um kiwi — A frequent fruit from the south that I was unable to name: The taste and texture resemble an annona, but the outside looks like a kiwi

Encontra-se uma grande variedade de bananas nos mercados e nos vendedores ambulantes que percorrem as ruas das cidades por onde passei. — You can find a wide variety of bananas in the markets and in the street vendors that roam the streets of the cities where I passed.

Este vegetal encontra-se em quase todos os pratos de caril que comi. É cozinhado cortado em pequenos troços, mas mesmo assim, somente se pode comer o seu interior, pois a parte exterior é demasiado fibrosa — Drumstick aka moringa, is vegetable found in almost every curry dish I’ve ever eaten. It is cooked cut into small pieces, but even so, you can only eat the inside, because the outside is too fibrous

Um dos mais conhecidos restaurantes de Madurai, onde no piso de baixo é servida comida de modo informal, e no piso de cima, geralmente reservado a homens de negócios e a estrangeiros, a mesma comida é servida com acréscimo de 20% no preço devido ao serviço melhorado e ao ar-condiconado... quase que à força tentaram.me encaminhar para o piso superior, mas consegui vitoriosamente comer onde queria — One of the best-known restaurants in Madurai, where food is served informally on the ground floor, and on the top floor with air-con , usually reserved for businessmen and foreigners, the same food is served with a 20% increase in price due to improved service and air-conditioning… they try to push me to top floor, but I managed victoriously to eat where I wanted

Hotel Saravana Bhavan... uma das maores cadeias de restaurantes do sul da Índia. Em Tamil Nadu é frequente os restaurantes chamarem-se de "hotel"... os hoteis são geralmente denominado de "lodge" mas nem sempre é assim, e acaba por causar alguma confusão. — Hotel Saravana Bhavan… one of the largest restaurant chains in southern India. In Tamil Nadu, restaurants are often called “hotel” … hotels are usually called “lodge” but this is not always the case, and it ends up causing some confusion.

For me, South Indian food, especially in the state of Tamil Nadu, is one of the best in the whole country, with only the food of the state of Gujarat as its rival, with a wide variety of flavours and ingredients, intense, spicy and with a certain tropical exoticism, making it simple and unpretentious. All of this makes a meal a delicious experience for the senses.

South India is a vegetarian paradise, with “pure veg” restaurants as well as street food without animal products. However, dairy products are present in both chai and yoghurt, which is often part of thali.

Each visit to Chennai, commonly called Madras, is a delight for the palate, with many options to explore the gastronomic specialities of southern India, from sophisticated restaurants to simple dining halls, not to mention street food !!

South Indian food…. what a delicious memory !!!

Gujarat food… vegetarian delights!

Although it is not easy to find in the rest of India and even less so in Indian restaurants in Europe, Gujarat cuisine is famous and a source of pride for its inhabitants. It dominates vegetarian food, more than in other places in India, and egg consumption is rare, with the exception of the Muslim community that remains meat and fish consumer.

The Gujarat food stands out for its sweet flavors that balance the spiciest curries and the strong presence of dairy products, which almost always accompany the meal, whether in the form of curd (yogurt), sweetened milk-based cream and the popular cham (buttermilk) which is the drink that usually accompanies meals, in a state where the dry law rules, that is, the sale and consumption of alcoholic beverages are prohibited.

Like the rest of the country, the chai, tea with milk, is very popular being consumed throughout the day, often serving for breakfast, as a pretext for a break, at the end of a meal or simply a pretext for two fingers of conversation. But the Gujarat chai is stronger, distinguished by its dark color and its intense spice flavor, where the “spicy” of ginger stands out.

Preparation of chai, made in pots placed under very high heat released by kerosene stoves, where the milk is boiled several times with tea, spices and crushed ginger

Dhai Dhokla: a previous dish variant, found only in Bhuj, to which is added yogurt and hot sauce that cuts the sweet taste of yogurt. It was an invigorating way to start the day as soon as we reached the city market.

Dhai wadha: kind of fluffy dumplings, which is served with yogurt and hot sauce, bringing a touch of powdered cumin that matches the sweetness of the yogurt.

a simple but delicious homemade meal prepared in the village of Dhordo in the north of Kutch, in the family home that provided us with a place to sleep, where thick and spicy dahl (stewed with lentils) is accompanied by kachari (beaten rice cooked with vegetables) and fine chapatis that are dipped in softened ghee (clarified butter).

Fafda: stall selling snacks, both sweet and savory, but mostly fried; in the foreground are the gathiya: crispy and spicy fritters made from grain flour

stall selling snacks, both sweet and savory, but mostly fried; in the foreground are the gathiya: crispy and spicy fritters made from grain flour

a kind of katchori but where the filling, instead of lentils, is sweet with a strong spicy aftertaste that gives these fried and crispy dumplings an addictive characteristic ... but only "located" in the city of Mandvi

cane sugar for sale at street markets and stalls

Dhokla: one of the most popular snacks in Gujarat, often eaten by tomorrow; made with flour and turmeric, steamed and seasoned with curry leaves and mustard grains. It can be eaten plain accompanied by fried chili peppers, or drizzled with sugary yogurt.

Kutchhi Dabeli: perhaps the most popular fast food in Gujarat, which by name has its origins in the Kutch area, but which can be found everywhere, in small restaurants and street stalls; it is a small hamburger bread (pav), toasted and stuffed with a potato-based paste seasoned with a mixture of spices called dabeli that gives the mixture an intensely red color. Accompanying the chaas, (buttermilk) a kind of slightly fermented milk, close to yogurt but more liquid.

Fast food restaurant preparing breakfast, often bhajis (fried vegetables wrapped in grain flour) and dhokla with chai

Lassi: drink based on beaten yogurt, with sugar, but which can also be salted. This is a variant with a rose aroma and decorated with dried fruits. Lassi is found throughout India and is usually eaten as a snack

Poha: steamed rice flakes, wrapped and seasoned with a mixture of spices, the saffron that gives color to this snack stands out, often consumed as breakfast; it is served accompanied by a spicy sauce and fried chilies.

Street snacks: a sample of the many options of food that can be found on the streets of the cities of Gujarat, and also all over India, which can serve as breakfast, meal or as a snack between lunch and dinner. A mixture of pakoras (fried based on grain flour and vegetables of which there are many variants) and crunchy lentil dumplings.

Sweets … like most Indian sweets in Gujarat, sugar has a strong and heavy presence; however, the aromas of saffron and cardamom and other spices, many of which are made from milk and ghee (clarified butter that gives a very particular flavour) or using grain flour; sometimes with pistachio, almonds and cashews… burfi, ladoo, gulab, mesu …. the names have been forgotten but there was a delicious memory !!!

Doces... — One of the varieties of burfi!

Food for sale at the stations for breakfast: fried dumplings stuffed with a mixture of vegetables similar to the samosas and served with fried chilies.... good to wake up !!! — Food for sale at the stations for breakfast: fried dumplings stuffed with a mixture of vegetables similar to the samosas and served with fried chilies…. good to wake up !!!

The complete meal, which is called thali, usually composed of rice, vegetable curry and a lentil-based broth (dhal) but in Gujarat gains another refinement and complexity, with a greater variety of curries, vegetables, grain, etc. … some with a sweet taste, others soft and rich in spices, reaching the very spicy.

In the large metallic plate that starts empty, the small bowls are filled with various curries, curd (yogurt) and sweets, reserving space for salty and spicy chutneys, and sometimes pieces of dhokla.

Traditionally, the meal is served with papad (a crispy cracker of grain flour) and accompanied by chapatis (flatbread), always in large quantities; only a portion of rice is served at the end. Throughout the meal several employees pass to refill the plate, bringing more chapatis until “say enough” !!!

The drink served with thali is chaas (buttermilk, made from milk) that can be sweet or salty and seasoned with powdered cumin.