Food

Masakan Padang… the most popular Indonesian food

Here are good news for vegetarian travellers!!!

“Padang” is one word that will cross your way as soon as you arrive in Indonesia, written at many signs and restaurant windows. Masakan Padang, that means Padang food, is the typical cuisine of the Minangkabau people of West Sumatra, and Padang is the capital of this region.

But you don’t need to travel so far to try this popular Indonesia cuisine, as the padang food is a bit everywhere in Sumatra, as also Java, Bali and Lombok…. and already become international, being easily found in neighbouring Asian countries.

As Sumatra is a dominant Muslim region, the Minangkabau (also called Minang) cuisine follows halal rules rigorously… so no pork!!!

The Masakan Padang restaurants are easily identified be the way the food is presented: in plates carefully piled for more dry food or in big metal bowls or trays for more juicy dishes, like curries. The plates are exposed at a window and visible from the outside, and most of these restaurants open from the morning until the evening making the food available during all day. The food is served at room temperature and just the rice is kept warm.

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The food is served at room temperature and just the rice is kept warm. The tempeh on the left plate, as also the tofu on the top right side tray, are more common on the Masakan Padang restaurants in Java

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The most popular curry of Masakan Padang cuisine is made with unripe jackfruit (gulai nangka) that is cooked with coconut milk… a rich curry with a mix of sweet, spicy and fresh flavours. This kind of food is also available at the markets, most of the time just for take away

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Serving systems

There are two types of serving in a Padang restaurant, the pesan (ordering) and hidang (serve) method. It took me time to understand how it works and sometimes I was surprised with the bill in the end, as a meal could cost 10.000 Rp or 50.000 Rp… without meat or fish dishes!!!

So the pesan is when the customer chooses the food from what is exposed at the windows, and the waiter takes a bit of each bowl and put on a plate with rice. This is the most common for people that are eating alone or at the more modest restaurants. At some restaurants is even the client that serves his own food. Depending on the number of dishes chosen, a meal like this can cost between 10.000 Rp and 20.000 Rp, for vegetarian/egg dishes.

The hidang is when all the dishes available are served in small plates that are placed at the client’s table… it can be more that ten different dishes. You don’t need to order anything and in the end, you pay just what you eat. This system is more common when people eat in groups, family or friends, as the portions served are much bigger that at the pesan system. I try once this system and a vegetarian meal cost me more than 50.000 Rp, for the same number of dishes!!!… but it doesn’t really worth if you are alone!

The takeaway system, locally called bungkus is always available at Masakan Padang eateries and is very popular with the locals. Most of the places just wrap the food in a paper (with one plastified side) but some restaurants the banana leaf is still used to parcel the food!!

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The hidang is when all the dishes available are served in small plates that are placed at the client’s table... it can be more that ten different dishes. You don’t need to order anything and in the end, you pay just what you eat — The “**hidang”** is when all the dishes available are served in small plates that are placed at the client’s table… it can be more that ten different dishes. You don’t need to order anything and in the end, you pay just what you eat

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So the pesan is when the customer chooses the food from what is exposed at the windows, and the waiter takes a bit of each bowl and put on a plate with rice. — So the **“pesan”** is when the customer chooses the food from what is exposed at the windows, and the waiter takes a bit of each bowl and put on a plate with rice… this is the cheapest option if you are alone, as the festive Padang meal, with a lot of dishes, is a huge portion just for one person

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The takeaway system, locally called bungkus is always available at Masakan Padang eateries and is very popular with the locals, with the food wrap in banana leaf — The takeaway system, locally called “**bungkus**” is always available at Masakan Padang eateries and is very popular with the locals, with the food wrap in banana leaf. Maybe the presentation is not the most attractive but the flavours are delicious!

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The Padang Meal

The typical Padang meal isn’t complete without these three things: rice (nasi), a juicy curry (gulai) and some green leaf boiled vegetables, that can be papaya leafs, spinach or cassava leaf. Then you can add meat, fish or egg, which can be fried or boiled, but usually seasoned with a red chilli sweet sauce. The omolete are also common, but sometimes they look more like a cake, cut in slices.

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The sambals, a spicy sauce made from chillies, usually with a bright red colour but that can also be pale green, are a must in any plate, and give a special touch to any meal. The sambals in Indonesia are not extremely spicy.

The most popular curry of Masakan Padang cuisine is made with unripe jackfruit (gulai nangka) that is cooked with coconut milk and seasoned with ginger, galangal and turmeric, with the kaffir leaves and the lemongrass giving a fresh flavour to this delicious dish, that range from sweet to spicy tastes. The gulai nangka can also be cooked with green beans and cabbage.

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a Masakan Padang meals with the "pesan" system... curry, vegetables, egg and sambal — a Masakan Padang meal with the “pesan” system… rice, curry, vegetables and sambal… as extra this plate has eggs in two versions: one seasoned with a red sauce that is fried after being boiled, and the other version is in an omolete, that is served in slices

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Masakan Padang — Along the streets is also possible to find small improvised eateries that serve also food cooked at Padang style. Sometimes is not the most clean places but can have very tasty food… here is a mix of tempeh, jack fruit curry, tofu and a green vegetable that is very similar to young fern leafs. at the first plan is the “sambal” a spicy red sauce that is always present in this kind of food

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The sambals, a spicy sauce made from chillies, usually with a bright red colour but that can also be pale green, are a must in any plate, and give a special touch to any meal. — The “sambal” at a food market… a spicy sauce made from chillies, usually with a bright red colour but that can also be green, are a must in any plate, and give a special touch to any meal.

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Dishes at Masakan Padang

The dishes available at the Masakan Padang restaurants change from island to island, and from region to region, according to the availability of the ingredients and the local taste: in Sumatra the curries are usually spicy, but in Java they are a bit sweeter and is common the presence of tempeh (fermented soybeans compressed in a tender block) and tofu (tahu) dishes, that are also easy to find at the masakan padang eateries in Bali and Lombok

At Sumatra the eggplant is widely popular, grilled and seasoned with a chilli sauce… looks spicy due to the red colour but n fact is sweet and very tender.

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Cassava leafs with grind coconut and tumeric... a sweet combination — Cassava leafs with grind coconut and tumeric… a sweet combination very popular at Sumatra, the island from where the Padang food has it’s origin

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At Sumatra the eggplant is widely popular, grilled and seasoned with a chilli sauce... looks spicy due to the red colour but n fact is sweet and very tender. — At Sumatra the eggplant is widely popular vegetable, grilled and seasoned with a chilli sauce… looks spicy due to the red colour but in fact is much sweet that expected

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Tempeh with b — Tempeh with roasted peppers and small dry fish served in a restaurant at Padang… the dry fish with it’s strong flavour is part of the Indonesian cuisine, and is available a bit everywhere, not matter if it’s a place close of far away from the sea

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unripe jackfruit and the spicy sambal, a spicy sauce made from chillies — unripe jackfruit on the tray, that always get an unattractive color, but is delicious and very tender. On the left is the “sambal”, a spicy sauce made from chillies… each eatery has his own recipe

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About meat, the chicken is the most popular option and can se cooked in thick gravies, with a big range of tastes and colours, or in a drier version, boiled or fried. Beef and buffalo meat curries are also common at the Masakan Padang windows; the internal organs can also be present in these curries.

The fish is very popular, no matter if you are close from the sea or not, as the dry fish is quite common in Indonesia. Most of the times these are small fishes that deep-fry, looking very crispy and dry. The very small ones are used dried are sometimes mixed with tempeh or with vegetables, but is almost impossible to spot them at the plates or food trays. But the bigger fishes can be found fried of floating in thick coconut curries.

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a very basic version of the typical Masakan Padang... some restaurants start to serve food in the morning and at around 2 p.m. there is not much to choose — a very basic version of the typical Masakan Padang… some restaurants start to serve food in the morning and at around 2 p.m. there is not much to choose… here is a vegetable curry, a deep fry made from potato, and omolee that look more like a slice of cake!!

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Due to the big vegetarian choices available, like tofu, tempeh and green leaf vegetables that you can’t find in western countries, vegetable curries, jackfruit curries, and eggs in many ways… the Masakan Padang restaurants are a great choice for vegetarians!!!! Note that tempeh and tofu are more common in Java, being unusual to find it in Sumatra.

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Due to the big vegetarian choices available... the Masakan Padang restaurants are a great choice for vegetarians!!!! — Due to the big vegetarian choices available… the Masakan Padang restaurants are a great choice for vegetarians!!!!

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Curiously there is any sweets or deserts in the Padang restaurants… but I think that is part of the Asian style meals.

Padang… where is the food?!

But visiting Padang, located in a traditional Muslim area of Sumatra, during the Ramadan, didn’t allow to experience the big choice of the restaurants with this kind of that put the name of this city on the gastronomic map of Indonesia.

But padang food is a bit everywhere in Indonesia, and despite the religious rules that push people to fasting during the day (more or less from sunrise until sunset), some restaurants still serve food during the day, although keeping the window where usually the food is displayed covered by a curtain as also the door, showing this way respect for the ones that are fasting. During the Ramadan, some of the restaurants that are open don’t allow the clients to eat there, selling food just for takeaway.

The Masakan Padang restaurants are easily identified be the way the food is presented: in piles at plates or in big metal bowls or trays for more juicy dishes, like curries. The plates are exposed at a window and visible from the outside, and most of them open from the morning until the evening. The food is served at room temperature and just the rice is kept warm.

Due to the big vegetarian choices available, like tofu, tempeh, green leaf vegetables, vegetable curies, jackfruit curries, and eggs in many ways… the Masakan Padang restaurants are a great choice for vegetarians!!!!

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But beyond the famous cuisine Padang has more to offer, although it is not a charming or engaging city, that was seriously afecte by 2009 earthquake. But still there enough things to see during a couple of days.

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an example of Minangkabau arquitecture at Taman Iman Bonjol

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Masjid Sumatera Raya Barat, the grand mosque of West Sumatra!!! In fact is an impressive building that crossed my way just I arrive in Padang, even before the first sun rays! It’s a massive structure inspired on the pointy rooftop of the Minangkabau (an ethnic group from West Sumatra) houses.

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Majid Raya Sumatera Barat... a new mosque with a modern design that was for me the most interesting sightseeing of Padang — Majid Raya Sumatera Barat… a new mosque with a modern design that was for me the most interesting sightseeing of Padang

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As the Ramadan time stole a bit the life of the city, with many shops closed, including many restaurants, was necessary a bit of walk to explore the other side of Padang. There’s a big Chinese community, even a neighbourhood identified as Chinatown with the traditional gate. Here the life runs at the usual pace, away from fasting traditions, and with markets and restaurants working normally.

Nearby the Chinatown, along the Jalan Batang Arau can be found what remains of the Dutch presence here… not much more that a few warehouses and buildings. Some of them are abandoned and others were transformed into bars and restaurants that are closed during the day, giving an sad feeling to this riverside area, despite the colourful fishing boats that are aligned along the riverside, known as Dutch Harbour.

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Padang's Chinatown, that during the Ramadan keep the usual pace, but where many restaurants keep a curtains covering the windows to respect the muslim fasting during this period — Padang’s Chinatown, that during the Ramadan keep the usual pace, but where many restaurants keep a curtains covering the windows to respect the muslim fasting during this period

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But the Ramadan despite bringing fasting and closed restaurants also has the bright side: the Ramadan food markets!!!! Usually improvise street-market that just run during this season, that open during the afternoon selling food, some of which can only be found during the Ramadan, where people come to buy the food to break the fasting as also for the last meal before dawn, that impose the fasting again. So these markets are a delight for the senses and a temptation to everyone, although can be impolite eating this meals, snacks or sweets on the street, before the sound of the siren marking the end of the fasting.

At Padang, the Ramadan treats, many of them homemade, can be found in many streets between 4 and 5 p.m., but at Taman Iman Bonjol, a small park at the center of Padang where people play sports, hang out and where lots of kids play, where is located the Ramadan Food Market.

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Ramadan Food Market at Taman Iman Bonjol

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But with or without Ramadan, the markets are always the center of the activity in any Indonesia city, and Padang is not an exception! The Pasar Raya, the main market in the city, is a group of a few buildings that didn’t look inviting to visit. But outside along the Jalan Pasar Raya is where everything interesting happens… a street crowded with sellers, hawkers, people and traffic… clothes, fruits, fish and tasty food… busy, colourful and vibrant of activity.

Impossible to be unnoticed here!!! From everywhere the usual “hello” and “where are you from?”… Portugal?!?! Cristiano Ronaldo! 🙂

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Padang street food — street food at Pasar Raya… delicious deep-fry snack made form corn and seasoned with kefir leaf.

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Where to sleep in Padang:

Most of the people just stay in Padang on the way to Mentawai Island, but still, there are many accommodations in the city for different budgets. I choose one with a dorm as the prices at Padang are a bit height that the usual in Sumatra.

The Brigitte House, as different kinds of rooms, as also a dorm with 4 beds… is a nice place with good conditions, a balcony, a rooftop and is located in a quiet area. The staff is friendly but the owner can be a bit distant and indifferent to the guests, particularly the ones that are not buying one of the many tour pack available at the guesthouse. I don’t miss the place but the price was attractive considering other options in Padang. The bed at the dorm, with air-con, safe lockers and breakfast included is 95.000 Rp a day.

//brigitteshousepadang.com/

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Brigitte House… the cats are the coolest thing here!!!

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Where to eat in Padang:

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Ramadan… most of the places are closed, that make the visit of the most famous Indonesian cuisine a bit odd experience. But on the other hand, the Ramadan creates a curious phenomenon: the food markets that show up on the streets, some organized some very informal, during the afternoon and last until five or six in the evening. It’s a place where people come to buy food, already cooked, looking for treats to break the day fasting and having the next morning meal already in mind. It’s a delight for the senses, with a huge variety of Indonesian cousin, where is also possible to find types of food specially prepared for this season.

At Padang, nearby the Taman Iman Bonjol, a park chosen by local to chill with lots of kids playing, there’s a market area with delicious food!

But during the day, there are many other options to try the Padang food, locally called Masakan Padang. Yet, most of them were closed during the Ramadan, so I just found two of the top choices restaurants open: Restoran Sari Raso (at Jalan Karya, 3; open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.) and Rumah Makan Pagi Sore (Jalan Pondok, 143; open from 7.30 a.m. to 9 p.m.).

From this two eateries just have the opportunity to try the Sari Raso that is famous also for the wide range of vegetable dishes. The place during the Ramadan looks closed but behind the curtain that covered the door there’s delicious food served in an informal atmosphere. If you seat and ask for 4 or 5 dishes, hidang style, you may pay something around 50.000 Rp, just for vegetable and egg dishes. It’s a big portion of off just for one person, but you also have the pesan system, where the food you choose is served on a plate with rice, and this will cost around 15.000 Rp.

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Sari Raso... delicious food, with a lot of vegetarian option... one of the few masakan padang restaurant that was open during the day at Padang — Sari Raso… delicious food, with a lot of vegetarian option… one of the few *masakan padang* restaurants that was open during the day at Padang

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A delicious meal at Sari Raso Restaurant... a reference of Padang food — A delicious meal at Sari Raso Restaurant… a reference of Padang food

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How to move around Padang:

There are many types of angkot (public transport) in Padang, and the type of vehicle as also the colour indicates the route/destination. It’s not easy to understand how this system works, but there’s a big concentration of this angkot nearby Pasar Raya… and there you must tell to the drivers about your destination, and wait until one point you the right vehicle. Is not easy and it takes time and patience, as almost anyone speaks English, and you going to feel how useful is to know a few words of Indonesian!!!

For some strange reason, most of the public transport vehicles at Padang are personalized with eccentric decoration and always have a blasting sound system that can transform a trip in hellish experience!!! Sometimes these angkots are very old, dirty and in bad conditions, but nothing looks to affect the sound system, which sometimes is the only thing that is not decrepit.

But to make things easy, there are also the TransPadang, modern and confortable buses that have a number according to the route, as also specific bus stops (bus halt) that are easy to identify. A TransPadang trip cost 3.000 Rp.

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Sometimes these angkots are very old, dirty and in bad conditions, but nothing looks to affect the sound system, which sometimes is the only thing that is not decrepit. — Sometimes these *angkots* are very old, dirty and in bad conditions, but nothing looks to affect the sound system, which sometimes is the only thing that is not decrepit.

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the public transport in Padang have a "particular" look — the public buses in Padang have a “particular” look

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… In search of the best dal bhat in Kathmandu

Dal bhat, same as rice and lentils… this is maybe the most famous and eaten Nepali dish, being the staple food of most of the population. The dal bhat, in Nepal also called “khana” is a meal that includes a dal (lentils soup), a vegetable curry (tarkari), saag (stir fry green leaf vegetable). Radish pickle, gundruk, yogurt and hot tomato sauce are added to this dish that is always eaten with steamed rice… a lot of rice!!

Is basically a vegetarian meal but it can also be served with meat, mostly chicken… and at Nepal the consumption of meat is quite common.

It can be eaten as breakfast or as also lunch, and in restaurants is served along all day… but most have home made dal bhat! Usually, you can find dal bhat in restaurants just after 10 am.

Being Nepal a country with so many different cultures, topography, climates, traditions, also the dal baht reflect this diversity. The rice dominates most of the country cuisine, but very high in the mountains the rice is replaced by corn or maize, buckwheat, barley or millet.

Thakali is an ethnic group as also a region located in the farthest northeast of Nepal, close to the Tibetan border, at the high Himalaya. From this remote area comes the most popular version of dal bhat. The restaurants in Kathmandu from this kind of cuisine – thakali bhanchha – serve usually the dal bhat with rice and not with another kind of grains, as usual in the high mountain areas, but are a good option to try this speciality.

In Nepal, the dal bhat is served in a heavy brass plate, with the rice at the center with the curry, saag, salad and seasonings arranged around and with the dal in a small bowl, sometimes also in brass metal. In the non-vegetarian option, the meat is served also in a small bowl, and never in big portions.

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One of my favourites restaurantes in Kathmandu to eat dal bhat is the Muktinath Thakali Kitchen right in the heart of Thamel, but not so visible and easy to find. Is famous between tourists but also very popular among Nepali people that assure the quality of the food!

Here the dal bhat is served with rice, which is not traditional in the Thakali region, but undoubtedly the rice is the most popular cereal in Nepal, and the Nepali can eat a lot of it at each meal 🙂

The dal bhat at Muktinath Restaurant is very rich, served according to the tradition: rice, curry, dal, saag, pickle, salad (just cucumber), spicy sauce… and a with a papad (crispy chips, made from dal and fry in oil). The curry is very tasty, usually not spicy, the dal has the touch of the ghee, and a good quality of rice, with a long grain… and this all cost 200 rupees (vegetarian option) and the staff is super friendly.

This dal bhat is served also yogurt and the gundruk, that for me is one of the main reasons to visit this place, as the gundruk, being a typical homemade season, but not so easy to find in restaurants.

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Dal bhat served at the Muktinath Takali Restaurant

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For a more local-underground-cheap version of dal bhat I strongly recommend the Om Restaurant also called as Om Bhava, located in s hidden backstreet of Thamel. The Dal Bhat at Om Bahava is not so rich as the one from Muktinath Kitchen as it comes without the papad and gundruk, but it worth to go there to taste the yummy taste of a homemade dal bhat that makes us forget that we are at a restaurant!

The place is simple and humble, the owner is super friendly smiley Nepali, never saying no to another refill of this amazing food! The price is also good: 130 rupees for the vegetarian option and 200 rupees for the one with chicken.

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dal bhat from Om Restaurant. Thamel. Kathmandu

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Dal

After rice, this is the core of a Nepali meal! The dal is basically a soup made with lentils, any kind of lentils seasoned with coriander, cumin and turmeric…. and a bit of fresh ginger that give a special flavor Sometimes, as the dal in Nepal is expensive, potatoes are added to this soup, make it thicker.

A spoon of ghee (clarified butter), if added, gives a special touch to this simple dish.

From the big variety of dal, my favorite one in the black dal, in Nepal called “maas ko dal”, from where results a thick and textured soup, where this small beans almost disappear due to the overcooking in a pressure pan. A bit of ginger always give a twist to this soup, bringing a sharpness to the taste.

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Dal made from black dal...one of my favourits. Muktinath Takali Restaurant — Dal made from black dal…one of my favourits. Muktinath Takali Restaurant

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Gundruk

This is a classic side dish that is served with the dal bhat… unfortunately many places forget this detail that is fundamental for me!!!

The Gundruk is prepared with fermented leafs of spinach, radish or mustard, that are later dried and storage. For serving the dry leafs are soaked in water and fry in a pan with onion, tomato, turmeric, salt and chili, resulting in a mix of acid and spicy flavor.

Due to the fermentation process gundruk is an important font of minerals.

Difficult or almost impossible to find in the market or shops as this is a homemade treat, but at least the dry leafs could be found in the street markets of Kathmandu.

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Gundruk, served as a side dish at Muktinath Restaurant

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Tarkari

The tarkari is a stew made from different types of vegetables, changing according to the season, but where the potato is almost always present. Coriander, cumin and turmeric are used to season, where is common the presence of onion and garlic.

There’s a huge variety of vegetables available in the market at Kathmandu, some of them totally unknown from the western eyes, but other, like carrot, cauliflower, potato, pumpkin, aubergine, zucchini are quite frequent. Mushrooms coming from the mountains are also used but is a treat reserved for a specific season. Despite all this variety in the tarkari doesn’t have more than two kinds of it, and potato is often one of them.

Changing according to season and from place to place, the tarkari could be a bit spicy, but is never oily or heavy.

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tarkari... that means vegetables, stew and seasoned with tumeric, coriander and cumin... a important part of a dal bhat. At Om Restauant — tarkari… that means vegetables, stew and seasoned with tumeric, coriander and cumin… a important part of a dal bhat. At Om Restauant

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Saag, stir fry spinach leafs, mustard leafs, radish leafs or another kind of green leaf vegetables

saag from the dal bhat served at Muktinath Restaurant.

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Radish pickle, chopped into small pieces, and seasoned with mustard oil and chili; this side dish is strongly spicy and give a boost to the dal bhat combination of tastes.

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Radish Pickle as a side dish of dal bhat at Muktinath_Restaurant.

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Salad… usually not much more that a slice of radish, tomato, carrot or a piece of cucumber.

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Papad, chili, lime and cucumber as a dal bhat side dish at Muktinath Takali Restaurant.

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Yogurt… usually a bit sweet but not always present in some dal bhats; is a good combination with the salt and spicy taste of the rest of the dish.

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yogurt serve with the dal bhar at Om Restaurant

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Red sauce, not really my favorite and always skip it, but is made from tomato, chili and Sichuan pepper, having a sour and acid taste.

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tomato sauce, sower and spicy at Om Restaurant.

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… and last but no the least: Rice, plain and unsalted steamed rice… couldn’t be simpler.

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Muktinath Thakali Kitchen

In the center of Thamel… difficult to give a proper address but try to look for Funky Buddha Bar, and passing the entrance gate you’ll see a red brick building on you left where is located the Muktinath Restaurant. Inside, passing the kitchen you have a kind of open-air area more pleasant called “garden”.

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Muktinath Takali Restaurant. Thamel. Kathmandu

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Om Restaurant

The Om Restaurant is hidden in the end of a back street of Thamel. Try to find first the Roots Bar, and from there is less than 100 meters. The place is dark and far from be attractive, but has a kind of character and the dal bhat is delicious… and maybe the cheapest meal in Thamel!

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Note that in all restaurants the dal bhat is served in the refill system, which means that the plate is served with a not so big portion of food, but after someone will pass by bringing more food, and you can refill you plate as many times you want!

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Another version of the dal bhat, hard to find in restaurants, is made with barley, cereal that grows at high levels as the rice, typical from lowlands, is hard to grow above 2000 meters high.

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I can’t finish this post without mention a homemade dal bhat, cooked at mountain style, that despite the presence of the rice as also served with corn, cooked and beaten, resulting in a yellow thick paste. Very delicious, with the sweetness of the corn balancing the spiciness of the curry.

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Pushkar: a guide to snacks and street food

A guide to snacks and street food in Pushkar for vegetarians!

As a holy place for Hindu religion, in Pushkar the meat is banned as also eggs, so is easy to find delicious vegetarian snacks in the small local eateries as also in the many street food stalls, that at different hours of the day pop up along the Pushkar streets!

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street-fooddsc_8737-copy — Street food at the Main Bazar Road, Pushkar

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Kachori… crunchy and spicy

Kachori can be pointed as a gastronomic icon of Rajasthan snacks. This deep-fry dough fills with a mix of lentil (dal) and species can be found in many places in India. The filling can change a bit from place to place, but the hollow crispy dough is a must from any kachori…. yes!

These patties have a small quantity of dal inside and get hollow when are dipped in hot oil. When served, the kachori is slightly smash and topped with a big spoon of a sweet and spicy sauce with a reddish colour.

In Pushkar, the kachori can be found in many places, but my favourite one is a small eatery that only has this snacks and samosas (not so special) a couple of minutes from the square where every morning fruits and vegetables hawker gather.

Address: behind Sri Raghunatha Swamy Temple, in a corner about 2 minutes walk from the Market Square, walking in the opposite direction of the lake. Close around 5 p.m.

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kachori in a plain version, without the sauce. Pushkar

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kachori-stall_dsc_8960-copy — kachuri eatery the best place to try a kachuri at Pushkar

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Poha… my favourite breakfast

My favorite street-food in Pushkar and also my favorite breakfast: light, spicy a delicious… without oil or much deep-fry stuff!

Poha is basically flattened rice that after gets dry looks like flakes. The poha can be cooked is different ways, as eaten in the morning as breakfast or during the day as a snack, and can be found a bit everywhere in India.

In Pushkar, a popular street stall serves poha cooked with an aromatic mix of cumin, chili, coriander seed, mustard seeds and curcuma that give the yellow color! Then, over this rice mix, is added fresh tomato, onion, cilantro and a big spoon of a creamy and delicious dal (lentil soup). The aloo bhujiya on top gives a crunchy texture to this tasty and healthy meal.

The phoa with dal is be served in a bowl, but if not the phoa can just be served over a newspaper or over a deep-fry cracker, crispy but oily. This wafer can also be cracked and used to top the poha and dal mix.

Address: “Pushkar Breakfast Corner” at main market square (a small where every morning fruit and vegetables hawker gather). Every morning until the food finish usually before 10 a.m.

poha-breakfast_dsc_9006-copy — poha… my favourit breakfast. Every morning at Market Square. Pushkar

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Paratha… best paratha ever!

… thick, rich in vegetables, spicy and not too oily… yes, the best paratha that I ever try in India!

This treat can be found after 5 p.m. in the Lala Ji stall that only make parathas: from the classic aloo (potato) to cheese, onion, vegetable and paneer… but the one that wins is the cheese-vegetables! All are served with a green mint sauce and raita (a yogurt made sauce)

Everything is made at the moment so you may need to wait a bit, and you can eat just there on the street or ask for parcel.

Address: Lala Ji stays along Main Street of Pokhara (Main Market Road) not far from Nagar Palika Ghat.

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paratha_street-stall_dsc_9024-copy — “Lala Ji” the best paratha in Pushkar… everyday from 5 p.m.

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paratha_dsc_9044-2-copy — paratha from Lala Ji. Pushkar

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Baati

This a typical Rajasthan bread, made from whole wheat flour, semolina, chickpea flour, seasoned with cumin, turmeric, coriander seeds and cooked in wood oven. Just before being served the bread balls are put over the burning coal to get a roast look and the grill taste, and generously soaked in ghee (clarified butter).

From this mix of flour results a rustic bread, dense and with a dry texture, so the ghee put over the warm baati give a more moist and soft texture. In Rajasthan, the baati is eaten soaked in dal, the so-called dal baati, but can also be a filling snack.

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"baati" at Shree Karni Maa Restaurant. Puskkar — “baati” at Shree Karni Maa Restaurant. Pushkar

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Dal Baati

Dal Baati (or dal baati churma) is a typical Rajasthan meal: basically, a dal served with the baati, Rajasthan style bread. The dal is made with a mix of different kinds of lentil, resulting in thick gravy, where are visible tomato and onion finely chopped, aromatized by cumin, coriander, turmeric, cloves, bay leaves and ginger.

In Pushkar, at the Shree Karni Maa Restaurant, the dal baati is served with rice and some achaar (a salty and spicy pickle)… a very filling meal. The rice here is not the traditional way to serve dal baati, because in more dry areas, like in Rajasthan the rice is a rare cereal.

Address: Shree Karni Maa Restaurant, you need to walk a bit further from Brahma Temple, and turn left.

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"dal Baati" at Shree Karni Maa Restaurant. Puskkar — “dal Baati” at Shree Karni Maa Restaurant. Pushkar

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Thali… in Rajasthan style!

Thali means plate and is referred to a complete meal, that include, rice, vegetables, curries, dal, bread, changing from one region to the others, that is served in a metal plate.

To find a typical Indian food in Pushkar you need to find the local restaurants more focused on pilgrims and Indian tourists! The Shree Karni Maa Restaurant is one of my favourites that despite a big choice of food with some Rajasthan dishes have a very tasty and rich thali.

The thali comes with a tasty light curry, a thik and rich dal, sabji (mix of vegetables), curd (yogurt), achhar (a salty and super spicy pickle), papadum (crispy thin cracker) and a small bowl of rice… all the time are coming freshly cooked roti, roasted over the fire. Delicious!

Address: Shree Karni Maa Restaurant, you need to walk a bit further from Brahma Temple, and turn left. There you’ll see on both sides of the streets lots of restaurants side-by-side… the Shree Karni Maa Restaurant is on your left, and his for me one of the best thali in Pushkar… but not the cheapest! The thali costs 200 rupees, and have an unlimited refill, except the curd (yogurt).

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yummy thali at Shree Karni Maa Restaurant. Puskkar

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Shree Karni Maa Restaurant. Puskkar — Shree Karni Maa Restaurant. Pushkar

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Lassi, sweet lassi

If you going to visit India, you must try the lassi!!! Is a drink made from yogurt, thick, fresh and nutritious… unfortunately with quite some sugar! The lassi has the origin in Punjab state, but is spread all over the north of India as also in Nepal and can also be salted and seasoned with cumin.

There as many lassi places in Pushkar… on of my favorites is at L.M.B…. is creamy, topped with pistachio and served in clay pots!

Address: Hotel L.M.B. is not a hotel in the way that id doesn’t have a place to sleep, but in same parts of India, “hotel” means a restaurant. This place has the same name as a famous one in Jaipur but I think that has nothing to do with each other, as this one in Pushkar is a bit dodgy. Near Main Gau Ghat.

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lassi_dsc_8518-copy — lassi served in clay pots at L.M.B. Hotel. Pushkar

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Chai

Chai, a tea mix with milk… and sugar, is everywhere in India, but in Pushkar you can find hawkers that walk along the street with their movable stalls. These stalls are something!!! In a fragile metal structure, a kind of tripod, there’s a shinny metal pan that is kept warm with burning coal, and around lays the clay pots. The chai is served in the traditional clay pots, disposed after used.

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"chai" at the street of Pushkar — “chai” seller at Pushkar streets

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But for me, the best ones can be found just at the main square of Pushkar, in a small stall easily identify by some bamboo stools near the road where many travellers gather. The chai here is amazing! Dark, rich in spicy flavours and with a touch of ginger, this is more a masala tea than a chai, and is difficult to drink just one… just the location of the stall, near the road, is annoying due to the noise and pollution.

Address: Main Market Square, in a small stall, mix between grocery and chai shop, with some stool outside… when you pass by the owner will tell you to try the “best chai in Pushkar!”.

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"chai" from the famous chai shop near Market Square. — “chai” at the famous chai shop near Market Square… according to the owner “the best chai in Psuhkar!”

Kathmandu: a guide to snacks and street-food

Snacks and street food in Kathmandu for vegetarians… a quick guide about what to eat and where to eat!

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Momos

The momos (also written as mo:mo) are the most popular snack in Nepal, and can be found in small eateries or street stalls a bit everywhere along Kathmandu streets. This small dumpling is made from wheat flour, filled with meat or vegetables, is one of the most popular snacks but is also common as a meal.

In Basantapur, there are a few places selling momos, easily identify by the big aluminium pan, with several trays, that usually stay outside the place. Most of these places just serve buff momos, but there are two places that serve vegetarian ones. One is more or less in front of the palace (Durbar Square), on the same street of Kumari House, a very small restaurant with seats just on the first floor, that offer an interesting view to the square. The name is just in Nepali.

Address: Durbar Square, few buildings further from Kumari House.

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An other momo eatery, in fact, my favourite momos, is a street stall just in front of Teleju Temple, that serves buff, chicken and veg momos. The Makhan Top Mo:Mo is a very popular and the single bench available will probably be full, force you to eat standing. But still is a good opportunity to appreciate the vibe of the square especially around 5 o’clock, time that looks like all Kathmandu population is on the streets!

A bowl of 10 veg momo cost 60 rupees and is also possible to ask for takeaway.

Address: street stall in front of Teleju Temple.

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momos from Makhan Top Mo:Mo. Kathmandu — *momos* from Makhan Top Mo:Mo, near Teleju Temple. Kathmandu

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kathmandu_street-food_momos-stall_dsc_9360-copy — momos from Makhan Top Mo:Mo, near Teleju Temple. Kathmandu

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The fry-momos, are a kind of Indian twist to the original recipe, and after steamed are deep-fry in oil, that give a crunchy feeling to the dough. They are not so popular as the steamed ones, but can be found on a back street of Basantapur (Kampukot Marg) that link to Yatkha.

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fry momos. Basantapur. Kathmandu — fry *momos…* with the half-moon shape that means that are filled with vegetables. Basantapur. Kathmandu

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Samosa

Apparently originated from Middle East, the samosa is, without a doubt, a symbol of India gastronomy, especially in term of snacks, and is spread all over the country, as also in neighbouring countries. Nepal didn’t escape to the samosa invasion and this snack is easy to find in the small restaurants along Basantapur and Durbar Square.

My favourite samosa, without a name in western characters is located a few doors further from the Kumari House, just next to the momo place mentioned before. The place is far from being charming, and “clean” is a word that you can’t apply there, but the samosas are delicious, and can be served plain or a yellow dal curry. Spicy and oily but irresistible will they are still warm.

A samosa with curry cost 20 rupees. the samosas are always vegetarian in India and Nepal, usually filled with a spicy mix of potato and beans.

Address: Durbar Square, few doors further from Kumari House

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*samosa* at Durbar Square eatery. Kathmandu

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samosa place at Basantapur — samosa eatery at Basantapur. Kathmandu

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Samosa Chaat

Another popular Indian snack that is easy to find in Kathmandu is the samosa chaat, usually from lunchtime until evening. This snack is made with a samosa broken into pieces, and topped with onion, tomato, yellow peas dal, fresh coriander and curd (sweet yogurt) and seasoned with cumin powder, chili powder and Himalayan salt… and a few drops of lime.

But this is the recipe of the small and unnoticed place, the Jay Durga Chaat & Egg-Roll House, located in a back street (Dafter Marg) nearby the so-called Freak Street (Jhochhen Road), 5 minutes from Basantapur.

A samosa chaat cost 90 rupees, but can be found cheaper in hawkers near Teleju Temple at dusk.

Address: Dafter Marg, near Freak Street, Basantapur

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kathmandu_street-food_samosa-chaat_dsc_9246-copy — samosa chaat. Kathmandu

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samosa chaat place — samosa chaat eatery near Basantapur

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Dahi Puri

The puris (small crunchy shell made from a very thin deep-fry dough) can be found a bit all over the city, usually hawkers specialized on this snack that show up at Kathmandu streets at the end of the afternoon. But these street stalls only have the pani puri, a spicier but less interesting version of the puris.

But my favourites are the dahi puri! It has the same base: puris stuffed with a potato and chickpeas mix but drizzled with yogurt (dahi), coriander and tamarind sauce, and seasoned with cumin and chilli powder. The result is a sweet and spicy mix, very yummy!

As the hawkers in Kathmandu only have pani puris, to find the dahi puri the best option is to walk a bit way from Basantapur, to Khechapukhu Sadak, somewhere between Sundhara e New Road, and look for a small stall in the center od the square, with the sign Khichapokhari Youth Club… usually surrounded by people that stop here for the snacks:

The puris are served in a plate with 6, and each one must be eaten in one bit… otherwise the juice will fill up your hand.

Address: Khechapukhu Sadak somewhere between Sundhara and New Road.

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kathmandu_street-food_dhai-puri_img_0254 — “dahi puri” from Khichapokhari Youth Club. Kathmandu

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kathmandu_street-food-stall_dsc_9646-copy — Khichapokhari Youth Club a popular place for snacks like puris and momos. Kathmandu

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Sekuwa

Although being easy to find vegetarian food in Nepal, the meat is quite popular and the sekuwa even more, as it can be eaten as a snack or as a meal, in the many eateries that grill the meat just outside the shop, feeling the air with smoke and the smell of the meat.

Could be made from different kinds of meat, seasoned with a red sauce, and cut in small pieces stick in bamboo and grilled in a wood fire. The sekuwa is usually eaten with puff rice.

Address: a bit everywhere around Basantapur

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kathmandu_street-food_sekuwa_dsc_9401-copy — sekuwa. Durbar Square. Kathmandu

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kathmandu_street-food_sekuwa_dsc_9395-copy — sekuwa. Durbar Square. Kathmandu

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Lassi

A drink made from yogurt, sweetened and chill with ice, that despite it Indian origin is quite popular in Kathmandu.

The Janakpur Dahi Lassi Bhandhar is probably the most popular place and it only sells lassi: big or small, with a topping of raisins, pistachio and caju. As there is no place to seat, people gather in front of the shop, but the pollution and the beeps of the traffic.

Small lassi: 30 rupees and big lassi 60 rupees.

Address: at Chandraman Singh Marg, nearby Indra Chowk.

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Lassi from Janakpur Dahi Lassi Bhandhar. Kathamndu — “lassi” from Janakpur Dahi Lassi Bhandhar. Kathamndu

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Curd (Juju Dhau)

The curd is a rich and thick yogurt, usually with sugar that traditional was made in clay pot. Nowadays is possible to find curd in may places along the city, but the traditional one from Newari region, called Juju Dhau (king yogurt), made in a clay pots are not so common.

One of my favourite places is the Bhaktapur King Curd Shop at the end of Freak Street (Jhochhen Road), just near a junction of five streets. Here is possible to find the original King Curd from Bhaktapur, made from buffalo milk in clay pots or clay plates, sold in different sizes.

Address: at the end of Freak Street (Jhochhen Road) near the cross road of Jor Ganesh Galli with Nabahi Marg

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kathmandu_street-food_king-curd_dsc_9544-copy — “king curd” in a clay pot from Bhaktapur King Curd Shop. Kathmandu

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Not far from Durbar Square, in the Guna Kamdev Marg, that leaves the square on the way to the south, there is also a very small place that sells good curd, also in clay pots.

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Sel Roti

These deep-fry rings, made from rice flour, are a very popular Nepali breakfast; are made and sold usually during the morning in small shops along the old part of Kathmandu.

They are a bit sweet and get crispy just after being made, which make them irresistible, but heavy for delicate stomachs.

Address: a bit everywhere around Basantapur, as for example at the bakeries along Guna Kamdev Marga

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Khajuri

These are my favourite Nepali sweet… they don’t have much sugar, and despite being cooked in oil are not very that oily.

The Khajuri are made from wheat flour, sugar and ghee (clarified butter) and can be found in all bakeries during all the time, as they can last for quite a long time without loosing the crispy texture.

Address: at the bakeries along Guna Kamdev Marga, a few meters from Basantapur

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Laakhamari

The Laakhamari is a special bread made usually during the religious festivals, and is easily identify by is complex shape made looking like a complex and artistic knot. Made from a mix of flours, sugar and butter and deep-fry in oil.

After is usually covered with a layer of glazed sugar

Address: at the bakeries along Guna Kamdev Marga, a few meters from Basantapur and many other bakeries in Kathmandu.

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kathmandu_street-food_sweets_laakhamari_dsc_9257-copy — Laakhamari

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kathmandu_street-food_sweets_laakhamari_dsc_9259-copy — “laakhamari” prepared on Kathmandu street during one of the Nepali religious festivals

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Nepali doughnuts (donuts)

Almost so popular as the sel roti, the Nepali version of doughnuts is everywhere, from bakeries to small eateries. This deep-fry dough with the shape of a ring can be eaten plain or stuffed with cream.

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Roasted peas

Peas, beans, corn, chickpeas… all roasted and seasoned in a different way, usually with a salty and hot mix of species.

These snacks are always sold by hawkers and can be found a bit everywhere along Kathmandu streets.

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Others snacks….

Walking along Kathmandu streets I’m still surprised with something new in terms of food, prepared in the street or made in small eateries, sometimes so small that most of the things are cooked on the streets… sometimes is not easy to get the name or the ingredients… but here there a few more snacks!!!

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puff pastry filled with meat or vegetables. Basantapur, Durbar Square. Kathmandu

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potato deep-fry snack, popular in the afternoon. Kathmandu

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Enjoy!

Food in Northeast India… for vegetarians!

For a vegetarian diet, all the Northeast Indian states visited were a tremendous disillusionment, capable even of taking out the appetite. With the exception of the state of Assam, whose population is mostly Hindu, meat consumption is a constant presence in the states of Nagaland and Meghalaya, which dominates Christianity.

So this text is only a pale sample of the Northeast States cuisine, but it serves as a guide to those who choose not to eat meat or fish and planning to travel in these remote places.

In the states of Nagaland and Meghalaya is clear the influence of Asian cuisine, often coming up the noodles and chowming, while in Assam is clear the influence of Indian cuisine, specifically from the Punjab region. But the more than 2300 kilometers that separate the two regions, cause a diminish in the intensity of the flavours and reduced the range of ingredients.

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puri stall at Mon village. An almost mandatory stop before a shared-taxi trip in Nagaland.

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Assam and the parathas

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In Assamese cities are easy to find the classic Indian dishes, such as the dal (lentil curry) as the vegetable and beans curries. The samosas are also very popular as also some other deep fry stuff as the puris. Being a state crossed by the gigantic Brahmaputra River, which floods the plains and creates an ideal place for planting rice, a cereal essential in any Indian meal.

What stood out in Assam were the parathas, a flatbread made from wheat flour that can be found almost in any part of the country, but in Assam have a kind of twist: are thicker and more oily, pale and without the toasted look, resulting in a compact and undercooked dough. These parathas can be stuffed with potato masala, or more often plain, served with simple curries, usually made from potatoes and yellow-peas. The parathas can be found in most of the restaurants and dhabas but are often available in street stalls, being a popular street food in Assam.

The classic Indian thali, a meal based on rice, dal and vegetables, is also a bit different in Assam, with a very watery dal, a tasteless curry and over the rice a piece of steamed cabbage… yes! just a plain steamed cabbage without any seasoning. Very healthy, fills the stomach but don’t leave a good memory.

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The parathas can be found in most of the restaurants and dhabas but are often available in street stalls, being a popular street food in Assam. — The *parathas* can be found in most of the restaurants and *dhabas* but are often available in street stalls, being a popular street food in Assam.

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These parathas can be stuffed with potato masala, or more often plain, served with simple curries, usually made from potatoes and yellow-peas.

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The classic Indian thali, a meal based on rice, dal and vegetables, is also a bit different in Assam, with a very watery dal, a tasteless curry and over the rice a piece of steamed cabbage. .. yes, just a plain steamed cabbage without any seasoning. Very healthy, fills the stomach but don't leave a good memory. — The classic Indian thali, a meal based on rice, dal and vegetables, is also a bit different in Assam, with a very watery dal, a tasteless curry and over the rice a piece of steamed cabbage. .. yes, just a plain steamed cabbage without any seasoning. Very healthy, fills the stomach but don’t leave a good memory.

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Nagaland and the “puris”

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If at Assam the cuisine proved uninspired, at least in what concern vegetarian option, at Nagaland state every meal was a challenge for a vegetarian traveler. At mountain areas dominates the meat, present in all markets at Nagaland, as also smoked and dry fish.

At the entrance of small towns, there’s always an area where animals are gathered waiting to be slaughtered, while other pieces of meat are sold to those arriving by motorbike or car or to the ones that are traveling by bus, and use the stops for pick passengers to do the shopping. At the cities, the slaughter of animals, mostly turkey and chicken, is made at the markets, where birds wait in cages. Though the air spreads the smell of blood and animal shit that create a sad and heavy atmosphere.

In Nagaland cities, you can find some vegetarian options such as the so-called “rice”: a rice-based dish, with dal and vegetables, or noodles soup or stir-fry noodles. But in the small villages or in more remote areas as Mon, there is not much more to eat than rice and some boiled greens, seasoned with a fermented and spicy vegetables.

An option that can be found a bit everywhere, and along the day, are the puris, a small flatbread, fried in oil and served with a potato and a small bowl of yellow-peas curry. The puris are excessively oily, here more than usual, soaking the newspaper where they are served, and the curry is spicy but watery. This results in a highly caloric but little nutritious meal, yet quite popular among the local population at Mon, Kohima and Mokochung.

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But in the small villages or in more remote areas as Mon, there is not much more to eat than rice and some boiled greens, seasoned with a fermented and spicy vegetables.

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Meghalaya and the Asian influence

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Despite the proximity to Bangladesh, the state of Meghalaya is visible the influence from the Asian cuisine by the noodles (rice flour pasta) served in soups or stir-fry. From Tibet came the momos, a small bun stuffed with meat or vegetables.

Shillong, the capital of this state is very modern and cosmopolitan, so it’s easy to find restaurants of the international chains of fast-food, but due to a large number of Indian tourists, there is a wide range of restaurants with traditional Indian dishes.

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From Tibet came the momos, a small bun stuffed with meat or vegetables. — From Tibet came the **momos,** a small bun stuffed with meat or vegetables.

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Despite the proximity to Bangladesh, the state of Meghalaya is visible the influence from the Asian cuisine by the noodles (rice flour pasta) served in soups or stir-fry. — Despite the proximity to Bangladesh, the state of Meghalaya is visible the influence from the Asian cuisine by the **noodles** (rice flour pasta) served in soups or stir-fry.

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A breakfast at Northeast India

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As this is a region with little international tourism that make almost impossible to find the so-called “continental breakfast” outside the more fancy hotels.

But breakfast usually is not a problem, as the local options reveal almost always a good choice, but in Northeast India this option proved daunting. At Assam was a paratha, served with potato curry and accompanied by a jam. At Meghalaya, in the village of Sohra, the only option available, without meat, was a plate of rice with chickpeas and mint sauce with chili… by chance a simple but tasty combination. At Nagaland, along one of the long bus trip, was time for a chai and a samosa… very tasty and popular combination. At Mon, before starting a journey of 8 hours by sumo (shared taxi), there was an opportunity to taste a very popular breakfast among the local population: deep-fried dough served with a potato curry… a very oily option to start the day!

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At Meghalaya, in the village of Sohra, the only option available, without meat, was a plate of rice with chickpeas and mint sauce with chili... by chance a simple but tasty combination. — At Meghalaya, in the village of Sohra, the only option available, without meat, was a plate of rice with chickpeas and mint sauce with chili… by chance a simple but tasty combination.

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At Nagaland, along one of the long bus trip, was time for a chai and a samosa... very tasty and popular combination. — At Nagaland, along one of the long bus trip, was time for a chai and a samosa… very tasty and popular combination.

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At Mon, before starting a journey of 8 hours by sumo (shared taxi), there was an opportunity to taste a very popular breakfast among the local population, deep-fried dough served with a potato curry ... a very oily option to start the day! — At Mon, before starting a journey of 8 hours by sumo (shared taxi), there was an opportunity to taste a very popular breakfast among the local population, deep-fried dough served with a potato curry … a very oily option to start the day!

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Sweets

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The only experience with sweets along this trip through Northeastern Indian states was been in Assam, where beyond the classic Indian sweets, there was something new for me: a kind of puff dough, deep-fried and drizzled with a thick sugar syrup that after cool down become solid. This syrup results in a yellow-brown color with a bright and appealing look, sold in different shapes, but with a monotonous and boring taste of sugar.

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in Assam, where beyond the classic Indian sweets, there was something new for me: a kind of puff dough, deep-fried and drizzled with a thick sugar syrup that after cool down become solid. This syrup results in a yellow-brown color with a bright and appealing look, sold in different shapes, but with a monotonous and boring taste of sugar

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Markets

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Markets are always a place that awakens the senses, sharpens the curiosity and stimulates the imagination to try to identify the products sold and their use in the gastronomy of each region.

Kohima, in Nagaland, definitely stood out by the markets, where the exotic and diverse food supply reflects the originality of Nagaland cuisine that includes a lot of meat, eggs, dried fish, eels, snails, worms, mice, frogs… and wasp larvae, still sold in the hive.

Regarding vegetables, these markets show a mix of tropical and mountain products. From the warm plains of Assam come the papaya, and the banana. But, as also in Burma, beyond the fruit, the trunk and the flower of the banana tree are also used for cooking. From the cool mountain air of Nagaland arrive a wide variety of mushrooms and bamboo that are eaten in sprouts. There’s also a big range of veggies, many of them totally unknown to the European taste.

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Regarding vegetables, these markets show a mix of tropical and mountain products. Kohima Market. Nagaland

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Dried fish and eels at Mao Market. Kohima. Nagaland

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worms sold at Mao Market, in Kohima. Nagaland

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nagaland_mokochung_market_dsc_8718 — Vegetables in a Kohima market. Nagaland.

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Kohima, in Nagaland, definitely stood out by the markets, where the exotic and diverse food supply reflects the originality of Nagaland cuisine that includes a lot of meat, eggs, dried fish, eels, snails, worms, mice, frogs... and wasp larvae, still sold in the hive. — Kohima, in Nagaland, definitely stood out by the markets, where the exotic and diverse food supply reflects the originality of Nagaland cuisine that includes a lot of meat, eggs, dried fish, eels, snails, worms, mice, frogs… and wasp larvae, still sold in the hive.

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***

As a conclusion, it can be considered that the gastronomical experience offered in the visit to the northeastern states of India wasn’t enjoyable, left a memory of monotonous and tasteless food, where the potato was a constant ingredient in almost all meals over the 22 days trip… but of course this is a point of view of a vegetarian, who can not do justice a cuisine of such a large area.

Myanmar food… where India meets China!!

Reflecting the cultural and ethnic diversity of this country, situated between the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia, the Burmese cuisine is very rich and diverse, where is visible a strong Indian and Chinese influence.

Compared to neighbouring Thailand, Burmese dishes may seem poor and too simple, but have the advantage of offering a wide variety of tastes in the same meal, ranging from salty to bitter, and from spicy to sour. Away from the refined palates and sweet taste of Thai curries, and with a strong presence of oily and deep-fried food.

Both meat and fish, from river or sea, are present in many of the thick and fatty curries, that usually are part of a traditional Burmese meal. Around a big bowl of rice are served small plates, with these curries as also lentils or beans stewed, stir-fry vegetables, raw vegetable salads, pickled bamboo shoots, a platter of fresh vegetables such as okra, green beans, small eggplants, cabbage, etc…. A broth of vegetables, very light and clear, is served in a small bowl with this meal, that can be flavored with raw garlic, chilies, and a mixture, dry or oily, of dried shrimps.

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mohinga, pela facilidade em se encontrar nas ruas de qualquer cidade ou povoação, à beira da estrada, junto a mercados ou em ruas secundárias, pode ser considerada o prato mais popular entre os birmaneses, sendo muitas vezes consumido ao pequeno almoço. — “mohinga”, a noodle soup, easy to find on streets stalls of any city or town, as also in markets; it can be considered the most popular dish among the Burmese, often consumed at breakfast

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pão frito, uma espécie de farturas mas sem açúcar, que é popular ao pequeno-almoço como acompanhamento do café ou do chá — deep-fried bread, light and without sugar, which is popular for breakfast or with a tea or coffee

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preparação da let thoke, uma salada à base de massa, legumes frescos como tomate e couve, com muitos anónimos e indecifráveis condimentos, tudo ligado com farinha de grão e misturado com as mãos — Preparation of “let thoke”, a noodle salad, made with fresh vegetables such as tomato and cabbage seasoned with many anonymous and indecipherable condiments, all mix with chickpea flour and fresh hands

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let thoke — “mohing” on the left and “let thok” right… on the back is cooked plain rice, served with the broth, that often is served as side dish of salads

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ingredientes para mohinga e let thoke — ingrediants for the “mohinga” and “let thoke”

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Burmese meals are usually taken among family and friends who gathered around the table sharing the various dishes and mixing them the plate with small pieces of rice. Meals are taken in quiet, little given to conversation, with attention directed to the food.

The tea is always served with meals, as also in almost all places, from tea shops, restaurants, cafes and even street stalls, which is available for free, keep in the thermos or in the traditional kettles, and drunk in small bowls, that usually are waiting on the top od the tables.

A regular presence at meals and also used for the preparation of salads is the “laphet”, a fermented green tea leaves mixture, that have very characteristic acid flavor.

The “laphet” in the main ingredient of one of the most popular salads, which also have chopped tomato, cabbage finely sliced, crispy fry peanuts, chickpeas or broad beans also fried and is seasoned with lime juice. To this mixture, that is served cold, can be added rice, getting the name of “támin dhouq”.

Another popular salad is let “thoke” made from wheat noodles (that differ from the traditional rice noodles by the yellow color), that is mixed with vegetables and seasoning with mysterious sauces; all these ingredients are involved with chickpea flour, to become less wet, resulting in a strong meal, good the start of the day.

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preparação de fritos à base de lentilhas, pequenos peixes ou de camarão seco, que depois de fritos forma uma espécie de bolacha que poder ser consumida como um snack ou como acompanhamento de sopas — deep fry salty crackers to eat with the burmese soups

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doces de massa de arroz recheados com uma pasta feita à base de côco fresco e açúcar — sweets made from rice flour and fill with fresh coconut and sugar. they are cooked over the fire along the street of Mandalay, resulting in a sponge texture

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restaurante de rua em Yangon — Street restaurant at Yangon

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praticamente toda a comida é confeccionada em fogões a lenha, tanto em restaurantes como, nos mercados e em bancas de rua — In Myanmar almost all the food is cooked with fire stoves

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But the most popular dish of Burmese cuisine is undoubtedly the “mohinga”: rice noodles soaked in a thick fish broth mix with vegetables and banana trunk sliced… yes! the tender parts of the trunk of the banana tree are also used for cooking in Burma. Sometimes this broth is flavored with fish or crab, but due to the overcooking, just the taste remains.
This soup is seasoned with onion, fried or raw, garlic, dried chilis, fresh coriander and a few more condiments coming out from anonymous bottles that are placed around the table where this dish is prepared. The “mohinga” is a typical Burmese street food, prepared and sold in small street stalls that are set up early morning and run until around 9 or 10 a.m, return in the afternoon, around 4 p.m. until sunset.

The “mohinga” soup can be enhanced with samosas, fried tofu or some fried vegetables, chopped and placed on top. But usually, this soup has a topping of a crispy wafer, made from lentil flour, and fried in oil.

For vegetarians, there are several options in the Burmese cousin, and it’s not difficult to find, especially in big cities, in the neighbourhoods dominated by Hindu and Indo-Burmese population. From neighbouring India, particularly from the southern state of Tamil Nadu, come the curries and dosas, as also parathas, naans, and samosas… in more Muslim areas or neighbourhoods, it’s particularly easy to find the “biryanis”, rice mixed with a meat curry, but in Burma is easy to find a vegetarian version of this dish.

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salada let thoke — “let thoke” salad where the funny taste of fermented the green leaf mis with the fry peanuts

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Venda de doces junto ao mercado no centro da cidade de Yangon — Sweet sold in on of the markers that every morning fill up the Yangon streets

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o famoso MSG, ou mais comumente designado de glutamato monossódico, um intensificador de sabor que está mais ou menos presente na confecção da comida que se encontra nos restaurantes e nos vendedores ambulantes, um pouco por todos os países do sudoeste asiático, mas que na Birmânia é mais evidente, chegando a ser usado em substituição do sal — The MSG, a kind of salt that is a popular presence in Asian food, but that in Myanmar is very common leaving a thirsty sensation in the month

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várias variações de arroz glutinoso, que pelo seu paladar naturalmente adocicado serve de snack ou complemento ao pequeno-almoço, dificilmente se encontrando à venda depois das dez da manhã — Stick rice with different presentation… some more salty, others more sweet… the black one is my favourit

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Being the curries the most popular of the traditional Burmese cuisine, and despite Burma being a Buddhist country, it’s not so easy to find vegetable curries, especially in rural areas where the options are limited to chicken or pork. But is always possible to have a proper meal, with rice and the others side-dishes that are usually served with the meal, like stews, beans, raw vegetables, etc…
In the cities, usually by the end of the day, there are several stalls that make fried rice or fried noodles, and as the food is prepared in the moment is always possible to ask to use just vegetables.

Both meat and fish can be cooked fresh, and are sold in all markets, that work both early in the morning as in the evening; but at the end of the day, the hygienic conditions deteriorate significantly by the intense heat and by the presence of flies… lots of flies. But the dried fish are also very popular, filling large areas in the markets with its characteristic smell which joins the dried seafood, often tiny shrimp, widely used in the preparation of salads. The dried meat is also part of Burmese cuisine, and easy to identify in curries by its dark color and compact texture.

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preparação de comida num dos muitos restaurante de rua em Yangon — street food at Yangon

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confecção de noodles numa das ruas de Yangon, onde a pasta feita à base de farinha de arroz e água é “espremida” através de um passador específico, para dentro de uma panela de água a ferver, ficando cozidos em pouco mais de um minuto — making rice noodles in the streets of Yangon

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Restaurante de rua em Yangon servindo os tradicionais pequenos-almoços indianos de dosa e puri, acompanhado de sambar e chutney de côco. — South Indian style breakfast, “dosa” and “puri”, served with sambar and a spicy coconut chutney

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laphet, folhas de chá verde fermentadas — “laphet”… fermented tea leafs

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açúcar de palma, também designado de jageri, que se encontra à venda nos mercados, apresentando-se quase em “bruto” de aspecto escuro ou mais “limpo” ganhando tons de amarelo-torrado, mas sempre de cheiro e sabor intensos, bem longe do excessivo e artificial sabor do açúcar refinado a que estamos habituados — Palm sugar, also call “jageri”, with a intense flavour and smell

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refeição típica birmanesa, com sopa e vários acompanhamentos que se misturam com o arroz — typical Burmese meal, with rice, soup, vegetables and salad… in a vegetarian option without the greasy meat of fish curries

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pequeno restaurante em Nyaung-U, com a salada de laphet, foi acompanhada da cerveja Myanmar, a mais popular, num país onde o consumo do álcool não é muito evidente, com excepção dos Thingyan Festival e acontecimentos especiais, onde cafés e a maioria dos restaurantes não vende bebidas alcoólicas — restaurant at Nyaung-U

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And now the sweets!!!… they are an important aspect of a gastronomy of any country, and Burma offers plenty of variety: from traditional Indian sweets to the Chinese cakes, stuffed with a chickpea mixture. In general, the Burmese sweets are made from rice, both from glutinous rice as from dough made with rice flour, creating consistent and gelatinous puddings and tarts, mainly with a wet texture.
Very often the condensed milk is used as a sweetener, and is very easy to identify by the taste, as also by the can, always present in shops, restaurants, tea-shops and street stalls
These sweets have frequently a fresh grated coconut topping, or in the case of glutinous rice, a mixture of roasted sesame with salt, which brings an excellent contrast to the sweetness of the condensed milk.
Another specialty is the puddings made with semolina: sweet, sticky but delicious, that can also be made with over cooked rice or noodles.
To this rice sweets, there is also a big variety of deep fry sweet dough, filled or not with a sweet bean paste or lentils, the soft and oily crepes filled with the same mixture, and fried bananas, a Thai influence but here a heavier and greasy version.
Besides sweet shops, that usually can only be found in larger cities, the best place to try these delicacies are the markets where ladies sell sweets made by themselves, giving a homemade taste and creating many variations from city to city and even from stall to stall, a show of creativity and diversity.

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sumo de cana de açúcar, feito na hora, e que é verdadeiramente irresistível nas horas de maior calor, juntado à frescura do gelo a aparente energia do açúcar, com o suave e fresco paladar da cana de açúcar... até parece uma coisa saudável!!! — Sugar cane juice, it’s irresistible during hot days, giving freshness and energy

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preparação de pahratas num estabelecimentos em Mandalay — dough for “pahratas” waiting to be cooked

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espécie de puri de tamanho gigante, pão frito numa chapa sobre as brasas com um pouco de óleo e que companha geralmente com um caril de grão ou de lentilhas, refeição reservada para o pequeno-almoço, numa clara influencia indiana — A giant “puri”, flat bread cooked in a metal surface over the fire, that is a influence of the Indian gastronomy

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Como acompanhamento do chá ou de um café tomado ao meio da manhã, os dumplings, recheados de carne ou de feijão, são herança das comunidades de origem chinesa que se encontram espalhadas por toda a Birmânia — The “dumplings”, sweet or sour, fill with meat or beans, are an influence of Chinese cuisine and are popular with a tea or a coffee takes in one of the many tea shops

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Salada de pahrata, onde esta é cortada em tiras e servida com cebola, uma variante birmanesa à indo-muçulmana pahrata — This is a “pahrata” salad a oily snack served with raw onions; a Burmese twist to the south Indian “pahrata”

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Numa das ruas de Yangon, encontram-se pequenas bancas de venda de comida, em especial durante a manhã, altura em que os fritos são muito populares, seja bananas seja somente de massa simples, recheada de lentilhas ou grão — Several kinds of deep-fry stuff that are a bit everywhere in the streets of Yangon, usually early morning or later, in the end of the afternoon

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Loja de venda de carne seca, muito consumida na Birmânia, assim como o peixe — Dry meat in a shop in Yangon in a country where due to the long distances is still very common to find dry meat and dry fish in the markets

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Like other Asian countries, there is here what we call the “cult of the table”, with food is taken when one is hungry, despite the time of the day, without starters or deserts. Food can be found almost everywhere, from restaurants to markets as also t the countless street stall, that can be found a bit everywhere, from the big cities to small villages. Knives are absent and all the food consumed with a spoon and sometimes a fork.

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Despite you can have food during all day, there are specific times for each kind of meal, with markets, shops and streets stalls being subject to very specific schedule, which requires some effort to learn and incorporate. For example: you can’t find “mohinga” at lunch time, as also impossible to find pahratas in the middle of the morning, who wants to eat “samosas” will have to wait for the end of the day, and those who choose a “laphet” salad to accompany a beer will have to wait for the sunset. However, the big cities like Yangon and Mandalay are more flexible since there are many restaurants, while small towns the food is mostly consumed in markets and streets stalls, where is very often the takeaway system, here called “pásê”.

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mohinga numa das ruas de Sittwe, que foi quase sempre a minha opção nesta estadia na Birmânia, seja como pequeno-almoço ou como um vespertino jantar pelas quatro e meia da tarde, pois às cinco horas já esgotou!!! — One of the many “mohinga” that were my favourit option for breakfast… this one in a backstreet in Sittwe

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A mohinga da despedida da Birmânia, servida à beira da estrada de acesso ao posto fronteiriço de Myawady minutos antes de cruzar a fronteira com a Tailândia — The last “mohinga” before leaving Myanmar, served in a road side restaurant nearby the Myawady border crossing to Thailand

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Above all, what stands out in Burmese cuisine is its diversity, varying significantly from region to region, and even from city to city, being a result of the geographic presence of Burma between the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia. The markets reflect the local products, subject to seasonality and to the local products, in a country where the weak transport system don’t promote big exchanges and where the political system are not open to imports, keeping the Burmese gastronomy almost intact.

Laos food… a bit more than noodles soup

With many similarities with the cuisine of Thailand and some influences of China and Vietnam, the traditional Lao food is a modest sample of the neighbouring countries cuisine. Stand out the noodles and soups, but the grilled are also very popular, but despite the meat is a constant presence, the consumption of fish is not unusual, given the proximity to the Mekong and other rivers that cross the country.

For vegetarians, the options are very slim, not much more than noodles soup, which even if you order without meat, the broths are usually made with chicken or pork and probably you’ll notice the flavour of meat, that can be disguised with the spicy sauces and seasonings alway available.

The noodle soup was a constant presence in my diet during my stay in Laos, where I ate noodles soup at least once a day, often as breakfast.

Both in cities as small villages there are always restaurants that serve only serve noodle soup, changing the quality of the broth and the kind of meat served, but especially the type of noodles that can range from very thin and almost transparent to thicker and consistent strips, but always made from rice flour.

The soup is served with a plate full of raw vegetables such as cabbage, lettuce, green beans, leeks, spring onions, mint, spinach and other vegetables popular in Asian markets but absent from western cuisine. The soups aren’t spicy at all, but sauces like fish, soy, oyster, etc… but chilly can be added in powder, as fresh chilies or as an oily paste, which is often generously laid on the soup and can transform a clear broth in a red soup. Limes in slices are always available on the tables of restaurants, which give a twist of freshness to these soups.

To eat this soup in Laos style, you must use bamboo chopsticks to eat the noodles and other solid ingredients, while the spoon in the left hand is used to eat the broth.

As an alternative to the noodle soup, is also possible to find rice soup, a broth made with overcooked rice which are added a bit of spring onions, soy sprouts and small pieces of meat. This option can only be found in the morning as it just eaten as breakfast with a glass of green tea.

Very popular is the lap, a dish that can be with meat or fish, usually very spicy, prepared with lots of mint leaves and chilies, which is generally eaten with hands with the help of stick-rice, a very glutinous type of rice, dominant in Laos.

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The best noodles soup in Laos, ate in the first day, just after crossing the border at Huay Xai, with lots of vegetables peanut sauce and tea

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Stiky-rice, servido como é tradicional em potes de bambo — Sticky rice, in the traditional bambu pots

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Sticky-rice a acompanhar um prato de vegetais salteados... uma alternativa vegetariana à tradicinal carne grelhada que acompanha este tipo de arroz — Sticky-rice with stir fry vegetables… but usually this kind of rice is served with meat

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restaurante em Luang Prabang que somente serve sopa de noodles, aberto desde manhã bem cedo mas que encerra pouco depois da 1 hora da tarde — street restaurant in Luang Prabang that only have noodles, open since early morning, but close around 1 pm; very popular between local people, serving a good food for a very cheap price, in a casual environment

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ingredientes para a preparação da sopa de noodles, que para além dos vegetais custuma ter pedaços de carne, por vezes sangue cozido ou visceras, que são também usadas na confecção do caldo — tray with the ingredients for the noodles soup that apart from a wide range of vegetables, also have meat, intestines and cooked blood

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ingredientes para a preparação da sopa de noodles — Ingredients for noodles soup

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Besides the noodle soup, you can find easily fried rice and fried noodles. Curries are also part of Laos gastronomy but simple and less sophisticated versions of the ones served in Thailand.

Is visible a greater diversity in the food served in the North of the country, a more wet and fertile area, compared to southern regions, where the climate is dryer and supply are more limited, except the rice that dominates the landscape in the south flat areas.

About sweets, there is little to say because the desserts are not part of the menu of typical restaurants in Laos, being very rare to find some pastry out of the tourist areas. However, as also in Thailand, the rotis are very popular, and can be found in street stalls, that show up after the sun set along the city street. The rotis are a kind of pancake, made from a very thin dough, stuffed with banana, chocolate or egg, fried bit a bit of oil, and drizzled with condensed milk in the end, for extra sweetness.

This roti business is very popular and dominated almost exclusively by Indians, many from Chennai, as this area the roti, in a plain style, are usually eaten with the meal. This Indian community provides also restaurants where is possible to find the traditional Indian dishes for those already tired of some monotony of Lao cuisine.

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banca de rua em Vientianne que serve dsde manhã bem cedo sopa de arroz e sopa de noodles, assim como o tradicional café — Street stall in Vientianne that since early morning serve rice and noodles soup, as also the traditional Lao coffee, being a very popular place between local people

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molhos e picantes que são adicionados à comida, juntamente com sal, e açucar: uma presença constante em todas as mesas dos restaurantes tradicionais do Laos — A big range of condiments and sauces are available in the restaurants tables, as also sugar, that is manny times added to the food

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Muitos do condimentos usados na cozinha do Laos são de origem Tailandesa ou, como é o caso, Chineza — Most of the ingredients used in Lao cuisine come from Thailand and China, making it hard to understand what we have on the table to seasoning the food

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The so-called Lao Coffee is a constant presence throughout the country, usually served in the morning on the street stalls. But it can also be found in the more sophisticated cafes in touristic and cosmopolitan areas of Luang Prabang and Vientiane, side by side with French bakery.

The Lao coffee is prepared in a very characteristic way: there’s a metal pot, which always keeps in the heat with boiling water, from where the water is removed with a ladle and poured into a jug, passing through a conical filter cloth, containing the coffee powder. From the jug it’s poured into small glasses, passing again through the coffee filter, to make ti stronger. In the end is usually added condensed milk, or sugar with milk powdered. The coffee that remains in the filter is used more than once, serving to prepare several coffees. It can also be drunk plain without dairy or sweeteners, and this is the best way to appreciate the dense and thick texture of this coffee that have an unexpectedly soft taste and somewhat light bitter flavor.

The price of a Lao Coffee is from 4,000 to 5,000 kips, and is often served accompanied by a kind of bread made in the of fried dough, and sometimes is also serve with a glass of tea… yes, the tea is served even with the coffee and is offered for free.

The French presence is visible in the bread, especially the baguettes, which are sold on the streets and bus terminals, consume as a meal or as a snack between meals, stuffed with not-identify paste, spicy sauces, meat (usually pork or processed meat) and vegetables. They are a popular option for a meal in the long and endless bus trips, due to be easy to take away and to the low price around 7,000 10,000 kips, less than 1 euro.

In tourist areas, it is possible to find restaurants with a wide range of Western food, but with much higher prices than traditional food found in the simple and modest restaurants frequented by locals, where you can have a meal for 10,000 kip, about 1 €.

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In terms of snacks the Lao coisine doesn’t offer many choice, being basically rice cakes, that can be sweet or salted. The sweat ones are made from puff rice, and the salted version is made with cooked rice, mix with egg that is grill with the shape of a small pancake.

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noodles frescos vendidos nos mercados espalhados por todo o Laos, e que marcam a diferença entre as várias sopas vendidas em restaurnates, muitas das vezes contiguos uns aos outros — fresh noodles, that can be found all over the country, being sold in markets and also made in the restaurants. the quality of the noodles make the difference in the soups, making on place more popular than the one next door

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Food

Serving systems

The Padang Meal

Dishes at Masakan Padang

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Where to sleep in Padang:

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Where to eat in Padang:

How to move around Padang:

See also: Masakan Psdang… the most popular Indonesian cuisine

Muktinath Thakali Kitchen

Om Restaurant

A guide to snacks and street food in Pushkar for vegetarians!

Kachori… crunchy and spicy

Poha… my favourite breakfast

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Paratha… best paratha ever!

Baati

Dal Baati

Thali… in Rajasthan style!

Lassi, sweet lassi

Chai

Snacks and street food in Kathmandu for vegetarians… a quick guide about what to eat and where to eat!

Momos

Samosa

Samosa Chaat

Dahi Puri

Sekuwa

Lassi

Curd (Juju Dhau)

Sel Roti

Khajuri

Laakhamari

Nepali doughnuts (donuts)

Roasted peas

Others snacks….

Assam and the parathas

Nagaland and the “puris”

Meghalaya and the Asian influence

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A breakfast at Northeast India

Sweets

Markets

For vegetarians, the options are very slim, not much more than noodles soup, which even if you order without meat, the broths are usually made with chicken or pork and probably you’ll notice the flavour of meat, that can be disguised with the spicy sauces and seasonings alway available.

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