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EATING VEGAN IN : THE EXTENSIVE GUIDE By Liz Miu @itslizmiu

By LIZ MIU @ITSLIZMIU on Instagram 1

10 GENERAL EATING TIPS & HINTS

1. EAT WHERE IT’S BUSY A busy place is a good place. Keep a keen eye out for where the locals are eating, where local families are eating, what’s packed out at and dinner and ask around to see where people like to eat. Why? BUSY signals taste and deliciousness, but more importantly it signals good -safety and hygiene standards. Being busy also means that they have a faster flow of produce going in and out of the kitchen, so you’re more likely to eat a hot delicious that was made 5 minutes ago instead of one that’s been pre-prepared and sitting out for a while.

2. DON’T EAT RAW FRUIT AND VEG THAT CAN’T BE PEELED As a general rule of thumb its best to stay away from raw fruit and veg that you can’t skin completely. This means not ordering leafy salads that might have been washed in tap water in the kitchen. Stay with cooked food where you can - it’s just safer. So , and are all yes yes yes. Eating salad in fancier/touristy/more expensive places is generally fine. Say no to pre-cut fruit as delicious as it often looks – you don’t know how long it’s been sitting out there! If they can cut a fresh piece for you, great. Also drinking on the side of the road are safe.

3. EAT WITH YOUR RIGHT HAND Get into the habit of eating with your hand! It’s fun and according to Ayurveda, it makes the food taste better – something to do with the tastebuds and fingertips having a connection. If you want to try it, which I highly recommend, eat with your RIGHT hand and right hand only, because lefty is used for wiping your ass. It’s quite a skill to be able to eat rice with your hand – a kind of scoop with your 4 fingers and push with your thumb action, so its not a bad idea if you want to practice before coming to India. Head to an Indian eatery and try ripping or dosa with one hand! Rolling is the key! Don’t be afraid to get a bit messy and do mix different things together for new flavour combos – it makes eating such a joy! Pinch to make things stick together, use a bit of to scoop up and rice, crush pappadums on your food – you are the king/queen of the plate. You got this. 4. GET FAMILIAR WITH THE WASH ROOM Get into the habit of washing your hands before and after every meal and you could save days of serious vomiting and/or endless diarrhoea. India is a dusty place and you never know what germs are landing on your hands. Most restaurants will have a washroom or a basin for you to clean your hands before and after your meal. Don’t be scared! Use it! That’s what its there for. I also carry hand sanitiser around with me everywhere just in case. 5. IF IN DOUBT, DON’T DRINK THE WATER Again, a rule of thumb. Just don’t drink the water unless you know

By LIZ MIU @ITSLIZMIU on Instagram 2 its safe, and ask for no ice. Fancier restaurants will serve filtered water on the tables and the ice will be manufactured in a safe place, but you should always ask if you’re not sure. 6. INDIA LIKES IT SWEET Indians tend to have a very sweet palette - almost sickly sweet. They tend to add or sugar syrup to everything including fruit juices, even if freshly squeezed. Lemon or lime soda is a hit here, but asking for the sugar on the side is always a good idea and you can pour in your desired amount of sweetener. 7. INTRODUCE YOURSELF TO INDIAN ‘CHINESE’ Okay, so you know how there’s Westernised Chinese food? Like.. ‘Chinese’ food that Chinese people don’t actually eat, dishes like ‘ Chicken’ or ‘General Tso’s Chicken’. Well in India, there’s a whole bunch of ‘Chinese’ dishes too! It’s kind of amazing how dishes have been tweaked to suit the Indian palette, and the dishes on offer are pretty standard across all of India. Give them a go because you won’t actually be able to eat them anywhere else! ‘Gobi 65’ is an example of an ‘Chinese’ dish in India. SCROLL DOWN FOR RECOMMENDED CHINESE EATS! 8. EAT VEGAN Don’t want to get sick? EAT VEGAN! Seriously, it’s pretty damn easy to eat vegan in India and it’ll probably save you a few days on the toilet. Meat, eggs, dairy are all things MANY have recommended to go without in India, as refrigeration is just NOT A THING in a lot of places! This country is FAMOUS for vegetarian food so don’t even worry, you KNOW it’s going to be delicious. 9. TAKE PROBIOTICS WITH YOU It’s been 5 weeks in Mother India and we haven’t gotten sick ONCE. Touch wood. We have another 2 months to go, but I reckon these probiotics have helped a lot. I take one with food every 2-3 days, just to keep things movin’ inside me, and to boost the ol’ gut health a bit! It helps you digest some of those real heavy meals, especially all the breads in North India I’ve found! 10. SHOULD I EAT STREETFOOD? You’re in India! It would be a RIGHT SHAME if you didn’t try the streetfood! BUT be wary! Again, keep an eye out for the busiest stalls. ALSO, it is a good idea to give yourself a few days to get used to food in India in general, before throwing your gut into the deep end. SCROLL DOWN FOR RECOMMENDED STREETFOOD EATS!

By LIZ MIU @ITSLIZMIU on Instagram 3

10 VEGAN TIPS & HINTS

1. The terms VEGAN, GLUTEN-FREE and DAIRY-FREE are NOT widely used in India. You will have to specify which ingredients you do not want and it is very worthwhile to familiarise yourself some of the items of an Indian menu before going to India. 2. About a third of the population in India is VEGETARIAN. In some key religions here, eggs are not considered to be vegetarian, and a PURE-VEG RESTAURANT will never have eggs on the premises. However they will have dairy products, but it is generally very easy to ask for no /butter//paneer. 3. South Indian and North Indian food are distinctly DIFFERENT. South Indian Food is a lot more VEGAN and GLUTEN-FREE friendly. 4. The staple in is RICE. The staple in North India is WHEAT. The SOUTH is known for being slightly healthier and less heavy. (I guess this is a regular tip, but its still good to know!) 5. Vegetarian curries in the south will be generally vegan. 6. cream is used in the SOUTH and dairy cream is used in the NORTH. 7. The NORTH is known for richness in flavour (not that the South is less delicious – oh no no no!). Cooking in the North uses Ghee (clarified butter), Butter, Milk, Paneer (cheese), Curd () and Cream more often in curries and on breads. When you’re up north, you need to be very specific about what you don’t want, e.g. “I will have a garlic , but No Ghee and No Butter.” Even when you’re ordering South Indian like Dosa in the North, always request No Ghee, No Butter. 8. Badam Milk is a popular drink in India – the direct translation is almond milk, but heed this warning: it’s almond FLAVOURED dairy milk. 9. There are some standard ‘CHINESE’ menu items that are typical to most Indian menus – most of these will be vegan. 10. The good thing about menu items is that they tell you the main ingredients in them. Usually 2 words. E.g. literally means ‘spinach cheese’ – so ding ding ding, STAY AWAY. ALOO PALAK literally means ‘ spinach’ – so ding ding ding, ORDER DAT. Easy.

By LIZ MIU @ITSLIZMIU on Instagram 4

RECOMMENDATIONS: MY FAVOURITE DISHES DON’T BOTHER COMING HOME UNTIL YOU’VE TRIED…

SOUTH INDIAN • • ONION • PAPER MASALA DOSA • / • IDDYAPPAM • SOUTH INDIAN THALI • MUSHROOM MATAR (curry) • KURKURI BHINDI (/starter)

NORTH INDIAN • KATHI ROLL • LAACHA • CHANA BHATURA/CHOLE BHATURA • (curry) • (snack/starter)

CHINESE • CHILLI POTATO • HOT AND SOUR SOUP • MANCHURIAN • GOBI 65 • SZECHUAN GOBI

NEPALESE/TIBETAN • KOTHEY MOMOS • THUPKA

STREETFOOD & SWEETS • PANI or GOL GAPPA (streetfood) • (sweet) • CHIKKI (sweet)

SUPERMARKET • LAYS MASALA MAGIC CHIPS • LAYS SPANISH TOMATO TANGO • DR OETKERS CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER • AMUL’S FRUIT AND NUT DARK CHOCOLATE • MASON & CO. CHOCOLATE BLOCKS • PAPER BOAT CHIKKI • HALDIRAM’S SOAN PAPDI

By LIZ MIU @ITSLIZMIU on Instagram 5

GOOD WORDS TO KNOW

#3GCMW A.K.A. 3 GENERALLY CONFUSING MENU WORDS

1. Meals – This is a Thali Plate. A big plate usually served with rice, pappadum and/or a and a taster of 4-5 different curries and chutneys. 2. – this is not gravy as we know it in the West, but actually just means there are bits swimming in thick sauce. E.g. Vegetable Manchurian Dry vs. Vegetable Manchurian Gravy is deep fried vegetable meatballs vs. deep fried vegetable meatballs swimming in thick sauce. Maybe this just confused me, because in hindsight it seems obvious, but HEY. I’m sharing because I’m a nupty sometimes, and maybe you’re a nupty too. HI-5. 3. Curd – Yogurt 4. – refers to the method of cooking, large cooking chamber that produces a signature roasted flavour. 4. Masala – just means spice

VEGAN GLOSSARY

UNSAFE BAD NO WORDS L SAFE HAPPY YES WORDS J Curd/Dahi Yogurt Aloo Potato Ghee/Butter Clarified Baingan/ /Aubergine Butter/Butter Bengan/ Northern Curry Brinjal braised in yogurt or Bindi/Bhindi Okra/Lady Fingers cream Paneer A Cheese Chana Yogurt based sauce Chole Spiced Chickpea Curry Tandoor vegetable , but the Gobi Cauliflower are coated in thick Jeera yogurt batter Kaju Malai Cream Masala Spice Matar/Mutter Peas Methi (herb) Palak Spinach

By LIZ MIU @ITSLIZMIU on Instagram 6

MENU

• This is an example of a Pure Veg menu. In reality, there are way more items on a full Indian menu. Like… way, way more. I’m just covering some basics. • Dishes are named either by Ingredients, e.g. Aloo Palak (Potato Spinach) or area of origin, e.g. Veg Hyderabadi (Vegetable curry in distinctive Hyderabadi style) • These are the dishes that can easily be made vegan. I have excluded dishes that cannot be made vegan. E.g. (cheese on a stick - ew) • SPELLING WILL VARY! I’ve seen Mushroom spelled more ways than you can imagine! Maashrum, masaroom, mashroom... etc. Keep it in mind. and Aloo Matar are the same thing. • I’ve marked what should be gluten-free with (GF). IF YOU ARE COELIAC – YOU SHOULD ALWAYS ASK

SOUTH INDIAN NAME OF DISH DESCRIPTION MAY CONTAIN / ASK TO OMIT (GF) Small -shaped item (can be thin) made with - fermented rice and coconut. Served with and/or chutneys. Dosa (GF) Crispy crepe made with fermented rice and IN THE NORTH: . Served with sambar and/or chutneys. GHEE - BUTTER Iddyappam (GF) A flat pancake-shaped food made with rice - noodles. Served with sambar and/or chutneys. (GF) Soft and fluffy steamed bread discs made with the - same batter as Dosa. Served with sambar and/or chutneys. Masala Dosa (GF) A Dosa filled with delicious Indian-spiced mashed IN THE NORTH: potatoes. Served with sambar and/or chutneys. GHEE - BUTTER Mysore Masala Dosa A Masala Dosa with a smear of chilli paste. IN THE NORTH: (GF) Served with sambar and/or chutneys. GHEE - BUTTER Onion Uttapam (GF) Same rice-lentil batter as Dosa but cooked thick IN THE NORTH: and topped with onion. -esque. GHEE - BUTTER Paper Dosa (GF) Dosa spread paper-thin! Super crispy. Sometimes IN THE NORTH: huge. Served with sambar and/or chutneys. GHEE - BUTTER Poha (GF) - like a savoury oatmeal but IN THE NORTH: better. Usually made with spices, herbs, potato GHEE - BUTTER and onion. (GF) A steamed and very dense rice and coconut staple. - Usually made into a thick cylindrical roll and served with sambar and/or chutneys. Rawa Dosa Dosa with semolina (not GF) IN THE NORTH: GHEE - BUTTER Rawa Uttapam Uttapam with semolina (not GF) IN THE NORTH: GHEE - BUTTER Tomato Uttapam (GF) Same rice-lentil batter as Dosa but cooked thick IN THE NORTH: and topped with tomato. Pizza-esque. GHEE - BUTTER /Uppuma A thick savoury porridge made with semolina IN THE NORTH: (wheat) or coarse . GHEE Uttapam Dosa spread thick, cooked for extra long on the IN THE NORTH: hot plate and topped with vegetables (generally GHEE - BUTTER tomato or onion). Somewhat pizza-esque. Vada/Medu Vada (GF) Crispy,savoury lentil and rice flour donuts. - Served with sambar and/or chutneys.

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NORTH INDIAN Bhatura A fried bread round made with wheat that puffs up in - the middle when hot. Deflates when you eat it.(Same as a Poori!) Chappati The most basic flat bread - made with wheat. - (supposedly the same as Roti, but in my head chappatis are thinner!) Chole Bhatura A Bhatura or 2 served with Chole and a small amount - (also known as Chana of spiced chickpea curry. Bhatura) Kathi Roll A wrap that can be ordered with a number of different GHEE – fillings. The wrap itself is usually a fluffy Paratha BUTTER bread, but it varies. Kulcha is a thick, small, round variation of naan GHEE – bread. There are different stuffed kulcha options on BUTTER the menu such as cauliflower (gobi) kulcha or onion kulcha Laccha Paratha Layered wheaten flatbread that is generally fluffy or GHEE – flaky - usually made in a visible spiral shape (those BUTTER are the layers!). Naan The thickest of Indian breads – naan is a layer of GHEE – wheat bread cooked in a Tandoor, giving it a nice BUTTER roasted flavour. Papad (GF) Pappadums – made out of lentil flour and fried or - roasted crisp. May be ordered with toppings, e.g. Masala Papad has lots of tomato and onion on top. Paratha Layered wheat flatbread. GHEE – BUTTER Poori/Puri A fried bread-round made with wheat that puffs up in - the middle when hot. Deflates when you eat it. (Same as a Bhatura!) Puri A simple dish consisting of fried pooris with a - potato curry. Roti The most basic flatbread, made with wheat. GHEE – (apparently the same as Chappati, but in my head BUTTER are thicker!) Tandoor Roti Roti cooked in a tandoor (a large cooking chamber GHEE – that produces a signature roasted flavour) BUTTER Tawa Roti Roti cooked on a tawa (small hot plate) GHEE – BUTTER

STARTERS/SNACKS Bhaji/Baaji/Bajji (GF) A battered and deep-fried snack. Popular Bhajis - include: Mirchi Bhaji (chilli ) or Onion Bhaji. Batter is usually made with chickpea flour. (Same as !) A snack ‘salad’ made with a tangy sauce and puffed - rice and topped with sev (savoury lentil sprinkles). Finger Chips - Gol Gappa An edible waterbomb - a small fried crisp wheat shell - stuffed with spiced potato and onion, and also filled with either spicy and sour water or various chutneys. (Similar to Pani Puri, there are variations of this snack all over India under different names) Pakora/Pakoda (GF) tend to be mixed-veggies or onion. They’re a - battered and deep-fried snack. Usually battered in chickpea flour (Same as Bhaji) Pani Puri An edible waterbomb - a small fried crisp wheat - shell stuffed with spiced potato or , onion, and spicy and sour water. (Similar to Gol Gappa, there are variations of this snack all over India under different names) Thick and spiced vegetable mix on a soft, fluffy GHEE – roll. Usually they slather butter on, so BUTTER ask for no ghee.

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Sabudana Vada (GF) Savoury fried potato patties made with tapioca pearls - so it looks slightly bubbly. Very crispy and delicious. Spiced vegetables (usually onion and potato) wrapped - in a wheat pastry and fried or baked. A street snack made with little crisp fried wheat - shells, filled with potato, onion and topped with chutneys and sev (savoury lentil sprinkles) Sidu A steamed bread stuffed with poppy seeds. Comes from the region of Himachal Pradesh. A spiced and fried potato patty in a soft white bun, GHEE – with chutneys and fried green chilli. BUTTER

SABJIS/SUBJIS (CURRIES) (GF) Potato Cauliflower GHEE – CURD Aloo Jeera (GF) Potato Cumin GHEE – CURD Aloo Masala (GF) Spiced Potato GHEE – CURD Aloo Matar (GF) Potato Peas GHEE – CURD Aloo Methi (GF) Potato Fenugreek GHEE – CURD Aloo Palak (GF) Potato Spinach GHEE – CURD Baby Corn Masala (GF) Spiced Baby Corn GHEE – CURD Baingan Bharta (GF) Like an Indian Baba Ganoush. Fire-Roasted GHEE – CURD (Aubergines) that gets made into a delicious curry. Baingan Masala (GF) Spiced Eggplant (Aubergine) GHEE – CURD Bindi Masala (GF) Spiced Okra (Lady Fingers) GHEE – CURD (GF) Spices Chickpeas - Dal Fry (GF) A thick lentil stew named after the method of GHEE cooking: the lentils are cooked until soft and mushy, separately to FRIED vegetables and spices. The two mixtures are then combined and simmered until the dal is ready. Dal Makani (GF) A thick lentil stew named after its texture: known GHEE – CURD for being a ‘buttery’ dal with a creamy texture. – BUTTER – Usually contains DAIRY! But some places will make CREAM - MILK without. Dal Tadka (GF) A thick lentil stew named after the method of GHEE cooking: the lentils are cooked until soft with onions, tomatoes and spices. A separate mix of spices like seeds and cumin are then cooked and added to the lentil mix. Hara Bhara Veg ‘meatball’ curry where the (balls) GHEE – CURD contain spinach and . The addition of - PANEER spinach and coriander makes the koftas ‘Hara Bhara’! Kaju Kari (GF) Cashew Curry GHEE – CURD Matar Palak (GF) Peas Spinach GHEE – CURD Mushroom Masala (GF) Spiced Mushroom curry GHEE – CURD Tomato Bharta (GF) Fire roasted tomato curry GHEE – CURD Veg Hyderabadi (GF) A vegetable curry cooked in typical Hyderabadi style GHEE – CURD – Hyderabad is a place in India. Hyderabadi style means it includes nuts and raisins and is incredibly rich (oh and sometimes includes coconut). Make sure you ask for no curd, cream or ghee. Veg (GF) A vegetable curry usually marinated in a spice, GHEE – CURD garlic and tomato sauce. Jalfrezi means marinated. Veg Kadai (GF) A mixed veg curry in a tomato gravy. ‘Kadai’ refers GHEE – CURD to the method of cooking: a tomato gravy is first prepared, and then mixed vegetables are added. (GF) A mixed vegetable curry served in a spicy coconut GHEE – CURD gravy that is typical of the city of .

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CHINESE/NEPALESE/TIBETAN Chilli Potato French fries covered in a spicy and peppery Asian - sauce. Like a crispy fried noodle snack ‘salad’. A variation - of chopsuey. Chopsuey in a thick tomatoey – sauce. - Chowmein Fried Noodles - (GF) Do I need to explain? But really - Fried Rice in - India still tastes slightly Indian. Gobi 65 (GF) Deep fried Cauliflower florets tossed with a spiced - sauce made with chilli-garlic paste, coriander powder and mustard seeds. Gobi Manchurian Deep fried Cauliflower florets tossed with a sweetish - soy and chilli sauce and sautéed with other vegetables like and garlic. Kothey Momo Pan-fried Dumplings - Momo Asian style dumplings - pockets of vegetables wrapped - in thin wheat skins, served steamed or fried. Noodle Thin noodles stir-fried with curry - powder and vegetables. Slightly different to spring rolls in the western - world, the Indian Spring rolls are almost always handmade in store. Filled with chopped veggies and wrapped in a thick wheaten wrap and deep-fried. (If you’re American, it’s an ‘eggroll’… but without egg.) Szechuan Gobi (GF) Crispy fried cauliflower tossed in a spicy Szechuan - sauce. Szechuan just refers to the Szechuan chillis that create a tingling sensation in your mouth. Thukpa (GF) in a clear Soup with veggies - Tingmo Steamed bread buns - Vegetable Manchurian Vegetable ‘meatballs’ made with beans and wheat - flour, sautéed in a chilli-soya sauce.

SOUP Hot and Sour Soup (GF) A clear, peppery and slightly tangy soup with - vegetable bits. Manchow Soup (GF) A spicy soup with lots of vegetable bits. Often - served with a sprinkling of crispy noodles. Mix Veg Soup (GF) A clear vegetable stew with vegetable bits. - Sweet Corn Soup (GF) A clear, sweet corn soup often with other vegetable - bits. Tomato Soup (GF) Tomato and garlic soup. -

RICE AND THALI (GF) rice layered and cooked with vegetables and GHEE - sauce, before being simmered on a low flame. A lot of PANEER people think its Indian fried rice, but that’s Pulao! Jeera Rice (GF) Rice with roasted cumin seeds. Sometimes sautéed GHEE together with oil. Kitchari (GF) Usually a mix of two grains: lentils (Dal) and rice. GHEE Easy to digest ayurvedic meal with basic herbs and spices like , and mustard seeds. Pulao (GF) Pulao is basically like Indian-spiced fried rice and GHEE - comes in many different variations. PANEER Punjab Thali A tasting plate of North India, usually comprising of CURD – RAITA Pooris or Rotis, raita, 3-5 curries, , pickles - GHEE and papad. South Indian Thali A tasting plate of South India, usually comprising of CURD – RAITA rice, 3-5 curries, curd (yogurt), chutney, pickles, - GHEE and papad. Sometimes includes chappati and dessert.

By LIZ MIU @ITSLIZMIU on Instagram 10

GLUTEN-FREE INFO

1. Indian folk will NOT understand the meaning of GLUTEN-FREE! Learn your menus and know what to ask for, and what you can’t eat. 2. If you ask ‘What flour?’ is in something, know that many dishes and foods use a mix of , e.g. Batter is sometimes BESAN and MAIDA (chickpea and wheat), so if they name a flour, ask if that is the only one.

IN THE SOUTH: The south is a Gluten-Free paradise! Rice is the staple and there are many GF ‘breads’ that you will be able to eat, so eat them while you can!

The following items are made with a fermented rice and/or lentil batter. These ‘BREAD’ items include: DOSA IDLI VADA APPAM IDDYAPPAM PUTTU UTTAPAM

At all truly authentic South Indian places, all the above items will be gluten-free and served with gluten-free chutneys.

If you are Coeliac I recommend checking at every place if they have added RAWA/SUJI to any of the above items, as some places may add even a sprinkle to make the items more crispy.

RAWA (A.K.A. SUJI/SOOJI) IS SEMOLINA AND HAS THE HIGHEST GLUTEN CONTENT OF ANY GRAIN. WATCH THE F*CK OUT.

All curries we came across in the South were gluten-free and Will, my GF boyfriend (#GFBF), had no stomach troubles. Do not order anything with the word KOFTA ever – wheat-based veggie balls.

IN THE NORTH WHEAT ALERT. North India has a staple of WHEAT. Stick to RICE and curries here, my gluten-free ladies and gents! Some South Indian foods will be available in the North, but because you’re in the land of wheat, be sure to ask for NO RAWA.

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GLUTEN-FREE GLOSSARY

SAFE UNSAFE *means ASK Besan (Flour) Chickpea Bhatura Wheat bread Biryani Rice dish Chappati Wheat bread Chana (Flour) Chickpea Durum Wheat bread Chole Chickpea Halwa Semolina (wheat) Dal/Dahl* Lentils Kathi Roll Wheat bread wrap Dosa* Rice and Lentil Kofta Wheat-based crepe ‘meatballs’ Gram (Flour) Chickpea Kulcha Wheat bread Iddyappam* Rice noodle Maida Wheat bread pancake thingy Idli* Rice and Lentil Momos Wheat based steamed bread dumplings Kitchari Rice and Lentil Naan Wheat bread stew Kuttu Ka Atta Buckwheat Poori Wheat bread (Flour) Papadums Lentil Cracker Rawa Semolina (wheat) Poha Beaten/flattened Roti Wheat bread rice Pulao Fried rice Suji/Sooji Semolina (wheat) Puttu* Steamed Rice and Coconut Portion Ragi (Flour) Millet Rice Rice Uttapam* Rice and Lentil Pancake

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