THINGS TO KNOW--

Thali—Full Plate , named for the platter (thali) on which it comes. A thali will usually come with small bowls (katori) containing (lentils), sabzi (vegetable), and raita (yogurt with shredded cucumber); some cut up vegetables for salad, a pile of chawaal (plain rice), some /chappati (flat breads), and sometimes .

Sabzi: Generic name for any vegetable dish—always cooked in a blend of spices--comes either “dry” (dry pieces) or “wet” (w/sauce) Paneer: Pressed “Cheese” Curds cut into squares—sometimes eaten with pepper as a bar , but more commonly cooked with other vegetables. Dal: Spiced Lentils cooked w/spices—with rice or bread, ’s basic food Many varieties: most commonly served as Dal Fry or Dal Makkhani

Main Dishes (alphabetically arranged) Alu: Potato (it goes with everything) Alu Matar (Sabzi): Peas and Potatoes in Sauce Alu Gobi (Sabzi) Potato and Cauliflower (or shredded cabbage) in Sauce Bhaingan Bhartha (Sabzi): Roasted Eggplant with Tomatoes and Onions (my favorite) Butter Chicken (Murg Makkhanwala): Chicken in Spicy Butter Sauce Bhindi (Sabzi): Okra (usually cooked with tomatoes, and really good) Cheese Tomato (Sabzi): Paneer and Tomato in sauce Karela (Sabzi): Bitter Gourd (really bitter—supposed to be a “blood purifier”) Keema (Type of ): Minced Meat in “Gravy/sauce” Kofta (Type of cooking): Cream-based sauce Korma (Type of cooking): Braised Meats/Vegetables in “Gravy” Malai Kofta: Cream and vegetable balls in a cream-based Sauce Matar Paneer (Sabzi): Peas and Paneer in Sauce Saag Paneer (Sabzi): Shredded Spinach (or other Greens) and Paneer with Sauce Rajma Dal--Red Kidney Beans…eat with rice—substantial winter fare Rogan Josh: Lamb (in Red Sauce) Tandoori (Type of cooking)—Cooked in a clay oven (tandoor): e.g., Tandoori Chicken, Tikka (Type of cooking)—Bits of something (fish/chicken usually) cooked on a skewer. This isn’t so much a main dish as it is a bar snack. Vindaloo (Type of cooking): Hot Curry with Vinegar Marinade

Rice Dishes Biryani: Rice mixed with meat and/or vegetables (Muslim influence) Chaawal: Plain Rice (Basmati has the best fragrance) Kashmiri Pulao: Rice with dried fruits and nuts Pulao: Rice mixed with vegetables (Hindu)

Breads Chapatti: Unleavened Flatbread cooked dry on a hot griddle (=”Food” in N. India) Roti: = Chapatti : Chapatti deep fried in hot oil (puffs up dramatically) Naan: Leavened flatbread cooked in a Tandoor (brick oven)—many varieties (Butter Naan Papadum: Crisp, lentil-flour wafer, either dry roasted or cooked in oil. Paratha: Chapatti cooked in oil/ghee on a hot griddle. Alu Paratha: Paratha Stuffed with mashed potato. Substantial winter food. Order with an omelet in Delhi for an outstanding Indian soft taco variant. Gobi Parathi: Paratha Stuffed with mashed cauliflower. Methi Paratha: Paratha stuffed with mashed fenugreek

Condiments Achaar: “Pickles”—vegetables in vinegar, red pepper, and oil (hot, spicy) : Spicy sauce usually based on chopped mint or cilantro /Dahi: Yogurt (eat this to kill spices) Raita: Yogurt mixed with something (tomato, cucumber, pineapple)

Snacks Samosa: Deep-fried dough pocket filled with spicy peas and potatoes. Excellent Pakora: Deep fried vegetable fritters (excellent with ketchup/sauce) Vegetable Cutlet: Deep-fried mashed potato/vegetable mix Chole Bhatura: Spicy chickpeas (chole) with puffy breads (bhatura) Namkin: Salty (there are a zillion different kinds—now commercially made, the Haldiram’s brand is available everywhere). Barfi: Sugar and Milk-based sweet, cut into cubes—comes in multiple colors/flavors Ras Malai: milk-based sweet with cardamom in cream sauce Laddoo: Round, butter/flour based sweet (Ganesh’s favorite)

South Indian Food (now “Snack food” throughout India)-- all served with Sambhar Dosa: Paper-thin lentil flour pancake Masala Dosa: Dosa stuffed with potato-vegetable mixture (excellent!) Idli: Steamed Rice-flour dumpling Rasam: Ultra-spicy vegetable broth Sambhar: Spicy soup (eaten with all South Indian food—idlis, dosas, etc.) Uttapam: Thicker lentil flour pancake, often topped w/tomatoes etc.

Drinks Chai: , made with milk and lots of sugar--also called “deshi” (Indian) chai Ispeshal chai: Chai with ginger (adrak), pepper (kala mirch), cardamom (elaichi) and/or cinnamon (dalchini)—All of which generate “heat” in winter. Coffee: Will probably be Nescafe—no fresh brew here (disappointing, not recommended). Doodh: Milk (excellent hot, don’t it cold) Limca: Lemon-lime soft drink (It’s OK) Thums Up: Sickeningly sweet cola drink (but VERY Indian) Mineral Water/Bisleri: Generic name for all brands of bottled water