If you’re in India, there’s every chance you’re wearing loose-fitting and comfortable clothing to help beat the heat. Good. Because this also means you are ready and raring to delve into all the incredible food that’s going to come your way. Eating your way around India is one of life’s great adventures. So here’s a few dishes to look out for along the way:

1. Chole Bhature

This spicy little number is usually served at breakfast, and it’s a great way to kickstart a day of adventure. It’s a Punjabi dish that combines chole (chickpeas) with bhatoora (fried Indian bread). Like many traditional Indian dishes, the final product will vary depending which part of the country you are in. Most chole bhature will be served with sliced onions, green chilies and lemon wedges on the side and the chickpeas will melt in your mouth.

2. Pani puri

Also known as golgappa, these are a tasty little morsel to look out for as you pass street food vendors in Mumbai. It’s fun to watch them punching little holes in the puri before adding the fillings and dipping it in the flavoursome pani. A puri is a little ball of crispy fried dough, and the sorts of fillings you might get include boiled potatoes, chickpeas, moong sprouts or a thick dry curry made from white peas known as ragda. Pani means water, and for this dish the sour, tangy water has been combined with meetha, a sweet chutney.

3. Kati roll

Sometimes you just want to indulge in a little bit of fast food. We won’t judge. The great thing about India is that you don’t need to visit the golden arches to find something delicious, a bit naughty and totally indulgent. Just grab yourself a kati roll from a street vendor, particularly if you’re in Northern India where these are said to have originated. Basically, you’ll be getting a paratha filled with marinated chicken or vegetables, lashings of chutney, a layer of cooked eggs, chopped onions, tomatoes and coriander leaves. This is exactly the sort of meal you will want to recreate at home on a Sunday afternoon.

4. Gulab jamun

It’s hard to write about this dish without drooling on the keyboard. It’s no wonder these sweet, delicious, scrumptious little balls are one of the most popular sweets in India. Think of them like a tiny fried donut made from milk soaked in a sweet syrup. The word gulab means rose, and a jamun is a little purple berry found in India. The syrup is made with rose water and the little balls are about the same size as a jamun berry, hence the name.

5. Pav bhaji

This is a popular dish in Mumbai, and while it’s often sold as a snack we think it’s definitely worth sitting down to savour properly. Also, because you’re on holiday you aren’t concerned with calorie counting? Right? Good. Because this incredible dish is full of butter. It’s a vegetarian curry served with a soft bread roll (pav). The sorts of vegetables commonly thrown into the curry include cauliflower, potatoes, carrots, peas, capsicum and beans. The taste will differ depending on how much of each has been used. But the outcome is often the same – you with a great big smile on your face.

Blog courtesy of Peregrine Adventures