one of the things i was most excited for when planning this year’s india trip was the variety of food we would get to eat. we were visiting six different states on different coasts and in different parts of the country, and i knew we were going to get to eat a lot of really delicious food that would also be fairly different from place to place.

i was even more excited when i found chitrita banerji’s book eating india about her journey to try as much of india’s varied cuisine as she could. sarah and i both read the book ahead of our trip and while we agreed her narration left a lot to be desired, because she visited all the same regions we would be going to it got us excited about all the meals in our future.

the thalis.

we made it a goal to have a thali in as many places as possible, and we managed a variation in all the places except goa.

in calcutta we gorged ourselves on the buffet at 6 ballygunge place, trying everything from prawns and mustard bhetki [a freshwater culinary delicacy of west bengal] to dal and aloo saag and chicken. and then for dessert there was sandesh and mishti doi and rasagolla, all staples of bengal’s sweet scene. pro tips: you can order a thali off their menu, but opting for the buffet gives you more control over what and how much you try // we got lucky and easily got a table for 2 but it might be worth trying to get a reservation if you have a larger party

in surat we went to sasumaa, and sarah and i have agreed that from presentation to variety to taste this was our favorite meal of the trip. all told our meal included samosa, potato, a dry vegetable unique to gujarat, chole, khadi, buttermilk, and dal, as well as roti and puri, and probably a few other things that i have forgotten. and it was unlimited, so we could get refills of whatever we wanted. we were quite a hit with the wait staff [we had a white girl with us, after all] who appreciated how much joy we were getting from the meal, and we had a great time. sarah and i ate our bodyweight and had multiple refills, and even my mother cleared her plate. 10/10 experience from start to finish.

in coimbatore my uncle and his friend took us to sri priya mess because they specialize in chettinad food. instead of just getting meals, though, we did kind of a mix and match of biryani, the veggies that come with the meals, and a variety of meat and seafood. as a result of the hodge-podge and there being so many things to try, the environment was overwhelming and the food was fine but nothing to write home about. there is another chettinad place that specializes in meals that we were supposed to go to before the plan got jettisoned so i’m hoping to go there on my next visit.

during last year’s trip to bangalore amaidhi re-created a yele oota meal at home for me which was amazing, but this time sarah and i had dinner at bheema’s one night so she could taste that as well. bheema’s is technically andhra food, not karnataka, but we’ll leave that aside for now because we had time constraints and bheema’s was walking distance from our hotel. the meal itself included unlimited portions of rice, dal, mixed vegetable, sambar, rasam, curd, payasam, and buttermilk, and then we also ordered a chicken pepper fry and gobi manchurian to share between us. the last time i lived in bangalore i attempted to find my favorite south indian meal in the city, and while i never completed my mission if i had this would have been neck-and-neck with nagarjuna for first place.

because we had seen priyanka and deboo in calcutta and had told them of our goal — they were the ones who suggested 6 ballygunge to us — they were excited to take us to fish curry rice for our maharashtrian thali. there each thali comes with 2 chapati, solkhadi, small portions of fish curry and prawn curry, and then your choice of fish fry. i had the surmai which is always my favorite, sarah had prawns, and deboo had the special mussels which were excellent, and priyanka ordered some rice for herself and then ate a little from each of our plates. this thali had fewer components, but they were all done really well and we were all stuffed and happy by the end. pro tip: it’s a small space but if you do what we did and go at an off-peak time you won’t have trouble getting a table

the other meals.

and while all of those meals were very good, they weren’t everything we ate. below are some additional food highlights from each stop.

calcutta

different places in india do biryani differently, and calcutta’s specialty is biryani with mutton and potatoes. i love biryani in all forms, and this delicacy — served at 3am as we were winding down our new year celebration — was fantastic. also everything else aparupa and jit served that night was phenomenal as well and i swear i was eating for 7 hours straight.

through sheer dumb luck, friends of friends own the very cool sienna, a shop, cafe, and dining room, and with their help we were able to get a table for dinner one night. everything we ate was phenomenal, but the two dishes i still think about two months later are the banana blossom salad and the strawberries and cream. with a rotating menu based on seasonal specialties, each visit can provide something new to try. pro tip: this place is in high demand [rightfully so] and wait times can get long; go as soon as they open if you want to get a table

another calcutta must-have is kathi rolls. we had big plans to have rolls while we were out one day and then never got around to it, so instead on our last day in town priyanka ordered some home for us to have as an afternoon snack before leaving for the airport and they were very tasty.

surat

gujarat has some of the best snacks on offer, and my masi had them all on hand — dhokla; handva [wikipedia calling this a “savory vegetable cake” cracks me up but also it’s a pretty good way to describe what it is]; dhebra; khandvi; undhiyu [which we learned about from our book!]; and aamras. most of our meals consisted of us sitting around the table and munching on a variety of snacks and it was perfect.

we also had some great bhajias at the end of our visit to the beach, enjoying potato, onion, purple yam, and mushroom all battered and deep fried and delicious.

coimbatore

my one must-have meal when i’m in coimbatore is my aunt’s prawn masala. hers is the perfect blend of flavors and the exact right amount of semi-dry, and while i will eat prawns in any form hers will always be my favorite. if i’m only in town for one day, this is what i’m having for lunch.

a new tradition that has emerged is lunch at anganan with my father, my uncle, and two of my cousins. their mutton biryani is excellent, and their bheja fry is also very good.

and the other new tradition is breakfast one morning at arya bhavan. they have all the south indian breakfast hits to choose from — last year i had a masala dosa and this year i had an onion uthappam.

bangalore

i usually find airport food overpriced and underwhelming, but during our brief stopover in bangalore to meet my parents we had breakfast at tiffin centre inside terminal one. sarah and i both had the mini breakfast thali which is honestly a hilarious name considering how much food it includes — a mini dosa, 1 vada, 1 idli, sambar, coconut chutney, tomato chutney, pongal, khara bath, and kesari bath — and it was maybe the best airport meal i’ve ever had. even my father had only positive things to say.

the last time i lived in bangalore i did a search to find my favorite masala dosa in the city, and the clear winner was ctr. their benne masala dosa is famous for good reason, with the perfect level of crispiness, the exact right amount of potato filling, and skipping sambar in favor of an extra helping of chutney. it is filling without being overwhelming, and all the flavors blend perfectly. sarah and i went one morning after a walk through cubbon park, and even with the holiday the line wasn’t too bad with a wait of maybe 15 minutes. it was well worth it, and we ate every last bite and washed it down with cups of masala chai.

goa

sarah and i have carved out two traditions for ourselves in goa — one is breakfast at big fish and the other is goan sausage naan at ciaran’s. we have had breakfast at a few different places on palolem, and hands down the best has been at big fish. theirs are the best poached eggs, and their potatoes are the tastiest and best cooked. and last year priyanka and deboo introduced us to the goan sausage naan at ciaran’s and our lives have never been the same; we went twice in our 2.5 days on the beach.

bombay

when i say toto’s has the best bar food i’ve ever had i’m not exaggerating. from the masala peanuts to the kheema pav to the chicken and cheese kebabs and even to the grilled cheese we had this year, it is all so tasty. even if i didn’t already love the place and the people who work there, the food would be enough to draw me in. pro tip: you have to get there by 5.30/6pm if you want a table.

knowing our love of thalis priyanka and deboo recommended sarah and i try folk one day for lunch. their menu has small thali offerings from around the country, so you can quench whatever craving you have. we split the shots drinks which was a great way to try sips of a few of their different drinks, and for mains sarah had the chicken sukka and i had the champaran mutton curry and then we shared. we also had the pineapple salad which was excellent. great recommendation, and i would definitely go back.

since 2013 it has become a tradition to order food from zaffran on my final day in town. their butter chicken and roomali roti is so good, and it’s such a nice comfort meal to send me on my way. we didn’t get to do it last year because there were a lot of other things happening on our final night, so i was very happy we were able to make it happen this trip. and the food is as good as it was 12 years ago.

and this isn’t even everything we ate. we had so much incredible food and it was all so varied which i loved. indian food has something for everyone, and i so enjoyed getting to eat such a great variety on this trip.

i am already looking forward to the next trip to see what else we get to try.

xx