Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Dish of mattar paneer
(peas and cheese curry): 85 cents to $2
Dhal and rice:
$1
Chicken tandoori
(
1
/
2
chicken): $2.50
Butter naan:
25-50 cents
Masala dosa:
$1-2
Chai from a vendor:
10-20 cents
Egg sandwich from a street stall:
35 cents
Cup of tea:
10-20 cents from a stall; more than $1.40 in a top hotel
Beer
(650-milliliter bottle): $1 in a shop; $4 in a top hotel (without taxes)
Pretty inexpensive, right? If you stick to Indian food, you are going to be able to eat for less than $10 a
day.
From fast-food chains (McDonald's, Subway, and Domino's Pizza) to restaurants that cater to foreigners,
Western food is mostly Italian dishes, with the occasional Mexican cuisine, salads, and sandwiches thrown
in. Eating Western food is an expensive affair in India. Prices for a plate of pasta will cost $2-4 USD, a
six-inch sandwich at Subway is between $2 USD and $3 USD, while a plate of enchiladas at a restaurant in
the heart of Varanasi would cost around $3 USD. While that doesn't sound like a lot, when compared to the
price of Indian food, it's a fortune! While Western food is abundant, the quality certainly varies, and at the
budget end of the spectrum, you shouldn't expect anything extraordinary.
Moreover, it's important to keep in mind that the cow is sacred in India and thus burgers are very, very
hard to come by. Don't expect to eat or find much red meat while in the country.
Derek offers good advice for those looking for something besides curries: “If you need a break from In-
dian food, I recommend finding a Nepali-owned restaurant, which can be found in most destinations that are
popular with backpackers. These places cater to foreigners and usually offer a wide range of inexpensive,
typically delicious salads, sandwiches, Italian, Israeli, Mexican, Nepali and other Western dishes, all pre-
pared fresh, with all vegetables washed in purified water as well, so that you can enjoy a quality non-Indian
meal.”
Since food is so cheap, I don't recommend going food shopping and cooking for yourself. While there's
nothing wrong with buying food from markets for snacks, if you try to cook meals you are going to end up
spending more money than you would have if you just went out and bought food. But if you plan to cook,
you should do so with filtered water and nothing from the tap—ever!
India is a great place for vegetarians as a large percentage of the Indian population is vegetarian. You
won't have a problem finding food. Mariellen is a vegetarian and cannot eat gluten (wheat). She says, “In
South India, rice is the basis for many dishes; whereas in North India, bread such as roti, chapapti or naan is
used to eat with. It is very easy to be vegetarian in India (and sometimes the wisest choice as refrigeration
and hygiene can be spotty), and also to eat gluten-free meals. For example, pakoras are usually made with
besan flour, which is ground chickpea flour.”
Lastly, let's talk about food safety. The phrase
Delhi belly
exists for a reason. Food sanitation isn't top
notch and a lot of people get very, very sick in India. I know even experienced travelers incapacitated for
weeks by this. In order to minimize your chances of getting sick, follow these rules:
