Food

Naan, biryani, dahl, vegetable curry and paneer
Ten things I love about food here

1) When you order a small portion of something you actually get a small portion. A small ice cream is about a half a cup which is plenty for me. We need to take lessons from this in the U.S.
2) Naan bread in just about any flavor, but plain works with everything. I am hoping I can come up with a good way to cook this when we get home. It is usually cooked in tandoor ovens here.
3) Gulob jamun when it is done well. Think of a crispy donut hole drizzled with honey.
4) Dahl pretty much anywhere we have had it, but I prefer it spicy. It is a staple food around here and most everyone makes it. It is delicious with naan. It is a lentil based soup-like dish which can be eaten with naan.
5) Jalfrezi is a vegetable curry dish that is wonderful. I have had it at a few places and it has always been good. I think the fresh coriander is one reason I like it so much.
6) Kingfisher beer since it is pretty much the only alcohol I am consuming. Alcohol is sold only in wine shops which are not that numerous and the variety is not huge. Kingfisher is a decent beer; however, I am not sure I will be looking too hard for it when I get home.
7) I love the spiciness and smells of the food. Just about everything is spicy, aromatic and flavorful. Whether we are in the countryside or cities, there is a spicy aroma that is usually present. The spicy smell of this country is something that I will miss.
8) I like that I am getting a lot of vegetables in my diet, despite the fact that they are all cooked. I am losing weight slowly despite the fact that I am not dieting and that is also a plus.
9) I have liked all of the varieties of paneer that I have had. Paneer is a curd cheese in spicy sauces and it can be eaten with naan or roti. I generally prefer the red sauces over the green and I like it when there are a lot of vegetables in it. This is a dish I intend to serve at home.
10) Biryani is a wonderful rice dish and a specialty of Hyderabad. I love the vegetables and spicy flavors. Apparently it is very difficult and time consuming to make properly.

Gulob jamun (not done well)

Ten things I do not love about food here

1) I definitely do not like Sambar and doshas- I cannot even describe the taste except to say not for me.
2) Gulob jamun when it is not done well. Think of a soggy donut hole soaked in corn syrup. This can be so awful that I have not tried it again even though the first one I tried was quite delicious.
3) We cannot eat any fresh fruits and vegetables. To do so would be risky and, after Jon's experience, we won't chance it. The food we eat has to be thoroughly cooked and steaming hot.
4) Everywhere you go there is a buffet. That is our choice for dinner every night in the hotel and sometimes we just can't face it.
5) I have gone completely vegetarian here. I have seen a few too many sketchy butcher shops, and the doctor told Jon to stay away from meat after his illness so that works for me.
6) Idlys in any variety. This is a breakfast food that can be eaten with Sambar or another curry sauce. I have a hard time with curry at breakfast.
7) Western pastries and bread are not done well here. I have picked up what looks like it might be a delicious donut to find a dried and tasteless bread product.
8) I haven't found any deserts that I like. The presentation is always good, but the taste is not what I expect. I have picked up what was labeled as an apple strudel to find a dry, hard thing with dry paste in the middle. I am not a big desert person so this is not a big disappointment.
9) It is hard to get a good pizza here. We ordered one from Dominoes, which I would not do in the U.S., just because we wanted a pizza that was more familiar.
10) Lady fingers, or okra as it is called in the U.S., is a tasteless and hard to eat vegetable. I have a hard time cutting it and find it too chewy and stringy to eat. I am not sure what it adds, but it can usually be found in vegetable dishes in the buffets.