Curries are created from the subtle and delicate blending of spices such as turmeric, cardamom, ginger, coriander, nutmeg and poppy seed although these vary from region to region. Vegetable dishes are more common than in Europe, particularly in southern India.
Things to know: Bottled water is essential for visitors but make sure the bottles are properly sealed. Most restaurants serve alcohol with meals and most Western-style hotels have licensed bars. Various states impose prohibition and in some big cities certain days are observed as dry days when the sale of liquor is not permitted.
Tourists may check with the nearest local tourist office for the prohibition laws/rules prevailing in any given state.
National specialties:
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Dal (crushed lentil soup with various additional vegetables).
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Kulfi (Indian ice cream).
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Gulab Jamuns (flour, yogurt and ground almonds).
• Jalebi (pancakes in syrup).
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Pan (betel leaf in which are wrapped spices such as aniseed and cardamom).
National drinks: •
Chai (tea) is India’s favorite drink. It will often come ready-brewed with milk and sugar unless ‘tray tea’ is specified.
• Coffee is increasingly popular.
•
Nimbu Pani (lemon drink). •
Lassi (iced buttermilk).• Indian beer (in many varieties).
Tipping: 10 to 15% is usual in restaurants.
NightlifeIndia has generally little nightlife as the term is understood in the West, although in major cities a few Western-style shows, clubs and discos are being developed, and Western-style pubs are increasingly common. In most places the main attraction will be cultural shows featuring performances of Indian dance and music. The Indian film industry is the largest in the world, now producing three times as many full-length feature films as the USA. Mumbai (Bombay) and Kolkata (Calcutta) are the country’s two ‘Hollywoods’. Almost every town will have a cinema, and large towns will have many, some of which will show films in English. Music and dancing are an important part of Indian cinema, combining with many other influences to produce a rich variety of film art. Larger cities may have theaters staging productions of English-language plays.
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