Master Indian Dining Etiquette: Expert Tips from Lonely Planet Author
In this insightful extract from Lonely Planet Magazine, Lindsay Brown—author of Lonely Planet's Rajasthan, Delhi & Agra guide—shares essential etiquette tips for eating like a local in India.
Most Indians eat with their right hand, using the fingertips. Never use your left hand, which is traditionally reserved for hygiene tasks like toilet use. Follow this simple three-step plan to dine authentically:
First, always wash your hands thoroughly before sitting down to eat, especially in a home.
Next, mix your food with your fingers to create a thick, sticky consistency. For dal and sabzi (vegetable dish), blend only the dal into your rice and scoop the sabzi alongside each bite. With fish or meat curry, mix just the gravy into the rice and remove flesh from bones on the plate's edge.
Finally, form lumps of the mixture, knuckles facing the dish, and use your thumb to shovel it into your mouth. If your hand gets messy, discreetly wipe it on bread and eat the evidence.
