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If you’re used to eating with cutlery, eating Indian food with your hands can be an intimidating concept. Fortunately, eating with your hands doesn't have to be a messy, uncomfortable experience. By following a few simple etiquette rules and learning how to eat different foods with your hands, you can sit down and confidently enjoy a traditional Indian meal.
Steps
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Wash your hands before you eat. You want to ensure your hands are completely clean before you sit down for your meal. [1] X Research source
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Eat with your right hand only. In Indian culture, the left hand is commonly viewed as dirty and unsanitary, and therefore rude to eat with. Avoid serving, eating, or touching any of the food with your left hand. [2] X Research sourceAdvertisement
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Use only your fingers to pick up food. Avoid letting the food touch your palms. Hold the food near the tips of your fingers when you're bringing it to your mouth. [3] X Research source
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Take bites of one dish at a time. It's custom to sample each dish individually. This goes for any main dishes and side dishes but does not include the bread, rice, or daal. [4] X Research source
- For example, you wouldn't mix a vegetable dish with a meat dish in the same bite, or eat one of the side dishes with one of the main dishes in the same bite.
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Take a small serving from each of the main dishes and side dishes. Traditionally you will be offered vegetables and meat as the main dishes, along with side dishes like pickles and papad. [5] X Research source
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Break off a small piece of bread. Try to get a piece that's about 1 x 1.5 inches (2.5 x 3.8 cm). Place the bread over one of the main dishes on your plate. [6] X Research source
- You can use the bread as a tool to break apart pieces of food on your plate that are too large to eat. Just place the bread over a piece of food and press down to break it into smaller pieces. [7] X Research source
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Use the piece of bread to pick up food from a main dish. With the piece of bread resting over the vegetable or meat dish on your plate, fold the bread in half using your fingers, letting some of the food underneath get pinched in between the two halves of the bread. Bring your hand to your mouth and eat the bread. [8] X Research source
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Use your fingers to try a side dish. Pick up a piece of food from a side dish and bring it to your mouth. Don't put your fingers in your mouth when you're eating it or lick them after you take a bite. [9] X Research source
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Alternate between main dishes and side dishes until the bread is gone. Continue using the bread to pick up food from the main dishes. Eat a side dish in between each bite of a main dish. [10] X Research source
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Serve yourself rice once you're finished with the bread. If you finished the main dishes on your plate, serve yourself some more to have with the rice. [11] X Research source
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Pour some daal over your rice. Daal is a lentil-based stew traditionally served with rice. [12] X Research source Don’t go overboard with the daal at first; too much daal will make the rice mushy and hard to clump together. If your rice is bland or sticky, carefully add more daal until you like the taste and texture. [13] X Research source
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Use your fingers to pack a portion of the rice into a ball. You can make the rice ball with just the rice and daal mixture, or you can pack in some of the main dishes too. [14] X Research source
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Cup your hand like a spoon and pick up the rice ball. Position the rice ball near the tips of your four fingers, and hold it in place using your thumb. [15] X Research source
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Bring your hand with the rice ball to your mouth. The palm of your hand should be face up, with the rice ball directly in front of your mouth. [16] X Research source
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Use your thumb to push the rice ball into your mouth. Make sure you get all of the rice off your fingertips using your thumb. [17] X Research source
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Alternate between eating the rice and side dishes until the rice is gone. Serve yourself more of the main dishes, side dishes, or rice if you run out at any point during the meal. [18] X Research source
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Wash your hands after everyone has finished eating. Wash your hands in the sink if you’re at home or dining at someone else’s home. If you’re at a restaurant, wash your hands in one of the water bowls provided by your server. [19] X Research source
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Community Q&A
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QuestionHow do I eat noodles?Community AnswerWith a fork or chopsticks. Noodles are not traditional Indian fare.
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QuestionIs rice a type of potato?LordOfTheHungryKoreanPottersCommunity AnswerNo. Rice is a type of grain, potatoes are vegetables. They are both carbohydrates, though.
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QuestionShould I eat rice with a spoon since my hands get messy with my hands?Shreeya SrivastavaCommunity AnswerThe main point of eating Indian food is eating with your hands, as it shows connection with the food and it is respectful. But if you prefer eating with a spoon, then that is okay too.
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References
- ↑ https://www.tripsavvy.com/eat-with-your-hands-indian-style-1539439
- ↑ https://www.tripsavvy.com/eat-with-your-hands-indian-style-1539439
- ↑ https://epicureandculture.com/dining-etiquette-eating-with-hands/
- ↑ https://www.tripsavvy.com/eat-with-your-hands-indian-style-1539439
- ↑ https://www.tripsavvy.com/eat-with-your-hands-indian-style-1539439
- ↑ https://www.tripsavvy.com/eat-with-your-hands-indian-style-1539439
- ↑ https://www.tripsavvy.com/eat-with-your-hands-indian-style-1539439
- ↑ https://www.tripsavvy.com/eat-with-your-hands-indian-style-1539439
- ↑ https://www.tripsavvy.com/eat-with-your-hands-indian-style-1539439
- ↑ https://www.tripsavvy.com/eat-with-your-hands-indian-style-1539439
- ↑ https://www.tripsavvy.com/eat-with-your-hands-indian-style-1539439
- ↑ https://www.plated.com/morsel/daal-definition/
- ↑ https://www.tripsavvy.com/eat-with-your-hands-indian-style-1539439
- ↑ https://www.plated.com/morsel/daal-definition/
- ↑ https://www.plated.com/morsel/daal-definition/
- ↑ https://www.plated.com/morsel/daal-definition/
- ↑ https://www.plated.com/morsel/daal-definition/
- ↑ https://www.plated.com/morsel/daal-definition/
- ↑ https://www.plated.com/morsel/daal-definition/
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