Vegetarian

Becoming a vegetarian is much more than possible in India. It's very tempting due to the vast selection of flavours and the satisfaction and balance that you can derive from each meal.

Every region offers up a plethora of variations on lentils, fruit and vegetables, herbs, spices and the use of rice, grains and yoghurt.

And to top it all off, the cuisines are naturally and beautifully presented without the pretensions of fine dining or the pressure of Masterchef style of competitions. Food, especially from roadside diners and street carts is often authentically served in banana leaves, stainless steel cups and plates, paper bags, containers made out of plantain leaves and cardboard and terracotta pots.

This creation in the photo is called dhokla; it's a savoury dish from the state of Gujarat that is light and spongy. It's made from a combination of rice flour and chickpea flour which is fermented and then steamed. Dhokla also has a thin layer of paneer cheese, tomatoes, mustard seeds and curry leaves and is eaten with green chillies which after being pickled in vinegar have a lot of flavour but no longer the burn.