How to order the perfect lunch boxes

In our hectic day to day lives, most of the people eat to live rather than live to eat. A growing number of expats and migrants who live and work in urban cities find it hard to consume a balanced meal on a daily basis.

At such times, opting for a pre ordered food is a smart option. A lot of caterers provide services that are targeted for young bachelors or working couples. A simple run through on the internet helps you to find the Lunch Boxes of your choice!

In a country like India, traditional and religious norms play an important part in food. Certain communities can consume only certain types of vegetables or specific meals have to be consumed on certain days. Given the event that you are opting for a caterer, it is essential that you choose a service that provides a tiffin box that is specific to your needs.

A lot of well established restaurant chains offer these services, and hence it always makes more sense to choose these. Hygiene is an important factor as well, considering the fact that most of the food in Lunch Boxes is mass produced.

Cost is again an important factor to keep in mind, so whenever you choose a service, make sure to check what they offer in the meal, the number of times the meal is delivered per day and also, the cost per meal.

Checking for a service provider who gives you a variety of options is a smart choice. For example, certain service providers offer a wide variety of vegetarian meals which are healthy, economical and come in a wide variety. Because eating the same meals over and over is not only monotonous but can also lead to various dietary issues.

Many people shy away, or rather don’t care about specifying their choice of meals. Make sure to mention to your chosen service provider your likes and dislikes. Some people prefer their vegetables to be oil free, while some people like to have meals that are rich in fats. Always make sure to specify your choice as most service providers comply with your taste.

Timing your meals is very essential as it helps your digestive cycle maintain a rhythm. Most doctors advice having your meals at appropriate times. Even if you have three meals a day, eating during odd hours can lead to various health problems like obesity etc.

So, make sure that specify a time to your Tiffin provider and consume it as and when it comes. Re heating packaged meals can lead to the food losing its freshness and nutritious value. As people mostly order their tiffin box to their offices/ colleges, it is advisable to ask the service provider to deliver your meals during the time slot allotted to you for lunch.

When it comes to eating, there should be no compromise on any aspect. All in all, make sure that every lunch boxes that you order is a wholesome meal that is rich not only in taste, but also in the nutritional value that it offers. Bon Appétit!

Indian restaurants have diverse cuisines

A well-balanced, nutritive and correct diet is thus of utmost importance for the maintenance of good health and the healing of diseases. Such a diet obviously should be made up of foods, which in combination would supply all the essential nutrients.

Indian cuisine or Indian food encompasses a wide variety of regional cuisines native to India. Given the range of diversity in soil type, climate and occupations, these cuisines vary significantly from each other and use locally available spices, herbs, vegetables and fruits. Indian food is also heavily influenced by religious and cultural choices.

Indian restaurants offer a variety of mouth watering dishes –
Indian Food, it is hardly surprising that a nation of such complexity and sheer vastness has the best varieties of food options. Certainly, Indians are masterful with spices, blending ultimate combinations tailored to each dish. The chef’s utilize ancient traditional ingredients to anchor the menu; dishes are richly flavored and are individually created to please all your distinct tastes. From sweet to salty, fried to boiled, there’s an amazing collection of dishes in Indian cuisine.
Some best features of Indian restaurants include:
•    Warm hospitality,
•    Exotic food flavors,
•    Offers a balanced meal, and
•    Moderate pricing structure.

Indian vegetarian food has different styles of cooking –
Not only does India have a dazzling array of fresh vegetables, each region has its own style of cooking them. Indian cooking is an astounding resource of healthy, economical and delicious new dishes, ingredients, techniques, styles, spices and flavors for vegetarians. Good for the body and spirit, Indian vegetarian food is a favorite in the world.
Some of the popular Indian cooking methods include:
•    Sautéing,
•    Stir frying,
•    Stewing,
•    Steaming, and
•    Binding.

Indian restaurants offer an array of cuisines to indulge your taste buds –
Indian food is different from rest of the world not only in taste but also in cooking methods. It reflects a perfect blend of various cultures and ages. Just like Indian culture, food in India has also been influenced by various civilizations, which have contributed their share in its overall development and the present form.
Indian restaurants has namely four different types of cuisine namely,

•    North Indian cuisine – Food in the north India, to begin with reflect strong Central Asian influences. Most of the dishes are prepared around the main course of the menu.
•    West Indian cuisine - In western India, the desert cuisine is famous for its unique taste and varieties of food.
•    East Indian cuisine – The dishes include lots of plant seeds to add flavor to the food.
•    South Indian cuisine - In the southern India, the states make great use of spices and chilies to improve the taste of the dishes.

Indian vegetarian food has great taste –
Many Indian dishes require spices to be lightly fried to release their aroma and flavors and prevent them from having a 'raw' taste.  Indian vegetarian food offer great taste that is suitable for people of all ages. Vegetables are used in cooking without adding extra water.  This helps the vegetable stock to add nutrition in your body. There are different textures and layering that goes into the making of vegetarian food in the sub-continent.

Indian restaurants are incomplete without spices in their food preparation –
Indian food recipes have been handed down from one generation to another all across India and have been distinctly cultivated into their traditional meals. Indian restaurants offers a wide variety of low-fat, healthy food to its visitors. The traditional herbs and spices are used in the preparation of authentic Indian food. The people of this country believes in a healthy menu that has less fat, salt, sugar and more fibre. The unique mix of vegetables and spices can be enjoyed by customers without any worry or guilt.

People of all ages like traditional food

Food is important for humans because it contains all the nutrients and vitamins that we need in order for us to function correctly. If we didn't eat food then we would become too skinny and ill, we would constantly be weak and we wouldn't be able to grow. Food is something without which growth, development and evolution would have been impossible. Every living thing on the face of the earth, irrespective of plants and animals, need nutrition to survive, grow and reproduce. All the living things on earth are therefore, dependent on each other for survival in some way or the other and that is what we call the ecosystem.

The body uses food to perform one or more of four main functions: to supply energy, for growth and repair, for regulation and for protection.

Benefits of traditional food guarantees healthy lifestyle –
Conventional food is a big part of health, because these foods have a pleasing taste, and it’s much healthier than what we eat today. Indian cuisine or Indian food encompasses a wide variety of regional cuisines native to India. Given the range of diversity in soil type, climate and occupations, these cuisines vary significantly from each other and use locally available spices, herbs, vegetables and fruits. Indian food is also heavily influenced by religious and cultural choices.
The multi disciplinary benefits of traditional food include:

•    Healthier lifestyle,
•    Provides more healthier options,
•    Helps to build a stronger immune system, and
•    Easily available.

Explore the multiple cooking options in Indian vegetarian food –
Indian cuisine reflects a 5000-year history of various groups and cultures interacting with the subcontinent, leading to diversity of flavors and regional cuisines found in modern-day India. The Indian vegetarian food involves different cooking methods like:

Steaming – It’s an extremely healthy way to cook vegetables. To get the best results, invest in a large and good quality steamer that will be able to handle any type of cooking situation, whether you are preparing small or large meals. Cut each vegetable type into similar sized pieces to ensure good even steaming.

Stir frying - Stir frying is a very active way to cook vegetables, as you need to be constantly monitoring and tossing the food contained in your pan or wok. For best results, allow the pan to warm up with a high heat and then fry the vegetables quickly.

Sautéing - A similar method to stir frying, with the only difference being that you use a lower heat and cook the vegetables over a longer period of time.

The flavor of spices adds up to traditional food –
Spices are very important as food and as medicine. They bring out the unique natural taste of cuisines and could be use to change the look of food to make it more attractive in color. Spices bring out the natural taste of traditional food. They are so important in ancient times and today we cannot do without them. They come in different flavors and aroma. They are simply food enhancers use to give cuisines that strong taste and smell.

Indian vegetarian food offers great taste –
As India is a land inhabited by people of different diversities, the food habits of people are different across the country. But one thing that remains constant is the sub continent has a very vegetarian-friendly cuisine. The Indian vegetarian food offers great taste because:

•    It provides the nutritional requirements of housebound seniors,
•    It has a tempting aroma & authentic taste for the sensitive palate,
•    It is tasty, nutrient-dense suppers for picky eaters,
•    It is satisfying, low-calorie comfort for those with special dietary needs, and
•    It is comforting, easy to digest late suppers after a long day.

Relish the delicacy of the traditional food –
Conventional food is liked by one and all. It is not just wholesome but also tasty and nutritious. By eating homemade food, people become less dependent on junk food or fast food. Traditional food has its own taste and flavor which is unmatched by that of junk food or canteen food.

Indian food restaurants – plenty of choices

Indian food is all about variety. India being a multi-cultural, multi-lingual and multi-religion nation,   each part of India has its own specialty cuisine. Indians are generally food enthusiasts and they love to create new and unique dishes using a combination of different ingredients. The food items in India are generally appetizing. Although there are plenty of specialty restaurants that serve food from a particular region, majority of the Indian food restaurants serve all kinds of Indian dishes.

Every region has its own delicacies that are hard to miss, especially if you are a non-Indian. From down south, the pancakes made of rice batter are extremely popular dish. The milky sweet items from west Bengal are a delight for all sweet lovers. The staple diet of Maharashtra made from rice flakes and oil fried Indian bread are a must try too. If you are a spicy food lover you would definitely love to indulge in eating the punjabi delicacies. The list of vegetarian traditional food is endless; the Indian food is generally categorized as the spiciest food to the sweetest food.

In India there are plenty of restaurants that serve top quality Indian cuisine. The specialty eating joints like the Pubjabi dhabas serve only Punjabi food. These eating places not only offer a great variety of Punjabi dishes but also have a unique aura that would make you feel like you are actually in the state of Punjab. Apart from the Dhabas, there are plenty of restaurants that serve authentic Rajasthani food. The traditional food from Rajasthan is usually served in a big plate that is known as thali and it is laden with a variety of dishes in a single plate.

Apart from the taste and diversity, Indian food is also popular around the world for its beautiful presentation. Usually, the platter consists of a range of mouth watering food from spicy curry to the lip smacking sweet dish. Every dish you find in the platter is freshly made using the finest ingredients. Just like anywhere else in the world, the Indian food restaurants prepare food as per the order of the customers. The restaurants usually give the customers the option to order customized food like some people love to eat extra spicy food, while other love to eat moderate or less spicy food. The special requirements are aptly considered while preparing the food.

The Indian chefs use a variety of components like vegetables and spices to add better flavor to the food. Usually, the chefs have a good knowledge of the cultural heritage of different regions of India and they use their creative skills to create a contemporary dish without compromising on the authenticity of the food item. Majority of the Indian food items are extremely appealing to the palate and even if the person is trying Indian food for the first time would find hard to have enough of the food. The chefs associated with the Indian food restaurants generally use simple and the traditional cooking techniques to create tasty dishes.

Popular food items at Indian restaurants

The age old traditional and cultural heritage plays a vital role in the diet of the Indians. Owing to their religious believes a large number of Indians follow a strictly vegetarian diet and the Indian cuisine include a wide variety of the vegetarian dishes. If you are a vegetarian, you would definitely love eating at the vegetarian restaurants as these eating joints offer an assortment of vegetarian dishes from different parts of India. If you are a tourist in India and wish to indulge in the Indian food, the following guideline will help you on what food to order:

Appetizers:

Most of the restaurants in India would have vegetable cutlets or vegetable patties in their menu. It is one of the most popular appetizers. The Indian cutlet dish is made of a stuffing that includes potatoes, peas and a range of spices rolled into dough and deep fried.  It is typically a north Indian food but it is loved by all. It is generally the most preferred evening snack dish for a large number of people across the country. The dish is usually served with a dollop of freshly made sweet, sour chutney. Some of the other popular appetizers served at Indian restaurants include potato cutlets and a crunchy snack dish made of puffed rice, onions, potatoes and tamarind sauce.

Dal:

This food item is a staple diet in different states across India. Dal is essentially lentils cooked with different spices and it is best enjoyed rice or flat breads. You would find different varieties of dal in all the restaurants in India that serve vegetarian food.

Vegetable curries:

Indian curries are popular all over the world. Since a large variety of vegetables are grown here, they are used in all kinds of curries. The Indian restaurants serve a wide assortment of vegetable dishes. Some of the popular vegetables used are tomatoes, potatoes, cauliflower, okra, egg plant and peas. The vegetables are cooked with lot of spices and masala to make curries and dry vegetable dishes. If you are intrigued about trying an Indian vegetable dish, you can order a dish made of a mix of cheese and vegetable balls that is served with spiced curry of cashew or almonds. If you are health conscious you can order vegetable dishes cooked in Indian clay oven.

Popular food items at Indian restaurants

Cottage cheese:

This is another popular Indian food item. The cottage cheese is used in a variety of dishes. Some of the most popular cottage cheese dishes you can try at vegetarian restaurants are Cottage cheese cooked with spinach or cottage cheese curry cooked with green peas.

Rice and Flat-breads:

Indian food would seem incomplete without flat breads and rice. Rice is a staple diet of India and it cooked a number of ways. Usually, rice is eaten with dal or curry but there are other rice dishes, which can be a can be a full meal itself. Rice dish cooked in a slew of aromatic herbs is typically a north Indian dish but it is popular all over the country. Indian breads are also of different types. The most popular type of bread is the one that is cooked in clay oven. Another popular bread type is the one that vegetable stuffing in it, it can also be plain and is eaten with curry. Thus, Indian restaurants serve a large variety of food items, once you taste it you definitely would ask for more. 

What to order at Indian food restaurants

Indian food is generally associated with being hot and spicy. Indian food includes a wide variety of cuisines, each state has its unique specialty food and traditions and customs associated with it. The overall food culture is influenced by various cultures. Typically, the food items in India are cooked using a variety of ingredients such as herbs, spices, fruits and vegetables. There are plenty of veg restaurants both in India and foreign countries that serve authentic Indian food.

If you do not have any prior experience tasting Indian cuisine, it important that you are careful about the kind of food you order. Some of the valuable tips you must consider while ordering Indian food:

Majority of the Indian food are made of a variety of spices and vegetables marinated in various aromatic herbs. The Indian food is largely influenced by the cultures of Persia, England, Portugal and China. If you are a vegetarian you would have plenty of choices.

Appetizers:

Majority of the Indian appetizers are deep fried in oil and served with delicious chutney that is sweet, sour and spicy. The soups too are a bit spicy and served with salads made of raw vegetables. The Indian food restaurants keep the age old tradition of Indian cuisine and serve the appetizers with accompaniments that aptly balance the spicy flavor. If you are not aware of what to order from the appetizers menu it is best advised to stick to the popular options such as Indian cutlets or patties that are made by stuffing a mixture of vegetables and spices inside dough and is then deep fried. Certain type patties on the other hand are deep fried as well but they don’t have stuffing inside it.

Beverages:

Indian beverages are usually sweet and they go well with the spicy food. Most veg restaurants would serve all the popular Indian beverages.  The drink made of yogurt and sugar is the staple beverage of the Punjabis. The drink is usually served in tall glasses.

Main course:

The options for main course dishes are aplenty. The popular choice of dishes for main course is Indian flat bread; the Indian breads are usually round and unleavened. This is followed by rice. Rice can be fried or steamed. Both rice and breads are served with spicy curries that are cooked with vegetables and a variety of spices and masala. Most Indian food restaurants serve curries that are of different spice levels. If you do not have any experience of eating spicy Indian food, it is best advised to order a simple or less spicy food. The spicy food can be really hot and you may not be able to handle it, it would only lead to wastage of food and money. You can order spicy food once you get used to eating the spicy stuff.

Deserts:

Just like main course and appetizers you would have plenty of desert options to choose from. Most Indian deserts are made of milk, ghee and sugar. After having the spicy food, the deserts would greatly calm your taste buds. One of the most popular deserts you can try at Indian food restaurants is pudding made of cardamom, milk, rice and raisins. 

Traditional food of India is in attention

With advancements and innovations happening in each field of life, it is no wonder then that even the field of food and cuisines has been progressing at a rapid state since a few years now. Thanks to fast spreading globalization and the advent of the internet age, people have gotten closer and the world has become a smaller place. Thus ideas are being shared more rampantly than ever before and at a fast rate that too. Ideas about food are being shared at a high rate through cookery shows, cook books, food blogs and even Instagram. Everyone loves something or the other about the traditional food of wherever they reside.

There is something very comforting about travelling all around the world or tasting cuisines from all around the globe but returning home to your good old traditional food. Indian especially, are very sentimental and emotional creatures who love their motherland and most things attached to it. Thus they love the cuisine of their region. Unlike other countries however, which have probably 4 cuisines at the max, India is a subcontinent which is a mixture of many cuisines and hence it is difficult for anyone in the world to classify any one regional food cuisine of India in the whole bracket of Indian cuisine.

You have different cuisines from the north say chhole bhature and daal bhaati churma then you have dhoklas and wada pavs or pav bhaji in the west. The eastern part of the nation is mostly known for its momos and sweet dishes such as rasmalai and rogolla while the Southern part is often eaten as breakfast in the form of dishes such as idli sambar, dosas and vadas. The beauty of Indian vegetarian food has now become a worldwide phenomenon and the authentic taste of the motherland is being relished by people all over the world.

After Chinese and American cuisine, the cuisine of our country is probably the most popular in the world what with even western celebrities vouching for the greatness of Indian vegetarian food. The reason why it is so well loved around the world and is also quite nutritious is because till recently, women of the house would be full time cooks who would make meals an elaborate process. The job of a housewife was more strenuous than that of a working man as there would be no end to being in the kitchen.

The joint family system meant that breakfast, snacks, lunch and dinner would have to be prepared in huge quantities and due to the lack of modern tools such as blenders, grinders, stoves or even chimneys, women would start the whole process of mixing and making spices from the scratch. It is not an easy task by any means to prepare the traditional food of our country. While people still go gaga over ‘maa ke haath ka khaana’, a thought ought to be spared for expecting the same old taste from our mothers as it is really not possible or feasible for females to be expected to spend their lives in kitchens anymore.