Travellers across eras have been fascinated by India and its vibrant cultural and flavourful diversity. I had only seen diluted versions in the capital Delhi, until I embarked on trips to the remotest of regions, thanks to the coffee table books on CSR
Some things are destined, such as practical learning and exposure. From 2018 to 2022, I was working on coffee table books for one of India’s well-known media houses. The subject was Corporate Social Responsibility. Well, as the project editor, I wore all the hats possible: coordinator, logistics planner, designer, writer, editor, reporter, proof reader, producer, accountant and curious traveller. At times, I fet I was just a office clerk with the pretence of heading a project!
In each of the three books, there were about 10+ companies and about 200 odd places to visit. I travelled crazily for months, as each took me 9-10 months to complete.
A CSR Journey Beyond Responsibility
For me, the books became doors to the real flavours of India. I travelled to the forbidden, the remote and the unknown, to give you an example, places that you see on OTT such as Phulera village from Panchayat web series.
My travels changed my perception about health and food. Here, fresh food, prepared in small stalls or in the open was easily available. While, there wasn’t the lavish array that we are used to in the metropolis, it showed me that even that little is suffice to keep you satiated the day through, especially when you are driving hundreds of kilometres daily.
On the road, food isn’t high on my priority list; it should be light and not make me sick because when travelling in the interiors of the country, you can’t afford to fall sick. We used multiple modes of transport throughout the day–cabs while visiting the villages, trains at night, flights between major cities, and an odd bus here and there.
I didn’t experiment a lot and stuck to the basics, to all that is easily available and edible. Being a vegetarian, this was an easy routine to follow in India. It was also pocket friendly, since we spent almost 100 days on the road. A good, substantial meal could be just between INR 50-100 per person.
A Culinary Adventure Across Diverse Regions
My travels introduced me the great foods of India across various regions:
• Odisha’s East Coast: Here, I thrived on a simple yet nourishing diet of rice and yellow dal for a week. Early mornings began with freshly made dahi vada and tea. While Odisha loves its breakfast fritters, I opted for a lighter option, avoiding excess oil. For non-vegetarians, fresh seafood is the highlight.
• Karnataka: This state offered a taste of idli sambar and ragi mudde. Although ragi, a nutritious millet, isn’t as popular in the north due to its subtle flavor, I found it enjoyable.
•Chhattisgarh: The bustling bazaar in Raigarh introduced me to gupchup (dahi golgappa), while the state museum in Raipur offered a chance to try farra.
•Maharashtra: My first encounter with misal pav happened on the highway between Pune and Mumbai. Thankfully, the version I had wasn’t overly spicy, though I later learned it’s typically a fiery dish made with sprouted moong dal and bold spices.
Sholapur Hinterlands: In Haroli, a remote location near Sholapur, I witnessed village women making giant rotis and the most delicious poha. This was at the Sri Ramakrishna Arogya Dham Centre managed by Gyan Prabodhini NGO there.
•Sikkim’s Namchi: This little-visited town treated me to thukpa and organic boiled potatoes with a chili-tomato chutney (though potatoes aren’t my favourite, their prevalence and ease of cultivation make them a staple in Sikkim).
•Punjab’s Anandpur Sahib Highway: The best paneer parathas I’ve ever had came from Zhilmil Dhaba on this highway.
•Kota, Rajasthan: The locally made ice cream shakes filled with sherbets and faluda were a joy to taste. Nowdays, some trucks in Noida also offer a similar variety of rabri and ice cream falooda.
•In Gujarat, I was gifted some yummy, flavoured peanuts made locally by self-help groups.
These coffee table books far exceeded their initial goals; they became a transformative experience. The work wasn’t just about corporate responsibility; it was about discovering the soul of India on a plate.
My Takeaways
1. I ate healthy, light food.
2.I never binged.
3. I always found fresh food, thanks to the farming community.
4. People are awake at dawn, so I enjoyed a cup of tea watching the sun rise over the fields. Early to bed, early to rise!
5. I found it easier to survive on local produce and completely ditched the packaged junk.
6. Local drinks over carbonated soft drinks, as they were healthier and more satiating.
7. Water is a precious commodity, as is food. Waste not, want not!
8. The people in the rural heartland are the best brand ambassadors of sustainability.
9. The best digital detox, as I never got the time for OTT or social media.
These journeys, though difficult and tiresome, were filled with delicious surprises, a testament to the incredible diversity of Indian cuisine and the warmth of its people.
Do share your unique food travel experiences. What hidden gems have you discovered, and what local dishes have left a lasting impression on you?
This blog post is part of the blog challenge ‘Blogaberry Dazzle’ hosted by Cindy D’Silva and Noor Anand Chawla in collaboration with Dr. Preeti Chauhan.
Queen of Treasures 
That’s quite a smorgasbord. I miss North Indian veg food these days. Time to visit a few places.
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I like South Indian better! 😄
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It is a great experience to travel through the interiors of our country. Nowadays in cities they make poor copies of these local delicacies. It is very difficult to find what is authentic until you travel and eat the original. Sometimes you cannot take away these original recipes to other places as the climate of the place takes part in forming the right taste.
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Yes. All.the chefs will go.visiting.these villages and get some strange festivals across hotels! But good simple wholesome meals are in.the heart of Rural India.
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This is your superb travel and food experience and a work project. It was, indeed, ‘discovering the soul of India on a plate.’ How amazing that each nook and corner of India keeps its food choices and tastes.
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What a lovely gig! I would love to do something like this too. Thoroughly enjoyed reading your post.
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What an experience you had, Ambica! Travelling to different parts of the country to try different foods and writing about your experience must be heavenly.
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Oh wow! I don’t know whether to be jealous that you traveled so extensively or that you enjoyed such delicious, wholesome, true-to-its-roots veg food. Lovely article, and I thoroughly enjoyed reading. This is the kind of travel I would like to do (even though I’m not doing it 😦 ). Thank you so much for sharing your amazing experiences.
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What a fantastic initiative! Discovering the diverse flavours of India while supporting a great cause is truly inspiring. The detailed descriptions of regional dishes made my mouth water. Thank you for sharing this wonderful culinary journey and highlighting the importance of CSR! The images were great as well
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Lovely post Ambica. All the simple and nourishing food aside, u got to be a part of diverse cultures and experience them first hand… that’s amazing! What an enriching experience… Wow!
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This post made me envious on so many levels. Firstly you got to travel for 100 days to so many places, and that’s something I’ve been wanting to do ever since I can remember. Secondly, you got to taste such amazing, earthy food from across the nation. And you had me most hooked and envious at ‘Phulera village from Panchayat web series.’
Such a rich travel experience you’ve had and I’m just thankful to you for sharing it with us here. Now I know what to try where. especially since I too am a vegetarian, this will be super helfpul.
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Travel gives you the chance to explore the culture and food of the places you visit. Just like you I also love exploring the local cuisines of the place I go and I believe that actually give the chance to know the culture of the place better. I know you are a frequent traveller but I am little dissapointed as I found not a single name from West Bengal. Why is that so Ambica? 😦
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I had tea in Jalpaiguri..so that’s going to be another post on the tea gardens
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Travel and food both are partners for sure and when someone like us travel to the root , we definitely want to indulge some local delicacies. Lovely post and really amazed to see how many places you have covered so far. Woow.
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This reads like a dream . Do you need an assistant ? 🙂
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What an interesting project to explore food, Ambica. I would love to do something like this; travel and food! I am a fussy eater, though. South Indian is the first choice for me. Paratha on the highway are always a favourite.
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I love idlis and dosas and all things cooked in coconut curry as well 👍
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Oh, how I wish could tag along and enjoy these awesome dishes and the even better travel experience through the interiors of our beautiful country. Real India is simple, self-sufficient and lot more happier and healthier than we think. Your post is a proof of that.
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I quite enjoy reading your posts, Ambica. There’s so much information in them. I wish I could also travel and enjoy the local delicacies, Must have been quite an experience.
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Wow, you explore many places. Intresting that you ate such variations of authentic food. When you travel it is really difficult to find authentic food. Thank you for sharing this.
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I agree with that people in the rural heartland are the purest souls. This journey seems incredible. When we are involved in such an adventure, there’s no time for screens or gossip.
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It must have been quite an experience. Food made the old fashioned way always has more flavors and like you said sustainable too. I enjoyed reading your post. Thank you for sharing about it.
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India is a diverse country and that diversity is not only limited to its people but is also seen in our food. Every state in India has something unique to bring to the its culinary table.
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Wow! 100 days of travel is a lot and it must have been an unforgettable experience. Loved reading your post. Truly shows the incredible diversity of Indian cuisine. Ditto on the takeaways you shared. Local food over packaged any day.
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I am from Karnataka and I’ve always wanted to try Ragi Mudde. How did you find the flavors compared to more mainstream dishes?
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I had ragi mudde in a village near Kolar and the mudde was well made but flavorless. But since I dipped it in sambar, that added the flavours and it was a full meal.
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There’s only a few things I can say…everything looks amazing and healthy and makes me hungry!!!haha… Appreciate you sharing with us this and may you continue to share with us great content like this always.
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