A bit about what I've been eating since Easter day, aside from my two a day rationed mini eggs.
Everything contains either sugar or spice.
Breakfast:
Two days a week we get jam and proper real full-fat butter on toast. This was previously my favourite breakfast as it was well known but lately it's been overtaken by...
Puri and paratha. Chapatis with added oil, what could possibly go wrong? These breads are really delicious and are always served with an aloo masala - potato curry
Igli - A southern dish that apparently tastes better in the south. Either the cooks can't get it right here or I just don't like it. A day of cereal bars instead!
Lunch and dinner:
There is always chapati, rice and dhal (lentil curry) on offer. As well as these regulars there's always a vegetable dish of some kind. Special days:-
Two days a week we get a chicken curry.
Two days a week we get an egg curry.
One-two days a week we get a paneer curry. Paneer's a soft cheese that doesn't really taste of much, usually served with peas.
The remaining days are pure veg days.
On top of this there's morning coffee served with samosas or other savoury nibbles, and afternoon tea served with biscuits.
My journey with food in the training unit mess:-
Week 1-2: Novelty of curry still exists, can't possibly stomach eating spice for breakfast, being a bit picky about what veg I'm eating and don't like eggs.
Week 3-4: Getting really fed up of curry, craving anything else, buy myself bread, jam and cheese spread.
Week 5-6: I love the food. By now I'm eating the aloo masala at breakfast too; I look forward to every meal.
Week 7: I'm eating eggs.
As well as mess food I've been enjoying Western luxuries when out and about. I've had two trips to Dominos and a trip to Pizza Hut - my favourite restaurant back in the UK. I've also been to a coffee shop chain which serves cold coffee mixed with chocolate sauce and ice cream. Yum! I've eaten a lot of ice cream including the local 'kulfi' made with frozen milk, nuts and fruit.
Needless to say, I'm not starving and in fact am probably gaining weight! So much for the expected Delhi-belly diet.
My one craving? Pasta.
Shout out to my sister Jenny who's flying tomorrow to watch Eurovision, have a safe trip :)
And to my parents who are going to be just a teeny bit worried with both children out of the country...
Everything contains either sugar or spice.
 |
| Sonia and Manjula fashioning 'Panipuri' - crispy shells filled with spicey liquid that you put whole in your mouth |
Two days a week we get jam and proper real full-fat butter on toast. This was previously my favourite breakfast as it was well known but lately it's been overtaken by...
Puri and paratha. Chapatis with added oil, what could possibly go wrong? These breads are really delicious and are always served with an aloo masala - potato curry
Igli - A southern dish that apparently tastes better in the south. Either the cooks can't get it right here or I just don't like it. A day of cereal bars instead!
 |
| Puri or paratha? Depends on who you ask. Either way they're lovely. Image taken from Google. |
Lunch and dinner:
There is always chapati, rice and dhal (lentil curry) on offer. As well as these regulars there's always a vegetable dish of some kind. Special days:-
Two days a week we get a chicken curry.
Two days a week we get an egg curry.
One-two days a week we get a paneer curry. Paneer's a soft cheese that doesn't really taste of much, usually served with peas.
The remaining days are pure veg days.
 |
| "Mattar paneer" - tastes slightly better than it looks. Image from Google. |
On top of this there's morning coffee served with samosas or other savoury nibbles, and afternoon tea served with biscuits.
My journey with food in the training unit mess:-
Week 1-2: Novelty of curry still exists, can't possibly stomach eating spice for breakfast, being a bit picky about what veg I'm eating and don't like eggs.
Week 3-4: Getting really fed up of curry, craving anything else, buy myself bread, jam and cheese spread.
Week 5-6: I love the food. By now I'm eating the aloo masala at breakfast too; I look forward to every meal.
Week 7: I'm eating eggs.
 |
| My not-so healthy fridge! There are grapes at the back... Taken a few weeks ago, though I'm still working my way through the biscuits |
 |
| Look! A Pizza Hut map! |
Drinks? Water, cold water and frozen water! There's an on-campus shop that sells glass bottles of fizzy drinks for the equivalent of 16p. There are 3 different companies all fighting for the mango juice market and I've loved them all. Tea ("chai") and coffee are served in small cups with a LOT of sugar and milk. I still can't tell the difference between the two as I just taste it as a warm sugary milky yumminess. I tried to make myself a 'normal' cup of coffee but it didn't taste very nice. I'm a bit worried that this means that I've become converted to the way of chai and will need to take my coffee with 6 sugars when I return home.
 |
| The gang at Coffee Cafe Day. Image thanks to Manjula's camera/randomer who took it |
My one craving? Pasta.
Shout out to my sister Jenny who's flying tomorrow to watch Eurovision, have a safe trip :)
And to my parents who are going to be just a teeny bit worried with both children out of the country...
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