Call Of India

One of the nicest things about grocery shopping in India are all of the delivery apps. This post features an app called BIG BASKET , which has a wider selection of products and imports than many of the other brands. Unless you periodically scan through the various categories you could miss a lot of great unexpected items. I highly recommend checking out their GOURMET AND WORLD FOODS section if you are looking for some unique international products not easily found in the local grocery store. When you open the app you will be given a few options: bigbasket, bigbasket now, fresho! meats, the beauty store or +pharma  You can choose from several categories from the drop down menu Gourmet World Foods has it's own categories To start shopping go to: https://www.bigbasket.com/

If you are like me and find adapting to a regular diet of Indian food to be a challenge then DORABJEES is going to be your new best friend. This chain caters to foreign food imports and has a wide selection of options that may not be readily found in other grocery stores. Unique products that can be found include: a wide array of cheeses and dairy, pasta choices, real lunch meat, pork, fresh Italian herbs, olives, pickles, foreign seasonings, and many many more foreign/imported delights. Find a Dorabjees near you: https://dorabjeesonline.com/

There are a variety of local stores that you can get basic household groceries for reasonable prices. Most, if not all of these generally accept foreign credit/debit cards: STAR BAZAAR STAR HYPER DMART RELIANCE SMART A quick Google search will show your closest store. Many malls have at least one grocery store located inside. General items found at these stores: Fruits, vegetables, dairy, seasonings, cooking oils, dry goods, can goods, juices, sodas, bread, cereal, various types of flours, cleaning products, appliances, clothing, cookware/utensils. Want help finding your local stores? https://starbazaarindia.com/pages/store-locator https://storelocator.ril.com/Retail.aspx https://www.dmartindia.com/

Funny enough, this is a very common question people who have never travelled to India want to know.  AND the answer is, of course, is YES! As a predominantly Hindu country the cows here are considered to be sacred. Therefore, when they enter the road they are allowed to hang around at leisure, even if it causes traffic jams. 😃  

I have a friend who LOOOOVES this wonderful creation called: PANI PURI and she loves to convert others to her dark side. This delightful treat can be found out on the Indian streets. I highly recommend you ask friends first for their trusted street food locations. My friend has yet to lead me astray. Pani puri is made of little fried hallow balls that the vendor pokes holes into to fill with various things like; boiled potatoes, boiled chickpeas or white pea curry. Next a spicy tangy sauce or a sweet chutney is poured on top along with tasty crunchy bits. There are many variations of the pani puri and can be adapted by asking the vendor. The ones pictured below also had curd on top. Want to learn how to make Pani Puri check out a recipe here: https://www.vegrecipesofindia.com/pani-puri-recipe-mumbai-pani-puri-recipe/

  The best way to describe driving in India is ORGANIZED CHAOS. Are there lane markings? Yes. Do drivers use the lanes? No. There may only be 2 marked lanes on a road and yet somehow you will see 3, 4, or 5 lines of merging and crossing traffic. What fascinates me is the ability for Indian drivers to function so well in the complete lack of defined and intended barriers. To foreign eyes it seems all the drivers innately know how to integrate themselves into this chaotic symphony that is the Indian road system. Some interesting observations: * Horns are used heavily instead of signals, if you are sensitive to noise pollution be ready to bare through hearing obnoxious honking on a daily basis. * Drivers will take every opportunity to SQUEEZE into any space available and as close as possible without physically touching the other vehicle. * If you are riding in a rickshaw (this small vehicle generally has no windows but is pretty open) be prepared to get dirty from the dust out on the ...

India uses the rupee ( ₹ / INR ) as their national currency Common  denominations in coins are: 1₹, 2₹, 5₹, and 10₹  Common denominations of bills are: 10₹, 20₹, 50₹, 100₹, and 500₹ The current exchange rate as of this post for USD to INR is: 82.62. A general rule for quick conversion is 80₹ (80 Rupees) to $1 (one US Dollar).  Conversion IND to USD: 20₹ = .24¢  50₹ = .61¢   100₹ =$1.21 500₹ =$6.05 Learn more about the Indian Rupee here: https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/markets/forex/indian-rupee

This blog was created for those who feel the Call of India and would like a first hand look into what may be awaiting them on their Indian adventures. As a first time Indian traveler myself there were so many things I just did NOT know and wish I had! May the things posted here help you on your adventures to India.