Soon following the question of "where will we live in Delhi" often comes "what will we eat?"
Rest assured, although you may experience frustration, it is manageable and possible to feed your family well and not too far from what they're used to!
Some of the first things you may be wondering ::
If your family eats beef, please note that beef (as you may be used to) is not sold in India, and instead you can often find buffalo meat, if you are resourceful. While the taste/texture is different, it can often suffice as a substitute when those cravings hit.
There are several meat contacts to share with you, if you're interested, email me.
Often meat deliveries will be required to be made in bulk, and delivered to your front door. Do exercise care when ordering bulk orders as you’ll need to freeze some for later use. Be mindful of the possibility of needing to teach your cook how to properly freeze meat and invest in good quality freezer bags.
Chicken and mutton are readily available and you will soon find your favorite supplier! You can easily specify which pieces you wish to purchase and request bone in or boneless!
Exercise caution when purchasing fish or seafood products during the hot months in Delhi, as contamination is likely. Consider trying A.N.A., a service that ice packs caught-that-day seafood from Kerala and delivers to your doorstep. ANA, 9899408911 or 4560-8738
Often, markets such as INA will have a wide variety of fish, but know ahead of time that the shopping experience can be daunting as often your selection is still swimming before you purchase, and the cleaning process may not be up to your standards. Take care to rid the fish of all bones and make sure that you see that the seafood is cleaned thoroughly after you arrive home.
If you have children who may be sensitive, consider not taking them along for the purchase of meat and seafood. It likely will not be an experience they are used to, and can render that nights’ dinner pointless.
Nearly every market has a wide variety of vegetables, and you can also have organic produce delivered to your home, as well as arranging for home delivery from your local market. The same concept of thoroughly washing applies to all vegetables/fruits where the skin is eaten. Bananas, mangos, papayas, etc. do not need to be as carefully washed as the inside fruit is what is consumed.
Again, I have several contacts for the delivery of organic greens, vegetables and fruits, email me. One that I can publish freely is The Altitude Store.
Another component of food and shopping is the luxury of having your grocery items delivered straight to your home. Most local groceries have a minimum order (which is a minimal amount) and you can simply have a standing order for once-a-week sundries such as bread, peanut butter, milk, juices, etc. or call with specific requests.
The most popular shops are ::
Le Marche
Modern Bazaar
Nature's Basket
Spencers
Whether you decide to employ a cook or do the food preparation yourself, you will soon fall into a routine on how to best provide sustenance for your family.
In our household, we find it works the smoothest when I create a weekly menu for Shanti. This saves undue stress at the last minute when one of us needs to come up with a plan for dinner. It also helps to make sure that we are eating a good balance of various items (instead of spaghetti every night).
Questions?
