Eating technique

Wanderratte

How do you manage to eat with your fingers without looking like a 2-year-old who's messing with his food?

I'm trying to practise before that wedding we go to, so I don't look like a complete fool, but right now I'm thinking of bringing a personal spoon...

cyberhippie

Pretty much everywhere seems to have spoons these days so no big problem there.
Looking like a 2 year old is just one of the things we all have go through when learning how to eat with our fingers, it's a msssy affair and takes a lot of practise to master it.
I gave up, preffering to use a spoon instead!!

Bigzero

if you want to watch great masters in action, go to kerala and attend some wedding feast where they serve food in banana leaves. See how they eat payasam ( which runs across the leaf as fast as lightning ) with their hands, stopping the flow at strategic points, rolling their fingers to pick up the liquid, and transfer them quickly to their mouths...

it is an art that is not easy to master

but nowadays you get spoons, plates, payasam in cups etc so people generally dont get a chance to hone their skills. so dont worry.

and - dont eat with your left hand! those sitting across you may choke on their food...

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volga_volga

BUT the food eaten with your hands tastes BETTER!!

Use your chapati/other flat bread to pick up food (meat, fish, dahl, rice, sauce) from your plate.

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cyberhippie

True VV but three clean T-shirts a day was little too much. I can eat using my fingers when the situation calls for it, but prefer a spoon, less messy!

Wanderratte

The last time I visited my Indian friend's family, we were not offered spoons when we were sitting together with the extended family. We could have probably asked for one, but were a bit too intimidated by the large get-together.

I somehow manage with Chapati (not gracefully, but he), but what about the rice???

volga_volga

Oh cyber... last time i was eating with my hands i was wearing a veil no damage to clothing (it covers most of it) but try eating and at the same time keeping your face and neck from public exposure

But a must do when you decide to eat with your hands is to clean them with an anticeptic (like "dry soap" or something) beforehand. I wonder, however, if the anticeptic stuff that is left on your skin can be poisonous? may be better to find a soap and water...

volga_volga

AND it's not just a family/roadside dhaba thing!!

(1) in our Delhi office I used to take lunch with our finance director (Indian) in his office - he used hands
(2) in Bukhara resto, Delhi (apparently one of the best Indian restos in the world, or at least they pretend) you are not served cutlery unless you ask.

pls stop mentioning chapatis I want one right now!!

Bigzero

The standard practice is to wash your hands with soap and water before and after the meal...

about rice, the trick is to use only tips ( or the top sections )of your fingers, and all of them together. you can scoop the rice in your fingers - rice will rest on your four fingers held close together on the way up. avoid using the palm of your hand. that is when things get messy.

beach

All I can say is lick all the five fingers thoroughly well after the meals. The real taste lies there

North Indian food is a bit easier with finger as the food is relatively thick. The story is slightly different with south Indian meals.

Has anyone tried to eat Tanduri chicken with fork & knife??. If I try I’m sure the chicken will land in neighbor’s plate or lap


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Sorry...if you are seeing this picture in the wrong time. This is one of the tastiest meals I ever had. I could not help but to take this photo. Unfortunately my camera doesn’t have a smell and taste recorder. If people shout that this is a shameless & naked gastronomical imperialism, I’ll take this down.

Merchant

There actually is some technique, worth mastering: scoop the food with the three fingers of your right hand, then use your thumb to push it into your mouth.

SHIMLA

I agree !!

Also, Tandoori Chicken is best enjoyed by using BOTH hands with the fork and spoon nowhere near !!

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seventies'hippy

You got it Mechant, It's not to hard to master the technique, & don't the connoissuers say something like you shouldn't get the food past the middle knuckles of your fingers.

And 'beach', yeah wrong time, You're making me so hungry but my foods going to taste so good tonight

Nick-H

Northern Indian style: eay with your finger tips.
Southern Indian style: eat with your whole hand.

So I guess that if you try8ing for the Southern style then if you are looking like a 3-year old you are probably not far off

The rice is always well mixed with other food before eating, this brings out he flavour and makes the liquids more easy to handle. A spoon is not much good for this: ask for a fork!

But, except for dosa or food served with breads, I prefer a fork...

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tadka

beach, my fingers are ineffectually scooping at the screen.

where'd you have that?