Delhi: Eating healthy at home in India?

mmmmdave

Hey guys,

I'm considering being transferred for a few months to Delhi. (I'm here right now for a month, seeing how things are; if I like it, my wife and i will be back in November.) Everything here is great, except the healthy eating situation.

My wife and I like to eat light, healthy dinners. Not obsessively, not every night, but we've both lost a lot of weight by eating big salads for dinner four times a week. We're afraid that living in Delhi, even when we eat in we'd be eating bad.

So, my question is this: what is the salad situation in Delhi? Is there anywhere where we can buy greens that are safe to eat? Our typical meal is greens, olives, cucumber, tomato, carrot, and a sprinkling of feta; I'm confident in most of the veg but I've been warned away from the salads. What are we to do? And what are other strategies that people use to eat healthy in the face of all this temptation?

capt_mahajan

You can get any greens in Delhi, included some imported stuff.

Better at home, all washed and all. Salads outside can sometimes be iffy.

mmmmdave

Where? I've been living in GK II, and the only food stores I've seen are the stands on the street and the 24/7-style marts. Again, I've been warned away from anything that can't be peeled. So any insight you can provide as to where I can get the greens I need would be much appreciated. Both in Delhi and in Gurgaon, as I may end up living there.

capt_mahajan

Dunno too much about GKII. But Besant Lok (Vasant Vihar) and surrounding vegetable vendors have quite a bit.

And though I haven't been to Khan market recently, I suspect that may not be a bad place to look at.

If you are a regular with any decent vegetable vendor, he will usually arrange the stuff you want. Just ask. They usually may not stock up since the market may be too small, or not ready to pay too much.

I understand Gurgaon has a few large shopping malls/supermarkets now. I am sure they will have some; here in Hyderabad most usually do, though admittedly you have to search for decent quality sometimes.

mmmmdave

Do I need to worry about the sanitary quality of the greens I get from the vendors? I'd wash them very carefully, of course.

Forgive me for sounding ignorant or paranoid... the guidebooks all terrify me about the state of the fruit and veg.

capt_mahajan

Not especially. Same paranoia you would apply to other vegetables and meat in Delhi
(Btw, you can buy imported meat too, but I am paranoid about that, what with expiry dates and the recent hoohaa about feed in the US)

Wash well, yes.

Dunno guidebooks, but I would advise be careful where you eat fresh salad and fruit outside the house.

deeps79

Look out for Retail Chains like Big Apple, Reliance and Big Bazaar.....otherwise u will get all the stuff at Vasant Vihar, Khan Market and INA Market ........

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girlone

Hi Dave,

I have struggled with the same thing, and fell ill after eating salad from a restaurant, so I'm pretty cautious too.

For fresh, good quality salad greens go to Sugar and Spice in Basant Lok, Vasant Vihar, on the right hand side as you walk in. Its three floors of imported goods, and the top floor has veg, fruit, and meat. Downstairs you can buy freshly baked breads and cheeses including feta. They are expensive, but for things you can't find elsewhere its worth it.
Also in Basant Lok, there is another cheaper store that sells things like olives, capers, balsamic vinegar etc. I don't know the name, but if you walk down the market from the main road and turn left you will come to a fountain. The little shop is behind the fountain towards the right. I think there is an Italian restaurant near it...

Remember, carrots, cucumbers and tomatoes are ubiquitous here - you can buy them anywhere. As the pp said, peel stuff, or wash thoroughly in filtered/clean water.

You may also need to expand your repertoire of salads - there are lots that can be made without lettuce!! Tomato, onion, cucumber and feta with basil, grated carrot with sultanas and coriander, green beans with almonds etc.

Good luck, hope you find this helpful.

capt_mahajan

and opposite Nirula's.. maybe you mean Modern Bazaar, it's worth a visit for this.

Tapestry

Another type of salad here you might like is a sprouted moong bean salad. You can sprout your own moong beans, then add fresh chopped tomato, and a little salt and lemon juice and it makes for a nice breakfast or snack.

amystarcraft

We have been in India for 6 mths and live in Gurgaon. We shop at local markets and buy our fruit and veg from stalls as well as the Spencers and various more established shops.

We find the local markets have the better quality and fresher produce though the range can be limited. Price is significantly cheaper than stores. The trick is to soak it thoroughly and wash it in a suitable mild disinfectant. We use the same one used for cleaning babies bottles. Funnily its called "Bottle Nipple and Vegetable Cleaner". Its available in most chemists and larger stores. Can be a hassle washing and having to dry but it works for us. We also just do it in the tap water here.

Louise Leech

I´m with amystarcraft on this one! I buy all my fruit and veg. from the vegetable wallah outside my house, failing this, the local markets are just as good. I have 2 young children, so being extra careful, I sterilize everything in "steriliq" - again, this is normally used for washing babies bottles. Soak all fruit and veg. for about 20 mins, rinse and you can eat the apples, with skin, and everything else too! With delicate veg. such as mushrooms, lettuce etc, same process, but use immediately after washing. Hope this helps!