Most of us who live in the big bustling city would never know how diverse India can be. If you get your bum off the couch and walk 50km in any direction, you’ll find a different way of talking, a different way of dressing and of course, a different cuisine.
With so much diversity and so many options, sometimes Indian food also has a weird, bizarre and slightly creepy side — a side with rat meat, rotten potatoes and red ants.
So for anyone who likes to think that Indian food is just about butter chicken and kebabs, we have come up with a list of the most bizarre Indian dishes you’ve never seen. (Hold on to your tummies).
1. Bhaang Ki Chutney
Yes, it’s made of roasted hemp seeds or Bhaang. No, you won’t be intoxicated after having it. This mouthwatering dish is very popular in Uttarakhand’s Kumaon district. Hemp seeds are known to have a high nutritional value and they help in improving digestion and metabolism. Which is why Uttarakhandis serve it as an accompaniment to other dishes.
2. Red Ants Chutney
How does a mixture of red ants, their eggs with some chilli, ginger and salt sound to you? Believe us or not, but people actually eat this in the Bastar district of Chhattisgarh. The dish is traditionally known as Chapura and is known to be a storehouse of medicinal goodness. The explosion of hot flavours is actually relished by people in the region. So, next time a red ant’s bite leaves you squirming in pain, you know what to do.
3. Dog Meat
Now this is particularly hard for us to digest. But ’tis true. Man’s best friend is served as a delicacy among the tribal communities of Nagaland, Mizoram and Manipur. The tribals consume dog meat because it is rich in iron, which helps them stay warm during winters.
4. Frog Legs
Goa and Sikkim share a common love for this French delicacy which is made by battering and frying frog legs.This dish is also considered to have some medicinal properties. In fact, the Lepcha community in Sikkim swears by the dish to cure stomach ailments. Interestingly, in a bid to avoid trouble by the forest department, restaurants in Goa serve the delicacy under the name ‘jumping chicken’.
5. Baby Shark Curry
6. Eri Polu Silkworm
7. Rat Meat
8. Rotten Potatoes
What could possibly be bizarre about eating everyone’s favourite aaloo, you would think. We thought so too. But then we stumbled upon this dish called Phan Pyut, which is basically rotten potatoes. It is a much-loved and widely consumed side dish in north east India. These potatoes are either consumed in their natural form or after they’ve been marinated with local spices.
9. Onion Ka Halwa
10. Garlic Kheer
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