Rishikesh travel guide

Chole bhature

Delhi's most iconic breakfast—large puffed fried bread (bhature) alongside a fiery chickpea curry finished with ginger and pomegranate; eaten standing at dhabas of Paharganj or posh restaurants; the best in Old Delhi near Sitaram Bazaar

Aloo paratha

North India's breakfast champion—whole wheat dough stuffed with heavily spiced mashed potato, flattened and cooked on a griddle in ghee until blistered; served with pickled mango, white butter and yogurt at every dhaba from Punjab to Delhi

Fresh fruit juices

India's extraordinary fruit diversity—fresh-pressed sugarcane juice, mosambi (sweet lime), fresh coconut, pomegranate, watermelon and seasonal fruit juices from roadside pushcarts; the quality in season, especially in hill stations and coastal markets, is extraordinary

Ayurvedic thalis

Kerala's tradition of food as medicine—Ayurvedic resorts and kitchens in Kovalam, Varkala and Thrissur serve tridosha-balanced meals; bitter melon, drumstick, moringa and specific rices recommended by an Ayurvedic physician; the spicing changes with the season

Chai

India's defining national drink—CTC black tea boiled vigorously with milk and sugar (and usually ginger); served in small glass, clay kulhad or small cups from dhabas, chaiwallahs and every station platform; price rarely exceeds Rs 10 at roadside; mood-transforming