Did you know that Indian food is made to be eaten with your hands? In fact, there is an entire Indian dining etiquette that has nothing to do with salad forks and properly folded napkins.

This guide will help you learn how to eat Indian food the traditional way: with your fingers.

Eating With Your Hands

First and foremost, it’s important to talk about the tradition itself. If you’ve never been to an Indian restaurant, this concept may seem foreign. After all, we are used to having utensils of some sort to work with.

However, in India it is normal to eat with your hands. It is not considered rude, and you should not be concerned that people will look at you funny.

Here are a few tips:

• Wash your hands first:  This is basic hygiene and you should be doing this whether you are eating Indian food or anything else.
• Eat with your right hand: Your left hand is associated with using the restroom and should not come into contact with the food. You should eat with your right hand only.
• Use your fingertips: Even though you’re eating with your hands, you don’t want to make a giant mess. Use your fingertips and don’t pick up too much food at once. You shouldn’t have a fistful of food.
• Start with the bread: You’ll notice that most Indian dishes are served with some kind of bread. The standard means of eating is to tear the bread into small sections and use it to scoop up a bit of meat or vegetables with every bite.
• Then add rice: Normally you will run out of bread before you run out of other dishes on your plate. The answer is to serve yourself a bit of rice. Now you can pick up a small ball of rice and eat it with the meat or vegetables. You should pour a small amount of daal over the rice to keep it moist and add flavor, but don’t add too much.
• Alternate: Indian meals are renowned for their balance and variety of flavors. Each meal is served with the main dish and a side of some sort. Rather than eating all of one thing at a time, the ideal way to enjoy the flavors is to alternate between a bite of the main dish and a bite of the side dish.

Now that you understand how to eat Indian food with your hands, it’s time to head down to Little India of Denver and put your new skills to the test! Stop by one of our locations today to enjoy our full menu!

Photo: szefei/Shutterstock