Eating vegetarian
Pure veg
Restaurants signposted “pure veg” serve no meat, fish or egg.
Green and red dots
Packaged food carries a green mark for vegetarian, red-brown for non-vegetarian.
Regional strengths
Gujarati, Rajasthani, Udupi and temple-town kitchens are largely vegetarian.
Vegan
Ask about ghee, butter, paneer, curd and milk in tea.
Jain food
What is excluded
No root vegetables such as onion, garlic, potato or ginger.
Where to ask
Gujarat, Rajasthan and Mumbai restaurants commonly offer Jain preparations on request.
Halal food
Widely available
Halal butchery and restaurants are common, especially in Hyderabad, Lucknow, Delhi, Kolkata and Kerala.
Ramzan
Night food streets in Hyderabad and Old Delhi are at their busiest.