Indore

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A morning tour starts with the classic breakfast of poha (dish made with beaten rice) at Saini Usal Poha or Apna Sweets. For a Sindhi breakfast of dal pakwan (split Bengal gram curry with fried flatbread), the tour heads to shops near Tower Square. In winter, have hot, flavoured milk at Laxmi Narayan Doodhwala near Chhawni and ice-cream sodas at Aspi & Co, Palasia, in summer. For kachoris, head to Lal Balti Kachori at Rambagh. At Chappan Dukan, start with Om Namkeen for savouries. For non-vegetarians, there is Johny Hot Dog! Khopra patties (potato patties filled with a spicy-sweet coconut mix), a local delicacy, is available at many stalls, a popular one being Vijay Chaat House. Sarafa Bazar's food stalls come to life around 8 pm! The first stop is Joshi Dahibada House, where the owner, a YouTube star, flips the dahi vada (fried lentil balls soaked in yoghurt) in the air. Favourites like bhutte ka kees (corn in milk) and garadu ki chaat (a spicy purple yam dish) are available at many stalls. For crazy coconut cutting skills and delicious coconut crush, stop at Navin's. Also try fun dishes like potato twisters and fruit ice-creams!

Indore, the financial hub of Madhya Pradesh, is a foodie's paradise, and more so at night! Listed among the cleanest cities in India, street food hotspots in Indore are much in demand among locals and travellers. There are two major food streets in Indore - a day market called Chappan Dukan (56 shops) and Sarafa Bazaar, a bustling jewellery market that transforms into a food boulevard at sundown, and stays open till around 2 am! Chappan Dukan once had 56 eateries and now there are around 100! Depending on a guest's time schedule, a food tour can start at either of these two localities.

If time permits, visit Jaivik Setu, a Sunday farmers' market at Bicholi Mardana! Travellers often come to Indore for work and enjoy the street food at night. They also extend their trip over a weekend to explore city attractions like the Kaanch Mandir (glass temple), the opulent Lal Bagh Palace and the magnificent Rajwada Palace.

Best time to visit: October to March.

Connect: Fly IndiGo to Indore.

Itanagar, the capital of Arunachal Pradesh, is a picturesque city with a number of natural and historical sites like the Ita Fort, the Gompa Temple, the Ganga Lake, etc. It's rapidly gaining fame as an offbeat travel destination. The local cuisine, which is heavily influenced by the indigenous tribal culture, adds to its tourism potential. Based on the principles of eating simple, natural and local food, the dishes here include minimal processing.

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A food walk in Itanagar can cover absolutely different dishes at different seasons, depending on availability of ingredients. The dishes range from the classic steamed rice called khao hai that is wrapped in a leaf to the exotic pi koi tome (colocasia and banana flower gravy). There are several other varieties of rice dishes you can taste here. Rice is a staple food. For people who love Tibetan and Chinese flavours, there are numerous dumplings and noodle-based dishes, including thukpa, thenthuk and many more. As meat is an important part of local meals, a number of dishes prepared in different ways, including roasted pork, chicken and even fish are available almost everywhere. One of the food shops included in the food walk serves a selection of dishes prepared with bamboo shoots, including a pickle. Bamboo is also used as a cooking utensil to prepare a rice dish called khola.

You can enjoy a glass of local rice beer called apong or try some local fruit wines. Wines made from fruits have been a part of local culture in the Northeast for centuries and have started to gain mainstream recognition with many high-quality vineyards and breweries being established. Ziro is one such destination famous for wines made from plums, pears, apples and many other local fruits. Naara Aaba, a brand headed by Tage Rita, a woman entrepreneur, has been making all the right noises with its range of kiwi wines.

Itanagar

Connect:

Fly IndiGo to Donyi Polo Airport, Itanagar. Ziro Valley is about 100 km away.

Best time to visit: October to April.