It Happens Only In India: 8 Phrases Desi People Use To Describe The Food They Want

July 11, 2018

We Indians have a strange way of describing food. This is so common that most of us don’t even notice ourselves saying it! Here’s a lineup of this wacky vocabulary, so check it out and tell us – are you guilty of using these yourself? (We definitely are!)

1. “Double Masala!”

Masala, as you may know, is a combination of spices in any dish. But one thing is for sure – asking for double can be a huge trouble!

2. “Medium Spicy”

Sibling to “Double Masala”, “Medium Spicy” is the most Indian thing to describe food because 1) we don’t like our food without spice and 2) only a select few Indians possess the special gene to tolerate “full spicy” Indian food!

3. “1 By 2”

Obviously, we’re talking about soup! Since no Indian in history has ever completed a full bowl of soup all by themselves, we resort to ordering ‘1 by 2’ for two and ‘2 by 3’ for three people. Always.

4. “Pure Veg”

If phrases like “ATM machine” and “PIN number” annoy you, then “Pure Veg” is one you’ll love hate the most! What does ‘pure’ mean, anyway? We’ll never know.

5. “Good Quantity”

Instead of asking for a little extra, we ask for “good quantity”. It’s a great way to ask, because if you’re ever accused of being a glutton, you can just say that you asked for “good”, not “more”! ?

6. “Wet” or “Dry”?

What’s the opposite of Manchurian? “Wet” Manchurian, because the former is dry! As weird as that may sound to some of us, it’s common to ask for a “wet” version of a “dry”, gravyless dish.

7. “Cold Drink”

We use “cold drink” interchangeably with “soft drink” at will, but they’re not the same thing! A cold drink just means that the drink is chilled, but what we actually mean is a carbonated drink. It’s okay, we still gotchu, fam.

8. “Veg Biryani”

You mean Pulao, right? Right. Yeah, it’s Pulao.

Tikka or teekha, we’ve got it all a tap away! Fire up the Swiggy app and plan your next meal right now, will ya? 

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