Indian food is often served family-style

Most Indian meals are served family-style, which means that numerous main courses are ordered and everyone at the table shares. Rice, a flatbread, meat, vegetable, and lentil dishes, salad, yogurt, and pickled vegetables are traditional components of Indian family dinners. If you're only eating with two people, you can still order family-style, but you need order at least three courses, not including bread or rice.

Contamination, or jootha, is also an essential notion in Indian dining etiquette. Jootha can refer to food, utensils, or serving dishes that have come into touch with someone's mouth, saliva, or plate while they are eating. It can also refer to sharing anything, such as a cup, a spoon, or even leftovers. Although these behaviors may be considered intimate amongst partners or family members, they are often regarded as impolite and unsanitary among friends, coworkers, and acquaintances.