Indians eat with their hands

In India, the customary method of eating is to pick up food with your hands. When eating with your hands, the optimum technique is to link all of your fingers together and pick up food with only the tips of your fingers. This is supposed to improve our awareness of the flavor of food in India.

Eating with your hands also directs your attention to the meal in front of you, allowing you to concentrate on temperature, portion sizes, and technique.

However, not all Indian meals should be eaten with the hands. Spoons can be used if the food is soupy, as in many dals. It is permissible to use flatbreads such as chapati, roti, or naan to gather food and sop up gravies and curries when they are offered with the meal. Allowing your palms or the outsides of your fingers to become soiled is considered impolite.

Although many Indians eat with their hands, forks and knives are commonly used by the middle and upper castes. It's also quite acceptable for a foreigner to request silverware in more formal settings, such as a restaurant, if it makes you feel more at ease.