Chinese premier Wen Jiabao may no longer be in India but you can still discuss the state of India-China relations, and maybe even get a flavor of China in the wake of his visit.
Margherita Stancati/The Wall Street Journal
There's more to Chinese food in India than Chindian. Pictured, a detail of the exterior of "The Chinese."Not only is Chinese cuisine hugely popular across India, it has also evolved into a hybrid of its own: "Chindian" or "Chinjabi."
The hallmarks of "Chindian" are the use of paneer, which is widely used as a meat substitute although cottage cheese is pretty much unheard of in Chinese food elsewhere. Pork, isn't very widely available, and beef isn't available at all, because of religious dietary restrictions.
You can also be almost certain you're in a bonafide Chindian place if you see anything "Manchurian," a generic gravy sauce that can accompany anything. Cauliflower also tends to crop up in Chindian menus, as do dishes garnished with coriander and cumin-staple ingredients of Indian cuisine which are not as popular in mainland China. You'll also see something called sweet corn and chicken soup, which is a popular cornstarch-heavy concoction.
But not all Chinese restaurants in India are Chindian. We tried five in New Delhi, that fall on various points of the Chinese-Indian spectrum. Read our reviews after the jump.
What's your opinion of Chinese restaurants in Delhi or elsewhere in India? Share your tips or impressions in the comments section.
