Landmarks: Some food for thought | For couch potatoes

Gluttony, says the Bible, is a sin. Indians tend to disagree.

"Happiness lies in a full, satiated stomach," chants my aunt as she plonks a sizzling, ghee-coated aloo paranthaon my plate, accompanied with a bowl of sweet curd.

But home food aside, Indians are fast changing their eating habits. As the cash flows in, the middle class is streaming out of their homes in droves to try out new, more exciting cuisines - something my aunt certainly does not approve of, but then she comes from the old school of thought, which says home food is the best food.

Today, with both the partners working - their jobs demanding and consuming most of their time - and nuclear families on the rise, cooking at home has become a trying chore.

The post-Independence, modern woman simply does not relish the thought of coming home from a long day's work, throwing on an apron and then hitting the kitchen with a vengeance. Leave the lip-smacking dishes for the chefs in restaurants to prepare, says she.

And it's because of this upswing in the demand curve that the supply side has swung into action. More and more eateries -- all serving different foods and at different budgets -- are springing up at every nook and cranny of the country.

Menus range from soups and salads, to main courses and even deserts for those with a sweet tooth and 'made to order' and 'delivered at your doorstep' are the weekday fare slogans.

The food is varied -- Lebanese, Chinese, Indian, Thai, Continental, pizzas and burgers -- you name it and they deliver it, all fresh and ready to eat.

And for those who prefer something more desi, there are the dabbawalas who deliver tiffin boxes at your home, choc full of your favourite, home made food.

Eating out is no longer the special occasion that it used to be in the olden days, because Gen X is all about spending, and food is an important part of the sustenance.

Apart from ordering in, ready to eat, frozen foods, available in local supermarkets, are a rage among the customers, who prefer to pick these up and microwave them for a perfect meal -- with fancy, French breads to along.

Fast food is a big crowd puller, what with fast food joints like McDonald's pricing their burgers at an extremely affordable Rs 20 (starting price). Pizzas are a big draw too and with prices like Rs 100 for a cheese pizza, delivered hot at your home, your mouth can only water.

For those who can afford to spend more, there are all night coffee shops and restaurants in five star hotels that offer a wider variety of cuisine - including Japanese Sushi, Pakistani, Afghani, Burmese and Israeli - foods that are not so easily available near the home.

Euromonitor International, an international market intelligence on industries, countries and consumers, which carried out a survey in 2005 said that the amount spent nationally on meals outside the home has more than doubled in the past decade, to about $5 billion a year, and is expected to double again in about half that time.

The growing middle class, with its new spending habits and increasing income, has access to Internet and cable TV, which in turn has opened wide, the world palette.

In India, home cooked food is still the first choice - something that makes that aunt of mine smile patronisingly - but the market for readymade foods is growing and as long as they don't compromise on the taste, health and cost fronts, most of these products would do well, if only out of sheer necessity.####