Good food lies at the heart of any Asian gathering, and there’s no occasion that is complete without it. If you love Indian food, then an Indian wedding is where you will want to be.  

Whether your tongue craves something sweet, spicy or salty, guaranteed you will find it here. Not only is Indian wedding food an epicurean’s heaven, it is also a delight to the eyes, since the food is almost as colorful as the wedding clothes tend to be.

Spicy mains
At Indian weddings, food is almost as important as the ceremony itself and it is not uncommon for guests to wander away to the main food area while the ceremony is still in progress. These days, although many wedding dinners tend to be slower, sit-down affairs, it doesn’t diminish the guests’ anticipation of tasting the rich fare.  

The type of food served usually depends on what style of Indian wedding it is. But typically, wedding food is lavish, beginning with free flowing snacks and refreshments that are served throughout the ceremony. Soft drinks, mocktails, juices or a spiced yogurt drink called buttermilk will usually be served for drinks, while snacks include spicy nuts and deep fried bites filled with vegetables or lentils.  

Indians believe that sweets ‘sweeten’ an occasion so at an Indian wedding, you will be spoilt for choice.

At some weddings, liquor is served, but at most, it is not – so be prepared to enjoy the festivities sans alcohol. In many cases, it is the same with meat; for instance, a North Indian style wedding might serve chicken, fish or lamb, but many don’t. Broadly speaking, rice and Indian breads – like naan bread or rotis – form the base of the main feast. These are usually accompanied by rich curries or stew, cooked in clarified butter (called ghee). But beware of the high spice factor that is an inevitable part of Indian wedding food. For the less adventurous, my advice is to pad out your spicy meal with yogurt -- usually always available  - or a yogurt-based drink to calm the stomach.

Food is usually eaten from plates, with hands or cutlery, but at some weddings - like Tamil weddings, which are very common in Singapore - food is eaten by hand, off freshly washed banana leaves.

Dollops of curries, vegetables and stews are served around a bed of rice, accompanied by circular sheets of lentils that are dried and then deep fried, called applams.

 …and a sweet ending
Ahhh, dessert. A sweetaholic’s favourite part of the meal. And nothing ends a spicy, satisfying meal quite like a mouthful of sweet. Generally, sweets will be the last course of the meal, but it can also be the first bit of food served, even before the main meal, to signify a celebration. Indians believe that sweets ‘sweeten’ an occasion so at an Indian wedding, you will be spoilt for choice. Along with fruit platters, and mini-western desserts, you will find Indian sweets in abundance. Whether milk based, fried, soaked in honey–like syrup or made from creamy spiced yogurt, they are rich with ghee. They are almost always prettily decorated with thin sheets of silver, nuts or food coloring, making them a feast for the eyes as well. More intensely in flavored than their western counter-parts, no celebration is complete without these favorites.

A full Indian wedding feast is usually finished off with aromatic coffee accompanied by paan. Made from folded betel leaves and sealed, these little pockets are filled with crushed betel nuts, sweet shredded coconut, and spicy flavored pastes. They are believed to be excellent digestives, and are chewed whole. Although hugely popular, be warned that, and a mouthful of bittersweet betel leaves is not to everyone’s taste. It can turn your mouth red and takes a lot of skill to keep all the juices in your mouth while chewing!

In the end, it is food that brings people together and nothing celebrates a happy union more than satisfied guests. So if you are headed to an Indian wedding here in Singapore, be sure to take along your discerning taste buds and an appetite for adventure.

* Missed the previous editions of Indian wedding etiquettes?
Click here for Guide to Indian Wedding Etiquettes Part 1
 Click here for Guide to Indian Weddings Etiquettes Part 2