Indian Cuisine: Dal Makhni and Paneer Masala at Rio Olympics

As the Olympic fever rages on, here are some facts about the Rio Olympics village that you were probably not aware of. Also referred to as the Sportsmen Village, the Rio games village is the biggest ever in the history of the Olympics games. It’s 31 odd buildings can house up to 18000 people from across the world. It also includes shops, restaurants, cafes, transportation and a main cafeteria for meals.

Indian food on the Menu

What might surprise you is that this is the first time Indian food is available on the official menu for athletes. There are strict rules and regulations regarding food for players at Olympics Games. They are only allowed to eat food cooked in the village kitchen and they are not allowed to bring their own food into the main dining area. While there has always been international, continental and Asian food on the Olympics menu for a long time, Indian food has so far never been served to players.

Behind the scenes

India Won 2 Medals - Sakshi Malik Won Bronze Medal in Women's Wrestling & P.V.Sindhu Won Silver Medal in Badminton 

Indian food has made it to the Rio Olympics menu after consistent efforts by the Indian side. It is a proven fact that familiar food keeps players physically and mentally fit and accelerates their acclimatization to a new place. Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Indian sports ministry was determined to ensure its players were provided with everything they needed to deliver a grand performance.

Repeated requests were made to the Olympics Games Association to allow an Indian kitchen at the Olympics games village. Initially their request was turned down on the premise that a separate kitchen for a single country’s players would not be cost effective. India responded by assuring the Rio Olympics Association that its contingent would be bigger than ever before. Besides Indian food is popular with players from other countries as well especially Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Pakistan. Consistent efforts by the Sports ministry and Prime Minister Narendra Modi have finally helped bring Indian Cuisine on the Olympics games lunch table.