“Best Airplane Food I’ve Ever Had”: Air India’s Kachori Breakfast Impresses Influencer

Airplane food usually comes with modest expectations only. Most passengers brace for something predictable, a reheated omelette, a bread roll, maybe a small yoghurt cup. Rarely does it resemble the kind of breakfast you would happily order at a local eatery! 

Influencer Shares Unexpected Air India Food Mid-Flight

That’s why a recent in-flight meal shared by an influencer, @ananya.png caught attention online. The traveller posted a story showing their breakfast tray aboard an Air India flight and wrote, “Best airplane food I’ve ever had! The fact that @airindia served me Kachori and Aloo Sabzi +++ Sabudana khichdi for breakfast!!!”

The enthusiasm wasn’t hard to understand once the tray came into view. Instead of the usual airline staples, the meal looked unmistakably Indian. The breakfast included a combination that many people would recognise from street stalls or home kitchens rather than an aircraft cabin.

The tray appeared to contain kachori, a deep-fried stuffed snack common in northern India, paired with aloo sabzi, a lightly spiced potato curry typically served alongside puris or kachoris. Next to it sat sabudana khichdi, the tapioca-based dish made with peanuts, potatoes and mild spices that is especially popular in western and central India.

Alongside the hot dishes was a small cup of stirred fruit yoghurt, plus the standard packaged accompaniments that usually come with airline meals. For a breakfast served thousands of feet above ground, it looked surprisingly close to a traditional Indian morning plate.

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Why Meals Like This Stand Out In The Air

Commercial flights tend to rely on menus that are easy to mass-produce and reheat efficiently. Because of those constraints, breakfasts often shift towards continental options like eggs, bread, hash browns or pancakes. Foods like kachori or sabudana khichdi are strongly associated with local eateries, temple towns, fasting traditions or family kitchens. Seeing them appear on a flight tray, therefore, feels unusual, almost like stumbling upon a familiar neighbourhood breakfast while travelling.

Also Read: 10 Sacred Temple Towns Across India Perfect For A One-Day Spiritual Trip

Air India’s Push Toward Regional Indian Menus

Over the past few years, Air India has been reworking parts of its in-flight dining program to reflect a broader range of Indian cuisines rather than relying only on generic international menus.

Depending on the route and meal service, passengers have encountered items inspired by regional cooking traditions; dishes such as aloo paratha, podi idli, medu vada, batata vada, and chicken Chettinad are made available. The idea is to introduce travellers to flavours that reflect India’s culinary diversity instead of presenting a one-size-fits-all menu.

The airline also continues to offer several special meal categories for passengers with dietary or religious preferences. These include Jain meals, Asian vegetarian meals, diabetic-friendly options and other customised menus that can be requested before the flight. Menus still vary widely depending on route, aircraft type and time of day.

For many travellers, airline meals are a forgettable part of the journey. They serve their purpose and disappear from memory once the flight lands. But occasionally a tray arrives that feels unexpectedly personal, it may be a dish that reminds you of home, of roadside breakfasts, or of mornings when the kitchen smells like fried spices and fresh chai.

Also Read: Amid West Asian Conflict, Air India Flies Back 149 Passengers From Dubai To Delhi

A plate with kachori, aloo sabzi and sabudana khichdi at cruising altitude does exactly that. And for one passenger, it was enough to turn an ordinary flight breakfast into something worth sharing.

Cover Image Courtesy: airindia/website and ananya.pn g/Instagram