Everything about Indian Cuisine totally explained
The
Cuisine of India is characterized by its sophisticated and subtle use of many spices and herbs. Considered by some to be one of the world's most diverse cuisines, each family of this cuisine is characterized by a wide assortment of dishes and cooking techniques. Though a significant portion of Indian food is
vegetarian, many traditional Indian dishes also include
chicken,
goat,
lamb,
fish, and other
meats.
Beef isn't eaten by most
Hindus, while
ham and
pork are not consumed by
Muslims.
Food is an important part of
Indian culture, playing a role in everyday life as well as in festivals. In many families, everyday meals are usually sit-down affairs consisting of two to three main course dishes, varied accompaniments such as
chutneys and pickles, carbohydrate staples such as
rice and
roti (bread), as well as
desserts.
Diversity is a defining feature of India's geography, culture, and food. Indian cuisine varies from region to region, reflecting the
varied demographics of the ethnically diverse
subcontinent. Generally, Indian cuisine can be split into four categories: North Indian, South Indian, East Indian, and West Indian. Despite this diversity, some unifying threads emerge in the art of Indian cuisine. Varied uses of
spices are an integral part of food preparation, and are used to enhance the flavor of a dish and create unique flavors and aromas. Cuisine across India has also been influenced by various cultural groups that entered India throughout history, from regions as diverse as
West Asia,
Central Asia and
Europe.
History and influences
As a land that has experienced extensive immigration and intermingling through many millennia, the subcontinent has benefited from numerous food influences. The diverse climate in the region, ranging from deep tropical to alpine, has also helped considerably broaden the set of ingredients readily available to the many schools of cookery in India. In many cases, food has become a marker of religious and social identity, with varying taboos and preferences (for instance, a segment of the
Jain population consume no roots or subterranean vegetable; see
Jain vegetarianism) which has also driven these groups to innovate extensively with the food sources that are deemed acceptable.
One strong influence over Indian foods is the longstanding
vegetarianism within sections of
India's
Hindu and Jain communities. At 31%, slightly less than a third of Indians are vegetarians..
Around 7000 BCE,
sesame,
eggplant, and
humped cattle had been domesticated in the
Indus Valley. By 3000 BCE,
turmeric,
cardamom,
black pepper and
mustard were harvested in India. Many recipes first emerged during the initial
Vedic period, when India was still heavily forested and agriculture was complemented with game hunting and forest produce. In
Vedic times, a normal diet consisted of fruit, vegetables, meat, grain, dairy products and honey. Over time, some segments of the population embraced vegetarianism. This was facilitated by advent of Buddhism and a cooperative climate where variety of fruits, vegetables, and grains could easily be grown throughout the year. A food classification system that categorized any item as
saatvic,
raajsic or
taamsic developed in
Ayurveda. Each was deemed to have a powerful effect on the body and the mind
Later, invasions from
Central Asia,
Arabia, the
Mughal empire, and
Persia, and others had a deep and fundamental effect on Indian cooking. Influence from traders such as the
Arab and
Portuguese diversified subcontinental tastes and meals. As with other cuisines, Indian cuisine has absorbed the new-world vegetables such as
tomato,
chilli, and
potato, as staples. These are actually
relatively recent additions.
Islamic rule introduced rich gravies,
pilafs and non-vegetarian fare such as
kebabs, resulting in
Mughlai cuisine (
Mughal in origin), as well as such fruits as apricots, melons, peaches, and plums. The Mughals were great patrons of cooking. Lavish dishes were prepared during the reigns of
Jahangir and
Shah Jahan.
The
Nizams of
Hyderabad state meanwhile developed and perfected their own style of cooking with the most notable dish being the
Biryani, often considered by many connoisseurs to be the finest of the main dishes in India.
During this period the
Portuguese and
British introduced foods from the
New World such as
potatoes,
tomatoes,
squash, and
chilies and cooking techniques like baking.
Elements
The staples of Indian cuisine are
rice,
atta (
whole wheat flour), and a variety of
pulses, the most important of which are
masoor (most often red
lentil),
chana (
bengal gram),
toor (
pigeon pea or yellow gram),
urad (black gram) and
mung (green gram).
Pulses may be used whole, dehusked, for example dhuli moong or dhuli urad, or split. Pulses are used extensively in the form of
dal (split). Some of the pulses like
chana and "Mung" are also processed into flour (
besan).
Most Indian curries are fried in vegetable oil. In North and West India,
groundnut oil is traditionally been most popular for frying, while in Eastern India,
Mustard oil is more commonly used. In South India,
coconut oil and Gingelly Oil is common. In recent decades,
sunflower oil and
soybean oil have gained popularity all over India. Hydrogenated vegetable oil, known as
Vanaspati ghee, is also a popular cooking medium that replaces Desi ghee (clarified butter).
The most important/frequently used spices in Indian cuisine are
chilli pepper,
black mustard seed (
rai),
cumin (jeera),
turmeric (haldi),
fenugreek (methi),
asafoetida (
hing),
ginger (adrak), and
garlic (lassan). Popular spice mixes are
garam masala which is usually a powder of five or more dried spices, commonly comprised of cardamom, cinnamon and
clove; and Goda Masala, a popular spice mix in Maharashtra. Some leaves are commonly used like
tejpat (
cassia leaf),
coriander leaf,
fenugreek leaf and
mint leaf. The common use of
curry leaves is typical of all Indian cuisine. In sweet dishes,
cardamom,
nutmeg,
saffron, and
rose petal essence are used.
The term "curry" is usually understood to mean "gravy" in India, rather than "spices."
Geographical varieties
Northern
North Indian cuisine is distinguished by the proportionally high use of
dairy products;
milk,
paneer,
ghee (clarified
butter), and
yoghurt (yogurt, yoghourt) are all common ingredients.
Gravies are typically dairy-based. Other common ingredients include chilies,
saffron, and
nuts.
North Indian cooking features the use of the "tawa" (griddle) for baking flat breads like
roti and
paratha, and "
tandoor" (a large and cylindrical coal-fired oven) for baking breads such as
naan, and
kulcha; main courses like
tandoori chicken also cook in the tandoor. Other breads like
puri and
bhatoora, which are deep fried in oil, are also common.
Goat and
lamb meats are favored ingredients of many northern Indian recipes.
The
samosa is a popular North Indian snack, and now commonly found in other parts of India,
Central Asia and the
Middle East. A common variety is filled with boiled, fried, or mashed potato. Other fillings include minced meat, cheese (
paneer),
mushroom (
khumbi), and chick pea.
The staple food of most of North India is a variety of
lentils, vegetables, and
roti (wheat based bread). The varieties used and the method of preparation can vary from place to place. Popular dishes include
buknu,
gujiya,
chaat,
daal ki kachauri,
mirchi bada,
jalebi,
imarti, several types of pickles (or
achar),
murabba,
sharbat,
pana and
aam papad. Popular sweets include
mithai, such as
gulab jamun,
peda,
khurchan,
petha,
rewdi,
gajak,
milk cake,
balushahi,
bal mithai,
singori,
kulfi,
falooda,
khaja,
ras malai,
gulqand, and several varieties of
laddu,
barfi and
halwa.
Some common North Indian foods such as the various
kebabs and most of the meat dishes originated with
Muslims’ incursions into the country.
Pakistan was part of
North India prior to the
partition of India. As a result,
Pakistani cuisine is very similar to northern Indian cuisine.
Eastern
East Indian cuisine is famous for its
desserts, especially sweets such as
rasagolla, chumchum,
sandesh,
rasabali,
chhena poda,
chhena gaja, and
kheeri. Many of the sweet dishes now popular in Northern India initially originated in the
Bengal and
Orissa regions. Apart from sweets, East India cuisine offers delights of posta (poppy seeds).
Traditional
Bengali cuisine isn't too spicy, not too faint. General ingredients used in bengali curries are mustard seeds, cumin seeds, black cumin, green chillies,cumin paste, mustard paste, curd, nuts, poppy seed paste, cashew paste,etc. and cooked in mustard oil.Curries are classified into bata(paste), bhaja(fries), chochchoree(less spicy vapourized curries) and jhol(thin spicy curries).These are eaten with plain boiled
rice or ghonto(spiced rice). Traditional Bengali breakfast includes pantabhat(biotically degenerated boiled rice), doi-chirey, doodh-muree with fruits,etc.
Bangladeshi cuisine is very similar to East Indian cuisine.
Fish and
seafood are very popular in the coastal states of Orissa and West Bengal.
Like South India, rice is the staple grain in Eastern India. A regular meal consists of many side dishes made of vegetables. The popular vegetable dishes of Orissa are Dalma and Santula. The most popular vegetable dish of Bengal is Sukto. Deep fried, shallow fried and mashed vegetables are also very popular. Fish frequently features in a regular meal.
Southern
South Indian cuisine is distinguished by a greater emphasis on
rice as the staple grain, the liberal use of
coconut and particularly
coconut oil and curry leaves, and the ubiquity of
sambar and
rasam (also called
saaru'/'chaaru) at meals.
The
dosa,
idli,
vada,
bonda, and
bajji are typical South Indian snacks. These are generally consumed as breakfast.
Andhra,
Chettinad,
Hyderabadi, Mangalorean, and Kerala cuisines each have distinct tastes and methods of cooking. In fact each of the South Indian states has a different way of preparing sambar; a connoisseur of South Indian food will very easily tell the difference between
sambar from Kerala, sambar from Tamilnadu, Sambar from Karnataka and
pappu pulusu in
Andhra cuisine.Some popular dishes include the Biriyani, Ghee Rice with meat curry, sea-food (prawns, mussels, mackerel) and paper thin Pathiris from
Malabar area.
Western
Portuguese influence from the colonial era.
Maharashtrian cuisine is has mainly two sections defined by the geographical sections. The coastal regions similar to goa depend more on rice, coconut, and fish while the hilly and plateau regions use groundnut in place of coconut and depend more on wheat, jowar and Bajri.
Saraswat cuisine forms an important part of
coastal Konkani Indian cuisine.
Gujarati cuisine is predominantly
vegetarian. Many Gujarati dishes have a hint of sweetness due to use of sugar or brown sugar.
Goan cuisine is influenced by the
Portuguese colonization of
Goa. Goa was a colony of Portugal for over four hundred years and has dramatically influenced the small state. For instance, beef and pork are consumed there, due to the Portuguese presence. Popular and well known dishes from Goa include the
vindaloo (which means
garlic wine in the
Portuguese language), originally a sour and spicy pork curry, but which more recently are consumed with any meat. Pork sorpotel is also a Portuguese influenced Goan dish. This dish consists of thin pork
sausages mixed with
onions, and is usually eaten on its own, unlike other Indian dishes which are eaten with rice and Indian breads.
North Eastern
The food of this region is totally different from other parts of India. This area's cuisine is more influenced by its neighbours, namely
Burma and the
People's Republic of China. It's use of well known Indian spices is less.
Yak is a popular meat in this region of India.
Britain has a particularly strong tradition of Indian cuisine that originates from the
British Raj. At that time there were a few Indian restaurants in the richer parts of
London that catered to British officers returning from their duties in India. Currently, the favourite dish in the United Kingdom is supposedly
Chicken Tikka Masala, even before
fish and chips.
In the
20th century there was a second phase in the development of Anglo-Indian cuisine, as families from countries such as
Bangladesh migrated to London to look for work. Some of the earliest such restaurants were opened in
Brick Lane in the
East End of London, a place that's still famous for this type of cuisine.
Leicester has become well known for its curry houses, being increasingly known as the curry capital of England.
In the
1960s, a number of unauthentic "Indian" foods were developed, including the widely popular "
chicken tikka masala". This tendency has now been reversed, with subcontinental restaurants being more willing to serve authentic Indian,
Bangladeshi and
Pakistani food, and to show their regional variations. In the late twentieth century
Birmingham was the centre of growth of
Balti houses, serving a newly developed style of cooking in a large,
wok-like, pan, with a name sometimes attributed to the territory of
Baltistan, (however, the Hindi word for bucket is also
Balti). Indian food is now integral to the British diet. Chicken tikka masala is thought to be Britain's most popular dish. There are now 8,000 Indian restaurants in Britain, turning over in excess of £2 billion and employing 70,000 workers.
In the past Indian food adapted to its surroundings, and mild "Indian-style" dishes like
Chicken Korma and Chicken Tikka Masala became hugely popular. However, since Indian food has now become an everyday part of the British diet, there has blossomed an avid and enthusiastic market for authentic Indian cuisine, which has seen many more inventive restaurateurs create new and vibrant dishes which challenge the customers palate rather than pander to everyday tastes. Dishes like Mirchi Rasoi Jhinga, the Hariyali Sheekh Kebab and Jhangi Champey have their roots in Indian Britain rather than India.
Mulligatawny Soup is another Anglo-Indian dish, its name taken from Tamil for "pepper water" ('Millagu' is pepper and 'Thanni' is water).
After the
Immigration Act of 1965, South Asian immigration to the United States increased, and with it the prevalence of Indian cuisine, especially in the
San Francisco Bay Area,
Los Angeles,
Houston,
Chicago, the
New York City neighborhoods of
Murray Hill, Manhattan,
Jackson Heights and East 6th Street, and in
Edison, NJ. All-you-can-eat
buffets with several standard dishes are typical in some Indian restaurants in the United States.
Indian restaurants are common in the larger cities of
Canada, particularly in
Toronto and
Vancouver where large numbers of Indian nationals have settled since 1970. A number of the more adventurous restaurants have transformed their offerings into so-called Indian "fusion" menus, combining fresh local ingredients with traditional Indian cooking techniques.
Due to the large
Indian community in
South Africa, the
cuisine of South Africa includes several dishes of Indian-origin; some have evolved to become unique to
South Africa, such as the
bunny chow. Many others are modified with local spices.
Beverages
Tea is a staple beverage throughout India; the finest varieties are grown in
Darjeeling and
Assam. It is generally prepared as
masala chai, tea with a mixture of spices such as cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, and ginger boiled with milk. Another popular beverage,
coffee, is largely served in South India. One of the finest varieties of
Coffea arabica is grown around
Mysore,
Karnataka, and is marketed under the trade name "Mysore Nuggets". Filter Coffee, or kaapi, is also especially popular in South India. Other beverages include
nimbu pani (lemonade),
lassi, badam dood (milk with nuts and cardamom),
Chaach (made from curd/yogurt ),
sharbat and
coconut water. India also has many indigenous
alcoholic beverages, including
palm wine,
fenny,
bhang and
Indian beer. However the practice of drinking a beverage with a meal, or
wine and food matching, isn't traditional or common in India. The budding wine industry is poised to grow significantly.
Although above listed beverages are popular, people prefer to consume still drinking water with their food. In fact it's custom to offer drinking water to guest before serving hot or cold drink. Also drinking water doesn't overshadow taste of food.
Etiquette
Several customs are associated with the manner of food consumption. Traditionally, meals are eaten while seated either on the floor or on very low stools or cushions. Food is most often eaten without cutlery, using instead the fingers of the right hand. However, these traditional ways of dining are being influenced by eating styles from other parts of the world.
Traditional serving styles vary from region to region in India. A universal aspect of presentation is the
thali, a large plate with samplings of different regional dishes accompanied by
raita, breads such as
naan,
puri, or
roti, and
rice. In South India, a cleaned banana leaf is often placed under the food as decoration and as a hygienic and portable alternative to plates.
Further Information
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