Diversity of Indian Cuisine
http://chinamediastation.com/articles/articles/30/1/Diversity-of-Indian-Cuisine/Diversity-of-Indian-Cuisine.html
Lana SG
My name is Lana, I am a professional linguist/ translator and am in love with writing, too!
I was born, brought up and educated in Russia, continued my education and got married in India, now I am living in Thailand and have no idea where I will find myself tomorrow! I love learning languages, travelling and getting to know about other cultures. I know Russian, English and Hindi; some bits of German, Turkish and Tatar, now learning Thai, and have great plans for at least 5 more languages!:)
I am happy to share a few articles regarding Russian, Indian and Thai cultures with you. By Lana SG
Published on 04/24/2006
If you have never tasted Indian food, you deprived yourself of a truly extraordinary experience. If you have tasted it in Indian restaurants abroad, you still have a vague idea about what authentic Indian food is.
Diversity of Indian Cuisine
If you have never tasted Indian food, you deprived yourself of a truly extraordinary experience. If you have tasted it in Indian restaurants abroad, you still have a vague idea about what authentic Indian food is. Indian cuisine is as diverse and immense as India itself. The number of cooking styles is innumerable and depends on the region and the imagination of each cook.
Every state and even city or village has its own specialities. Some dishes are found throughout India but may vary in preparation from region to region and may be called differently. Northern cuisine is usually heavier than in other parts of India with a great number of meat and chicken dishes due to Muslim influence. Southern specialities include a large number of vegetarian delicacies as well as meat and fish courses, especially in Christian-predominated regions.
The basis of any Indian meal is a grain. Rice and/or roti (flat wheat bread) are a regular part of any meal. Various pulses (dal) stewed in dozens of variants are also eaten everywhere in India. And of course, no Indian dish can do without spices. Black pepper, turmeric, coriander and cumin seeds, cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, saffron, and red and green chilies are among the most popular spices used in Indian cuisine. A lot of different masalas (combination of spices) are widely used, among them garam masala (literally "hot mixture") is the most well-known over the world. No self-respecting Indian cook will use the same masala in multiple dishes. Such spice as "curry" does not exist in India: this is purely western invention for export, actually a mixture of a few spices and is never used in authentic Indian cooking. "Curry" is also a word applied to any spicy gravy-kind of dish.
There is no Indian cuisine without dairy products: ghee (clarified butter), dahi (curds), paneer (unfermented cheese), they are irreplaceable in everyday Indian cooking. In hot weather salted or sweet lassi (yoghurt drink) is one of the best cooling and nourishing drinks. Raita (plain yoghurt with vegetables or fruit pieces served chilled) is a delicious relish after even the most fiery meal. And almost no Indian sweet is possible without milk or ghee.
The meal is not complete without pickles and chutneys. Achar, the most popular pickle can be the hottest thing you have ever tasted. Your stomach may disapprove a regular consumption of it but you should try the pickled speck at least for the sake of smashing experience. Chutneys vary greatly from sweetish to pungent and spicy, but are less hot than pickles.
Tandoori (made in a clay oven) specialities, being of Punjabi origin, are popular in every part of India. Northern Muslim (or Mughlai) cuisine specializes in chicken and mutton delicacies, out of which kebabs and rich rice-based dish called pulao or biriyani are staples. Freshwater fish is a heart of Bengali cuisine. While Rajasthani food is mostly cereals. Bati (baked balls of wholemeal flour) is the state's most remarkable dish. Kerala, Goa and Mumbai are rich in seafood. Southern famous dishes include the family of dosas (a large paper-thin crispy or soft kind of pancake served plain or stuffed with various fillings), idlis (spongy, round, fermented rice cakes), appam (a rice pancake), rasam (a thin, tamarind-flavoured vegetable broth) and sambar (a dal with cubed vegetables or vegetable puree).
Chai (tea) is the drink of the nation, though South Indians share their loyalty with coffee: both drinks are made with large quantities of milk and sugar. Local alcoholic drinks are mahua (a clear spirit made distilled from the flower of mahua tree), toddy (sap from the palm tree) and feni (a famous Goan spirit, coconut or cashew flavoured).
Every state and even city or village has its own specialities. Some dishes are found throughout India but may vary in preparation from region to region and may be called differently. Northern cuisine is usually heavier than in other parts of India with a great number of meat and chicken dishes due to Muslim influence. Southern specialities include a large number of vegetarian delicacies as well as meat and fish courses, especially in Christian-predominated regions.
The basis of any Indian meal is a grain. Rice and/or roti (flat wheat bread) are a regular part of any meal. Various pulses (dal) stewed in dozens of variants are also eaten everywhere in India. And of course, no Indian dish can do without spices. Black pepper, turmeric, coriander and cumin seeds, cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, saffron, and red and green chilies are among the most popular spices used in Indian cuisine. A lot of different masalas (combination of spices) are widely used, among them garam masala (literally "hot mixture") is the most well-known over the world. No self-respecting Indian cook will use the same masala in multiple dishes. Such spice as "curry" does not exist in India: this is purely western invention for export, actually a mixture of a few spices and is never used in authentic Indian cooking. "Curry" is also a word applied to any spicy gravy-kind of dish.
There is no Indian cuisine without dairy products: ghee (clarified butter), dahi (curds), paneer (unfermented cheese), they are irreplaceable in everyday Indian cooking. In hot weather salted or sweet lassi (yoghurt drink) is one of the best cooling and nourishing drinks. Raita (plain yoghurt with vegetables or fruit pieces served chilled) is a delicious relish after even the most fiery meal. And almost no Indian sweet is possible without milk or ghee.
The meal is not complete without pickles and chutneys. Achar, the most popular pickle can be the hottest thing you have ever tasted. Your stomach may disapprove a regular consumption of it but you should try the pickled speck at least for the sake of smashing experience. Chutneys vary greatly from sweetish to pungent and spicy, but are less hot than pickles.
Tandoori (made in a clay oven) specialities, being of Punjabi origin, are popular in every part of India. Northern Muslim (or Mughlai) cuisine specializes in chicken and mutton delicacies, out of which kebabs and rich rice-based dish called pulao or biriyani are staples. Freshwater fish is a heart of Bengali cuisine. While Rajasthani food is mostly cereals. Bati (baked balls of wholemeal flour) is the state's most remarkable dish. Kerala, Goa and Mumbai are rich in seafood. Southern famous dishes include the family of dosas (a large paper-thin crispy or soft kind of pancake served plain or stuffed with various fillings), idlis (spongy, round, fermented rice cakes), appam (a rice pancake), rasam (a thin, tamarind-flavoured vegetable broth) and sambar (a dal with cubed vegetables or vegetable puree).
Chai (tea) is the drink of the nation, though South Indians share their loyalty with coffee: both drinks are made with large quantities of milk and sugar. Local alcoholic drinks are mahua (a clear spirit made distilled from the flower of mahua tree), toddy (sap from the palm tree) and feni (a famous Goan spirit, coconut or cashew flavoured).