Eating the Indian Way….

India is not only famous of its multi-cultural and lingual phenomena but also for its mouth-watering multi-cuisines which are always a treat to the taste bud of every living human! The cuisines vary indifferently throughout the demography… reflecting the ethnic diversity… some of them playing with the sour buds, while some elusively pamper that part of your tongue which savors the sweet relics. Some have a totally indistinguishable taste… what we call as Khatta-meetha spicy punch!

Food is integral to any culture and, as a land that has experienced extensive immigration and intermingling through many millennia, the Indian 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 an indication of religious and social identity, with varying taboos and preferences 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.

The most outstanding feature of the Indian way of food is that it uses almost everything it can find to garnish the plate and make it tasty. The staples of Indian cuisine are rice, atta and a variety of pulses, the most important of which are chana (Bengal gram), toor (yellow gram), urad (black gram) and mung (green gram).

Most Indian curries (gravy) 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 is common. Hydrogenated vegetable oil, known as Vanaspati ghee, is also a popular cooking medium that replaces Desi ghee.

The most frequently used spices in Indian cuisine are chilli pepper, black mustard seed, cumin, turmeric, asafoetida, ginger, and garlic. 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 (malabathrum), bay leaf, coriander leaf, fenugreek leaf and mint leaf for usually garnishing. The common use of curry leaves is typical of South Indian cuisine. In sweet dishes, cardamom, cinnamon, nutmeg, saffron, and rose petal essence are used to bring the typical flavor.

North Indian cuisine is distinguished by the proportionally high use of dairy products; milk, paneer, ghee and yoghurt 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 for baking breads such as naan, kulcha and khakhra. Puri and bahtoora, 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.

The staple food of most of North India is a variety of lentils, vegetables, and roti. Popular dishes include gujiya, chaat, daal ki kachauri, jalebi, imarti, several types of pickles, murabba, sharbat, pana and aam papad. Popular sweets include gulab jamun, peda, rewdi, gajak, milk cake, bal mithai, kulfi, falooda, khaja, ras malai, 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 advent 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.

East Indian cuisines make use of thickening agents such as cashew or poppy seed paste. Milk-based sweets are also very popular fare, being a particular specialty in Bengal and Orissa. Bangladeshi cuisine is very similar to East Indian cuisine. Fish and seafood are very popular in the coastal states of Orissa and West Bengal. Many of the sweet dishes now popular in Northern India initially originated in the Bengal region.

The South Indian staple breakfast item of Idly, Sambhar and Vada served on a banana leaf is a very famous delicacy. 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.

South Indian cooking is more vegetarian-friendly. The dosa, idli, vada, bonda, and bajji are typical South Indian snacks. Andhra, Chettinad, Hyderabadi cuisine, 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 and sambar from Tamilnadu and 'pappu pulusu' in Andhra cuisine.

Saraswat cuisine forms an important part of coastal Konkani Indian cuisine. Poha is an important food item made from rice that originates in Western India.

Indian Cuisine in the West Britain has a particularly strong tradition of Indian cuisine that originates from the British Raj. At this time there were a few Indian restaurants in the richer parts of London that catered to British officers returning from their duties in India.
In the start of 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 is still famous for this type of cuisine.

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,. Indian food is now integral to the British diet. Chicken tikka massala is thought to be Britain's most popular dish.

Due to the large Indian community in South Africa, the cuisine of South Africa includes several Indian-origin dishes; some have evolved to become unique to South Africa, such as the bunny chow.

Beverages have become an integral part of the cuisines. 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 boiled in milk. The less popular 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". nimbu pani (lemonade), lassi, badam dood (milk with nuts and cardamom) & Chaach (made from curd/yogurt ) , sharbat and coconut water also have their a special place in the itenary. India also has many indigenous alcoholic beverages, including palm wine, fenny, bhang and Indian beer. Having Paan after you savor the dishes is a customary.

With every part of the lip smacking fare up to the mark and with completely filled stomach… it’s the Indian cuisine one has to turn to… to feel the elation of the taste bud and the contended heart.