Misplaced Pages

Revision as of 23:30, 20 February 2004

According to many estimates, the Indian subcontinent has more variety in food than the whole of Europe put together. This is because of India's extraordinary ability to assimilate foreign influences and resynthesize them.

For example, although pizza is relatively a new food in India (introduced around 1994, after the Indian economy started opening up), there are a number of Indian versions (flavours) of this food. Indian food was thus successful in accommodating Arab, Persian, Mongol (Mughal), Chinese and various other culinary traditions and thus grew out into a collage.

Regional cuisines

There is no such thing as a single 'Indian' cuisine. Almost all regions of India have their own tradition of food, although they can be grouped into 3 main categories.

• North Indian
  • Rajasthani / Gujarati
  • Punjabi
  • Kashmiri
  • Benarsi
  • Mughlai
• South Indian
  • Kerala
  • Andhra
  • Kannada / Mysore
  • Tamil
  • Maharashtrian
• Eastern
  • Bengali
  • Assamese

Wheat is the staple constituent of many North Indian foods, while rice is the important thing in Southern and Eastern foods.

Staple ingredients and spices

The staples of Indian cuisine are rice, atta (a special type of whole-wheat flour) and at least five dozen varieties of pulses, the most important of which are chana (bengal gram; similar to the chick pea but smaller and more flavorful), toor (pigeon pea or red gram), urad (black gram) and mung (green gram). Pulses are used almost exclusively in the form of dal, except chana, which is often cooked whole for breakfast and is processed into flour (besan).

The most important spices in Indian cuisine are chili pepper, black mustard seed (rai), cumin, turmeric, fenugreek, ginger, coriander and asafoetida (hing). In sweet dishes, cardamom, cinnamon, nutmeg and rose petal essence are used.

Regional specialties

• Dosa from Southern India.

Tends to be about at least 2 different base types of sauce, onion-based which works with only particular vegetables, and tomato-based which works with most succulent vegetables. Gujarati cuisine is pure vegetarian.

Main ingredients used include coriander, cumin seed, chilli, pepper, cinnamon bark, cloves, garlic and ginger.

• Idli, also from Southern India.

Steam-cakes, which are prepared from a fermented batter of rice and urad dal (gram). Soak rice and gram in water for about 12 hours, then grind the stuff to a watery paste. Place the paste into plates that contain small compartments with tiny holes under them, then cook in a pressure-cooker.

Idlis are very tasty when eaten with chutney or sambhar as a side-dish.

• Upma/Uppit from Southern India

Made from wheat(rava) and vegetables.It is partly fried and boiled along with the cut vegetables and spices added.

• Bonda
• Bajji
• Vada
• Dahi Vada
• Puri
• Goli Bajje (Mangalore)

Other famous Indian dishes:

• Curry
• Dum gosht
• Tandoori chicken (a tandoor is a clay oven)
• Vindaloo

There are several Indian bread known by various names such as roti prata, thosai and naan bread.

Some sweets:

• Gulab jamun (probably the inspiration behind the American donut)
• Rasgulla
• Mysore Paak
• Coconut Burfi
• Doodh Pedha

Indian food abroad

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 for British officers returning from their duties in India.

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 is still famous for this type of cuisine.

In the 1960s, a number of inauthentic "Indian" foods were developed, including the infamous "chicken tikka masala". This tendency has now been reversed, with subcontinental restuarants being more willing to serve authentic Indian, Bangladeshi and Pakistani food, and to show their regional variations.

Indian food is now a staple of the British diet: indeed it has been argued that Indian food can be regarded as part of the core of the British national cuisine.

See also: cuisine, Andhra food, Black salt, paan

See the Misplaced Pages Cookbook for specific recipes.

External Links

• Indian recipes, Indian Dishes
• Indian Vegetarian Recipes
• Indian Spices
• Kerala recipes and cooking guide