Indian Cuisine
A Food Lover’s Guide to Indian Cuisine
Indian cuisine may be said to be an art, an array of colored pots filled with mouthwatering dishes that could each retell a history of India. The food ranges from the exotic mountain fare of the himalayas to the exotic sea food of the coconuts of kerala and thus having an array of taste buds that savor the tongue and mind.
In this all-India guide, we will go on the regional trip and discover the main dishes and the component that make Indian cuisine exceptional.
Introduction: The Essence of Indian Cuisine
The Indian food is well known for its spicy and aromatic qualities as Indian spices form the major part of food preparation. One thing that is unique to Indian cuisine is the use of spice like cumin, corriander, turmeric and garam masala to offer a fragrance and flavor to the food.
Apart from the spices, Indian cuisine is also defined by the manner of preparing foods through methods such as roasting, grilling, sautéing, and steaming. Coupled with assorted climate and geographical conditions, these techniques have produced a wide spread of regional specialties that are distinguished by their individuality.
Suggested Tour: Culinary Tour
North Indian Cuisine: Rich and Robust
1. Punjab: The Land of Butter and Spice
The province of Punjab is known as ‘The Land of Five Rivers’ and its food is rich, dense, and heavy on spices. Here, I have noted that most of the food is spicy, liberally supplemented with ghee and cream in some meals making the food delicious and creamy.
Butter Chicken (Murgh Makhani): This delicious chicken contains chicken pieces prepared in a tomato-based gravy that is further thickened with butter and cream.
Sarson ka Saag and Makki di Roti: A traditional Punjabi winter special preparation of mustard greens (sarson) and typically eaten with cornmeal flatbreads cooked on griddle known as makki di roti.
Amritsari Kulcha: A stuffed flour based bread rolled and cooked in a tandoor (clay oven) can have a stuffing of spiced mashed potatoes, or paneer.
2. Rajasthan: The Royal Feast
The food of Rajasthan is spicy, dry and has been greatly influenced by the royal rule of the state. It lacks fresh vegetables, fruits and fancy items as most of the foods that are prepared are spicy and are prepared with food items that do not perish easily like lentils, beans and millets.
Dal Baati Churma: It is a conventional food preparation that consists of cooked lentils with spices (dal), baked round wheat cakes (baati), and a coarse sweet bread (churma).
Laal Maas: A spicy meat curry dish prepared with red chilies and yogurt usually the goat or lamb meat is used for this dish.
Gatte ki Sabzi: This is a preparation made from chickpea flour and shaped into dumplings which is then cooked in a gravy, prepared from yogurt.
South Indian Cuisine: Spicy and Flavorful
3. Tamil Nadu: The Land of Temples and Idlis
Tamil Nadu has a tradition for vegetarian food and it is also the dominant staple food in the state – rice and lentils. This restaurant’s food is usually spicy, and you’ll notice that tamarind and coconut are used quite frequently.
Idli and Dosa: Rice soaked in water for several hours then fermented and ground into a paste and steamed into soft round cakes (idli) and the same material spread out and cooked on a griddle to form thin, crisp pancakes (dosa).
Chettinad Chicken: A curry type chicken dish from the Chettinad region of Tamil Nadu and it is very hot because it uses a lot of spices.
Sambar and Rasam: Koras, a type of lentil based soup that has tamarind as a primary ingredient and a host of spices used to enhance the flavor and is usually taken with rice or dosa.
4. Kerala: The Spice Garden of India
In terms of food, like all other aspects of life in the state, Kerala is unique in that the people consume a significant amount of fish and coconut due to the land’s geographical location. The food is tasteful, and I noticed that the spices are combined well and do not overpower the other ingredients.
Fish Molee: An aroma of fish curry immediately prepared in coconut milk and garnished with curry leaves and green chilly.
Appam and Stew: Fermented rice pancakes (appam) topped with a delightful aromatic vegetable or meat curry.
Puttu and Kadala Curry: Steamed rice flour cakes with beef, chicken or mutton curry Kadala (Black chickpea curry).
East Indian Cuisine: Unique and Diverse
5. West Bengal: The Sweet Tooth
The state of West Bengal is well-known for its range of sweets and desert items, but it’s equally rich in a variety of non-vegetarian items to relish. The cooking involves the use of mustard oil and panch phoron popularly used in Bangladeshi recipes.
Fish Curry (Machher Jhol): A very light fish preparation, which is cooked with a dash of mustard oil, turmeric and green chili.
Rasgulla and Sandesh: Cheeseballs made of soft spongy material and cooked in syrup (rasgulla) and a delicate milk sweet (sandesh).
Shorshe Ilish: Hilsa fish which is cooked in mustard sauce is something that people in Bengal reverence.
6. Odisha: Simple yet Flavorful
Odisha is rich in flavors and spices with an emphasis on fresh produce which could be sourced locally. Thus, the food is less spicy compared to other parts of the state, yet it is equally flavorful.
Dalma: A comforting dish made from lentils and vegetables spiced with Whole spice mix (panch phoron)
Pakhala Bhata: Steamed rice soaked with water then fermented together with yogurt to come up with a food that can be best eaten during summer.
Chhena Poda: A cooked dessert made from fresh cottage cheese, sugar, and cardamom.
West Indian Cuisine: Spicy and Savory
7. Maharashtra: The Diverse Palette
Even within the state, there are differences in the type of food that is consumed, especially when comparing the coastal areas to the interior parts of Maharashtra. The food consists of sweet, spicy, and sour tastes, and the influences are derived from the cultural values of Oklahoma.
Vada Pav: A popular fastfood, where a spiced potato cutlet is placed between two halves of a split bread roll.
Pav Bhaji: A vegetable sauce spiced up and accompanied by buttered bread rolls.
Puran Poli: Sweet pancakes filled with a paste prepared from jaggery and split Bengal gram.
8. Gujarat: The Vegetarian Haven
The food of the states is mainly vegetarian in its structure and comes with equal proportions of sweet, salty and spicy food. These food items are normally a type of snacks and other light meals as mentioned above.
Dhokla: A popular dish consisting of steamed cakes made of fermented rice and chickpea batter accompanied with a spicy chutney.
Thepla: This category entails bread made from whole wheat flour, and fenugreek leaves with spiced flavors.
Undhiyu: A preparation of green vegetables that is prepared with the help of a clay oven, and a number of special spices and herbs.
Central Indian Cuisine: A Melting Pot of Flavors
9. Madhya Pradesh: The Heart of India
Like most dishes, Madhya Pradesh has foods from the northern and southern region of India, making it rich in the fusion of foods. The food is more nutritive with emphasis on wheat products and diary produce.
Poha: A simple dish made from flattened rice with turmeric powder, mustard seeds and green chillies and is served garnished with sev and coriander.
Bhutte ka Kees: Prepared by boiling corn kernels that are grated and cooked in milk and spices, with ghee as a base originating from the city of Indore.
Bafla: Literally translated it means baked wheat dough balls, which is somewhat similar to the baati found in the Rajasthan region and is enjoyed with dal and ghee.
10. Chhattisgarh: The Tribal Delicacies
The food habits of the Chhattisgarh state are dominantly tribal and are characterized by using locally available ingredients and preparations. The focus is on the natural quality of the food, it is uncomplicated but tasty and healthy.
Chana Samosa: Refectory boys were traditionally filled with spiced chickpeas, which is famous in the region as a snack.
Red Ant Chutney (Chaprah): A delicious speciality of Andhra Pradesh, a dish prepared with red ants and their eggs the taste is sharp and hot.
Aamat: Staple prepared from bamboo stem Delicious when prepared from a range of vegetables and spices.
The Ingredients: The Heart of Indian Cuisine
Indian cuisine depends on the different ingredients it uses, that are unique to a given Indian area. Here are some key ingredients that form the backbone of Indian cooking:
Spices: Garam masala being a common spice mix includes cumin, coriander, turmeric, cardamom, cloves, and cinnamon among others. They can be consumed whole, ground or in the form of different spice blends such as garam masala.
Lentils and Pulses: Rice and Wheat are common staples in India and so are lentils, beans, and chickpeas which serve as main sources of protein for many Indian recipes.
Rice and Wheat: Rice is more consumed in Southern and Eastern part of India, whereas wheat is eaten in the Northern and Western part of the country. These grains are consumed in different forms ranging from plain boiled rice to spicy pulao and sweets like flat breads.
Dairy: Ghee is used extensively in Indian cooking as it gives a rich flavour and taste to many a food item while yogurt and paneer (Indian cottage cheese) are an integral part of both vegetarian and non vegetarian dishes.
Herbs and Vegetables: A key ingredient that is prevalent in Indian food is fresh produce such as cilantro, mint, and curry leaves while many vegetables are also used to bring a fresh note in the midst of intense flavours.
Conclusion: A Culinary Adventure
In fact, India has diverse and very rich cuisine and it is more like a world tour within a country since each area has its own specialty. From the buttery and oily foods of Punjab province to the hot and spicy dishes of the southern state of Kerala or the sweet and sour delicacies of West Bengal, India has a food to suit everyone’s taste buds. Knowing what types of products are found in regions and used as the basic ingredients can help to grasp the variety of this exciting culinary tradition.
Therefore the next time you are planning on indulging in an Indian meal, pause for a while to take your culinary self on a tour of discovery of the cultural origins of the meal. From the bustling
