Cuisine of India
(Redirected from Indian cuisine)
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Regional cuisines
Indian cuisine can be broken down into four distinct regional styles:
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Due to India's geography, wheat is a staple of North Indian foods, while rice is the primary constituent of 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;and these are used in different forms, may be whole or after processing them in a mill that removes the skin,eg dhuli moong or dhuli urad.some times mixed with rice and excellent for digestion food called khichri 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 chilli pepper, black mustard seed (rai), cumin, turmeric, fenugreek, ginger, coriander and asafoetida (hing). Another very important spice is garam masala which is usually a powder of five or more dried spices. In sweet dishes, cardamom, cinnamon, nutmeg and rose petal essence are used.
Regional specialties
- Dosa from Southern India. (Also see Masala dosa )
- Idli, also from Southern India: Steamed rice-cakes, which are prepared from a fermented batter of rice and urad dal (gram). Soak rice and pulses in water for about 12 hours, then grind to a smooth and viscous paste. Place the paste into plates that contain small compartments with tiny holes under them, then cook in a pressure-cooker.
- Upma from Southern India
- Made from "Rava" (Semolina) and vegetables. It is partly fried and boiled along with the cut vegetables and spices added.
- Bonda
- Bajji
- Vada (A South Indian/Maharashtrian snack)
- Vada pav (Maharashtrian answer to Burger)
- Dahi vada (vada in curd)
- Puri
- poli
- Goli bajje (Mangalore)
- Chaat
- Bombil fry (A Maharashtrian dish of fried Bombay Duck)
- Kombdi vade or Murgh Malvani (A Malwani Chicken dish of curry and fluffy fried bread)
Other famous Indian dishes
There are several styles of Indian bread, including roti, paratha, dosai and naan.
Some sweets and desserts
- Gulab jamun
- Rasgulla
- Mysore paak
- Coconut burfi
- Doodh pedha
- Pheerni
- Puran poli
- Kheer
- Modak
- Halva
- Kulfi
- Jalebi
- Shrikhand
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 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 20th 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, but more often derived from the Portuguese Balde, meaning 'bucket'.
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.
Spain, which does not generally appear on the culinary map when it comes to Indian cuisine, also has many Indian restaurants, especially in Barcelona and Málaga, mainly to appeal to the large number of tourists. A notable example, is the aptly named India Restaurant, in Hyatt Regency La Manga, Cartagena, Murcia.
In the United States of America, Indian cuisine has become far more popular and prevalent since the 1970s, especially in New York City but also in other large metropolitan areas nationwide, as a result of the huge increase in South Asian immigration. In many Indian restaurants in the U.S., all-you-can-eat buffets with several standard dishes have become the norm.
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 tradional Indian cooking techniques. One such establishment in Vancouver, called Vij's, has attracted the attention of the international gourmet set.
Due to a large population of Indians in South Africa, the cuisine of South Africa includes a number of Indian dishes, some unique to South Africa.
See also
External links
- Overview of Indian food and some easy recipes
- Indian Cuisine & Culture Made Easy In The United States
- Everything about Indian cuisine, recipes and more
- Indian Recipes on CookBookWiki.com
- Rewri & Gajjak
- The Myth of "Indian" Foodda:Indisk madlavning
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