Indian food.

What defines Indian food? If I have to answer that question it might be like opening a Pandora’s box. In all probability I can possibly dedicate a whole blog to the diversity and nuances of Indian cooking. Down the line I will share some articles on specific dishes with their recipes which might suit the global palette. I have already covered the spices that are commonly used in Indian cooking. За да прочетете статията на български, можете да инсталирате плъгин Google Преводач от тук.
So let’s get down to it 🙂

Vegetarian Vs. Non vegetarian

During my travels a lot of people were a little shocked to see me eat meat. But, aren’t you vegetarian? India is not a predominantly vegetarian country. As per the latest report published by Pew research center in July 2021, 39% of adults said they were vegetarian while 81% said they follow some restrictions when consuming meat in their diet.
Restrictions might mean not eating meat on some days, or not eating certain types of meat or both.

Indian food -The religion angle

The top six religions in India are Hinduism, Islam, Christianity, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism. Each religion has their own preferences for food. Hindus do not eat beef but may consume pork. Muslims consume beef but consider pork haram. Sikhs are predominantly vegetarian, while Jains are not only vegetarians but also avoid root vegetables (anything that grows under the ground). So as a combined effect of above and recent political movements in India the most common meats consumed are lamb, chicken, fish and goat.
And this is the exact reason why food varies so drastically from state to state and different households in India. The flavors will be distinct and at the same time the core of the meal will be different.

What is a typical Indian meal?

The Indian region can be divided into three main regions – The North India, The Central India and South of India. East India forms a small section by itself. These regions have their own preferences to what we call a stable base meal.

North Indian Food

The north of India has a very high percentage of wheat production and that translates into the base of meals there. The best of Indian breads are found in North India, Parathas ( bread stuffed with fillings like potatoes, onions, cabbage, cottage cheese etc). Naans, Kulchas and roti are typical varieties of flat bread which are common in every household.
The flat breads are served with a variety of creamy thick curries made from lentils, different kinds of beans, chicken and lamb. Though rice is available the focus is always on the breads.
The most famous dry meat dishes called as tandoori( Indian style barbeque) dishes are from this region. A tandoori chicken or chicken tikka is something that you must have surely heard of.
Yogurt and dairy products form a big part of a meal and it is not uncommon to have a glass of sweetened yogurt called lassi with or after a meal.

South Indian food

If North of India is reliant on Indian breads, South of India relies on rice and vegetables. Since the south of India receives more average rain the production of rice is higher making it a staple for almost all states in the region.
In south India a traditional meal is served on a banana leaf which always has its tapering end pointing to the left. Experts can immediately recognize the region to which the meal belongs just by looking at the way the ingredients are placed.
The meal consists of two Pachadis ( chutneys) made from bottle gourd and ginger. Avail curries ( roughly chopped veggies – beans, drumsticks, gourd etc), lemon rice, plain rice, moong payasam ( sweet), dal vada( fritter). It also consists of lentils, Sambar and payasam and pineapple sheera( a sweet dish made from semolina) and pickles . The meal is followed by a mandatory curd rice.

On a normal day not all the dishes are made but rice is consumed with Sambar, dal and Avial. Someday people have meat preparations ( non-vegetarians). Once in a while the meals are entirely be replaced by Dosas (crunchy rice crepes) or Idlis ( soft rice cakes) served with sambar and coconut chutney.

Meals in Central India

I guess most of you must have guessed it, Central India usually finds a mix between south and North. The meals are a balanced combination of Roti’s and rice. I come from the central region, from Mumbai. So let me explain what our typical meal looks like.
We have another version of Indian bread called chapatis. Unlike roti’s which are slightly thicker, chapatis are made from wheat and are very thin. This is the base of our meal which is consumed with sabzi (vegetables) made from either potatoes, beans, spinach, okra etc with onions, tomatoes and spices. There is an accompanying dal (lentil), a salad made from tomatoes, cucumber, or beet with yogurt, coriander and chilies. After finishing the chapatis we have a small bowl of rice with the dal, pickles and poppadum’s ( crispy baked or fried). The meal is usually finished with a banana.

On the days we have non veg the sabzi is replaced by a fish, lamb or chicken curry. A dish of meat which is dry(without a curry but coated with spices). But my favorite is what we call Kaccha Saar ( a mix of raw ingredients) – It consists of raw onions, coriander, coconut, little green chili, sugar and salt chopped and hand crushed and mixed. Which is mixed with water which has tamarind added for taste. It’s sweet, sour, salty with a little kick of spice at same time and is an excellent digestive.

Meals in East of India

I did not get the opportunity to travel to North east of India so my first hand knowledge of the dishes is very limited. Did you know that North east of India is famous for the spiciest naturally grown chili in the world (not a hybrid)? – the ghost pepper or Bhoot jolokia.
The food in this region revolves around fish and pork which is consumed with rice. Vegetables usually take a back seat and are used as salads. The North eastern food is usually quite spicy ( read hot) as compared to other regions of India.
All said and done, they have some really amazing dishes which make you crave for more, especially the smoked pork from Nagaland and the Kumurat Diya Hanhor Mangxo from Assam are a must try.

Indian meals on special occasions never end without a dessert. Some of the more renowned ones are Gulab jamuns, Jalebi, Rosogolla, Kulfi (Indian ice cream), Rabri (sweet reduced milk) and Shahi tukra.

As we move ahead, I will share with you some of these delicacies and how to cook them with the basic ingredients.