Most of India's cuisines are related by the similarities of spices and the use of a great variety of vegetables. Religious and caste restrictions, weather, geography and the impact of foreigners have affected the eating habits of Indians over the centuries with influences swaying from the Mogul's to the Maharajah's, through to the British Raj. For example, the Brahmin caste are strict vegetarians by definition, but in the coastal states of West Bengal and Kerala, are known to consume a lot of fish. Southern Indians generally speaking, have been orthodox in their tastes, probably because eating meat when it is hot all year round can be difficult. In contrast, the weather patterns in the north can be both extremes with scortching heat and bitter cold, resulting with the food is quite rich and heavy. The Mughal influence has resulted in meat-eating habits among many Northern Indians.
In the arid areas of Rajasthan and Gujarat, a great variety of dhals/lentils and preserves (achars) are used give sustinance and substitute the lack of available fresh vegetables and fruits. Tamilian food uses a lot of tamarind to impart sourness to a dish and Andhra food can be firey chili-hot.
Since ancient times, Indian food has been divided into the Satwik and Rajsik groups. The Satwik was the food of the higher castes, such as the Brahmins and was supposed to be more inclined towards spirituality and health. It included vegetables and fruits, but omitted onions, garlic, root vegetables and mushrooms. The more liberal Rajsik food allowed much more liberal eating with the exception of beef, which was prohibited.
Just as Japanese sushi relies on the freshness of the meat and Chinese food relies on the various sauces to impart the right flavor and taste, Indian food relies on the spices in which it is cooked. Spices have always been considered to be India’s prime commodity. A foreigner can discover the many differences in the foods of various regions only after landing in India, as most of the Indian food available abroad, is the North Indian and Pakistani type. The variation in Indian food from region to region can be quite staggering.
An everyday meal of a Punjabi farmer would be centered around bread, corn bread, greens and buttermilk (lassi). Buttermilk is whipped yogurt, and can be had sweetened or with salt and is usually very thick. Wheat is the staple food here. Shredded vegetables mixed with spices and stuffed into the dough, which is then rolled and roasted to make the delicious stuffed parathas. Some Punjabis also eat meat dishes, an Indian cottage cheese called paneer, pilaus garnished with fried onions and roasted nuts, such as cashew and topped with silver leaf and rose petals. Another specialty from this region is ‘khoya’ a kind of thick cream, mainly used in the preparation of sweets.
Kashmir is a lush and rich area and all dishes are built around the main course of rice. A thick-leafed green leafy vegetable called ‘hak’ grows in abundance here and is used to make the delicious ‘saag’. The boat-dwelling people use the lotus roots as a substitute for meat. Morel mushrooms called ‘gahchi’ are harvested and consumed around summer time. The tea drunk in Kashmir is a spice-scented green tea called ‘kahava’, which is poured from a large metal kettle, called ‘samovar’. Fresh fish found in the many lakes and streams here are also consumed with relish. Lamb and poultry are cooked in the Mughlai style.
Bengalis consme a lot of fish and one of the delicacies is called ‘hilsa’. It is spiced and wrapped in pumpkin leaf and then slowly cooked. Milk sweets from this region like the Roshgolla, Sandesh, Cham-cham are world famous. In the south of India, rice is eaten for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Raw rice, parboiled rice, Basmathi rice are some of the different types of rice eaten here. Steamed rice dumplings or idlis, roasted rice pancakes or dosasi are eaten along with coconut chutneys for breakfast. A dosai stuffed with spiced potatoes, vegetables or even minced lamb constitutes the famous ‘masala dosai’. Coconut, either in a shredded, grated or blended form is a must in most dishes here. Tender coconut water is drunk for it’s cooling effect on the system. The Chettinad dishes from Tamil Nadu consist of a lot of meat and poultry cooked in tamarind and roasted spices.
Most Andhra food tends to be quite hot and spicy. Eating a banana or yogurt after can tone down the affects of highly spiced food. Hyderabad, the capital city, is the home of the Muslim Nawabs (rulers) and is famous for it’s superb biriyani, delicious grilled kababs, kurmas and rich deserts.
In Bombay, the food is a combination of north and south. Both rice and wheat are included in their diets. A lot of fish is available along the long coastline and the Bombay Prawn and Pomfret preparations are delicious. Further down south along the coast, in Goa, a Portuguese influence is evident in dishes like the sweet and sour Vindaloo, duck baffad, sorpotel and egg molie.
In Kerala, lamb stew and appams, Malabar fried prawns and idlis, fish molie and dosai, rice puttu and sweetened coconut milk are the many combinations eaten at breakfast.
Sweets are very popular all over India and are usually cooked in a lot of fat. ‘Jalebis’, luscious pretzel shaped loops fried to a golden crisp and soaked in saffron syrup can be had from any street vendor in North India. ‘Kheer’ or ‘payasam’ are equivalents of the rice pudding and ‘Kulfi’ is an Indian ice cream made in conical moulds and frozen.
Tea is drunk as a beverage in India. Tea from the hills of Darjeeling and Kalimpong are boiled in milk and water and served with a liberal dose of sugar. Filtered coffee is a favorite among South Indians and is a very sweet, milky version of coffee.
