Indian
Cuisine
India
is the perfect backdrop for chefs looking for an inspirational
playground with the timeless culinary kaleidoscope of historical,
religious and geographical influences. Throughout it's history,
India has been invaded by armies, traders and immigrants from
all over the world, all adding culinary spectrum to India's
cuisine. The diverse geographical regions also provide a plethora
of different cooking customs and nuances interspersed throughout
the countries many climates. Also adding to the complexity of
India's cuisine is the deep-rooted and profound influence religion
has on how and what people eat.
India's history underwent many significant invasions including
the Greeks, led by Alexander the Great in 326 B.C. Moghul invaders
in the 16th Century introduced meat and rice dishes to India.
The regions of India with the longest history of their presence
exhibit a strong Persian influence, using fresh and dried fruit,
cashews, pistachios, and almonds in their meat dishes, as well
as many dairy products. Portuguese rulers brought chilies and
the more recent rulers from Britain, in the 18th and 19th Centuries,
had an influence on chutney development. These were the major
invasions, but there were also smaller conflicts which impacted
they way Indian's eat by Bactrian, Mongol, Scythian, Parthian,
Kushan, Hun, Arab, Turk Afghan, and the Dutch.
The cuisine of southern India with its' Hindu practice of vegetarianism,
is considered a traditional style which incorporates fresh cooked
vegetables and strong spices with dishes becoming hotter closer
to the equator. Rice is the predominant crop in the south and
pulses (the dried seeds of any of several legumes including
beans, peas and lentils), seafood, rice and tropical fruits
are also grown. The food is mostly steamed and they prefer to
start with their spices whole and grind them to a paste with
cooked onions. Cooks in the tropical south make heavy use of
coconut milk, an ingredient rarely seen in the north. In the
jungle regions of India tropical fruits such as coconuts, guava,
papaya, bananas and mangoes grow plentifully. Close to the Himalayas,
in the mountainous north where the weather is temperate, wheat
is the predominant grain, corn and nuts are produced and lamb
and other meat dishes can be extravagant. The food is mostly
cooked in oil and they tend to grind their spices to a fine
powder. Both India's east and west coasts border water where
the Arabian Sea, Bay of Bengal, and the Indian Ocean offer plentiful
fishing grounds for all kinds of fish and crusteceans.
The diversity and pervasive role religion plays in Indian society
has shaped and influenced what and how people eat from region
to region. For centuries, the practice of Hinduism with its
belief in reincarnation has resulted in very refined vegetarian
cuisine. They rely on legumes; both whole and split for protein,
mixed with grain, and a variety of vegetables flavored with
intense spice mixtures provide a wholesome diet. The Brahmins
and other members of the merchant caste observe strict vegetarian
rules, while people in other castes eat meat. Hinduism, on the
other hand, takes an active role in deciding what types of animals
people can eat. Killing cows for beef is strictly prohibited
because Hindus realized from ancient times the life-giving role
cows played in their society, producing dairy products, pulling
the plows in the fields, as well as providing fertilizer for
crops. They rely on the meats from goat, mutton and chicken.
The Muslims who conquered a large area of India in the 12th
Century did not have many dietary restrictions except against
pork and the consumption of alcohol and brought a vast array
of dishes with them. Most notably seen in kababs, kormas, briyani(rice
with meats) and items prepared in the one-thousand degree tandoori
oven which can cook bread, fish, meat in seconds.
Though every region of India has its' own diverse cooking style,
there are still several threads of similarity that bind Indian
cuisine together. The intense combination of spices known as
Masalas, a word used throughout India to describe a spice blend
with a myriad of combinations. It can refer to a simple combination
of two or three spices or a complex blend of ten or more ingredients.
The principal spice combination is known as Garam Masala having
countless variations depending on the cook and the dish being
seasoned. Whether they are whole, ground, roasted or stewed
the use of spices mark a unifying characteristic of an otherwise
highly diverse culture, it is the only place in the world which
incorporates this breadth of flavors into its' meals. Indian
cooking makes use of more dairy products than anywhere else
in Asia including milk, cream, yogurt, buttermilk, sour cream
and cheese. Unleavened or flatbread is also a dietary stable
of all the regions of India.
The breads are made from wheat, rice and ground legumes, depending
on the part of the country. During meals, most Indians still
prefer sitting on a straw mat on the kitchen floor, generally
eating with their fingers. The foundation of an Indian meal
is a grain eaten with a pulse, vegetable, and a fish, meat,
or poultry. The dishes are seasoned with custom spice blends,
clarified butter, chutneys, savory pickles and yogurt-based
salads. Also served with meals is unleavened bread, and a sweet
milk-based dessert usually completes the meal.
In the United States, Indian food is gaining popularity as a
cuisine of intense and unique flavors. Chefs across the country
are using the spices and techniques to add complexity to Western
dishes while others are cooking authentic Indian cuisine in
restaurants in most metropolitan areas. Oona Settembre Corporate
Executive Chef of Dave & Buster's, Dallas Texas, RoxSand
Scocos Executive Chef\Owner of RoxSand, Phoenix, Arizona, and
Raghan Iyer Owner of The Essence of Thyme, Minneapolis, Minnesota.
They have been cooking authentic and fusion Indian dishes in
their own restaurants, and have won recognition from the most
prestigious culinary institutions in the country.
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1.Asafetida
2.Black Cardamom 3.Green
Cardamom 4.Cayenne 5.Cilantro
6.Cinnamon 7.Clove 8.Coriander
9.Cumin 10.Curry Leaf
11.Garam Masala 12.Ginger
Root 13.Mace 14.Mint
15.Mustard Seed 16.Nutmeg
17.Peppercorn 18.Saffron
Threads 19.Sambhar 20.Serrano
Chilies 21.Star Anise 22.Tumeric
23.Raisins |