Indian Food
Indian food is as diverse as many ethnic and cultural groups in India. Tradition, ethnicity, geographic
location, religion or individual preference defines a typical meal Thali (a large plate with small bowls
dishes). A typical Indian meal consists of starch, lentils or beans, and vegetable. Non-vegetarians have
meat in moderate quantity.
The staples of Indian cuisine are rice, atta (whole wheat flour), and a variety of pulses, the most
important of which are masoor (most often red lentil), channa (bengal gram), toor (pigeon pea or yellow
gram), urad (black gram), and mung (green gram). Pulses may be used whole, dehusked – for example,
dhuli moong or dhuli urad – or split. Split pulses, or dal, are used extensively. Some pulses, like channa
and mung, are also processed into flour (besan).
Pulses are one of the most commonly used food ingredient throughout the diversity of India.
Most Indian curries are cooked in vegetable oil. In northern and western India, peanut oil is most
popular for cooking, while in eastern India, mustard oil is more commonly used. Coconut oil is used
widely along the western coast especially in Kerala; gingelly (sesame) oil is common in the south as well.
In recent decades, sunflower oil and soybean oil have gained popularity all over India. Hydrogenated
vegetable oil, known as Vanaspati ghee, is another popular cooking medium. Butter-based ghee, or desi
ghee, is less used than formerly.
The most important or frequently used spices in Indian cuisine are chilli pepper, black mustard seed
(rai), cumin (jeera), turmeric (haldi), fenugreek (methi), asafoetida (hing), ginger (adrak), coriander
(dhania), and garlic (lehsun). Popular spice mixes are garam masala, a powder that typically includes five
or more dried spices, especially cardamom, cinnamon, and clove. Each region, and sometimes each
individual chef, has a distinctive blend of garam masala. Goda masala is a similar sweet spice mix,
popular in Maharashtra. Some leaves are commonly used, including tejpat (Bay leaf), coriander leaf,
fenugreek leaf, and mint leaf. The common use of curry leaves and curry roots is typical of all South
Indian cuisine. Sweet dishes are seasoned with cardamom, saffron, nutmeg, and rose petal essences.
India is a diverse country with many regional cultures, each region has its own food specialties, primarily
at regional level, but also at provincial level. The differences can come from a local culture and
geographical location whether a region is close to the sea, desert or the mountains, and economics.
Indian cuisine is also seasonal with priority placed on the use of fresh produce.
Eating habits
People in India consider a healthy breakfast, or nashta, important. They generally prefer to drink tea or
coffee with the first meal of the day. North Indian people prefer roti, parathas, and a vegetable dish,
accompanied by achar (pickles) and some curd; people of western India, dhokla and milk; South Indians,
idlis and dosas, generally accompanied by various chutneys.
Lunch in India usually consists of a main dish of rice in the south and east and rotis made from whole
wheat in the northern and western parts of India. It typically includes two or three kinds of vegetables.
Lunch may be accompanied by items such as kulcha, nan, or parathas. Curd and two or three sweets are
also included in the main course. Paan (betel leaves), which aid digestion, are often eaten after lunch in
parts of India.
Indian families will gather for "evening breakfast" to talk, drink tea, and eat snacks.
Lunch is considered the main meal of the day, and the whole family gathers for the occasion. Dinner
may be followed by dessert, ranging from fruit to traditional desserts like kheer, gulab jamun, gajraila,
qulfi or ras malai.
Etiquette
Several customs are associated with food consumption. Traditionally, meals were eaten while seated
either on the floor or on very low stools or cushions. Food is most often eaten without cutlery, using
instead the fingers of the right hand. Often roti (flat bread) is used to scoop the curry without allowing it
to touch the hands. Other etiquette includes eating with one hand only – preferably the right
hand &ndash. Along the coast to the south, where the staple is parboiled rice, rural dwellers raise a
hand full of rice to eat while urban folks tend to only use the fingers and thumb. In the wheat
growing/consuming north, a piece of roti is gripped with the thumb and middle finger and ripped off
while holding holding the roti down with the index finger. Traditional serving styles vary from region to
region in India.
One universal aspect of presentation is the thali, a large plate with samplings of different regional dishes
accompanied by raita, breads such as naan, puri, or roti, and rice. Most South Indian meals end with
plain curd and rice. In South India, cleaned banana leaves, which could be disposed of after the meal,
were traditionally used as an alternative to plates. When hot food is served on banana leaves, the leaves
add aroma and taste to the food. Leaf plates are still utilized on auspicious and festive occasions but are
much less common otherwise.
Traditional ways of dining are being influenced by eating styles from other parts of the world. Among
the middle class throughout India, spoons and forks are now commonly used, although knives are not.
North Indian Food
States included: Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Uttaranchal, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana,
Bihar, Jharkhand, Chattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh.
Geographical and cultural influence on the region’s cuisine: North India has extreme climates –
summers are hot and winters are cold. There is an abundance of fresh seasonal fruit and vegetable to be
had. Its geographical position with relation to the rest of the Sub-continent means that this region of the
country has had strong Central Asian influences both in its culture and its food. Mughlai and Kashmiri
styles of cooking are not just prevalent, they are also popular.
Style of food: North Indian curries usually have thick, moderately spicy and creamy gravies. The use of
dried fruits and nuts is fairly common even in everyday foods. Dairy products like milk, cream, cottage
cheese, ghee (clarified butter) and yoghurt play an important role in the cooking of both savory and
sweet dishes. Thanks to the fact that such a rich variety of fruit and vegetable is available at all times of
the year, the region produces a dazzling array of vegetarian dishes.
Staple foods: North Indians seem to prefer Indian breads over rice, if the rich variety is anything to go
by. This region is home to the tandoori roti and naans (bread made in a clay tandoor oven), stuffed
parathas (flaky Indian bread with different kinds of vegetarian and non-vegetarian fillings) and kulchas
(bread made from fermented dough). Rice is also popular and made into elaborate biryanis and pulaos
(pilafs).
Kulcha
Stuffed paratha
Cooking oils commonly used: Vegetable oils like sunflower and canola. Mustard oil is rarely used and
only in some states of the region. Ghee is normally reserved for special occasion cooking.
Important spices and ingredients: Coriander, Cumin, Dry red chillies, turmeric, Chilli powder,
Cardamom, Cinnamon, Cloves, Garam Masala, Aniseed/Fennel, etc.
Popular dishes: Mutter Paneer (a curry made with cottage cheese and peas), Biryani, Pulaos, Daal
Makhani, Dahi Gosht, Butter Chicken, Chicken Tikka, Fish Amritsari, Samosas (snack with a pastry case
with different kinds of fillings), Chaat (hot-sweet-sour snack made with potato, chick peas and tangy
chutneys), Motichoor laddoo.
South Indian Food
States included : Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Tamilnadu and Kerala.
Geographical and cultural influence on the region’s cuisine: South India has hot, humid climate and all
its states are coastal. Rainfall is abundant and so is the supply of fresh fruit, vegetables and rice. Andhra
Pradesh produces fiery Andhra cuisine which is largely vegetarian yet has a huge range of seafood in its
coastal areas. Tamilnadu has Chettinad cuisine, perhaps the most fiery of all Indian food. This style too is
largely vegetarian.
From Kerala comes Malabari cooking, with its repertoire of tasty seafood dishes. Hyderabad is home of
the Nizams (rulers of Hyderabad) and regal Nizami food rich and flavorful with tastes ranging from spicy
to sour to sweet. Hyderabadi food is full of nuts, dried fruits and exotic, expensive spices like Saffron.
Style of food: By and large, South Indian cuisine is perhaps the hottest of all Indian food. Meals are
centered around rice or rice-based dishes. Rice is combined with Sambaar (a soup-like lentil dish
tempered with whole spices and chillies) and rasam (a hot-sour soup like lentil dish), dry and curried
vegetables and meat dishes and a host of coconut-based chutneys and poppadums (deep-fried crispy
lentil pancakes). South Indians are great lovers of filter coffee.
Sambaar
Staple foods: No South Indian meal is complete without rice in some form or other – either boiled rice
or Idlis (steamed cakes made from rice batter), Dosas or Uttapams (pancakes made from a batter of rice
and lentil flour). Daals (lentils) are also a part of most meals.
Idlis
Spinach Daal
Cooking oils commonly used: Coconut oil is most commonly used for cooking and frying. Vegetable oils
like sunflower and canola are also used and ghee is poured over rice during daily meals or in special
occasion dishes.
Important spices and ingredients: Curry leaves, mustard, Asafetida, pepper and peppercorns, tamarind,
chillies and fenugreek seeds.
Popular dishes: Idlis, Dosas, Vadas, Sambaar, Uttapams, Rasam, Payasam.
East Indian Food
States included : West Bengal, Sikkim, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Manipur, Nagaland,
Mizoram, Tripura, Orrisa.
Geographical and cultural influence on the region’s cuisine: Home to beaches and mountains and
Cherrapunji (the city with the highest rainfall in the world), Eastern India grows a lot of rice! Green
vegetables and fruit are also abundant and so are the foods cooked using them. People though, are a
balanced mix of vegetarian and non-vegetarian. The geographical location of this region means its food
bears the strong influence of Chinese and Mongolian cuisine.
Style of food: Simple is the key word for food of this region in India. Preparation is not elaborate and
neither are most of the ingredients. Steaming and frying are popular methods of cooking. In coastal
regions fish is the non-vegetarian food of choice while further inland, pork wins the popularity contest.
The people of no other region in India can rival the love for sweets and desserts that Eastern Indians
have! Some of India’s most popular and world-renowned sweets come from here.
Staple foods: Rice and some more rice!
Cooking oils commonly used: Mustard oil is very popular and used for both deep frying and cooking.
Other vegetable oils are also used. Ghee is used for cooking special occasion foods.
Important spices and ingredients: Mustard seeds and paste, chillies (both green and red), Paanch
Phoran (a mix of five spices – white cumin white cumin seeds, onion seeds, mustard seeds, fennel seeds
and fenugreek seeds). Yoghurt, coconut, maize and gram flour are also common ingredients. Milk and
dairy products play a huge role in the preparation of sweets in Eastern India.
Popular dishes: Momos (steamed, meat- or vegetable-filled wontons) and Thukpa (a clear soup),
Tomato Achaar (tomato pickle), Machcher Jhol (fish curry), Jhaal-Muri (a spicy snack made with puffed
rice and mustard oil), Sandesh, Rasgolla....
Momos
Most east Indians have an innate bond with anything sweet. The eastern region of India is famous for
some of the most popular sweets. They offer a large variety of sweets that are an absolute delight for
anyone with a sweet tooth: rasagolla, chumchum, sandesh, rasabali, chhena poda, chhena gaja, chhena
jalebi and kheeri.
Chum chum
Rasagolla Sandesh
Chhena poda Chhena jalebi
West Indian Food
States included : Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra and Goa.
Geographical and cultural influence on the region’s cuisine: Rajasthan and Gujarat have hot, dry
climates so the relatively smaller variety of vegetables available are preserved as pickles and chutneys.
Culturally these states are largely Hindu and vegetarian.
Parts of cosmopolitan Maharashtra are coastal and parts arid, and the food varies accordingly. Peanuts
and coconut are important ingredients as they are freely available. Goa with its lush green coastline has
an abundance of fresh fish and seafood. Local dishes like Vindaloo and Xacuti testify to the fact that it
was a Portuguese colony until the 1960s.
Style of food: This region probably has the most diverse styles of food in India. Rajasthani food is spicy
and largely vegetarian but includes many delicious meat dishes like Laal Maas (red meat curry) while
Gujarat’s cuisine is known for its slight sweet touch (at least a pinch of sugar is added to most dishes!)
and is traditionally entirely vegetarian.
Thaali (a large plate) is the Gujarati style of eating and a meal can consist of as many as 10 different
vegetable dishes, rice, chapati (Indian bread) and sweets! The Gujaratis love a snack and cook a huge
variety of them. These are collectively known as Farsan.
Thaali
In Maharashtra, coastal areas are famous for Malvani cuisine (fresh coconut-based hot and sour curries
with fish and seafood) while the interiors have the more frugal, Vidharba cuisine which uses a lot of dry
coconut. Goan food is rich, piquant and strongly flavored by coconut, red chillies and vinegar.
Staple foods: In Gujarat and Rajasthan corn, lentils and gram flour, dry red chillies, buttermilk, yoghurt,
sugar and nuts; in Maharashtra, fish, rice, coconut and peanuts and in Goa fish, pork and rice.
Cooking oils commonly used: Vegetable oils like sunflower, canola and peanut oil and ghee.
Important spices and ingredients: Dry red chillies, sugar, sesame seeds, coconut, nuts, vinegar, fish,
pork.
Popular dishes: Pork Vindaloo, Chicken Xacuti, Fish Curry, Bhelpuri, Thepla, Daal-Baati.
Beverages
While masala tea is a staple beverage across India, Indian filter coffee (below) is especially popular in
southern India.
Tea is a staple beverage throughout India; the finest varieties are grown in Darjeeling and Assam. It is
generally prepared as masala chai, wherein the tea leaves are boiled in a mix of water, spices such as
cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, and ginger, and large quantities of milk to create a thick, sweet, milky
concoction. Different varieties and flavors of Tea are prepared to suit different tastes all over the
country. Another popular beverage, coffee, is largely served in South India. One of the finest varieties of
Coffea arabica is grown around Mysore, Karnataka, and is marketed under the trade name "Mysore
Nuggets". Indian filter coffee, or kaapi, is also especially popular in South India. Other beverages include
nimbu pani (lemonade), lassi, chaach, badam doodh (milk with nuts and cardamom), sharbat and
coconut water. India also has many indigenous alcoholic beverages, including palm wine, fenny, bhang
and Indian beer. However the practice of drinking a beverage with a meal, or wine and food matching, is
not traditional or common in India.
Although the above listed beverages are popular, people prefer to consume drinking water with their
food. In fact it is custom to offer drinking water to guests before serving hot or cold drinks, also drinking
water does not overshadow the taste of food.
Filter coffee