Indian cooking

Cultural Differences Dominate Indian Cooking

Indian cooking is not all that simple and easy. It is time consuming as a lot of taste comes out of marinating herbs, spices along with the main ingredient. The diversity of the Indian culture is characterized by a wide assortment of cuisine and cooking techniques. Indian cooking varies from region to region which reflects the culture of the people in that region. Broadly, Indian cuisine can be split into four categories – North India, South India, West Indian and East Indian.

The Diversity of Indian Cooking

Despite the diversity of culture, some ingredients like spices and herbs are common in all Indian cooking. Besides demographic influences on cuisine, invasion of cultural groups from Central and West Asia and Europe have left their mark on Indian cooking.

Primarily, Indians consisting mainly of Hindus, are vegetarians. Brahmins, the highest in the order of caste, are strict vegetarians, but Brahmins along the coastal areas of Goa, Kerala and West Bengal eat fish. People of southern India, mainly Tamil Nadu, are vegetarians probably because eating meat is difficult in hot and humid weather. The northern part of India experiences extreme hot and cold climates which explain the rich and heavy diets laced with spices and herbs indulged by the people of this region. People of this region are also meat-eaters influenced partly by the demography and the invading moguls from central Asia.

In the desert areas of Rajasthan and Gujarat a variety of dals and pickles (preserved) are mainstay diets as a substitute for fresh vegetables and fruits. In the hot and humid regions of south India tamarind is an ingredient to sour the preparation and gravies can be chilli-hot. The hot, sour and spicy food is believed to be one of the best ways to fight off the flu virus. In most of south central India, all meals end with a banana or yogurt to quench the raging fire within! Another south Indian staple ingredient is the coconut. Coastal India indulges in a variety of fish and prawns in coconut curries.

The staple grain in all Indian cooking is the fat parboiled rice. The north Indians simply boil rice, while the south Indians do a variety in rice preparations. Dosa, idli made of rice is a staple breakfast meal in south Indian homes. Rice is powdered and steamed into a pudding in bamboo shoots and eaten as a dessert along with sweetened coconut milk.

Eastern India is famous for its milk-based sweets. Sweets available all over India originated from West Bengal. All food preparations of this region have a sweetened flavor. Sea food and delights in poppy seeds is very popular in this region.

Tea with liberal doses of sugar is a common beverage all over India. Filtered coffee which is a sweet milky version of coffee is very popular in south India. ‘Nimbhu Pani’ or squeezed lime juice with water and sugar is common in the dry regions. There is ‘lassi’ sweetened yogurt to beat the heat. India also a number of alcoholic beverages, but having a drink before a meal are taboo and not done during family meals in India.

Indian cooking is an art difficult to master because the Indian palate is based on religion, region, culture, truly the most diverse cuisine in the world. It is not like “English Rice” which is the same across England. Indian rice can be jeera rice, vegetable-mixed rice, pulao, biryani – there is no end to it.