Indian food is different from
rest of the world not only in taste but also in cooking methods. It
reflects
a perfect blend of various cultures and ages. Just like Indian
culture, food in India has also been influenced by various
civilizations, which have contributed their share in its overall
development and the present form.
Foods of India are better known for its spiciness.
Throughout
India, be it North India or South India, spices are used generously in
food. But one must not forget that every single spice used in Indian
dishes carries some or the other nutritional as well as medicinal
properties.
North Indian Food
Food in the north India, to begin with, Kashmiri cuisines
reflect strong Central Asian influences. In
Kashmir, mostly all
the dishes are prepared around the main course of rice found abundantly
in the beautiful valley. Another delicious item cooked here is the '
Saag'
that is prepared with a green leafy vegetable known as the '
Hak'.
But on the other hand states like the Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh
show high consumption of chapatis as staple food. Again, these chapatis
are prepared with a variety of flours such as wheat, rice, maida, besan
etc. Besides chapatis other closely related
breads baked in
these regions include
Tandoori,
Rumaali and
Naan
etc. However in the northern region impact of Mughlai food is quite
obvious.
West Indian Food
In western India, the desert cuisine is famous for its unique taste and
varieties of food.
Rajasthan and
Gujarat are the states
that represent the desseert flavor of Indian food. Here an immense
variety of dals and achars (pickles/preserves) is used that simply
substitutes the relative lack of fresh vegetables in these areas.
In the states like
Maharashtra, the food is usually a mix of
both north as well as south cooking styles. Here people use both the
rice and the wheat with same interest. Along the coastline of
Mumbai
a wide variety of fishes is available. Some of the delicious
preparations include dishes like the
Bombay Prawn and
Pomfret.
In
Goa, that is further down towards south, one can notice
Portuguese
influence in the cooking style as well as in the dishes. Some of the
major dishes of this regiun are the sweet and sour
Vindaloo,
duck baffad,
sorpotel and
egg molie etc.
East Indian Food
In the eastern India, the Bengali and Assamese styles of cooking
are noticeable.
The staple food of Bengalis is the yummy combination
of rice and fish. Usually the Bengalis love eating varieties of
fishes. A special way of preparing the delicacy known as '
Hilsa'
is by wrapping it in the pumpkin leaf and then cooking it. Another
unusual ingredient that is commonly used in the Bengali cooking is the
'Bamboo Shoot'. Various sweets prepared in this region, by using milk
include the '
Roshogollas', '
Sandesh', '
Cham-cham'
and many more.
South Indian Food
In the southern India, the states make great use of spices, fishes and
coconuts, as most of them have coastal kitchens. In the foods of Tamil
Nadu use of tamarind is frequently made in order to impart sourness to
the dishes. It simply distinguishes the Tamil Food from other cuisines.
The cooking style of Andhra Pradesh is supposed to make excessive use
of chilies, which is obviously to improve the taste of the dishes.
In
Kerala, some of the delicious dishes are the
lamb stew
and
appams,
Malabar fried prawns,
Idlis,
Dosas,
fish molie and
rice puttu. Another famous item of this region is
the sweetened coconut milk. Yet another dish is
Puttu, which is
glutinous rice powder steamed like a pudding in a bamboo shoot.
