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Indian cuisine is justly nonpareil. It is art for the eyes, perfume for the nose, relish for the lips, medicine for the body and nectar for the soul. India, it is often said, is an experience. Complex and fascinating, it is ablaze with traditions, people, crafts, colors, wildfire and food. A veritable kaleidoscope--with every little detail of life so startlingly different, so uniquely its own. Indian Cooking is known for its use of spices, herbs and flavorings. The dishes range from mild creamy kormas to hot curries. What is common to all the regions in India, is the perfect blending of the spices to the right proportions so that each of the dishes has a distinct flavor. Indian dishes including sweets are seldom cooked without freshly ground spices. The most commonly used spices for the sweets are elaichi[cardamom] and kesar[saffron]. Bengal (Eastern India), is one region, famous for its sweets. A special way of serving both snacks and sweets is to use Varq or edible beaten silver leaf. Another item that is largely used in the Indian cooking is called "Ghee" which is clarified butter. Maharashtrian and Gujrati cooking (Western India) make extensive use of ghee. Many Indian dishes owe their fiery flavor to chillies, ginger and garlic. A typical Indian meal in the south (Southern India) may consist of rice, one or two vegetable dishes, a spicy hot chutney and a curry. A typical punjabi (Northern India) meal may include rotis or parathas(breads), one or two vegetable dishes, a dal(pulses) and yoghurt. Typically long grain rice is used on a daily basis, but speciality items of rice are made with a special aromatic rice called Basmati. A leisurely meal of many items which requires long hours of labor and ingenuity in the kitchen has long been a major part of the Indian culture. The traditional way of serving food is on the floor, where individual pieces of carpet, called asans, are spread for each person to sit on. In front of this seat is placed a large platter, made of bell metal or steel. Around this platter a number of small metal bowls are arrayed in which portions of dal, vegetables, and dessert are served. In the center of the platter sit small mounds of piping hot rice or different varieties of breads, flanked by vegetable fritters, wedges of lime, whole green chillies and perhaps some pickle. The approach to food is very tactile. Indians like to eat their food with their fingers, savor the different boquets, and end their meals with a fortissimo burp to express their satisfaction. Indian cooking is distinguished by the use of a larger variety of vegetables than many other well-known cuisines. Within these recognisable similarities, there is an enormous variety of local styles. Due to the variety in culture, each state has developed its own way of preparing dishes. |
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