Indian Cuisine

Indian Cuisine Think of India and one of the root things that come to mind is its diversity. A large populous country divided into legion(predicate) states severally with its own unique traditions and gastronomic f ar. Indian cooking is one of the about popular cuisines across the globe. Not only is it popular among the large Indian diaspora yet also among the mainstream population of North America and Europe. For the uninitiated, Indian fare may seem foreign, scary, spicy and non for the faint of heart. This paper aims to explore many of the facets that fill up Indian cuisine and hopefully allay any misconceptions or fears that may exist.The chapters are categorized under the following sections 1. The Evolution of Indian provision 2. Geographical Variation 3. Dietary Customs in India 4. The Story of Spices 5. Curry What is it? 6. Indian Dining Etiquette The Evolution Of Indian Cooking Indian cuisine derives from a 4000 year timeline. It has significantly evolved as a resul t of the various influences introduced into the country by many travelers and ob sufficers. Despite this evolution, it has not lost its original identity, but sort of became richer with the assimilation of theses varied influences.The following historical timeline (Bhattacharya, n. d. ) of how Indian gastronomy evolved will help shape our understanding and appreciation of this cooking style. 2000 BC and earlier. Most great deal intend that the origins of Indian history, and therefore the cuisine, dates back to Mohenjedaro and Harrapan civilizations. It is understood that the Ayurvedic tradition of cooking, which is a complete holistic approach to cooking, evolved at this point in time. In Vedic times, a normal provender consisted of fruit, vege remands, meat, grain, dairy products and honey.Over time, some segments of the population embraced vegetarianism due to the ancient Hindu philosophy of ahimsa. 1000 BC. At this point we see the first influx of outsiders into the country. The Mohenjodaro people are believed to have been pushed to southern India and the cuisine there is unflurried largely vegetarian. The roots of Hinduism are shaped at this point along with the Vedas and the Mahabharata. The caste system is developed dividing eating habits broadly by caste. For example the Brahmins were to the highest degreely vegetarians while the Kshatriyas were meat eaters. 400 BCThis period saw the study of Buddhism outside India which resulted in the migration of people as well as their food and dietary requirements. 1200 AD This period saw several normality Indian dynasties rule and became known as the Golden Age of Indian Art. There were several travelers who visited India and were responsible for the introduction of tea. However, from a culinary perspective there are still no significant external influences brought into the country. 1200-1800AD During the reign of the Moghuls we see the emergence of Moglai cuisine. Its this type of cooking that people now associate with India.The cooking style is characterized by the addition of several seasonings like saffron and nuts. The influx of European influences into parts of southern India, such as Kerala, resulted in the beginning of the Syrian Christian cuisine. 1800 1947 AD The age of British colonial rule saw the start of the English love affair with Indian food. It was hardly a glorified period in Indian history, but the British loved the elaborate way of eating and adapted several of the food choices to their taste. They developed the neaten as a unbiased spice to help them cook Indian meals.Geographical Variation The cuisines of India are as richly diverse and varied as its glossiness, ethnic makeup and geography. agree to Sarakar (n. d. ), the common characteristic of all Indian cooking is the tremendous use and uniteing of a variety of wonderfully exotic spices. As a grease that has experienced extensive immigration and intermingling over the centuries, Indias cuisine has be nefited from numerous food influences. The diverse climate which ranges from tropical to alpine has also helped broaden the set of ingredients lendable for cooking.Northern India North Indian cuisine is distinguished by a proportionally high use of dairy products. The tawa, or griddle, is used extensively for cook flat breads like roti and paratha. A tandoor oven is also frequently used to cook main courses like chicken. Goat and lamb are favored ingredients of many Yankee Indian recipes. The samosa, a common appetizer on all Indian restaurant menus, has its roots in northern India. The staple food of most of north Indians are a variety of lentils, vegetables, and roti.Common north Indian foods such as kebabs and meat dishes originated with the Muslim incursions into the country. The influence of Europeans is also apparent with the creation of sore dishes like chicken tikka masala which is actually a British invention during colonial times. Eastern India In the eastern part of I ndia there is a large oriental influence resulting from an influx of movement from Tibet and Nepal. All of these influences helped form the dietary customs in eastern India. Popular food is this region is a unique blend of vegetarian meals prepared in the traditional Chinese cooking style.Rice and fish are the staple foods because most of the towns and fishing villages are located on the coast. Confederate India Southern Indian cuisine is distinguished by a greater emphasis on rice and the liberal use of coconut, coconut oil and curry leaves. Before Christianity came to India in the early 52 AD, Kerala was strictly vegetarian as regulated by Hinduism. However, after the visit of St. Thomas, Christianity quickly spread throughout Kerala and thus the diet evolved to also include meat. Western India The geography of the landscape and the culture of the people definitely influenced the regions cuisine.Rajasthan and Gujarat have hot, dry climates so the relatively little varieties of vegetables available are preserved as pickles and chutneys. Culturally these states are largely Hindu and vegetarian. Peanuts and coconut are prominent ingredients as they are freely available. Goa, with its debauched green coastline, has an abundance of fresh fish and seafood. Local dishes like Vindaloo are testament to the fact that Goa was a Portuguese colony until the 1960s. This region probably has the most diverse styles of food in India.Food from the Rajasthan area is spicy and largely vegetarian but includes many meat dishes. Gujarats cuisine is know for its slightly lovable taste (at least a pinch of sugar is added to most dishes) and is traditionally built-inly vegetarian. Dietary customs in India As you would expect from a country as large and diverse as India, there are a variety of different dietary customs. Religion is a significant contributing work out to the diets of Indians. Hinduism is the dominant religion in India making up about 80% of the population while Muslims, Sikhs, Christians and Buddhists make up a sizeable minority.Some religions jaw dietary restrictions which prohibit the eating of skreak or pork. The most usually served dishes at Indian dinner parties and public functions tend to comprise of chicken, lamb or fish as this avoids any potential difficulties with restricted diets for meat eaters. Here is a general guide to the dietary customs of the three major phantasmal groups in India Hindus Most Hindus follow a balanced vegetarian diet. Some do eat meat occasionally but Hindus do not eat beef out of reverence for the cow as a sacred animal.Strict Hindus will also avoid garlic, onions and mushrooms. Mushrooms are thought to promote ignorance, whilst garlic and onions are thought to invoke passion. Muslims Muslims cannot eat pork, lard or any other porcine derivatives. Islam prohibits eating meat that is not slaughtered in the correct Islamic way. Muslims itemise the name of God before and after eating, eat with the righ t hand and find it desirable to always eat in the company of others. Sikhs Sikhs do not believe in ritual killing and are instructed to avoid meat slaughtered in this way.Although in many aspects Sikhism is less prescriptive than some other religions, most Sikhs do not eat beef or pork. Many Sikhs are vegetarian and in observance of such a variety of dietary habits, all food served in Sikh places of worship is vegetarian. Sikhism is probably the only major organized religion which does not encourage fasting as it is viewed as having no phantasmal benefit. The Story Of Spices Spices are the jewels of Indian cooking. Their lookings are meant to be savored and should not be overpowered by the burning sensation resulting from the liberal use of hot chilies.Parbhoo (1985) suggests that authentic Indian food should generally not be too hot and recommends that spices be used lavishly in the same way cheese or drink is used in French cuisine. Chilies in themselves have very little flavor but contribute to the dish by providing a sensation of awake which can be regulated to the cooks preference. Spices have three traditional functions medicinal, preservative and seasoning. Early Indian literature written in Sanskrit and date back 3000 years to the Vedic period emphasizes the importance of spices for preserving food.The Ayurveda, an ancient Hindu treatise on medicine, places special emphasis on the medicinal properties of spices. A few of examples of commonly used spices and their additional medicinal benefits are listed below Name Uses in cooking Medicinal Benefit Chilies Prime ingredient of masalas and provides the heat and Used to lay waste to poison and relieve hypothermia in cases of cholera. flavor. Cinnamon Used for aroma in meat, rice and pickles. Ground cinnamon Has anti-inflammatory that can lessen joint and go across pain. used in sweet dishes. Anis Seed Used in savory dishes to provide flavor. Used to aid digestion and act as a breath freshene r. fenugreek Seeds Provides a bitter flavor in savory dishes. Provides relief from coughs, asthma and rheumatism. Cloves Used for aromatic qualities in meat and rice dishes. Also Used as a local anesthetic. an essential ingredient in masalas. Curry What is it? Curry is a generic description used throughout European and American culture to describe a general variety of spiced dishes. The word curry is an anglicized version of the Tamil word kari. Several articles (Sarkar, n. d. Smith, 1998) suggest it is usually understood to mean gold rush or sauce, rather than spices.Currys popularity in recent decades has spread outward from the Indian subcontinent to figure prominently in international cuisine. While many people gestate that curry is a particular spice, it is actually a intermixture of spices commonly referred to as curry powder. This powder is versatile in both taste and flavor and varies widely depending on the region it comes from. Most people associate curry with a b right yellow color. This color is caused by the spice turmeric that is a common ingredient. However, not all curry powder mixtures contain turmeric and, in fact, curry powders can be as individual as the soulfulness making them.Some spices you might find in this mixture include chilies, cinnamon, cardamom, cumin, nutmeg, cloves, coriander, mace, fenugreek, sesame seeds, red pepper, black pepper, poppy seeds, tamarind and saffron. Oftentimes the curry powder mixture recipe is passed down from one generation to the next and is a safely guarded secret. Indian Dining Etiquette Though Indian cooking uses an extensive cast of specialized utensils for various purposes, Indians traditionally do not use much cutlery for eating as many foods are best enjoyed when eating with the hand.It is a technique that is exculpated and easy when done correctly. Cook (2008) suggests the reason for using the hands is that it adds an additional element of enjoyment to the taste because it helps with blen ding the food. In many parts of India, when eating curry, the gravy must not be allowed to stain your finger only the fingertips. The left hand is not used and kept clean to facilitate the passing of dishes along the table. These variations are further compounded and increased by the diversity of the population India, leading to regional differences in the way people dine.In Janjiras (2009) article on Indian Dining Etiquette, he explains that in North India it is common to be seated at a dine table to eat. While in south India, especially is Kerala, it is as common to see people sitting down and eating on banana leaves. The entire meal will be placed and served on banana leaves and eaten with the hand. The concept of courses at mealtime does not exist in India. Most Indian homes will serve the food all at once and then keep filling the dishes as dinner progresses. Everything cooked will be made available on the table with the exception of the afters which will follow once most gues ts are done eating.While general etiquette rules might suggest that everything should be tried, it is more in theory than in practice and it is perfectly fine to skip something which might not suit your taste. Desserts on the other hand more often than not require the use of utensils. Unlike the western world where dessert may also be followed by coffee or liquor the serving of the dessert would often indicate that dinner is almost over. Conclusion As evident in the above chapters, Indian cuisine has a long history of macrocosm influenced by the unique needs and tastes of its indigenous people, invaders and explorers.The food, cooking techniques and ingredients have evolved based on peoples religious needs or influenced by the availability of ingredients across Indias vast and varied landscape. But even after all this Indian cuisine manages to retain its unique heritage and identity in a orbicular gastronomic landscape that tends to be fickled and faddish. Indian food is enjoyed b y commoners and royalty alike and it is hoped that this paper will enlighten the reader and allay any fears or misconceptions that may have previously prevented the sampling of Indian cooking.References Bhattacharya , R (n. d) History of Indian Cooking A Historical Perspective on Indian Cooking. Retrieved November 25, 2009, from http//www. inmamaskitchen. com/Indian_Cooking/history_Indian_food_cooking. hypertext mark-up language Cook, S (2008). Indian Eating Etiquette. Retrieved September 28, 2009 from http//www. india-travel-suite101. com/article. cfm/eating_in_indian_style Curry. Retrieved October 15, 2009 from http//en. wikipedia. org/wiki/curry Indian Cuisine Origins and Indian Culinary History. Retrieved November 10, 2009, from http//www. ndianfoodsco. com/Classes/CulinayHistory. htm Indian Cuisine. Retrieved October 25, 2009, from http//en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Indian_cuisine Janjira, M (2009). Indian Dining Etiquette. Retrieved September 22, 2009 from http//www. indianmusing s. wordpress. com/2009/02/020indian-dining-etiquette Leong, K (n. d). The Health Benefits of Indian Food. Retrieved October 15, 2009 from http//www. associatedcontent. com/pop_print. shtml? content_type=article&content_typeid=1829365 Parbhoo, R. (1985). Indian Coookery for South Africa.Cape Town, South Africa Printpak Books. Purdue University Online Writing Lab (OWL) (September 30th 2008). APA Formatting and Style Guide. Retrieved November 17, 2009, from http//owl. english. purdue. edu/owl/resource/560/01/ Sarkar, P (n. d). The Cuisine Of East India An Introduction to Eastern Indian Food. Retrieved September 29, 2009 from http//indianfood. about. com/old/thebasics/p/eastindia. htm Smith, D (1998). Definition and History of Curry. Retrieved September 24, 2009 from http//www. curryhouse. co. uk/faq/define. htm