The Land of Spices, India has several delectable cuisines that delight foodies around the world. So much so that when they can’t find Indian food in their own countries, they travel on the legendary Spice Route to India to try the many tasty and mouth-watering dishes there.
In fact, the Indian curry has made a name for itself on the food map of the world. From London to Libya, from Montreal to the Middle East, foodies adore spicy and flavorful Indian cuisine.The whole Southeast Asian region loves spicy and hot Indian food, and the local cuisines of the area show a strong Indian influence.
This is not to say that Indian cuisine does not reflect foreign influence. In fact, Indian food shows a strong foreign influence, especially from the Middle East, Central Asia, the Mediterranean, and Europe (particularly Portugal and England). Tomatoes, chillies, and potatoes, which were used liberally and widely in preparing various food items in India, were introduced to India by Portugal.
Clever and generous use of various spices such as chillies, black mustard, cumin, turmeric, fenugreek, ginger, coriander, asafetida, garlic, and cloves distinguishes Indian food, which, interestingly enough, is characterised by its distinct aroma, flavor, and color.
In the past, most Indians—mainly Buddhists, Jains, and Hindus—were vegetarians for religious reasons, but now a significant part of the country is non-vegetarian and enjoys non-vegetarian products such as chicken, eggs, fish, and meat.
That is why a variety of delectable non-vegetarian foods such as chicken curry, butter chicken, chicken masala, fish curry, and shrimp curry are prepared and loved by people all over India. In fact, Indian Butter Chicken and Chicken Masala have become popular all over the world. Butter chicken is now the national dish of the UK, having replaced the former national dish, Fish & Chips.
categorised as Indian cuisine.
Being a huge country, India has several tasty and different cuisines that vary greatly from region to region. Indian cuisine can be roughly divided into five different units: North Indian cuisine, South Indian cuisine, East Indian cuisine, West Indian cuisine, and Northeast Indian cuisine.
Cuisine from North India
The cuisine of North India is dominated by the cuisines of Punjabi, Kashmiri, and Lucknavi. The gourmets of this region use milk products such as clarified butter, cheese, and curds liberally. And peanut oil is mainly used to prepare various foods.
South Indian Food
The liberal use of rice and its products and various spices, along with coconut and curry leaves, make the cuisine of South India mouthwatering. Dosa, Rasam, Sambar Dal, and Payasam are some of the many tasty foods of this region. Coconut oil is mainly used to prepare the various food products of this area.
East Indian cuisine.
Generous use of mustard oil and panchfuran (a smart blend of five spices) for preparing the various delicacies typifies the cuisines of Eastern India. A variety of sweets, such as Misti Doi (sweetened curd) and Roshgolla, are special delicacies of this region.
West Indian Food
Western Indian Cuisine combines Konkani, Goan, Maharashtrian, and Parsi cuisines into one. While fish is abundant in this region’s coastal areas, non-vegetarians rely on poultry and meat in the interior.And peanut oil is the main ingredient in most of the foods made in this area.
Northeast Indian Cuisine.
The cuisine of this area shows strong Chinese and Burmese influences. Rice is the staple food of the people, and beef is consumed quite liberally by the non-vegetarians. This is a distinct feature of Northeast Indian cuisine, and it adds much to the appeal of lip-smacking Indian cuisine, making it even more appetising in the eyes of food lovers around the world.