INDIAN CUISINE

Indian cuisine has been influenced by a 5000-year history of various groups and cultures interrelating with the subcontinent, leading to the assortment of flavours and regional cuisines found in modern-day India.India can be crowned with 60-carat diamond in the World’s flavoured cuisine ring.

INTRODUCTION

The huge variety of dishes, appetizers, snacks, side dishes and desserts have originate several fans on an international scale, as Indian restaurants feast at an incredible rate, with an gigantic success in every conceivable culture and in every possible corner of the World.Mostly it’s said that Indian cuisine almost as diverse the entire European cuisine, because of the four different main regional styles: the North Indian cuisine (the regions Banaras, Kashmir, Mughlai, Punjab and Rajasthan), the South Indian cuisine (regions Andhra, Kannada, Kerala and Tamil), East Indian cuisine (regions Assamese and Bengali) and Western Indian cuisine (regions Gujarat, Maharashtrian and Malwani).

As most of the northern part of India is generally rural, even though it comprises large cities such as Delphi or Calcutta, consequently its cuisine is more agricultural than anything, as we know wheat being a primary essential of this region’s dishes. Southern regions though have a tendency to to be more interesting, more spicier in their dishes and rice is a continual ingredient in their food. To get more taste from their main dishes, mostly North Indians use onions and coriander at the same time as southerners use a more exotic coconut base for their dishes.

Indian cuisine goes all the way back to 7000 BCE when sesame, eggplant and cattle were familiarized. From place to place 3000 BCE the spices turmeric, cardamom, pepper and mustard were first used.When the incursions and new settlers came later, tomatoes, chilies, and potatoes became attaches in the Indians’ diet.

HISTORY OF INDIAN CUISINE

About 1000BC, many outsiders came in India and the people of Mohenjodaro were pushed to the south of India.

This was the time when the roots of Hinduism and cast system developed at this point, dividing food habits of the people by cast, the Brahmins being mostly vegetarian for example. And then Jains came up in 600 BC where they believe in non-violence and cooking without meat, onion, or garlic. 1200-1500 AD was that period when many foreigners invaded India and the main were the Mughals.

From 1500-1800 AD, the Mughal empire grew with all his power, along with the Mughlai cuisine that people now compare with Indian cuisine. It comprises the adding of numerous seasonings like saffron, the adding of nuts and cooking in the “Dum” or sealed pot method of cooking. So the history tells us that when one era finishes, second one was standing on India’s door, all ready to invade it.

India has records of trading with the Greeks, Egyptians, Romans, Portuguese, Mongolian, Britishers and more others in ancient times. The variety in the Indian cuisine has been originated on the basis of these invasions. It’s said that the Indian cooking style came up by the mixture of many cultures and tradition as belief. These invasions somehow bought changes to the Indian cooking style and too its cuisine. When invasion happened it bought a revolution to Indian culinary subcontinents.

INDIAN CUISINE INFLUENCED BY:

Greek Influence: Greece gifted Indian subcontinents with a collection of many ingredients for cooking such as olive and lemon. Greeks also introduced us to many other spices like garlic and other herbs like oregano, basil, mint, and thyme.Greece also contributed Indian cuisine with vegetables such as eggplant and zucchini.

Greek Influence

Portuguese has also contributed to Indian cookery withexotic fruits and roots such as potato, tomato, pumpkin, aubergine, cashew nuts,chillies, papaya, passion fruit, pineapple, and guava. Various herbs also such ascoriander, red and dried type of chillies, garlic, turmeric and vinegar completethe Portuguese recipe of Goan cuisine.

Portuguese Influence

Mongolian actually didn’t gave India too much except the simplistic ways of cooking. This influence can be seen in Northern Eastern part (Nagaland, Mizoram, Manipur, Assam, Meghalaya) of India where food is not prepared in a rich method and neither many ingredients are used. Frying and Steaming are the most famous method of cooking in this region. Mongolian people also influenced Eastern India cuisine by sweets and deserts. Mustard oil was another famous ingredients influence by the Mongolian invaders.

Mongolian Influence

Britishers made a spicy display on Indian cuisine. British cooking offered a variety of pleasure loving food which was mainly cooked in courts of Indian Royal Courts during their era. British influenced and convinced people to take Christian religion in their kitchen. British food was termed as Anglo-Indian food. English pork chops which were usually marinated in spiced and chillies, soups and salads became the part of Indian menu in their era. They also influenced the snacks of Indian cuisine by sponge cake, lemon –cud tartlets, and cucumber sandwiches are the favourites of the Britishers which were contributed to the Indian subcontinents.

British Influence

Dabbawalla or dabbawallah; exactly means "box person", is a person in India, most generally found in the city of Mumbai, who is working in a exclusive provision industry whose main occupation is gathering just now cooked food in lunch boxes from the houses of the office workers, bringing it to their individual workplaces and returning the empty boxes back to the customer's residence by using several means of transport.

FOOD CONCEPTDabbawala

It’s very well-known temple food. Idea accepted out in Gurudwaras, were in people from any caste can come and cook food for the devotees.

Langar

Non-vegetarian dishes contain of an essential part of not only the diet of a Kashmiri, somewhat a banquet (Wazwan) also. Considered a sign of extravagant hospitality, non-vegetarian dishes dominate in an official feast (Wazwan). A distinctive Wazwan meal contains of not more than one or two vegetarian dishes. Kashmir cuisine does not pay much care to sweets. As an alternative, an essential part ofThe meal is Kahva or green tea, used to wash down a meal.

Wazwan

famous Thaalis are Gujarati, Maharashtrian and Rajasthani. A Thaali is a mixture of different dishes, usually served in little bowls on a round tray. The round tray is mostly made with steel with various sections.Distinctive dishes contain rice, dal, vegetables, roti, papad, curd (yoghurt), small amounts of chutney or pickle, and a sweet dish to top it off. Restaurants typically offer a choice of vegetarian or meat-based Thaalis. Conditional on the restaurant, the Thaali contains of delicacies natural to that region. Thaali starts out with puri and different vegetarian specialisms (curries).

Thaali

Hing: it’s a raw spice, solid and pungent, often called as the demons manure or stinking gum. Adding it to hot oil or ghee, it gives you pleasant sweet flavor. It taste more like leeks and onion. Tej Patta: It’s used to flavor not the same curries and rice. The leaves are aromatic with a minorclue of the smell of cinnamon. The leaves are first browned in the oil to increase the aroma.

ESSENTIAL SPICES

Carom Seeds /Ajwain: seeds are in grey colour and pungent. It’s often mistaken to be the “Bishop’s Weed”. Ajwain has a strong smell similar to Thyme. They are generally dry heated casually or mitigated in hot oil or ghee and used for seasoning a dish. Cinnamon: Its sticks are from the dry stem of a tree. Two popular variations of cinnamon; Chin and from Ceylon. Many times the broken sticks are added as the oil heats up; this way the oil is flavoured and the food is cooked in this fragrant oil. Saffron (Kesar): The king of spices is what they call it. Watching like tiny orange threads, these are essentially the stigmas of a flower called crocus. Saffron adds beautiful flavour and colour to rice dishes, gravies and desserts.

Red Dry Chilli: It’s a hot pepper dried up just like cayenne pepper. They have all not the same flavor then the green hot peppers are frequently crackled in oil and cooked up with the vegetables or meat. Mustard Seeds: Mustard paste is used to make many Indian pickles in the northern regions of the country. By pressing it, the oil which comes out is unusually sold as mustard oil is used for massage as well as cooking.

Cloves (Laung): The flavor which it adds to food is strong and warm. It’s used mainly in spicy food where it’s used as in whole form, cooked in oil or ghee. Clove is grounded and is used and added in the Garam masala also. Nagori Chillies: when these chillies are added to the preparation of laal maans, the colour derived from these chillies are distinct in taste and brings colour integral to the dish. They are the most fiery red chillies in Rajasthan.Mathania Chillies: Mathania red chilli of Jodhpur is famous for its redish colour. Its famous not only throughout india, but abroad also. Coriander Seeds (Dhania): seeds are crushed by roasting them in a dry skillet or without roasting. Seeds are used in a ground form so that it gets mixes with various types of spices, like Garam Masala, sambar powder etc.

Tadka: This technique is mostly used to get instant flavor. It helps in to add flavor to the dish with a flash kind of sound. Spices and herbs are added to hot oil/ghee which abstracts and holds the aroma, flavor and essence of the spices and herbs. Balchao (pickling): Mostly used in Goan cuisine, influenced by Portuguese where vegetables and sea food like prawns are balchao with vinegar, sugar and spices and kept for two days.

COOKING TECHNIQUES

Bhunao: Indian curry cooking. Oil is added to the pan with some chopped onion and cumin seeds. Onions are all browned desired herbs and spices are added. And small quantity of water is added so that the ingredients don’t stick to the pan. When oil start separating from the mixture, that’s when you add your main ingredients like meats and vegetables. Dhungar (smoke seasoning): It’s a very unique technique which usually practiced in Rajasthan. Hot coal (charcoal) is kept in a small katori and placed in the pot and on it hot ghee is pored which gives you the flavor and smell of that coal and a lid is quickly placed on the pot. Talna (frying): Frying is a process of cooking food in oil or another fat, a method that was created in ancient Egypt around 2500 BC. Frying is the fastest way to cook as it’s an easiest way to transfer heat into the food with frying bot deep and shallow.

Dum (steaming): This process shows us how creative Indian chefs were. They created a baking oven and a pressure cooker with simple ideas. First food was cooked partially and then was put in the pot and was sealed by Atta to capture the moisture within the food while it gets cooked slowly and become tender on charcoal fire. Then they use to add their ingredients like meat, spices, herbs, seasoning, saffron and etc. and were left the food to cook on its own steam.

Dusshera is also known as Vijaydashmi, this day is celebrated to honor the killing of Ravan by Lord Ram.Festival is celebrated for 10 days and at the last day the feast is held. Every single day a dish is prepared which is to be served at the final feast day. Dishes served at this day are; Badam Halwa, Besan Burfi, and Boondi Rayta.

FOOD AND FESTIVALS

Dusshera

Diwali is the festival of light. It comes on ‘Amavasyaa’ when there is no moon and full darkness all around. Light is always been the symbol of hope which shows victory of good over evil. Diwali is to be celebrated when Lord Ram came back to Ayodhya after defeating Ravan, that’s when people lighted their homes. Food during this time is more of sweets, exchange of sweets are commonly seen. Popular sweets are Royal Vermicilli Kheer: Its pudding which includes ingredients such as sugar, cream and vermicilli. Gulab Jamun, Jalebi, Peda and other candies with nuts and dried fruits that are rolled into balls and also added into rice kheer.

Diwali

BadamiGosht- It’s a non-veg dish which is liked by everyone and smells like heaven and delicious in taste.Haleem- Haleem dish is very popular in northern India, Pakistan and Persia. It’s specially prepared in Ramdan and Moharram months. Haleem is prepared as snacks and also cooked in weddings.Seviyan- It’s a dish which is prepared from milk and vermicelli. It’s cooked onEid ul Fitr and as well as also prepared normally at home and is taken after meal. It’s famous between Indian and Pakistan both. And least effort is needed.

Eid-ul-fitr

DahiBhade- it’s mostly eaten in northern part of India where this dish is much known. Lentil ball are fried and is served with yogurt and chutney. Bhang Lassi- bhang is the most important part in holi, prepared from the leaves and flowers of the female cannabis plant which is mostly used for smoking and also used in beverage in India mostly in Bhang.

Holi

Thank You Jaimal Singh Rathore Radhika Rathore