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Cuisine of India: A Lot More Than Just Curry

Published by Robert Thomson | June 24th 2009 | Views:

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Curry? Ask a common individual on the street in India where you can get it. In all probability, you would be met with a blank stare. The truth is, there is no such thing! At least, not as it is packaged by the makers of ready-to-eat foods in the superstores of the world. Imagine if French cuisine were to be lumped together with German, Italian and Spanish food as European cookery - it may start off one more French Revolution! Indians, however, seem in peace that the world refers to their amazingly varied cooking simply as - curry!

So, if curry is not quite Indian food, what is? That is a topic worthy of an complete book! For now, let us just say that India is home to as many cuisines as its tweny eight states - and then some more. Weather conditions, locally available produce, culture, foreign invasions and religious beliefs have inspired these regional cuisines over thousands of years, giving each its distinctive identity. In the southern and coastal areas, rice dominates - the ideal light cereal for a warm, humid weather. Huge parts of western India are mainly vegetarian thanks to the influence of the Jain religion, while eastern India cannot do without its seafood. Its former Portuguese rulers heavily influenced the cuisine of Goa in southwestern India. Up north, wheat is more popular, and so is non-vegetarian Indian food. Eating behaviors are adjusted to suit the great difference between the seasons - summer recipes are simple, low fat ay homes in the north use ghee or clarified butter - in spite the health warnings! Usually, a lentil-based gravy would be seasoned with mustard and dried red chilies in southern India. Large areas of the rest of India, though, use cumin seeds and fresh, green chilies. Ah, gravies - you think maybe you discovered the curry here? What is common to all Indian cuisines is the careful use of varied spice combos, for their flavoring and digestive benefits. Turmeric, used all over India, is a powerful antiseptic. Ginger, garlic, bay leaf and asafetida combat indigestion and flatulence. Coriander and chili powder add zest and thicken gravies (or curries, if you will!). Fenugreek is favored in hot weather for its cooling effects.

Is all Indian cooking spicy? Hah, another parable that needs busting! Blame all those restaurateurs who serve their unsuspecting customers generic, angry looking gravies (curries), with bits of meat and veggies. Truth is, Indian cooking goes from spicy to subtle, with a whole range in between to please the most sensitive of palates. Usually, a full-course meal is a delightful balanced mix of flavors and aromas (with desserts to die for). Also, it is a flexi-cuisine; testing with a lower spice level won't wreck your dinner. You are what you eat - while Indian vegetarian cooking is believed to induce calm thoughts and sharpen the intellect, meat is thought to stoke the passions. Choose the right ingredients, and with some imagination and some magic you could rustle up a custom curry. Curry, anyone?


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