Indian Food: More Than Just Curry

By Author: Chip Tolaney
Total Articles: 4762
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Curry? Ask a common person on the street in India where you can eat it. In all probability, you would be met with a blank look. The truth is, there is no such thing! At least, not as it is packaged by the manufacturers of ready-to-eat foods in the supermarkets of the world. Envision if French cuisine were to be combined together with German, Italian and Spanish food as European cookery - it may start off another French Revolution! Indians, however, seem unperturbed that the world refers to their amazingly diverse cooking simply as - curry!
So, if curry is not quite Indian cooking, what is? That is a subject worthy of an complete book! For now, let us just say that India is home to as many food styles as its 28 states - - then some more. Weather conditions, locally available resources, culture, foreign invasions and religion have shaped these regional food styles over thousands of years, giving each its distinctive identity. In the southern and coastal regions, rice dominates - the ideal light cereal for a warm, humid climate. Large areas 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 variation between the seasons - summer foods are simple, low fat and lightly made, while winter is the time to enjoy spicier, high calorie meats, whole lentils - protein-rich vegetables for warmth - energy.
There are differences in cooking oils and seasonings too, and the same ingredients cooked in one region taste different in another. South India prefers peanut, sunflower or coconut oil. The pungent aroma of mustard oil distinguishes recipes from West Bengal in the east, while many people in the north use ghee or clarified butter - despite the health warnings! Typically, 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 - fresh, green chilies. Ah, gravies - you think maybe you discovered the curry here? What is common to all Indian dishes is the judicious use of different spice combos, for their flavoring - digestive properties. Turmeric, used all over India, is a strong antiseptic. Ginger, garlic, bay leaf and asafetida fight indigestion - 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 food spicy? Hah, another misunderstanding 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. Typically, 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 food 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?
About Author:
Kiran is a trained chef and a writer and contributes her knowledge of Indian culture at Indian Cooking blog and