Indian Food Information

A lot of South Asian children and youngsters worldwide are moving from an Indian diet to a predominantly western format diet. These changes coupled with metabolic syndrome lead to the development of early diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.

South Asians have very different dietary habits. Their diets are rich in carbohydrates and many of them are vegetarians. A typical Indian diet consists of chapattis and rice in every meal and would mostly be eaten with lentils or vegetables; in contrast to a western diet that is predominantly meat based and has lesser emphasis on carbohydrates. They mostly prefer cooked hot meals and like to prepare their own food. This means that an Indian Diet is not just a set of different ingredients but a different eating pattern altogether. Many westerners cannot follow an Indian diet because it is extremely spicy and full of pungent and strong flavors. Most Indian diets, if planned well, are healthy because they are high in fibres and provide a healthy mix of carbohydrates and proteins in every meal. They also included a lot of pulses, milk and milk products, and vegetables.

A study published by the American Lung Association has found that Indian children living in England whose diet consisted largely of foods from their native country were less likely to have symptoms of asthma and allergy than Indian youngsters who ate a primarily Western diet.

Indian diets tend to contain more vegetables, less meat and fewer additives and packaged and processed foods than the traditional British diet, said Dr. Britton, of the Division of Respiratory Medicine at the University of Nottingham in England. The findings were similar for children eating vegetarian and non-vegetarian diets.

A study led by researchers from St. Michael’s Hospital and the University of Toronto have found that a diet high in low-glycemic foods improved both Diabetes control and cardiovascular risk factors. A diet rich in nuts, beans and lentils have been found effective in lowering blood sugar levels in people with Type 2 diabetes, according to a new study.

According to a study, the Indian diet encompasses diversity unknown to most other countries, with many dietary patterns emanating from cultural and religious teachings that have existed for thousands of years. The role of turmeric (haldi/curcumin), a common Indian curry spice, cumin, chilies, kalakhar, Amrita Bindu (traditional Indian Ayurevedic antioxidant supplement containing extract of several plants (long pepper & nigrum, ginger, nutgrass/cocograss, chitrak and caltrop) and various plant seeds are known for their apparent cancer preventive properties.

When people talk about being vegetarian, many usually think that they do not have many recipes to choose from. Furthermore, being vegetarian in several countries like United States would only require them to eat raw or uncooked vegetables.

However, that is not the case for vegetarian Indian recipes. Vegetable lovers will find delight in eating the delectable Indian food recipes without the need to have the same old, boring, and dull taste that they have with the typical vegetarian cuisines. The vegetarian Indian Food has a wide array of choices when it comes to flavor. You can still taste that mouth-watering zest even if there is no chicken, lamb, or any kind of meat used in the main ingredients.

Generally, Hindus are vegetarian by nature. This is because they believe that by saving the lives of the animals, they will get to cleanse their souls. Because of this, they have integrated several ways (and spices) to enjoy Indian cooking with vegetables so that they can still have a tasty and healthy meal at the same time.

Most of the Indian cooking recipes for the vegetarians not only have vegetables but lentils, fruits, beans, legumes, and sprouts as well. Vegetarian Indian cuisines are considered the healthiest since the vegetables and the fruits that they use have low or even zero calorie. Moreover, they only use oils that are low in fat when cooking. No wonder why there are still Indians who can live up to 90 years old or more.

In a vegetarian Indian cuisine, one of the most served foods is the Chapati. Even non-vegetarians also eat Chapati especially as an appetizer. Chapati is a flat and baked wheat bread that is served with lentils or dahl and other vegetables of your choice.

But if you want a meal that is heavier in your stomach, then it is a must that you eat rice instead. The Tava Pulao or the Griddle Fried Rice is the choice of many vegetarians in India who have a big appetite. This is considered as the most famous street food in the country and also served in fine-dining restaurants as well. The Tava Pulao is made not only from rice but served with mixed vegetables too. All of the ingredients are cooked in one big pan. As a result, it creates one well-blended flavor and rice, vegetables, and spices.

Other popular vegetarian Indian recipes include the Murukku, Paan, Puri, and the Thosai.

You know that Indian food is wide ranging in variety, taste and flavor. The strong flavors in Indian recipes are derived from spices, seasonings and leafy vegetables. Indian recipes have become famous world wide and it is liked by non-Indians too. Most of the spices included in the free indian recipes are used not only for their flavor, but because it has been found out from olden days, that they contain medicinal value.
Each state in India has its own style and combination in making Indian recipes. The Indian food is renowned for its gravies, which is a tasty attraction for a newcomer. The North Indian recipes differ from South Indian recipes. In Indian cuisine, food is categorized into six tastes – sweet, sour, salty, spicy, bitter and astringent.

The perfect combination of spices and depth of flavor in Indian recipes and with cooking techniques, has made it a gastronomic delight and it also fulfills today’s requirement for healthy eating.

Indian food recipe is a platform to share Indian recipes with the world. Indian food recipe include vegetarian recipes, non-vegetarian recipes, South Indian recipes, Gujarati recipes, Punjabi recipes and more different types of Indian recipes.

Indian recipe – Vegetarian dish: Gobi Aloo (Potato and Cauliflower curry) 1 cauliflower 2 potatoes 2 onions sliced 1 tsp whole cumin 1 tsp coriander powder 4 dried red chilies 2 tbsp garlic-ginger paste ½ tsp chili powder Salt to taste 1 tsp turmeric 2 fresh green chilies (opt) 2 tbsp chopped cilantro

• Heat the oil in a large pan. Add the cumin, dried red chilies, stirring to mix. • Add the onions and stir occasionally, until golden brown. • Add the garlic-ginger paste, chili powder, salt, turmeric and finely chopped green chilies (optional). Stir-fry for 2 minutes. • Add the chopped potatoes and cut small florets cauliflower to the mixture, stirring to coat the vegetables in the spice mixture. • Reduce the heat, add water. Cover the pan and let simmer for 10-15 minutes. • Transfer the vegetables to warmed serving plates and serve immediately.

Indian recipes are diverse and extraordinary, based on religious beliefs, climate, culture and availability of ingredients. Indian food recipe provides a guide to the food of India and every Indian recipe will interest and inspire you.