Traditional Indian Food
India is one of the largest countries in the world, as well as one of the most diverse. Having been a center for trade for centuries, and having endured conquests by Persians, Mongols, Turks, Brits and Portuguese, India has had a smattering of cultural influences that, in time, has shaped the people, religion, society and of course… the food.
Needless to say, there are more than a few styles of traditional Indian cooking, each with their own unique influences and adaptations. Buddhism, Hinduism and Ayurveda have centered many of the Indian people around a predominantly vegetarian diet, yet the Persian influences emphasize meats, namely lamb and poultry.
The colliding Indian and Persian cultures created what is known now as Muglai cooking. The tandoor (hot charcoal oven) was introduced, and meats marinated in yogurt and laced with spices came forth. The original Indian flat breads, like chapatis and papadams, met their match with tandoori naans.
Many people are mystified by traditional Indian cooking and cuisines and a little somewhat confused with the varieties of curries and spices used . Some may even think the traditional Indian cooking is mostly about vegetarian dishes and curries.
Most of the food that Westerners find in our favorite Indian restaurants have both the traditional Indian and Persian traits as well as European accents, notably with the addition of cream in curried dishes. The cream mellows some of the pungent spices and adds a sweet richness to the food, making it more suited to the Western palate. Coconut milk is also used to impart a creamy texture and sweet taste.
For traditional Indian food at home, it is best to always use your own spices to make the curry seasonings, rather than pre-packaged curry powders. All curries are different, and to get just the right flavor, adding a little cumin here and little turmeric there lets you create your own, unique dish. This, in fact, is the traditional way that Indian chefs prepare food; cooking is an oral tradition in India, and it is quite uncustomary to have hand-written recipes for any of the dishes.
India has one of the finest and richest culinary histories. Contrary to popular belief, Indian cuisines are not complex or too confusing to cook. It can also be as elaborate as you want it to be. If you understand the diversity of the country, which is divided into four regions, north, south, east and west, you will appreciate the varieties of dishes, exotic spices, cooking methods, etc.
Interestingly there are two kinds of meat that you will not find in many Indian recipes, one is beef and the other is pork, this is due to religious factors, as cows are sacred to the Hindus and pork is prohibited in the Muslim diet.
To give a general idea of what spices (and how much) might be included in a basic traditional Indian curry, see the Indian Curry dishes on this website, as well as the recipes that utilize this formula. Use these recipes as a guide, adding a touch more or less of certain ingredients to your taste. These recipes can also be used as a basis for the spices you should have on hand for easy traditional Indian curries at home.
Indian cuisines are however generally characterized by exact combination of spices and flavours and the cooking method generally is to saute and simmer the dishes or curries over low heat. Tandoori cooking has popularised the oven-clay oven method which has produced tandoori chicken or naan bread.
Regardless of region, spices are key ingredients in Indian cooking. The Indians are also mindful of the healing properties of spices in their cooking. These are derived from plants’s roots, buds, seeds, fruits and dried bark which produce the exotic aroma. It is released when the spices are heated up. All these spices are all readily available in supermarkets.
Spices can be grouped into five basic categories : sweet, pungent, tangy, hot, and amalgamating. The way these are used and the amounts used in cooking are governed by these characteristics. Examples of the different types of spices are:
Amalgamating : Coriander seed, fennel seed Sweet : Cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, vanilla Pungent : Cloves, star anise, cardamom Tangy : Ginger, tamarind, sumach, kokam Hot : pepper, chilli, mustard, horseradish
Most of the herbs such as thyme, sage, marjoram, oregano, bay leaves, mint and rosemary are considered as savoury. The herbs do have varying degrees of flavour intensity, however not as dramatic as with spices. Northern Indian cooking is influenced by the weather which can range from extreme heat to freezing cold. The dishes are traditionally rich and heavy with cream and ghee, using breads, meats and tend to be less spicy. Yoghurt is widely used instead of coconut milk which is widely used in the south. They also tend to be drier as soupy sauces do not mix well as dippings for breads. Naan and chapati breads come from the north.
In the south where the weather is mostly hot, rice is widely grown and this makes the diet of south Indians rice-based that goes well with soupy curries. Spices are used heavily and the southern cusines tend to be spicier than the north. The roti-prata or dosai are typical southern breads.
Indian desserts are basically different forms of rice puddings, milk puddings, vegetables and fruits dipped in sweet syrup. Indian sweets or fudges are usually decorated or garnished with raisins, almonds, pistachios. Indian desserts are mostly made by boiling down milk to remove the moisture and then adding butter, flavour and sugar. The Indian sweets usually have high sugar content so use sugar in moderation when trying out Indian dessert recipes.