West, East, North And South Indian Food
Wednesday, 07 July 2010 07:54 | 
Author: Dr Kevin Johnston |
Indian food is well-known for its sumptuous varieties and richness and is widely considered to be among the tastiest cuisines in the world. Indian food carries a typically strong and distinctly scrumptious aroma that is difficult to miss. If you have not tasted Indian food, I propose you give it a try as it is incredibly unique and different from nearly every other cuisine.
Indian food is well-known for its sumptuous varieties and richness and is widely considered to be among the tastiest cuisines in the world. Indian food carries a typically strong and distinctly scrumptious aroma that is difficult to miss. If you have not tasted Indian food, I propose you give it a try as it is incredibly unique and different from nearly every other cuisine.
Indian cuisines are segregated into four, based on the four geographic regions and all of them have distinct characteristics. In this short article we will attempt a short discussion on the south, north, east and west indian cuisines.
Lets begin with north Indian cuisines. North India is known to have extreme climates and has abundant supply of vegetables and fruits. The food and culture in North India has been partially influenced by Central Asia. North Indians use a lot of cream and Yogurt with a generous sprinkling of nuts and dry fruits. North Indian dishes have some exemplary vegetarian dishes that makes full use of the abundant vegetables found in this region . Rice is not consumed in this region as much as it is in other parts of India. Bread, Rothis and Kulchas are the staple diet in North India. Coriander, red chillies, garam masala and turmeric are the widely used spices here. Tandoori chicken. Punjabi chole, Dal Makhani and Lassi Patial are the popular North Indian dishes and you will find these preparations in almost any party or special occasion.
South India has plenty of coastal areas that receive lots of rainfall during the monsoons and consequently there is no dearth of crops, fruits and vegetables in this region. Rice is the staple food in this region with bread and rothis being supplementary. The most common dishes in South India are Sambhar and Rasam which are basically soups that are mixed with rice to give it flavor. Indian food can be spicy and pungent and South Indian food is more so, with the spiciest food being from the state of Andhra Pradesh. Commonly used spices in South Indian Curry leaves, chillies, tamarind and mustard. Some examples of the common south Indian snacks include dosa, vada, idli and payasam. Dosa is made from rice and black lentils and is more like the Indianized version of the pancake. Carbohydrates and proteins are abundant in dosa and it is usually eaten for breakfast. Idli is the thicker version of Indian pancake made from a batter of rice and fermented black lentils. Both idli and dosa are served with soups like sambhar and chutney.
The Mongolians and Chinese have had some influence in the food styles and recipes of East Indian Food. The desert East Indian recipes are a real treat and the variety of sweet dishes in this region is huge. For the most part the food is fried and steamed and the staple food of this region is rice. Milk and yogurt are used in abundance while the spices used are similar to that used in South India. Fish is consumed a lot in East India and therer are lots sea food recipes in regions such as Kolkata. Sandesh, Momos and Thukpa are popular vegetarian dishes in this region.
West India is said to have hot and dry weather conditions and is also said to have limited vegetables but that doesn't stop it from having an assortment of cuisines, which are a lot. Rajasthani dishes are spicy while Gujurat is renowned for its delicious sweet dishes. The staple food that is available in this part depends on what the cuisine is; and rice as well as bread/rothis are consumed just as well here.
Indian food is well-known for its sumptuous varieties and richness and is widely considered to be among the tastiest cuisines in the world. Indian food carries a typically strong and distinctly scrumptious aroma that is difficult to miss. If you have not tasted Indian food, I propose you give it a try as it is incredibly unique and different from nearly every other cuisine.
Indian cuisines are segregated into four, based on the four geographic regions and all of them have distinct characteristics. In this short article we will attempt a short discussion on the south, north, east and west indian cuisines.
Lets begin with north Indian cuisines. North India is known to have extreme climates and has abundant supply of vegetables and fruits. The food and culture in North India has been partially influenced by Central Asia. North Indians use a lot of cream and Yogurt with a generous sprinkling of nuts and dry fruits. North Indian dishes have some exemplary vegetarian dishes that makes full use of the abundant vegetables found in this region . Rice is not consumed in this region as much as it is in other parts of India. Bread, Rothis and Kulchas are the staple diet in North India. Coriander, red chillies, garam masala and turmeric are the widely used spices here. Tandoori chicken. Punjabi chole, Dal Makhani and Lassi Patial are the popular North Indian dishes and you will find these preparations in almost any party or special occasion.
South India has plenty of coastal areas that receive lots of rainfall during the monsoons and consequently there is no dearth of crops, fruits and vegetables in this region. Rice is the staple food in this region with bread and rothis being supplementary. The most common dishes in South India are Sambhar and Rasam which are basically soups that are mixed with rice to give it flavor. Indian food can be spicy and pungent and South Indian food is more so, with the spiciest food being from the state of Andhra Pradesh. Commonly used spices in South Indian Curry leaves, chillies, tamarind and mustard. Some examples of the common south Indian snacks include dosa, vada, idli and payasam. Dosa is made from rice and black lentils and is more like the Indianized version of the pancake. Carbohydrates and proteins are abundant in dosa and it is usually eaten for breakfast. Idli is the thicker version of Indian pancake made from a batter of rice and fermented black lentils. Both idli and dosa are served with soups like sambhar and chutney.
The Mongolians and Chinese have had some influence in the food styles and recipes of East Indian Food. The desert East Indian recipes are a real treat and the variety of sweet dishes in this region is huge. For the most part the food is fried and steamed and the staple food of this region is rice. Milk and yogurt are used in abundance while the spices used are similar to that used in South India. Fish is consumed a lot in East India and therer are lots sea food recipes in regions such as Kolkata. Sandesh, Momos and Thukpa are popular vegetarian dishes in this region.
West India is said to have hot and dry weather conditions and is also said to have limited vegetables but that doesn't stop it from having an assortment of cuisines, which are a lot. Rajasthani dishes are spicy while Gujurat is renowned for its delicious sweet dishes. The staple food that is available in this part depends on what the cuisine is; and rice as well as bread/rothis are consumed just as well here.
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For additional information on Indian food and in particular the south Indian recipes please visit South Indian Recipes. The web page contains South Indian Food recipes and videos.
