Indian cuisine is popular worldwide; it is known for its unforgettable flavors, eclectic use of spices, and aromatic smell. Who would forget its taste after eating! While visiting India, people taste different types of Indian cuisine – mainly divided into northern, eastern, western, and southern regions. Let’s explore the popular traditional Indian dishes from Indian cuisine. They are spicy, sweet, and prepared with love.
The cuisine is a well-known and exciting word for us. While traveling away from home, state, country the peoples mainly think, search for it. Specifically, the foodie’s people are pretty interested in it. They usually try to eat unique recipes from each place. A cuisine is a characteristic cooking style or preparing food often associated with place of origin, specific culture, geographical area, and mainly unusual ingredients, raw materials available in a particular area. Religious food laws such as Islamic and Jewish dietary laws can also cause other significant factors affecting cuisine.
Factors Affecting Cuisine
1. Climate
The climatic condition means either colder or warmer temperature of the region; a country dramatically affects the area’s cuisine. Ex. In colder Northern areas worming aromatically spiced dishes cater to meat, wheat, chilies, ghee. In contrast, in intense heat Southern areas, light food using more vegetables, rice, and coconut are used.
2. Cost And Economic Condition
Food cost is a primary determinant of any food choice. Thus, economic status, socio-economic also affect food choice.
3. Foreign Influences
The influence of various foreign setters, traders, pilgrims, and vendors has given new cooking styles, methods, and ingredients. For example, Chinese food items.
Types Of Indian Cuisine
Indian cuisine is one of the most celebrated cuisines worldwide because every region in India has its own cooking style, and diversified spices and herbs are used. Most of the Indian food items have been inspired by Vedic, Jain, and Buddhist beliefs. Indian cuisine can be divided into four parts: Northern, Southern, Eastern, and Western.
1. Northern Indian Cuisine
North Indian states include Kashmir, Rajasthan, Punjab, and Uttar Pradesh. The staple diet of people is rice, pulses, and vegetables. The famous recipes include Rajasthan’s Dal bati, Uttar Pradesh’s Kababs, Punjab’s Sarson Ka Saag, and Makki di Roti. All these dishes are cooked using different masala to elevate their flavors.
2. Southern Indian Cuisine
The Southern Indian states – Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Andhra Pradesh – prefer both vegetarian and non-vegetarian food. Most of the recipes of South India have become quite popular with not only the rest of Indians but also with foreigners. Some of these recipes include idli, dosa, uppauma, Pongal, and sambhar. We all know the well delicious taste and flavor of those.
3. Eastern Indian Cuisine
East India includes Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Orissa states. The first three states’ cuisine is usually the same; however, there is a difference in preference of dishes. For example, the Bengalis mostly like Marcher Jhol compared to the people of the other two states. Bengal is also famous for various sweets like pantua, Sandesh, rasgulla, and cham cham. Dalma is the wholesome food of Orissa. Rice is the staple food of this region; cow’s ghee is commonly used for cooking.
4. Western Indian Cuisine
West India again exhibits a sharply different cuisine than the rest of India. It includes Goa, Gujarat, and Maharashtra, among which Dhoklas from Gujarat and the non-vegetarian food from Goa delight us with their distinct but delicious taste. Non-vegetarian fish curry is the staple of Goan cuisine. The most common fish on the menu is Kingfish, followed by tuna, pomfret, shark, mackerel, doumer, etc. Pork and seafood dishes are also prominent.
Maharashtrian Cuisine
Maharashtra is a large state; thus, there is a wide variation in cooking methods. The population of Maharashtra considers their food as ‘Anna he poornabrahma,’ which means ‘anna’ (food) is equal to ‘Brahma,’ who is the creator of the universe. In short, it means food is a god.
Maharashtrian cuisine consists of two groups, Konkani and Varadi. Like other states, rice is the staple food grain in Maharashtra. The favorite dishes include Puran Poli, ukdiche modak, zunka bhakar, pathawadi, shrikhand with puris. Misal pav, samosas, and vada pav are the most famous (and favorite) street food of Maharashtra, where Pav bhaji is considered the queen of street food. Among the seafood, bombil is the most popular with bangda or mackerel.
Read Also: Relook Nutrition In Indian Food Culture
