Indian cuisine is one of the few ancient cuisines of the world, dating back around 5000 years. Each state and region in the sub-continent has a different set of food staples and dishes. The country is also well known for its vegetarianism.
Indian cuisine can be broadly categorized into 4 different regional cuisines. The cuisines of the Southern states and cities (includes Chennai & Bangalore) has rice as a staple, with dosas and idlis famous as breakfast food. Traditional meals here are served on banana leaves, with many different kinds of rice and side dishes, along with spicy chutneys and sweets and puddings like payasam.
The food in the western region (includes Gujarat & Mumbai) is a lot sweeter, and sometimes spicy too. The standard meal is a 'thali' aka a plate filled with many vegetables and side dishes, along with roti or flat bread. How spicy the food is varies based on the state and region, with some places like Maharashtra's Konkan Coast renowned for its fiery dishes.
The Eastern part which includes Calcutta isn't all that gung-ho on vegetarian food, and they're primarily fish and seafood lovers. But it is the north (with Punjab and New Delhi) that is really the calling card, as far as western perception of the cuisine goes. Punjabi food (paneer, lassi, sarson ka saag, etc.) and tandoori restaurants are famous all over the world.
The north's food, made famous by the thousands of London curry houses, has a shared heritage with Pakistan and has many common traits with Pashtun dishes in Afghanistan and Jammu & Kashmir. The curry and famous chicken tikka masala in the UK aren't really original dishes found in India, but are variations created especially for Western palates.
Other variations of Indian cuisine that have spread across the world include the goat curry in the Caribbean, especially in Trinidad and Tobago. Another such variation is the Cape Malay Curry in South Africa, which has become sweet and fruity in its journey from India to Malaysia and on to South Africa. Restaurants offering local variations of dishes from India can be found in almost all major cities in the world.
When traveling in India, visitors can easily taste various regional cuisines at any place because there are many North & South Indian cuisine establishments all over the country in every city and town. This is a lot harder to do in the US and Europe, because most of the choices are limited to Northern food in Punjabi restaurants. The only way to get a real taste and understanding of the cuisines beyond curry dishes is to find restaurants from all the different regions.
Indian cuisine can be broadly categorized into 4 different regional cuisines. The cuisines of the Southern states and cities (includes Chennai & Bangalore) has rice as a staple, with dosas and idlis famous as breakfast food. Traditional meals here are served on banana leaves, with many different kinds of rice and side dishes, along with spicy chutneys and sweets and puddings like payasam.
The food in the western region (includes Gujarat & Mumbai) is a lot sweeter, and sometimes spicy too. The standard meal is a 'thali' aka a plate filled with many vegetables and side dishes, along with roti or flat bread. How spicy the food is varies based on the state and region, with some places like Maharashtra's Konkan Coast renowned for its fiery dishes.
The Eastern part which includes Calcutta isn't all that gung-ho on vegetarian food, and they're primarily fish and seafood lovers. But it is the north (with Punjab and New Delhi) that is really the calling card, as far as western perception of the cuisine goes. Punjabi food (paneer, lassi, sarson ka saag, etc.) and tandoori restaurants are famous all over the world.
The north's food, made famous by the thousands of London curry houses, has a shared heritage with Pakistan and has many common traits with Pashtun dishes in Afghanistan and Jammu & Kashmir. The curry and famous chicken tikka masala in the UK aren't really original dishes found in India, but are variations created especially for Western palates.
Other variations of Indian cuisine that have spread across the world include the goat curry in the Caribbean, especially in Trinidad and Tobago. Another such variation is the Cape Malay Curry in South Africa, which has become sweet and fruity in its journey from India to Malaysia and on to South Africa. Restaurants offering local variations of dishes from India can be found in almost all major cities in the world.
When traveling in India, visitors can easily taste various regional cuisines at any place because there are many North & South Indian cuisine establishments all over the country in every city and town. This is a lot harder to do in the US and Europe, because most of the choices are limited to Northern food in Punjabi restaurants. The only way to get a real taste and understanding of the cuisines beyond curry dishes is to find restaurants from all the different regions.
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