Indian Cuisine
“Indian food is the reflection of the heritage of
its people. It represents its historical
development, religious beliefs, cultural
practices, and above all, its geographical
attributes”
• Characterized by its
aromatic, captivating
fragrances and
intriguing flavors
• India, Pakistan,
Bangladesh, Burma,
and Sri Lanka were
once part of the single
nation of India, in
Indian Subcontinent.
• North most Part of India
(Highland climate), valley
of Kashmir with
magnificent Persian
gardens and terraced
lakes, brisk, cool fresh air
is lured with fragrance of
pine and saffron flowers.
Walnuts and fruit orchards,
morels and black cumin
seeds grow wild, cool
climate for sheep, thus
lamb forms the basis of
many Kashmiri dishes.
• Long grain rice known as
Basmati grow in the
foothills of the mountain
• Northern plans, irrigated by the
great rivers of Indus and Gonges,
with soil extreme climate variation,
fierce heat (120F) to subfreezing
cold with dry chilly winds, wheat,
corn, millet, barley, and
innumerable variety of legumes
and vegetable flourish.
• Man are tall and hardy and diet
rich (Delhi, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh)
• Clarified butter used as cooking
oil, goat, chicken are common
• Bread is primary staple of the
people
• On the east, plains of
Bengal where Ganges
flows into the Bay of
Bengal. Climate is hot
and human.
• Both freshwater and sea
fish, shellfish, coconut
palms, mustard plants
are common
• Rice is abundant.
Further northeast, cool
air and seasonal rains
create ideal conditions
for cultivating tea
(Darjeeling tea)
Great Deccan plateau lined on both
sides by a chain of hills known
as Ghat. Poor soil, lack of
irrigation restrict agriculture.
Northwest of Deccan lies
Gujarat, rich soil for cotton,
millet, barley, legumes, and
varieties of vegetables
Bread is staple, vegetarian
population uses lentil purees and
vegetable cooked in sesame oil
are common food.
To the northwest is Maharashtra,
Goa and Malabar, tropical
climate and monsoon rains,
wet and humid. Rice is staple,
dish (white non-oily fish called
Pomfret and a small
transparent fish called Bombil
is sun-dried and sold as
wafers), variety of shellfish
(prawn, shrimp, crab, lobster,
clams, and mussels), banana,
palm (coconut, dates)
Common food: coconut and rice
cooked with fish and seafood
Sabudana: made
from latex of the
sego palm
Summary of Climate:
Four seasons: dry, cool winter (Dec-Feb)
Dry, hot summer (Mar-May)
Southwest monsoon (June-Sept)
Retreating monsoon (Oct-Nov)
Cultural: Hindu 81.3%; Islam 12%, Christian 2.3%,
Sikhism 1.9%; others: Buddihist, Jainism, and
parsis 2.5% total
Religion’s influence on people’s food and eating habits
is profound
Originated from India: Hinduism (no beef), Buddhism,
Jainism, and Sikhism (no beef). Moslem (no pork)
was brought to India 900 years ago, second largest
population there in the world.
Invasion of new cultural is most influential in north.
Natural barriers and long distance made migration
to the south slow and infrequent.
Certain Hindus (Brahmins and Jains) are strict
vegetarians. Meat forbidden are red meat, poultry,
fish, shellfish, eggs, and their products
Certain strict vegetarians won’t eat food that resembles
meat, such as tomatoes, red beets, and watermelon
because of their flesh like color. Neither do they
use seasonings that are strong and generally
associated with the cooking of meat, such as garlic
and onion
Cooking style
North India has the most popular and refined style
of cooking. Originated from Moghuls in
sixteenth century. There are Turk-Mongols by
origin and Moslem by religion. They admire
most culture is Persian since they are influence
by it on their way to India.
Moghul food: lovers of nature and food life, keen
sense of beauty, and a passion for elegance.
Good for meat preparations and rice pilafs,
delicate flavorings and superb silk sauces
(often mistaken for Persian dish).
Yogurt, cream, fruit and nut betters are
incorporated into the food to mellow and
velvetize the sauces
Mild but fragrant spices: cinnamon, cardamom,
mace, nutmeg and clove; saffron (especially in
rice pilafs)
Tandoori oven
The foundation of Indian cooking rests on the flavorings of spices and herbs,
not on special techniques or expensive ingredients
It is an art than a science, highly personalized,
reflecting individual tastes.
Knowledge of how to use spices and herbs is the
key that will unlock the secrets of the Indian
cooking
Some herbs and spices for aromatics, some lend
coloring, others as souring agents, some give a
hot taste, others thicken or tenderize a dish
The role of spices and herbs goes far beyond
pleasing the palate and soothing the senses.
They are medicinal properties known to ancient
Indian (preventive and curative powers)
Example: North Indian appetizer is always sprinkled
with black salt and lemon juice, both of which are
known for stimulating the appetite and increasing
blood circulation.
Spices
“warm” spices: generate internal body heat (recommended for cold weather).
Examples: bay leaf, black cardamom, cinnamon, ginger powder, mace,
nutmeg, red pepper (used often in cool climate of Kashmir). Tea is flavored
by cinnamon and cardamom in cool climate.
“cool” spices: take heat away from one’s system. All other spices range from
very cool to moderate warm and suitable at all times in all climates
In Plain region, ‘cool’ spices added to beverages “cool punch’ milk, almond
milk, sunflower and cantaloupe seeds, fennel, cloves, and green cardamom
Spices induce perspiration: hot weather Indians drink hot spice-laced tea; some
spices have several properties:
Saffron: orange-yellow color and a hypnotizing aroma to a dish
Coriander: thicken a sauce and imparts a nutty fragrance
Onions: thicken and perfume Moghul grains
Tomatoes: tenderizing and souring agents
Spices all have to be cooked before use, mixed well-balance, no once
dominates.
Name
Lend
aroma or
fragrance
Asafetida
yes
Are dried gum resins from roots of certain Iranian and Indian plants; Use as
substitute for Onions for Hindu and Jains
Bay leaf
yes
Leave if cassia tree native to China, Southeast Asia, and northeastern India; for
meat dishes and pilaf in Moghul cooking
Cardamom
yes
Black sees of the fruit of the cardamom plant native to south India and Sri
Lanka; Green cardamom: used in dessert, sweetmeats, conserves; black
cardamom: in meat and vegetable dishes, relishes, sweet pickles, pilaf in Moghul
cooking
Carom
(lovage)
yes
Seed of the thymol plant; flavoring vegetables, breads, and pastries, fish, pickles
of sweet and hot
Cinnamon
yes
Bark of cassia or cinnamon trees; used in Moghul pilafs (not in desserts)
Clove
yes
Dried bud of plant Syzygium Aromaticum, native to the Molucca islands in
eastern Indonesia; in meat, pilafs, and seafoods
Coriander
yes
Cumin
yes
Dried ripe fruit of the cumin plant; very important in northern and western Indian
cooking; white cumin: native to Egypt and western parts of Asia Minor; uses in
appetizers and yogurt salad; black cumin: grow in mountains of southeastern Iran
and along the valleys of Kashmir; use in lab dishes and Moghul pilafs
Fennel
yes
Seedlike fruit of the fennel plant native to the Mediterranean region; pickles,
meat, vegetables, and pilafs
Fenugreek
yes
An annual herb of the bean family native to India and Asia Minor; vegetarian
cooking and pickling; dried leaves for potatoes and yams, stuffing for breads,
flavoring for crackers
Ginger
Lend
taste or
flavor
Lend Color
or visual
appear
Act as
thickeners
yes
sour-hot
Notes
Dried ripe fruit of the coriander plant native to Asia Minor and Southern Europe;
use as sauces and gravies, and in appetizers and yogurt salad
Tropical ginger plant; Moghul cooking in sweet pickles and relishes
Classic Indian Cooking by Julie Sahni, William Morrow and Company, Inc, New York,
1980,541pp.
Nutmeg
yes
Dark brown shell enclosed within the mace membrane; uses in Moghul and Kashmiri cooking, vegetable
preparations and relishes
Onion
seed
yes
Nigella, nothing in common with onion plant; uses in pickling, vegetable dishes; sprinkling on top of
tandoor-baked bread
Paprika
red
Pomegran
ate
Sweeti
shsour
Fruit of the tropical tree native to Asia Minor and Mediterranean regions; uses in vegetables and lentils in
north Indian cooking; and in pastries
Poppy
seed
yes
Red
pepper
hot
Saffron
Yes
Salt
Yes
Tamarind
Turmeric
From mild variety of chili pod of the plant Capsicum grown in the valleys of Kashmir; uses in Kashmiri
cooking for read coloring like kabobs, kaftas and other meat
yes
White poppy seed plant native to Asia Minor (no opium); uses in meat, dish, and shellfish as thickener
Red chili; sun dried chili pod of the plant Capsicum; uses for hot and enhance other flavorings
orangi
shyellow
Dried stigmas of flowers of the saffron plant native to Asia Minor and southern Europe; Most expensive
spice in the world ($2,000 per pound; takes a quarter of a million dried stigma from 75,000 flowers to
make a pound); uses in meat and poultry, rice, desserts, and pilafs
alkalin
e
Many varieties of salt; cold appetizers; relishes and cold drinks in north
Tangy
-sour
Pulpy pod of the tropical plant Tamarindus Indica, native to India; in North uses in relishes, vegetable,
lentil and beans; in south and southwestern regions as souring agent
Golde
n
yellow
A perennial tropical herb native to India; Roots are the main ingredient in curry powder; uses in
vegetables, meat, poultry, seafood; never used in dishes containing cream; most important and sacred
spice of Hindus and used in religious and social rituals (bride neck thread is dipped in turmeric paste; not
as popular in north and northwestern region (Saffron and other coloring flowering replace it);