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Indian cuisine is a gastronomic delight and all said and
done Indians are connoisseurs of good food. The variety in Indian
Cuisine is just remarkable and it will be hard to resist to give in to
one’s temptations.
A salient feature of India's Cuisine is the way it is served and the way
people sit and eat.
Sitting on “chattais” on the floor and eating off banana
leaves is very common in the south. Sitting on low stools and eating
with your fingers using only your right hand is also very common.
“Thalis” have a special significance.
Many small cups called 'katoris' are filled with dal and sabzis.
One of the katoris usually contains kheer or a sweet. With pickles and
raitas on the side and fried 'papads' on the other, the side dishes are
taken care off. The remaining space is filled with either rotis or puris
and rice if you so desire. A katori with curd is a regular feature.
Fresh vegetables and fruits are an integral part of India's Cuisine.
There is no meal without 2 or 3 sabzis which could be either wet or dry.
Seasonal vegetables are cooked according to the staple diet. Since both
rice and atta(wheat flour) are staple foods, sabzis and dals are
prepared accordingly. Bhartas and bhujjas are also very common.
Pickles made from lime, mango, ginger, onion , chili, or mixed
vegetables inevitably find a place.
Fresh chutneys made from either coriander, amla, coconut
or mint, dried fruit chutneys and instant pickles made from mango or
ginger make mealtimes very pleasant and something to look forward to.
Toor dal, moong dal, Bengal gram dal and channa dal are used for
different purposes. Moong dal cooked with rice makes excellent “khichidi”,
while toor dal and Bengal gram dal cooked with spices serve as
supplements for roti or rice. Fruits range from apples to cherries and
strawberries.
Watermelons during summer, mangoes and bananas, oranges and mausami form
a part of the dessert. Dahi is an inevitable part of the main meal. In
fact no south Indian meal is complete without curd. Raithas made from
cucumber, tomato, carrots and onions are thinly sliced and mixed with
thick curd. They taste delicious.
Apart from spices, many kinds of cooking oils are used. Ghee or
vanaspati is used for frying and seasoning. Mustard oil is a favorite in
North India and Bengal while in Western India, groundnut oil is
more commonly used. In South India, either coconut oil or sesame oil is
used for seasoning, tadka and deep frying. Of course with the kind of
health awareness that the average Indian has, many homes have resorted
to using sunflower oil, Soya oil or corn oil.
Desserts and sweets form an essential part of Indian Cuisine. Kulfi,(the
Indian Ice-cream) is very popular. Rasgullas, Gulab jamuns, Kheer or
paysam as it is called in the south, the hundred odd barfis, jalebis,
laddoos and Halwas,---- the list is an endless one as each region comes
out with an amazing assortment of sweets.
If variety is the spice of life, then we Indians really have it good.
The Snacks are mouth watering and delicious. Whether it is the
ubiquitous Samosa, or the batata wada or the dosa and the idli,
everything is consumed in a jiffy.
Bhelpuri, and panipuri, ragda pattice and khaman dhokla- the list just
goes on and on with each state in India catering to a different snack.
Such is the diversity that it is quite possible to lose track of what is
made where. There is nothing to beat Indian Cuisine.
Tea, especially the popular 'adhrak ki Chai’ is well known in all
parts of India. It is a favorite and is drunk with relish almost
throughout the country. South Indian cuisine inclines more towards
coffee.
Nimbu pani and lassi are drunk with gusto. 'Chas' which is masala
buttermilk is very popular especially during summer.
A meal is incomplete without the Indian Paan. This is a green leaf which
holds an assortment of digestive spices. Gulkand and Beeda are varieties
of paan available in the south. The whole concotion is supposed to aid
in the process of digestion.
~
Author Mini Swami.
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