Freeindia > Tourism > India - Destination Of The New Millennium > Cuisine In India
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Indian food is now quite popular almost around the world but the food available in India, whether in five star hotels, in fine restaurants or in homes is definitely a different experience.
Each region has its unique cuisine, and the Indian curry tastes different from each area. Though broadly termed as 'curry'.
The cuisine from Bengal is mustard oil based with fish playing a predominant role, eaten with rice and vegetables with spices like ginger, turmeric and green chilies as prime flavouring.
Freeindia > Tourism > India - Destination Of The New Millennium > Cuisine In India
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On the other hand South Indian coastal cuisine is primarily coconut based. Prime flavours are derived from curry leaves, mustard seeds with mango powder added to add a tangy taste. This curry's flavour changes slightly along the Goa and Malabar Coasts where Kokum a red souring agent replaces the mango powder.
The curry in the north however is richer with a vegetable oil or purified butter as the medium, flavoured with inseed, in a gravy of onions, ginger and garlic with tomatoes used as the souring agent. Nuts and raisins are added on special occasions and sometimes cream or cashew nut paste is added for a richer curry.
Freeindia > Tourism > India - Destination Of The New Millennium > Cuisine In India
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North Indian cuisine is mostly influenced by the great Mughals and savoured in the curries, kormas and in delicious tandoori recipes and kababs. Equally popular are the Wazwan from Kashmir, the Dum-Pukht from Awadh and Biryanis and pulaos of Hyderabad.
Eating from a thali, a round tray, has not changed over the centuries, although functional metals have replaced the gold and silver. Sometimes the thali is placed on a low ,able and one sits cross-legged on the ground in front of it, shoes removed and feet tucked away. In the south both the thali and the flat green banana leaf takes the place of the western plate. The latter is thrown away afterwards thus saving washing up. Around the inside rim of the thali are arranged small bowls. each filled with a different sort of preparation making a complete wholesome meal.
Freeindia > Tourism > India - Destination Of The New Millennium > Cuisine In India
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Indians prefer to eat with their fingers hence they always wash their hands immediately before and after eating. Eating with a fork and a knife is unsuited to Indian food - rotis or fried versions (Puris).
Most of India is a rice eating country though in the north fresh made Indian bread (roti) dominates the meal. Rice is eaten on special occasions in the north. No normal meals are complete without fancy preparations of rice. There are various forms of roti available from dried roasted ones to ones made in the clay ovens stuffed and fried ones to festive sweet ones. Each region has favourites and its better to sample the local flavour.
Freeindia > Tourism > India - Destination Of The New Millennium > Cuisine In India
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At the end of most Indian meals a mouth freshener called' pan' is served. Pan consists of a dark green betel leaf smeared with a lime or crushed rose petal paste wrapped around crushed betel nut and a variety of spices such as cloves, aniseed and cardamom, as well as grated coconut. For special occasions a coating of silver leaf is added.
Most of the spices used in Indian cooking were chosen originally for their medicinal value. Many of them such as cloves and cardamoms are very antiseptic, others like ginger, are carminative and good for the digestion. Turmeric is splendid against skin diseases, bruises and leach bites; neem leaves, are also medicinal while singers chew tamarind leaves to sweeten their voices.
Freeindia > Tourism > India - Destination Of The New Millennium > Cuisine In India
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India is primarily vegetarian. It has a vast variety of non-vegetarian cuisines in each regional style; some are internationally famous like tandoori chicken, biryanis, kababs and curries. Some vegetarians may like to try the A south Indian dosas (pancakes of rice).
Indian meals are not complete without sweets and India is a veritable delight of professionally made and homemade sweets. Both are different from each other while some are best left to the lady of the house to prepare, like kheer, halwa etc, others like jalebis, rasgollas and burfis are best made by professional halwais (sweet makers).
All Indian food is a unique experience and even though western food is available in India, visitors are recommended to enjoy Indian cuisine in its original form.
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