Indian Cooking differs from Region to Region

What do you think of when someone talks about Indian cooking? Curries and spices and they are so hot that will set fire in your mouth. Indian cooking is far more than that. The food involves more around flavor than pure heat, although if that’s what you’re looking for, you can certainly find it. India, approximately 3,287,590 square kilometers, is a country comprised of 28 states.

The spiciest Indian cooking is said to come from its southern regions. Overall, Indian cooking can be broken down into 4 basic groups, mainly the northern, southern, eastern and western Indian. And within those 4 are regional variations depending on cultural influences and climate on the state.

For example, on an episode of the Travel Channel series Anthony Bourdain, one of the recipes illustrating this difference was a Rajasthani curry made with goat and lentils. It was completely different from a seafood curry hailing from Goa.

In the south you’d find the use of tropical fruits plus a Portuguese influence due to past colonialist influences. Some areas may also be more heavily vegetarian than others. Due to the cow’s sacred status to the Hindu majority, you will never get to eat beef.

Where to Start

If you want to start cooking Indian food at home, you’ll start to have a basic understand on the basic spices in Indian cooking. Spices such as turmeric, cardamom and cumin are the common ones. Spices that are toasted and ground fresh will be the best but it might be too difficult for a beginner. You can also find recipe books on Indian cooking along with other popular cuisines. This little article covers some basics understanding of the culture behind Indian food. Hopefully you have learned something that you didn’t know about Indian food.

January 28 2007 07:54 am Del.icio.us Digg Furl