Indian Cuisine

The name “carry” derived from Indian word “kari” (sauce), but here they don’t use curry powder like in other countries do. Indian curry is refined and delicate mixture of curcuma, cardamom, ginger, coriander, nutmeg and poppy seeds. Just as an artist having his palette at hand, an Indian cook has 25 spices, always fresh ground, preparing his own unique taste composition. Many spices have various medicine properties. Each region has its own loved spices and their combinations.

Indians are not all vegetarians, but here you would rather eat vegetarian meal, than at home. India is abundant of various vegetables, they are cheap enough, always delicious and remarkably cooked.

Meat dishes are mostly present in North of the country: rogan-djosh (curry mutton), gushtaba (hot meat balls in yogurt) and delicious biriyany (chicken or mutton with rice and orange sauce). The taste of Muglay dishes is rather rich, they are lavishly seasoned and topped with nuts and saffron. North regions are known for their tandury dishes (chicken, meat or fish marinated with herbs and baked in clay oven) and kebabs.

In the South curry dishes are mostly vegetables, they are spicy enough.

Among traditional dishes we would mention bhudjia (curry vegetables), dosa, idli and samba (rice flat breads, wrapped marinated foods and curry lentil) and raita (yogurt with grated cucumber and mint). The basic ingredient of South Indian cuisine is coconut.

In the West Coast they would offer you wide range of fish and seafood. Bombay duck (curry stewed or fried bomnlo fish) and licorice fish (Indian salmon) are only two names of those listed in rich regional menu. Fish is also a part of Bengali cuisine, for example, in dhachi-maach (curry fish in yogurt ginger seasoned) and maylai (curry shrimps with coconut).

Rice is inevitable food in the South, while in the North it is frequently substituted or supplied with various unleavened flat breads — puri, chappati, nan and others. Common throughout India is dal (crushed lentil soup with vegetables) and dhai (soured milk or yogurt served with curry). It not only delicious dish, but also an excellent refresher, sometimes better than any soft drinks.

As to sweets, they are mostly milk puddings, pastry and fritters. All over India they love kulfi (Indian ice-cream), rasgulla (curd balls, seasoned with rose water), gulab-djamun (a mixture of flour, yogurt and crushed almonds) and djalebi (fritters in syrup). Alongside with splendid sweets menu you can always be cherished by fruits: mango, pomegranates, melons, apricots, apples and strawberries.

Besides, in many towns one can buy grocery from other countries.

For better digestion sake it is used to chew “pan” at the beginning of a meal. “Pan” is betel leaf wrapped anise seeds and cardamom. Another local tradition is eating with fingers, but obligatory with those of right (don’t forget about it!) hand.

Conservative tourists would always find dishes of any country of the world in Indian towns.

The favorite Indian drink is tea, many of Indian teas are popular throughout the world. Often tea is served adding milk and sugar, but you can also order your “tea on a tray”. Coffee is gaining its reputation. Good refresher is nimbu-pani (lemon drink), lassi (whippped sour milk) and coconut milk immediately off the nut. Soda water, often with syrup added, and western beverages are widely accessible. Indian sorts of beer and gin are competitive with best sorts of the world, and they are cheap enough. Just keep in mind that you should have licenses for beverages in Thaminlade and Gudjarate.

One cannot give full review of Indian cuisine diversity in a brief article, its also true for Indian colors and aromas. There are flame-hot dishes and mild, all of them rather cheap even in the highest class hotels. No wonder, that Indian cuisine occupied third place regarding popularity, and we wouldn’t be surprised if it occupies the first place some day.