The Christian Community of Kerala (in Southern India) traces back its origin to the advent of St. Thomas, the Apostle to India, who reached the Cragnanore Port in AD 52. This community started to grow with the arrival of East Syrian settlers and Persian missionaries in 3rd century AD. It is said that the Christianity flourished here much before it was taken up by Europe.
Coconuts grow in abundance in Kerala and consequently it is widely used in the cooking. Kerala is also one of the major producers of spices such as black pepper, cardamom, cloves and cinnamon. Fish and seafood dishes are very popular because of the region’s long coastline, numerous rivers and backwater networks and a strong fishing industry.
Syrian Christians rarely consume dairy products like milk or curd with fish and meats. Instead they use coconut milk as a substitute in preparations. They are also expert wine makers and widely consume wine in contrast to their neighbours of other faiths.
This makes Indian Chinese food similar in taste to many ethnic dishes in Southeast Asian countries such as Singapore and Malaysia, which have strong Chinese and Indian cultural influences.
Wine is generally prepared weeks in advance for festivals such as Christmas and Easter.
A favourite dish of Kerala Christians is "mappas", or chicken stew. Other dishes include; Istu (chicken/any meat stew made with vegetables and potatoes), Fish Fry, Meen Vevichathu (fish in fiery red chili sauce), Meat Thoran (dry curry with shredded coconut) and Oletherachi (dry and spicy beef dish).
When you are in Old Delhi, you just can't miss the food there. The streets buzz with activity and are filled with the aroma of food. Chandni Chowk, often called the food capital of India, is famous for its street food. The streets are lined with halwas (sweet-sellers), namkeenwallahs (sellers of savouries) and the amazing parathewallahs (sellers of rich, flaky breads soaked in ghee). Along with many other fiery dishes you will find Keema Kaleji, a mix of lamb mince and chicken livers with a wonderful spicy flavour.
The parathas are fried in pure ghee in cast-iron pans and served with mint chutney, tamarind chutney, vegetable pickle and Aloo Subzi (spicy potatoes). The most popular varieties of these include; Aloo (potato), Gobhi (cauliflower) and Matar (peas). Besides these, there are endless other varieties and include those stuffed with paneer, mint, lemon, chilly, dry fruits, cashew, raisins, almonds, rabdi, khurchan, banana, karela, lady's finger and tomato.
Rajmah is a vegetarian dish consisting of red kidney beans in thick gravy with lots of whole spices and usually served with rice and roti. The dish developed after the red kidney bean was brought to the Indian subcontinent from Central Mexico and Guatemala.
Those with a sweet-tooth must have a plate of hot Jalebis – a sweet made by deep-frying batter in a kind of pretzel shape and then dipped into hot sugar-syrup. Try the scrumptious Daulat ki Chaat – which is basically sweetened whisked cream topped off with the right amount of khoya (condensed milk) and bhoora (unrefined sugar) Seviyan is a sweet dish that is made from vermicelli and milk. It is not only cooked on the Muslim festival of Eid (celebrated after holy month of Ramadan), but also taken as a dessert after a normal, everyday meal. It is equally popular among Hindus and Muslims in Delhi.
The Punjab Region
Punjab literally means ‘land of five rivers’ in Persian. As it was divided into two at the time of partition a part of Punjab lies is in the north west of India and the other in north east of Pakistan.
Punjab mainly consists of large fertile plains and is India’s biggest producer of wheat. Milk and its products in the form of malai (cream), paneer (cottage cheese), butter and curds are used with almost every Punjabi meal.
The most popular form of Indian food served around the world is derived from Punjabi cuisine. The concept of using the tandoor oven in Indian kitchens originated here. Communal tandoors are still used in the villages of Punjab where women gather in the evening to cook bread and share gossip.
It shares several characteristics with the cuisine of Kashmir and other adjacent states. Punjabi cuisine is diverse, and varies regionally. Punjabi food served in the restaurants originated from the ‘Dhabas’ - roadside restaurants started by Punjabi people to provide food to truckers. It would not be wrong to say that in India ‘Dhabas’ were the first restaurants. Tandoori Chicken, Dal Makhani, Karahi Paneer, Chicken Tikka, Lassi, Kheer, Jalebi; are the popular Punjabi dishes found in restaurants all over the world.
Other popular seasonal dishes are; Sarsoon da Saag – prepared with green mustard leaves; Makki di Roti – maize flour bread; and Cholle Bhaturre – chickpeas served with fried bread.
The Andhra Pradesh Region
Andhra Pradesh (AP) is one of the 29 states of India. It is India's fourth largest state by area and fifth largest by population, with more than 84 million inhabitants in 2011. Its capital and largest city, Hyderabad, is the fourth most populous city in India.
AP is famous for its hot and spicy cuisine along with its rich cultural heritage. The cuisine includes both the original Andhra cuisine and the Hyderabadi cuisine, having a Mughlai influence. Out of these two cuisines, the former one is more hot and spicy. The traditional Andhra dishes are absolutely mouth-watering having a liberal use of spices.
Every meal; snacks, lunch, dinner, etc; have their own local specialty. Eating habits are quite varied as there is a mixture of Hindu and Muslim styles of eating. AP dishes are mainly vegetarian and only in the coastal areas seafood is preferred. The staple food of Andhra Pradesh is Rice, which is served with sambar. It is also served with other lentil preparations along with vegetables.
Sweet delicacies like Khubani kheer, Sheer korma, Shahi Tukra, Gajr ka halwa, Seviyan ka zarda; are few of the popular sumptuous delicacies from the region.
Bengal
The region of Bengal is one of the most densely populated regions on earth, with a population density exceeding 900/km ². Most of the Bengal region lies in the low -lying Ganges–Brahmaputra River Delta or Ganges Delta, the world's largest delta. In the southern part of the delta lies the Sundarbans-the world's largest mangrove forest and home of the Bengal tiger. Though the population of the region is mostly rural, two megacities, Kolkata and Dhaka, are located in Bengal.
The Bengal region is renowned for its rich literary and cultural heritage as well as its immense contribution to the socio -cultural uplift of Indian society in the form of the Bengal Renaissance , and revolutionary activities during the Indian independence movement.
The food of this region has an emphasis on fish, vegetables and lentils served with rice as a staple diet, Bengali cuisine is known for its subtle (yet somet imes fiery) flavours, and its huge spread of confectioneries and desserts. Fresh sweet water fish is one of its most distinctive features; Bengal's countless rivers, ponds and lakes teem with innumerable varieties of fish such as rohu, hilsa, koi or pabda. Prawns, shrimp and crabs also abound.
The use of spices for both fish and vegetable dishes is quite extensive and includes many combinations not found in other parts of India. Examples are the onion flavoured kalonji (nigella or black onion seeds), radhuni (wild celery seeds), and five -spice or paanch phoron (a mixture of cumin, fennel, fenugreek, kalonji, and black mustard seeds). The trump card of Bengali cooking probably is the addition of phoron, a combinat ion of whole spices, fried and added at the start or finish of cooking as a flavouring special to each dish. Bengalis share their love of whole black mustard seeds with South Indians, but unique to Bengal is the extensive use of freshly ground mustard paste.
Maharashtra is a state in the western peninsular region of India occupying a substantial portion of the Deccan Plateau. Maharashtra is the second-most populous state in India and the second-most populous country subdivision globally. Maharashtra is one of the most industrialised states in India, it is second-most populous and is third largest Indian state in area. It’s capital Mumbai is the richest and most populous city of India. Mumbai is the commercial and entertainment capital of India. It is home to Bollywood, the world’s largest film industry. Mumbai's culture is a blend of traditional festivals, food, music and theatres.
Maharashtrian cuisine includes a variety of dishes ranging from mild to very spicy ones. Wheat, rice, jowar, bajri, vegetables, lentils and fruit form staple food of the Maharashtrian diet. Some of the popular traditional dishes include puran poli, ukdiche modak, Thalipeeth. Street food items like Batata wada, Misal Pav, Pav Bhaji and Vada pav are very popular among the locals and are usually sold on stalls and in small hotels.
Maharashtrian cuisine varies with the regions. Malvani (Konkani), Kolhapuri, and Varhadhi cuisins are examples of well-known regional cuisines. Kolhapur is famous for Tambda Pandhra rassa, a dish made of either chicken or mutton. Rice and seafood are the staple foods of the coastal Konkani people. Among seafood, the most popular is a fish variety called the Bombay duck
The Cuisine of The Gurkhas'
The Gurkhas’ are soldiers from Nepal. Historically, the terms "Gurkha" and "Gorkhali" were synonymous with "Nepali," and derived from the hill town and district of Gorkha from which the Kingdom of Nepal expanded. The name may be traced to the medieval Hindu warrior - saint Guru Gorakhnath, who has a historic shrine in Gorkha.
The former Indian Army Chief of Staff Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw, once stated that "If a man says he is not afraid of dying, he is either lying or is a Gurkha." Set against the backdrop of the Himalayas, the people of Nepal have many different backgrounds and ethnicities, and this multitude of influences is reflected within the country’s cuisine.
Nepalese dishes are generally healthier than most other South Asian gastronomies, as they rely less on the extensive use of fats and more on chunky vegetables, lean meats, pickled dishes and salads. Whilst Nepal does take heavy influences from its closest geographical companions such as India, China and Tibet, this mountainous paradise only opened up its borders to outsiders in the 1950s. It is for this reason, in addition to problems with exports and imports caused by Nepal’s geographical setting, that there is a particular focus on using locally grown produce.
Dal-rice-vegetable is the standard meal eaten twice daily. However, with land suitable for irrigated rice paddies in short supply, other grains supplement or even dominate. Wheat becomes unleavened flatbread ( roti or chapati ). Typically yogurt (dahi) and curried meat (masu) or fish (machha) or chicken (kukhura) are served as side dishes.
Rajasthan, now the largest state in India, is culturally rich and has artistic and cultural traditions which reflect the ancient Indian way of life. There is proof that it has been inhabited for 6000-8000 years.
Each religion in India has its own traditional dishes and specialties. In the royal kitchen of Rajasthan, as well as most other states, food was a very serious business and rose to the level of an art form. Hundreds of cooks worked in the stately palaces and kept their recipes a closely guarded secret. Some recipes were passed on to their sons and the rest were lost forever.
The finest cooking in India was derived from the Mughals and did influence the royal kitchens of India. But the common man's kitchen remained untouched, even more so in Rajasthan. Cooking here has its own unique flavour and the simplest; the most basic of ingredients go into the preparation of most dishes.
In the desert belt of Jaisalmer cooks use the minimum of water and prefer, instead to use more milk, buttermilk and clarified butter. Dried lentils, beans from indigenous plants like sangri, ker, etc. are liberally used. Gram flour is a major ingredient here and is used to make some of the delicacies like khata, gatta ki sabzi, pakodi, powdered lentils are used for mangodi, papad. Bajra and corn is used all over the state for preparation of rabdi, kheechdi and rotis. Rajasthani Royals are also fond of hunting and game is very popular during the winter.
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