Indian cuisine is popular all over the world and is one of the most unique and original cuisines of the world. The culinary appeal of Indian cooking has taken the Western culture by storm because those who have tried know how good Indian food can be. There is an ever increasing appreciation of and interest in Indian food around the world. The fact that you can find Indian restaurants in almost every country in the world is a testimony to the popularity, variety and great taste of Indian food.Indian cooking is well known for its sophisticated and subtle use of many spices, herbs and flavorings. Spices form the most important element in enhancing the flavor of a dish and creating unique aromas in Indian cuisines. Spices like chilli pepper, cumin, turmeric, ginger, hing and coriander form an integral part of Indian food. Other common items in Indian cuisine are rice or bread (rotis), a variety of lentils (dals), regional vegetables, yoghurt, ghee, paneer (Indian cheese), savory pickles and chutneys. Sweets are essential in Indian cuisine as well. A few popular Indian sweets are gulab jamun, ladoo, halwa and burfi.
A large portion of Indian food is vegetarian due to the fact that about one third of the population of India is vegetarian. However, many traditional Indian dishes also include chicken, lamb, mutton and other meats. The most popular forms of Indian cooking have to be curries and lentil dishes, usually served with rice or breads.
India, home to more than one billion people, is a country with diverse styles of cuisine. Each religion, culture, festival, and caste has left its own influence on Indian food. Indian cooking also varies from region to region. Generally, Indian cuisine can be categorized into four regions: North Indian, South Indian, East Indian, and West Indian.
North Indian cooking, often called Mughal style is one of the world’s popular cuisines. The staple food of most North Indian is a variety of lentils, vegetables, rotis, chappatis parantha, pooris and nan. Curries in North India have a more subtle and mellow flavor. Dairy-based products such as milk, paneer, ghee (clarified butter) and yogurt are featured prominently in North Indian curries and gravies. Garam masala is a spice mixture used extensively in northern Indian cooking. Mutton and lamb are popular meats of many Northern Indian recipes. A few famous North Indian food are Samosas, Motichoor Laddo, Tandoori chicken, Kashmiri pulao, Biryani, Daal Makhani, Rasamalai, Kebabs, Butter Chicken, Kheer, Chicken Tikka, Chaat, 'sarson ka sag'…
South Indian food are mostly vegetarian and is more spicy. Rice is the staple grain in South Indian cuisine. Coconut, curry leaves, spices, sambar and rasam are used liberally in South Indian cooking. A few famous Southern Indian snacks are dosa, bonda, vada, idli, bajji and puttu. Appam, Mysore Pak, seafood dishes, upma, vindaloo curry, Hyderabad biryani and basoondi are some popular South Indian dishes.
Both the cooking and consumption of Indian food are great culinary experiences. The reward of cooking Indian food recipes are obvious to anyone who has tasted a well-cooked Chicken Tikka Masala or was sustained by mouthwatering samosas. IndianFood-Recipes.com has a great selection of free and delicious Indian recipes. Happy cooking!
