INDIAN CLASSICAL FOOD

India is full with colorful verities of food with its unique taste. Most meals in India are served on a steel thali or platter. There is a mound of rice, 1 or  2 dry vegetables, 1 dal, 1 curry, yogurt or raita, papads, salad of tomatoes, cucumber, carrots and onion and a variety of fresh chutneys and another variety of preserved relishes or what are called Indian pickles. Here Sargam Bed and Breakfast Guest House tell you some interesting and exiting things about India food culture.

Indian Curries

Indian curries are famous for their different taste. Indian curries have wide varieties of spices, rice flavor, beautiful colors and delicious taste. Curry refers to all the dishes, which are soupy and have gravy. Usually a tint of sour taste is usually found and in rare cases sweet flavor. Every part of the country has a different way of preparing a dish with different ingredients. There is a lot of variety in both vegetarian and non-vegetarian curries.

Characteristics of Indian curried food:

• Near about 25 spices are used in making Indian curries. They are used in different combinations.

• Garam masala is a famous blend of spices.

• Popular spices include turmeric, chilly, ginger, coriander, cloves, cinnamon, peppercorns, cardamom, cumin seeds, garlic, saffron, mace, fenugreek, caraway seeds, and poppy seeds.

• Indian curries are cooked in ghee or oil.

• The mixture of onion, garlic, ginger, tomatoes is used as a base to these spices for cooking.

• Coconut milk, cream and dry fruits are also added according to dish.

• People use herbs once the curry is cooked for decoration, seasoning and aroma.

Snacks

The snacks of India are usually delicious, yummy and mouth watering. Savouries like pakoda, samosas, aloo tikki etc. are commonly served in India. The crispness and tempting tastes of indian snacks is liked by young and old alike. These can be easily prepared at any time. It is ideal to serve snacks before coffee or tea and also at breakfast. This kind of snacks mostly made with using potato, onion, Indian ingredients etc.

Non-vegetarian snacks

The Non-Vegetarian side of Indian cuisine comprises of many juicy, tender delicacies made with eggs, mutton, chicken, fish etc. There is a great variety of meat, poultry and fish dishes in Indian Cuisine, here we have made an effort to present most of the non-vegetarian dishes served as snacks, accompaniments and main dishes like tandoori tikkas, kababs, roshan goshts, butter chicken, biryani and much more.

Dals or lentils

Dals or lentils, peas and beans are cooked practically daily in almost every Indian home, vegetarian or not. Each region has its own favorites and cooking methods. Some are cooked with garlic and ginger, in addition to the staple spices of turmeric, cumin and coriander. Dals can range from spicy-sweet to scorching hot, soup like or like creamed thick soup or dry like a pilaf. Lentils form an important part of any Indian meal and you can make it an important part of your diet. It is good for the environment too as it has a small carbon footprint unlike other proteins. They are a tasty way to get your protein for the day. India has a variety of lentils cooked different spices in different ways in different parts of India and this means you can enjoy a different dal everyday. Dal Makhaani, Dal Tadka, Yello Dal are some popular lentil dishes which is always in demand in Indian restaurants.

Indian Breads

Bread is eaten more in the northern regions of India due to its dry climate. There are a variety of breads consumed in India like roti, paratha and naan. Indian roti is flat and cooked on a tava (utensil made with cast-iron griddle). It can also be cooked in a tandoor. Roti is thin and made of atta (wholewheat). The naan is soft and fluffy and is made from plain flour with a little bit of yeast. Parathas are layered bread made of wheat flour but fried in little oil. The breads are prepared according to one's own taste and imagination. That is why in India we have variety of breads like the simple butter naan, garlic naan, methi roti, aloo paratha, lacha paratha, bhature, puri etc.