By Rohan Ravi

What does the term ethnic food mean to you? To me, I think of the different countries and the cuisines they have to offer. One such type of food that greatly prevails all others is Indian Food. Well what does Indian cuisine consist of you may ask? Indian food is derived from India and uses a blend of subtle herbs and spices. In this form of cooking, there is a great amount of variation in the meat, vegetables, and spices used. The majority of Indian cooking is made up of vegetables and yet there are several meat and poultry dishes as well. Within India, there are two main yet distinct methods of cooking seen in both North India and South India.

photograph by avlxyz

Common Food Found in Northern India:

- roti: a traditional Indian flat bread eaten with Indian curries or cooked vegetables
- naan: resembles the western “pita” bread and is eaten with Indian curries or cooked vegetables as well
- kulcha: another form of tasty flat bread, usually found from Punjab
- tandoori chicken: form of chicken that is marinated in yogurt and tandoori spices, it is cooked in a large clay oven
- palak paneer: cooked spinach with minor cheese cubes and marinated with curry powder
- channa masala: chickpeas smothered in zesty sauce and marinated with curry powders and masalas

Common Food Found in Southern India:

- dosa: a type of South Indian crepe and made from rice and black lentil
- idli: a small spongy cake made from rice and black lentil
- vada: a small snack made from lentils and containing small pieces of onions as well as green chilies
- sambar: a thick spicy soup consisting of lentils and vegetables

As you can see, the above dishes are quite unique from western foods such as hamburgers and fries. In Northern India, there is a considerable amount of curry powder used in specific items. Whereas in South India, the spices are not strong and are much less filling than North Indian food.

If you would like to learn how to cook the Indian dishes mentioned above visit: http://indiancuisinefinerthanothers.blogspot.com/

Rohan Ravi is of Indian descent and cannot get enough of Indian food. That is his favorite type of cooking!

More about Indian Food:
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For those of you who love cooking and enjoy the Indian cuisine, here is our weekly pick from Show me the Curry – How to make Spinach Paratha.

It is presented in a very quick and simple way – enjoy and try it at home!

This week we present to you our video recipe pick from Show me the Curry – how to prepare Masala Mushrooms

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It is presented in a very quick and simple way – enjoy and try it at home!

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It is presented in a very quick and simple way, so no reason not to try it!

by JERRY HANEY

Indian cooking is not the same as it used to be, with fancy customized recipes being the flavor of the day. In fact, Indian cuisine is one of the most culturally diverse of all cuisines and have more variations than most other modern cuisines. Today’s chefs adapt their recipes to the needs and desires of the modern Indian and the international palate. It is always a challenge for any chef to improvise on a classic dish in order to make it appeal to a larger international audience, but some of the chefs have shown themselves to be more than ready for it.

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Sanjeev kapoor:

Sanjeev kapoor is quite well known in India and overseas for his contribution to Indian cuisine, having invented many a dish himself. In addition to being a chef, he has authored many bestseller cookbooks and hosted quite a few shows on television. Many think he is more a showbiz expert than a thoroughbred chef, but critics can say they what they want, the fact is that Sanjeev Kapoor is a household name in India today and his cookbooks sell more than anyone else’s.

Sanjeev Kapoor’s cookery show Khana Khazana is currently running for more than 13 years at a stretch. It is one of the key factors behind his rise to fame. In addition to cooking, Sanjeev kapoor has quite a few franchise restaurants under his belt, in India and overseas, like the Sanjeev Kapoor’s Khazana at Al Nasr Leisure land. In addition to main courses and original recipes, he has produced a line of delicious pickles, masalas and ready to cook items that sell in most India Stores. He has managed to make a few inroads overseas with CNN’s Richard Quest featuring him along with other celebrity chefs from all over the world. His easy narrative style has made him quite popular as a television presenter and speaker at many international food forums. Today, if one wants to learn more about sanjeev’s cooking, then all that he or she would have to do is to purchase one of kapoor’s multimedia cookbooks.

Atul Kochhar:

I mentioned earlier that today, Indian cuisine is evolving rapidly with influences from the western cuisine such as Italian and American. However, there are some who prefer the old and traditional methods of preparing Indian food and Kochhar seems to be one of them. One can even say that Kochhar seems to have reinvented Indian cooking by customizing it with the local flavor without taking away the tradition in the dish. Any Indian should be able to relate to his dishes.

Atul Kochhar started his journey to becoming a renowned chef by being trained at the Oberoi in Delhi. From there, he went on to become the head chef at the tamarind restaurant at Mayfair. It was here that his innate skills were noticed and he was awarded the Michelin Star award. He was the youngest person ever to receive it.

Today, he has his own restaurant named ‘The Benares’. He has a bestselling book to his name called the ‘Indian Essence’ and this book showcases the vibrancy and the subtlety of his recipes. Atul kochhar is currently contemplating plans for a second book, this time around on vegetarian recipes.

Hari Nayak:

Hari Nayak is more than a chef, today he is a restaurateur, author as well as a food service consultant in North America. Hari Nayak started his epicurean journey from the culinary institute of America and today, he is one of the most sought after chefs for his ‘unique style’. When it comes to Indian food, the common misconception is that the preparation style must be complex. Hari has managed to elucidate that Indian cooking can be prepared in a simplistic style, with all the modern trappings, yet appealing to the common household cook at the same time.

From the culinary institute he went on to work in restaurants in New York as well as apprenticing under the renowned chef Alain Ducasse. Today, he is the author of the bestseller ‘Modern Indian cooking’, a book that features the simple yet eclectic style of Hari’s dishes. Hari Nayak has managed to provide a new modern outlook on Indian cuisine, one that is creating a sensation of sorts in North America today.

More about Indian Food:
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by SILVIA BLACH

Spices are one of the most remarkable ingredients of Indian food. Without them, Indian dishes would lose its soul and be as ordinary as the others. Spices and herbs are also one of the reasons why Indian food is becoming increasingly adored by people around the world.

photograph by avlxyz

One of the most famous Indian food, the curry, is one example of the ingenious use of herbs and spices in Indian cooking. Curry which derived from the word kari literally means vegetables soaked in spices. Curry became so attached with Indian cuisine that in fact, made it a symbolism of Indian food in all parts of the world.

There are a lot of herbs and spices that are used in Indian cooking, however, you need not know all of them. There are just some spices that you’ll need more often than others such as the turmeric, asafetida, chilli pepper, tamarind, black mustard seed, fenugreek, aniseed, cumin, ginger, star anise, garlic and coriander seeds. In sweet dishes, saffron, rose petal essence, cardamom and nutmeg are commonly used. These herbs and spices, along with other things related with Indian spices would be further explained below.

Bhuna – Bhuna is a method of cooking Indian spices, particularly gently stir-frying the spices in a substantial amount of hot oil. This process is used to release and preserve the aroma of the spices while removing the raw feel of them.

Tadka – This is also a process of cooking spices which is similar to Bhuna. However, the difference is that Tadka is used for whole spices only.

Curry – This is an Indian food that is made of various spices mixed and cooked together. The traditional Indian curry is made up of fenugreek, turmeric, black pepper, red pepper, as well as coriander, cloves and other spices.

Mustard seeds – These small round seeds that are reddish brown to black in color are frequently used in Indian food. Indian recipes may call for the use of this spice in the form of whole, broken to pieces, in paste or powdered form. Mustard seeds are commonly used to flavor pickles, vegetables and pulses.

Tamarind – This is the fruit of tamarind tree. Tamarind is homemade into pulp or can be readily purchased from groceries before it is used in cooking recipes. This spice is dark brown in color and sour in taste. Tamarind is ideal to be used in cooking vegetables, chutney, sauces, pulses and snacks.

Cumin (Jeera) – Cumin seeds are very frequently used in Indian cooking, particularly that of North Indian. Its taste is distinctive, slightly bitter yet gives a dish a sweet aroma. When roasted or cooked in hot oil, cumin seeds release a stronger aroma. It’s available in whole or in powdered form. Cumin is found to have digestive attributes and is used to flavor food such as vegetables and curry.

Star Anise – Star anise has the wonderful aroma of licorice and is perfect for flavoring biryani’s and other non-vegetarian Indian dishes. As its name suggests, this spice is star-shaped with each of its points containing a star anise seed. Ground star anise should be stored in an airtight container for no more than 3 months in a cool, dark place.

Ginger (adrak) – This spice with peppery flavor and slightly sweet in taste is very commonly used in Indian cooking. Its aroma is spicy and pungent. Please note that fresh ginger and dried ground ginger cannot be used interchangeably in a recipe.

Curry Leaves – Curry leaves are aromatic leaves mainly used fresh to flavor a South Indian dish and like bay leaves, are not eaten. They are available fresh or dried.

Cardamom – Cardamom pods are not generally used but its brownish black seeds contained in the pods are used more often in Indian cooking instead, either whole or split. Ground cardamom loses its aroma quickly so it’s advisable to grind it only when needed. Cardamom is a very versatile spice which can be used in sweet dishes as well as savory ones.

These are some of the things you need to know about Indian herbs and spices. Indian spices are not really hard to deal with and some are similar to what we use in other cuisine. It is just a matter of blending and cooking them in a right way.

Indian Food Recipes is an online Indian cooking website offering a collection of free Indian recipes and cooking tips.

More about Indian Food:
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by ROBIN MART

Indian recipes are diverse and extraordinary, according to it’s religious beliefs, different climate, culture and availability of ingredients in specific country parts. Indian food recipe provides a guide to the food of India and every Indian recipe will it’s speciality and inspire you.Different indian food have its variety, tastes and flavors. The strong flavors in Indian recipes are derived from spices,seasonings and leafy vegetables.That’s why indian recipes have become famous world wide and it is liked by non-Indians too.The perfect mixture of spices and Variety in flavors in Indian recipes and with cooking techniques, has made it a gastronomic delight and it also fulfills day to day requirement for healthy eating.

Photograph by avlxyz

Every state in India has its own style of preparing recipes. The Indian food is renowned for its delicious gravies,Gravies are generally dairy-based and can include chilies, saffron, and nuts,which has it’s own attraction of taste . Indian food recipe include vegetarian recipes, non-vegetarian recipes, South Indian recipes, Gujarati recipes, Punjabi recipes and many more recipes.

In Indian cuisine, food is categorized into six tastes – sweetness, sour, salty, spicy, taste of bitterness and astringent. Most of the spices included in the Indian recipes are used not only for their flavor, but also for their potent medicinal value .In Indian recipes, bread refers to roti, naan and paratha. The Indian roti is thin and flat made of atta (wholewheat) and cooked on a tava, cast-iron griddle or tandoor. The naan is soft and fluffy, made from maida (plain flour) with a little bit of yeast.Parathas are layered breads rolled out of wheat flour but fried in a little oil or ghee. The Indian snacks consists of the famous mouth-watering samosas, aloo tikki, dhokla and bread rolls.

The Non-Vegetarian part of Indian recipes comprises of dishes like tandoori tikkas, kababs, roshan goshts, butter chicken, biryani and much more. The North Indian recipes different from south Indian recipes as well as others indian recipe.

In North and West India, groundnut oil has traditionally been most popular for cooking, while in Eastern India mustard oil is more commonly used. In recent decades,sunflower oil and soyabean oil have gained popularity all over India. Hydrogenated vegetable oil, also known as ghee, is also a popular cooking medium that replaces Desi ghee, clarified butter (the milk solids have been removed). North Indian recipes are predominated by high use of dairy products; milk, paneer, clarified butter(ghee). East Indian recipes comprise of desserts as rasgulla, chumchum, sandesh, rasabali, chhena poda and chhena gaja. Apart from sweets, East Indian recipes are famous for its posta content.

South Indian recipes are based of rice as the staple grain. Sambar and rasam (also called saaru andrasa), a variety of pickles, and the liberal use of coconut and particularly coconut oil and curry leaves are prevalent.In South India, coconut and gingelly oil is common. Curries called Kozhambu are also popular and are typically vegetable stews cooked with spices, tamarind and other ingredients. The dosa, poori, idli, vada, bonda and bajji are typical South Indian favorites. Western India has three major food groups: Gujarati, Maharashtrian and Goan consisting of rice, coconut, and fish. The hilly regions of the Western Ghats and Deccan plateau regions use groundnut in place of coconut and depend more on jowar (sorghum) and bajra (millet) as staples. Gujarati recipes are predominantly vegetarian and have a hint of sweetness due to use of sugar or brown sugar.

But at last all Indian food is considered to be incomplete without sweet dishes like gulab jamun, kulfi, gajjar ka halwa, rasgulla, etc

More about Indian Food:
Discover even more about Indian Food and find out what your fellow travellers think recommend to try while in India here:
http://www.indiatravelnotes.com/category/indian-food/