Indian food is not just curry. The variety of Indian food is astounding. India is the ancient melting pot and America is the modern melting pot.
India has many races, cultures and religions quilted together to make India. Just like diversity brings strength to America - the diverse peoples and their diverse culture and foods have brought richness and depth to the Indian experience. Please enjoy my recipe collection which reflects this diversity but also reflects the stamp of Indianess over this diversity.
Armed with the basic ingredients from our store (like basmati rice, lentils, Tandoori marinades, pickles, curry pastes, clarified butter (ghee) and lentil crackers (Pappadums), spices like cumin and mustard seeds, coriander, cayenne, turmeric, cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, bay leaves and whole red chills) Indian Cooking can now be done in your own home and for your entertaining pleasure.
Indian food has evolved over centuries and has flourished under the many rulers that India had. Chefs vied with one another to create exotic delicacies for their rajah's. The result is centuries of patronage to the art of cooking and a large repertoire of delicious recipes. We want to share the history and nuances of Indian cuisine so the world may be more intimate with our cuisine.
The different aspects of Indian Cuisine
Indian Cuisine is becoming popular due to its exotic flavors and healthful preparations. The repertoire of Indian Cuisine is vast and the following are interesting aspects of the cuisine.
There exists no written recipes in India and the individual is encouraged to orchestrate a dish by using fresh, seasonal and local vegetables. We use spices sparingly and our foods are not necessarily hot. Besides spices we use lots of herbs and other natural seasonings to make our foods sweet, sour, salty, bitter, pungent and astringent.
- Cultural Influences : Many Indians are vegetarians having been influenced by Buddha (Indian King and founder of Buddhism), Mahavir (founder of Jainism) and King Ashoka. Our cuisine has been influenced by the Aryans settlers, the Arab and Chinese traders and conquerors such as the Persians, Mongolians, Turks, the British and the Portuguese.
- Ayurveda : India's ancient science system, has given India a comprehensive system of health, diet and nutrition. India's cuisine has been shaped by this science. Ayurveda is the common thread that runs through the various sub cultures/regions of India. Otherwise, the cuisine can be vastly different from region to region.
- Diversity: India is a large country, almost the size of Europe, and has a greater diversity of people, language, climate, cultures and religion than almost any country in the world. Consequently, Indian cuisine is also diverse.
- Indian Restaurant Cuisine: Many Indian restaurants around the globe are influenced by North Indian Cuisine. Indian restaurant cuisine has been influenced by Indian chefs that had their culinary training in France. They created a fusion of the two great cuisine's by adopting cream sauces in their Indian recipes.
- Royal Kitchens of India: Under the patronage of the rajahs of India the art of food was elevated to a high level of advancement and professionalism. The royal chefs understood the finer points of food, the art of presentation and created exquisite preparations.
