Monday, April 4, 2016

C for Cuisine




Welcome to the "Believe it or Not- That's Incredible India!" series. India is home to some of the most astonishing wonders in the world. The rich culture, heritage, food, scriptures, architectural marvels and scores of known and unknown facts come together to create this multicolored melange that is India. Throughout this month, read about the various believe it or not facts about India and know what goes into the making of this incredible country!

                                         **********************************

Food is a big part of being Indian! We love to eat and how! While Westerners might think ‘Chicken tikka masala’ represents Indian food, it is so not true! It’s impossible to put a finger on one particular food and say this represents India because every part of the country has its own specialty which makes food a distinctly regional delicacy. Instead, I’d like to take you to different corners of the country and give you a virtual taste of what tastes best there.

Breakfast in Tamil Nadu/ Karnataka/ Kerala- These South Indian states offer the best in terms of breakfast. Choose from a steaming plate of fluffy white idlies, dosas, medu vadas, puttus, or paniyarams saddled with a variety of chutneys and sambhar. This is one of the most wholesome breakfasts you can have as it has just the right mix of carbs, proteins, and nutrients.

Snack up in Gujarat- Craving a mid-morning snack? Have a quick stopover at Gujarat and fill your plates with the softest Khaman Dhoklas, Shrikhand and crispy fried farsans, Khakra and Fafda.

Lunch needs a bit more variety, doesn’t it?

If you fancy meat you would love the Kasmiri cuisine which is more meat based. They like to cook their dishes for a long time to infuse it with flavours giving you rich succulent meat to dig your teeth into.

Thinking of chicken? Then Punjabi is the way to go. The Punjabi cuisine is rich and has a strong dose of butter and ghee. It is definitely not for the weak hearted! You can also get varieties of stuffed flat breads called parathas and food cooked in tandoor (an open earthen oven) to go with your chicken.

If you fancy pork or seafood, then head straight to Goa. And don’t forget to round it off with the best wines you can get.

And if it is fish that you are dreaming about go wading all the way to Bengal. The Hilsa fish is a specialty here and is cooked in mustard sauce.

I’m sure you’d fancy some rice to go with the meal. While there’s plenty of rice dishes to choose from I’d recommend Biryani. Every place in India has different variations in biryani but two of the best biryanis are the Lucknowi- cooked in sealed pots called ‘handis’- cooked over slow fire and left to cook in its own juices and has a more meaty flavor and the Hyderabadi Biryani which is Dum cooked (steamed over coals) and is more yogurty flavoured.

After all the spice and fats you must round off the meal with a tall chilled glass of thick sweet Lassi from Punjab.

Wait there’s more! Did you think you can leave without ordering desserts?

While there are umpteen desserts to choose from, the Bengali sweets win hands down. Whether it is the mouth-watering Payash or Sandesh or Rasogulla - the yummy spongy cottage cheese balls soaked in sweet sugar syrup, you can never have just one!

Before you know, it’s time for tea. But I’d say skip the tea and head back to Karnataka for the finest Coorgi filter coffee.  If it is tea that you fancy, then your finest cuppa will be the Darjeeling or Assam Black tea. And to go with your tea or coffee, try the spicy Vada-Pav from Maharashtra –cutlet sitting smug in between soft bread rolls called pav and is almost burger-like and is served with tangy chutney.

Dinner should be light right? I’d say Rajasthani food is best for dinner. It’s light, it’s clean and non-fussy but there's a lot of variety…you’d still be clutching your tummy after you’ve finished. Munch on the finest Dal-Bati-Churma - small balls of wheat flour dough, baked in tandoor and called Bati are served with lentil curry and sweet Churma. Oh, and did I mention there’s a generous dollop of ghee that goes on top of it? The heart will ask you to go on but the tummy knows it cannot take any more.

This is just a peek into what India has to offer in terms of food. The variety is mind boggling and if you are a foodie there’s so much you can choose from.

Believe it or not- That is Incredible India!




24 comments:

  1. That was an absolutely mouth watering post.You made me hungry... and early in the morning too! I need to go find dal bati churma - just realised I haven't had it in ages.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Oh, yes, our cuisine is so diverse as is our culture. Each region has so many specialties. Dosas, Idlis, Gujarati Kadhi, Dhokla, Puran Poli, everything Punjabi and Rajasthani, Kebabs, unique vegetables from Kashmir and non-veg recipes (Gushtaba, Rista, Rogan Josh), and of course my elixir tea... are some of my favourites.
    ... and now I am wondering what I should make for breakfast.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I am smacking my lips here! Lovely read Shubhangi. Indeed proud of our diverse and eclectic cuisine! You've done a wonderful job of enlisting various Indian cuisines! Yum, yum, hungry now! Cheers :)
    @KalaRavi16 from
    Relax-N-Rave

    ReplyDelete
  4. Oh yumm.... Fab post. And I'm drooling :D

    You can read Army Wife Tales at
    Tale Of Two Tomatoes

    Also, visit to take a look at 26 lip-smacking Chicken Recipes at Something's Cooking

    ReplyDelete
  5. I'm reading this at dinner time. I have to go to my local Indian restaurant now...I mean right now!

    ReplyDelete
  6. mouth watering.. ! wow.. I loved the khichida from Rajasthan a lot.. ! the dal bhatti! need to have them soon.!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Oh, we are all rounders when it comes to food. Every state has something unique and delicious to offer, a treat for the taste buds.
    Nice summary of the best of Indian cuisines.

    Cynthia Rodrigues Manchekar
    A Few Drops of Ink

    ReplyDelete
  8. Omg...you've made me hungry with this post! Btw you forgot Andhra and Chettinad cuisines for their non-veg fare! Absolute heaven :)

    ReplyDelete
  9. and I am Hungry now ..... I want all that together :) :)

    Bikram's

    ReplyDelete
  10. This post made me hop onto the next flight and go back to Rajasthan for dinner! I'm already in Maharashtra for Vada Pav! :D
    Misal pav, poha are also amazing dishes that one must try out in Maharashtra. Even thaalipeeth is a healthy dish, made with flour from different grains.
    I agree with the Lassi after lunch. But somehow, whenever I eat a Biryani or some Aloo Parathas, there's never enough space for that tall glass of amazing sweetened milk!
    Really loved this post :)

    ReplyDelete
  11. ohh you got me drooling by just the mention of all these delicacies. Assam Tea is quite popular in Sydney too ... specially as cold milk tea.

    Visiting from A to Z Challenge
    Pam's Unconventional Alliance Team
    A Whimsical Medley
    Twinkle Eyed Traveller

    ReplyDelete
  12. Indian cuisine!!!
    There aren't enough words to describe it! The variety! My God!
    That South Indian platter makes me hungry.
    - Chicky @ www.mysteriouskaddu.com

    ReplyDelete
  13. Shubhangi, what a yummalicious trip around India. Such a well thought out way of bringing out so many foods from the various states :)

    ReplyDelete
  14. You just gave a full Indian food tour.. And there's still more.. Pani puri, jhalmuri, the famous aloo chaat and jalebi.. you can't leave that right..

    I so need to watch my carbs and I'm so craving for it right now!! :P

    Cheers
    Geets

    ReplyDelete
  15. I think no country have such a diverse and rich cuisine like we Indians. SO lucky we are.

    ReplyDelete
  16. I'm so hungry right now! And it's all because of this post :(

    ReplyDelete
  17. Yummy! Nothing beats beginning a day with some traditional South-Indian breakfast!

    No other cuisine gives me as much comfort as our Indian one!

    ReplyDelete
  18. My stomach's growling now! I can have dosa and sambhar not just for breakfast but even dinner. I'm particularly fond of dishes from Kerala since that's where I'm from :)

    ReplyDelete
  19. Though I just had my dinner an hour ago, your post made me crave for all those Indian cuisines I love! Yummm!!

    Nibha @ Expressions

    ReplyDelete
  20. Now I am hungry. (Your birthday is August 15? My daughter's birthday is also August 15.)

    ReplyDelete
  21. Food is what we live for! Be it mothers putting all kind of delicacies for their kids or laying a sumptuous table for guests, we are really unique!!

    ReplyDelete
  22. Diverse culture. Variety of food. India is indeed incredible. :)
    nice theme for the A-Z. :)

    ReplyDelete

At times our own light goes out and is rekindled by a spark from another person..deep gratitude for those who have lighted the flame within me!! your comments will be appreciated..

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...