Indian Cuisine – Rich And Diverse
The first thing you will notice as you reach any Indian restaurant in Qatar is the sheer variety found in the Indian cuisine. Indian food is influenced by a number of factors such as traditions, religion, customs, beliefs and practices. The food habits have been changing right since the British and other foreign countries invaded the Indian province, and will continue to change for the eons to come due to the extreme diversity of the country. Mentioned below are some of the important aspects of the Indian cuisine.
ď ś Indian food, mainly consists of Bajra, rice, wheat flour and a
wide range of lentils such as mung bean, black gram, red lentils, pigeon pea and more. Kidney beans, lobiya and chickpea are well known in the northern part of the country.
ď ś Generally people use vegetable oil for cooking, while people
living in the western coast of the country in places such as Kerala use coconut oil. Mustard oil is used by people in eastern India whereas peanut oil is used in the western and northern part of the nation. Sesame oil is generally used by people in the south because of its nutty flavor and nature. Along the same lines, soybean and sunflower oils are also being used on a wide scale at present. Butter-based ghee and hydrogenated vegetable oil are also used considerably in the Indian culture.
ď ś Spices – The Indian population uses a variety of spices, the
most common being chili pepper. However, this spice was introduced by the Portuguese in the 16th century. Other spices used in India include turmeric, black mustard, cardamom, ginger, coriander, cumin, garlic, cinnamon and clove. Indian people also use a variety of leaves in their food for giving it flavor and taste which include mint, coriander, bay and fenugreek. Curry leaves are used by people residing in Gujarat and the south of India. Sweet dishes are generally garnished with rose petal essence, saffron, cardamom and nutmeg. http://www.katara.net/english/the-village/restaurants/saffron/
Main diet – Early India witnessed people consuming grains,
vegetables, fruits, eggs, honey, meat and lots more. As time passed on, many people began to opt for a vegetarian diet. Consumption of beef is prohibited in the Hindu culture as the cow is regarded as sacred in Hinduism. Therefore, beef is generally not considered a part of the Indian cuisine.
Diverse food items – The food items seen in India are diverse
due to the invasion of a variety of cultures and the different traditions of the people. Hence, every part of the country has a specialty and the food items are prepared according to the religious and cultural beliefs of the people.
All in all, the Indian cuisine is the perfect amalgamation of different traditions which makes it all the more special.