Indian food - the magical cuisine
One of the most ancient and fascinating cuisines in the world is found in India. Indian food can not be described as a single style, but encompasses nineteen regions of this huge country, each with particular specialties representing the diversity of ingredients available locally.
In one region, Indian dishes may be almost exclusively vegetarian, reflecting religious restrictions on diet. Fish and shellfish often form a predominate part of Indian food in the coastal regions. Chicken is a popular Indian dish served in many regions throughout the country. Breads are usually unleavened, with some variations which are lightly raised. However, there is a common thread that distinguishes all Indian cuisine - the many fragrant and sometimes fiery hot herbs and spices which are used to prepare each dish.
Unlike any other cuisine, one of the signature aspects of preparing authentic Indian food is knowing how to prepare and when to add combinations of herbs and spices to the dish. Dry-roasting or frying herbs and spices in a pan is a common technique used when making Indian food. Sometimes, just one or two spices are roasted for five minutes, followed by three or four others added to the pan for just a couple of minutes more. When the herbs and spices are properly roasted, the main food ingredient is then quickly tossed into the pan and stirred. The idea is to release the essential oils and the perfect fragrance of each herb. Timing is everything in cooking authentic Indian food. The same dish can taste mild and fragrant or attain a fiery hot but still fragrant taste, depending on when and how a certain herb or vegetable is added to the dish.
Not all Indian food is hot and spicy. Typical Indian menus consist of several dishes, some hot and others mild or sweet as a counterpoint. Raita is a refreshingly cooling summer dish, somewhat equivalent to the Western salad. Raita is made with slices of cucumber in yogurt, seasoned with salt, pepper, roasted ground cumin seeds and sometimes a dash of cayenne.
Chutneys are found in every Indian household, served as an appetizer or a cooling snack in hot weather. Chutneys are pickled relishes made with a varied assortment of fruits and vegetables. They cover the spectrum of tastes, from sweet to sour and everything in between.
Bread is part of every meal. With one hand, you break off a small portion of bread and wrap it around a tasty morsel of food, leaving the other hand free to pass a dish or pick up a cup of tea.
If you haven't had the pleasure of eating Indian food, you're in for a fabulous dining adventure. If you have an Indian friend, ask for a restaurant recommendation. If not, check reviews online or in the Sunday paper. Such a restaurant may become one of your favorite eating destinations!
