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'Rice and curry' is an oversimplification of the
specialised art that Indian cuisine represents. For one,
cuisine in India differs not only from region to region
but even from one household to another. What is
understood by curry may have over 500 variations across
the country - the only common element perhaps is that it
is gravy with various condiments thrown in. Also, it
would be misleading to assume that every Indian dish is
'hot'. The pungency peculiar to various Indian dishes is
given by chillies and if you ask your host to go slow on
them, you are safe.
Some of the great culinary traditions of India originated
in the royal courts of the Mughals. Mughlai food,
whether from Delhi, Hyderabad or Lucknow, is usually
meat-based. The tandoor or clay even is used as the
stove which has, of course, made its way across several
shores. Braised meats, rich sauces and flavoured rice
are the highlights of this form of cooking - served at
innumerable speciality restaurants across the country.
Other regions have their own unique style of cooking and
favoured bases. Kashmir, for example, is famous for its
24-course banquet, the Wazwan; coastal areas such as Goa,
Kerala and Bengal specialise in fish, sea food and
coconut-based dishes; Gujarat and Tamil Nadu excel in
vegetarian specialties. Sweetmeats of India have their
own special place in the culinary traditions - Bengal,
Bikaner and Delhi are particularly famous in this
regard.
However, If you feel homesick for food from back home,
there are innumerable restaurants serving Continental,
Chinese and western cuisines. Specialty cuisine such as
Thai, Spanish, French, Mexican, Italian, South Asian,
Mediterranean, etc. have also become popular
particularly in the metros. Besides restaurants in
starred hotels, you will find several stand-alone
hotels, you will find a range of cuisine. |
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