Some intriguing facts about Indian dishes — from their origins to their ingredients
An array of Indian dishes has been delighting and nourishing people for centuries. One may find an interesting variation at a nearby Indian restaurant, but what most people don’t know is that these mouth-watering dishes have some fascinating origins, ingredients, and stories to share. This blog article will explore some of the finest dishes in India as well as some intriguing facts about Indian dishes.
A bit of history
To understand the significance of Indian dishes, we need to look back at the cultural and geographical origins of India. India is not just an amalgamation of different religions and cultures, but also a mixture of different landscapes and climates. This diversity has given birth to a special blend of cuisine that is found nowhere else in the world.
Everyday Indian meals consist of a diverse range of flavors and textures. Rice, roti (flatbreads), dal (lentils) and raita (cucumber and yogurt relish) are common staples. The most distinctive ingredient in Indian cuisine is curry itself—a blend of spices, herbs and chiles that are sauteed in oil or ghee (clarified butter).
Indian food is incomplete without a spicy curry.
Curry is a common term originating in southern India which has since spread globally This ubiquitous Indian spice was initially produced by grinding up this combination of spices before cooking them with meat or vegetables.
As the centuries passed, people began to add more ingredients to create an even greater variety of tastes. Today, Indian curry is an important part of the culinary diversity of the subcontinent—it is used in many other countries and widely accepted by people of all cultural backgrounds.
The art of cooking was passed down from generation to generation, with each cook altering the recipe and adding their own special twists to it.
Interesting facts related to Indian cuisine
A common misconception is that all Indian food has curry in it. Not true! There are actually over 1,600 types of authentic Indian cuisine — each with its own unique flavors. They even have globalization trends changing these days; many new North American restaurants are bringing traditional dishes like butter chicken and tandoori chicken back to their communities for a taste of home cooking.
Some of the most important ingredients in Indian cooking are turmeric, cumin, black pepper, coriander, and salt. Turmeric is a spice that gives many Indian foods their wonderful orange color. It’s also been used medicinally in India for thousands of years; the world’s oldest written medical guidebook is actually written in Sanskrit!
The spices come from different places around the world. Cumin comes from India and South Asia, while cayenne comes from South America or Mexico. Black pepper comes from India or Southeast Asia. Same goes for turmeric and paprika; these all come from Europe or South Asia, respectively. Coriander, however, comes from South America or Mexico.
Indian cuisine has a reputation of being really hearty. Most of the food is quite spicy, too — at least the traditional dishes are! A lot of modern Indian food is really light and healthy, but some people prefer the traditional style.