Traditional Indian Food

Indians are exposed to more combinations of flavours and seasonings than perhaps anyone else in the world. Their cuisine is based on this variety which, in flavours, encompasses hot & sour, hot & nutty, sweet & hot, bitter & sour and sweet & salty, in seasonings. It stretches from the freshness and sweetness of highly aromatic curry leaves to the dark pungency of the resin asafoetida, whose earthy aroma tends to startle westerners.

All Indian food is served with either rice or bread or both. In the North it is the whole wheat breads that are commonly eaten and in the South it is plain rice. The traditional Indian bread use to be flat, baked on cast-iron griddles, rather like tortillas. The Muslims introduced ovens where sour dough and plain breads, such as ‘Naans’, could be baked. At most Indian meals, aside from the meat, vegetables, split peas and rice or bread that are served, there are also relishes, yoghurt dishes, pickles and chutneys. They round off the full cycle of flavours and textures, adding bite, pungency and often vital vitamins and minerals as well. Tandori chicken originated from this country, becoming a very popular way to cook chicken.

There is evidence that in 800BC people began to eat more vegetables, pulses, cereals and fruit as a consequence of growing distaste for meat. Even the priests took to vegetarianism and started to offer vegetarian meals to the Gods. Kings, such as Ashoka, forbade the killing of animals which further contributed to the development of vegetarianism.