North, West, East And South Indian Recipes
Indian food is famous for its sumptuous varieties and richness and is extensively regarded as one of the tastiest cuisines in the world. The essence and whiff of Indian food is conspicuous by its presence and you can find an Indian restaurant in just about any part of the planet.
Indian cuisines are divided into four based on the four geographic regions and each of them have distinct characteristics. The four Indian cuisines are South, North, West and East Indian cuisines. In this article we will take a brief gander on each of these cuisines.
Lets start by talking a bit about North Indian cuisines. North India has intense climates and has copious supply of veggies and fruits. Central Asia has had a great influence on North Indian culture and food. North Indians use a lot of cream and Yogurt with a generous sprinkling of nuts and dry fruits. The region is abundant in vegetables and as a result there are plenty of vegetarian dishes in North India. North Indians don’t consume much rice and as such rice takes a backseat in the cuisines from this region. Bread, naans, rothis, parathas and kulchas are more prevalent. Coriander, red chillies, garam masala and turmeric are the widely used spices here. Some of the famous North Indian cuisines are Punjabi Chole, Tandoori Chicken, Lassi Patial and Dal Makhani.
South India has plenty of coastal areas that receive lots of rainfall during the monsoons and consequently there is no dearth of crops, fruits and vegetables in this region. Rice is the staple food in this region with bread and rothis being supplementary. The most common dishes in South India are Sambhar and Rasam which are basically soups that are mixed with rice to give it flavor. Indian food can be spicy and pungent and South Indian food is more so, with the spiciest food being from the state of Andhra Pradesh. Commonly used spices in South Indian Curry leaves, chillies, tamarind and mustard. Some examples of the common south Indian snacks include dosa, vada, idli and payasam. Dosa is made from rice and black lentils and is more like the Indianized version of the pancake. Carbohydrates and proteins are abundant in dosa and it is usually eaten for breakfast. Idli is the thicker version of Indian pancake made from a batter of rice and fermented black lentils. Both idli and dosa are served with soups like sambhar and chutney.
The East Indian Cuisines are somewhat influenced by the Chinese and Mongolians. East India is known for its sweet dishes and the number of dessert recipes in this region is huge. People here like to steam and fry their food and the staple food is rice. Milk and yogurt are used in abundance while the spices used are similar to that used in South India. Fish is consumed a lot in East India and therer are lots sea food recipes in regions such as Kolkata. The popular vegetarian dishes in this region are momos, thupka and sandesh amongst others.
The Western part of India has dry as well as hot weather and the vegetable supply is limited compared to other regions; but that doesn’t seem to affect the lavishness and surplus of its cuisines. Gujurat is known for its sweet dishes and Rajasthan is famous for its spicy dishes. Staple food in this region depends on the cuisines and there is no preference to either rice or rothis.
For further information on Indian recipes and in particular the south Indian food please visit Indian Recipes. You can also take a look at Dinner Recipes for some fantastic dinner recipes and videos.
categories: South Indian Recipes,Indian Recipes,Indian Food,Recipes,Food,Health,food,fitness
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