This post is dedicated to my mother - The best cook in the world !
Indian Cuisine is easily the most versatile cuisine in the world. It has been influenced by so many different parts of the world, hell, almost everybody in the world tried to conquer India !
Madhur Jaffrey said it best: "No foreign food was discarded. It was just made Indian."
Muslims from Western AsiaMughlai Cuisine was the result. Meat was added to the rice pulaos of India and turned into wonderful biryanis. Also, Indian dishes were garnished with almonds, pistachios, cashews and raisins. India was also introduced to leavened breads by the Muslims. At this time the tandoor oven was created by the royal chefs.
The Indian rotis and the leavened breads were merged into Tandoori Naans. Meats were now marinated in yogurt and spices and also cooked in tandoors. Both pork and beef were avoided to respect the traditions of both cultures. The idea of concluding a meal with sweetmeats was introduced as the Persian rulers loved sweets.
The Muslim influence is felt most strongly in Delhi & Lucknow in the North and Hyderabad in the South. However, local interpretations have significantly modified the original cuisine - The foods of Delhi and Lucknow cumin, coriander, turmeric, cardamom, cinnamon and ground chilies added while mustard seeds, curry leaves, hot chilies, tamarind and coconut milk are added in Hyderabad.
Jainism & BuddhismHinduism, a religion that once sacrificed animals prior to eating them, adopted the principle of ahimsa around the 1st century BC and from then on promoted a vegetarian diet.
PortugalThe food of Goa reflects its long history as a Portuguese colony. Goans eat pork and duck, meats rarely seen outside the area, and use vinegar as a souring agent, a Portuguese legacy. Potatoes were introduced by the Portugese, thereby spawning snacks such as cutlets and batatas.
The Portugese introduced the concept of Chinese fishing boats to Kerala and thereby made fish a staple in Kerala, right upto today.
The word "Vindaloo" actually comes from the Portuguese words for vinegar and garlic
SindhisThe Sindhis, who migrated from Sindh in Pakistan, brought their own cuisine which is popular in Bombay and Gujarat. It is more often meat based. Bombay Duck is the nick name of a seafish, very tasty when curried or fried.
ParsisDhansak, a contribution of the Parsis, is a dish made with chicken or lamb and cooked with generously spiced puree, on a mixture of lentils and vegetables. Dhansak is served in many restaurants of Bombay, specially on Sundays. They also introduced pasta and marzipan !
ChineseIndian food has not been influenced by the Chinese cuisine. However, the Chinese traded with Indiaand bought black pepper in exchange for cookware such as woks, cleavers, plates, and bowls. Evidence to this can be see in the Bohris, a Muslim Gujarat group who found a love in soups which they commonly serve in bowls obtained from China.
MediterraneanThe trade with the Greeks, Egyptians, and Romans in ancient times led to the introduction of saffron, fenugreek and fennel.
BritishSoups and salads were the largest British contribution. It is unclear who drank tea first - The Brits or the Indians. The British introduced the concept of afternoon tea and tableware.
SyrianThere are a bunch of Syrian Christians living on the coast of Kerala. One popular dish with a Syrian influence is "Piralen" - It has chunks of lamb or beef marinated in spices and vinegar, and then sautéed until the sauce becomes a glaze. The dish is then topped with onions, curry leaves, and mustard seeds.
However, the major influence on Indian cuisine was climate and availability of ingredients.
In South India, coconut grows well, therefore the appearance of coconut milk and grated coconut in dishes is not the least bit surprising. Other crops that are used extensively in South Indian cooking, are tamarind, ginger, and curry leaves. In this region, rice is the staple diet.
In Bengal, fish are so common that even some strict Brahmins eat fish, or as the Bengalis call them, jal toori (fruit of the sea).
Even the cooking medium differs as, the north Indians use mustard or vegetable oil, while the south Indians use groundnut or sesame oil. Keralites use coconut oil for almost all the dishes.
