INDIAN REGIONAL CUISINE

Kashmir is in the north west of India. It is mantled in the venerated Himalayas. When Indians think of beauty, Kashmir is one of the first thoughts. The food in Kashmir is a mixture of Indian, Iranian & middle eastern styles. This fusion gave rise to the traditional "Wazawan" style of cooking which is cooked in a lot of spices. The aroma that arises from the food is highly sensuous and very woody and symbolizes the true essence of Kashmir. The population comprises mainly of Moslems or "Brahmins" or "Kashmiri pundits" who also eat meats but surprisingly do not include onions & garlic in their food. Yogurt is an essential ingredient, used extensively in Kashmiri food. Saffron from Kashmir is a scarce commodity but a prized spice. The descendants of cooks from Samarkhand, the Wazas, are the master chefs of Kashmir. Their ancestors came to India with Timur in the 15th century. The ultimate formal banquet in Kashmir is the royal Wazawan. Composed of thirty-six courses, easily fifteen and thirty can be preparations of meat, cooked overnight by the master chef, Vasta Waza, and his assistants. Communal eating is a tradition and upto 4 people share food from one plate called the Trami. Meal begin with a ritual washing of hands in basins called Tash-t-Nari. Then the Tramis arrive, heaped with rice,and laced with the many courses that follow. Condiments (Chutneys and Yogurt) are served separately in earthenware. New Tramis keep coming with new dishes as the meal progresses. To Kashmiri Pundits, eating is a sacred tradition. Some dishes are a must in most any dinner. Rogan Josh, Gushtaaba, Aab Gosht and Rista are a few of them. Most all meals end with Gushtaaba.

Punjab is in the north of India. The food of Punjab is rich in texture & taste. Indian cuisine owes the popularity of Tandoori foods to the people of Punjab. Tandoori chicken as we see today comes from Punjab. The food is usually rather rich and laced in ghee, butter and cream. Like many other regional cuisines, Punjabi food has seen a fusion of its own. Being on the frontier, it saw many invasions and many different people coming in. Each of these people have left their own influence on the people of Punjab and their food. This cuisine has taken the best of all the food styles and combined them to make another great cuisine. This food has become so popular in India that often when people think of Indian food they are talking about Punjabi food. People are drawn to the delicious aromas of these thick luscious gravies and the delicious breads that accompany them. Punjabis live a very full life and to them food is one of the most important ritual. In India it often seems like no one knows how to enjoy life as much as the people of Punjab.

The grand desert of India. Rajasthan is located in the north. It's people are some of the most majestic ones seen in India. They are known as the descendants of the sun god. The desert has made their lived very different from those of their other countrymen. The life they live is evolved after centuries of surviving the natural calamities known of a desert. Just as they have done with their folk arts and crafts, recipes have been passed down generationally and have only become familiar to others recently. The many wars that have been fought here and the scarce natural resources have played a very important role in shaping the cuisine of this land. The food was prepared to nourish people that were fighting wars and were away from their homes for long periods. The recipes found here are thus able to keep long shelf lives. Also the desert climate has seen the evolution of recipes that call for minimum water. Often one sees the use of yogurt, buttermilk, milk and ghee. The flavors that these people have shared with the rest of the country have taught lesson in seasoning. No matter what the adversities, these people never compromised on taste and flavor. The foods were cooked in accordance to what was available and that scarcity never changed the grandiose lifestyle of its people. They were able to change their adversity into a strength.

Bengal is in the Mideast of India. Irrigated by the waters of the Ganges and the rich alluvial soil, this is a very fertile land. Bengal's culinary tradition's are based on the rich selection of produce, grains and sea food. Rice is a staple of the diet. The Brahmins of Bengal often eat fish and call it the fruit of the sea. The cuisine of Bengal is very different from most other parts of India. Many different immigrant communities settled in Bengal. They found a very willing community of neighbors and hosts. There has been a very strong sense of cultural exchange between the natives and the immigrants. But for the most part the people of Bengal have remained very pure in regards to their culinary habits and traditions. It is believed that Bengali's are still cooking food in accordance to what was dictated in the Bhagwad Gita. Their curries or gravies are usually mustard based. Panch Phoron (Bengali 5 Spice Mix) a combination of whole spices is used as a special flavoring for most dishes. One sees great integration in Bengali cuisine with regards to vegetables that came into India only in the 16th century. Potatoes, chilies, tomatoes have all become a part of the staple diet. Indians can never end a meal without dessert. Famous for their very sweet tooth, second only perhaps to the Moroccans, Indians regard Bengali Mithai (Bengali Desserts) as some of the best known in India.

Maharashtra is a Midwestern state of India. The name literally translates to "Great State". It has given birth to many freedom fighters and nationalists. A very diverse state in its geography, it has on its west the rain drenched western ghats that skirt the Arabian Sea and to the north it enjoys part of the great Deccan plateau. Earthy men and women give this state a very simple and yet vibrant feel. The range of food found in this state is breathtaking and a tickling of all of ones senses. Heavy on spices, the food here is also generous in its use of garlic and ginger. This cuisine is known for its many varieties of stuffed vegetables, cooked in very little oil or liquid. As one travels the coast one partakes in a rich journey into the much fabled world of Indian seafood. Many street foods and snacks are credited to this state.

A midwestern state of India. Gujarat is the home state of Mahatma Gandhi. Gujarat is a dry state and also mostly vegetarian. The cooks of Gujarat have mastered the art of Indian vegetarian cooking. With some effort and tons of love for their culture, these cooks have made a mostly vegetarian cuisine, one of great richness and full of many mouth-watering dishes. One never missed eating poultry, meat or fish. A subtle blend of flavors, textures and spices, Gujarati cooking is not unlike the lives of its people. Also unique to Gujarat is the use of sugar in savory recipes. There are mainly three regions that form the state of Gujarat. Each of these has their own identity in the culinary landscape that makes Gujarat. Surat in the south of Gujarat is most famous for the many curries and gravies that exalt Gujarati cooking. Undhiya, is but one of the many famous dishes that come from Surat. It is said of Surat that "Surat nu jaman, te Kaashi nu maran". Which literally translates as "one must first make a haj to Surat to eat and then leave for Kaashi to die in peace". Ahmedabad a bustling city, is known for the many snack like dishes that make ones mouth water just as you think of them. Dhoklas, dhebras and theplas come from this city in central Gujarat. Kathiawar that is often romanced as a town as lush as a river of cream is famous for its dairy and its pickles. Recipes that have been mostly handed down generationally are today still as rich as they were many centuries ago. As one would see in any coastal state, Gujarat has seen many people make their land also their own. We see in many recipes today, improvisations that have given yet another unique flavor to this regions foods. Classic recipes are just as loved as others that have seen some changes. It is the love and respect for what is natural and what belongs to this region, that has kept the culture vibrant and radiant.

Delhi reinvented itself every time a dynasty took over what was loosely called India. Delhi goes back to the days of the Mahabharata. It is a chapter from this great book that is called the Gita. One realizes after studying that text how important food has been to this region. When I was growing up Delhi was a union territory. It was to India what Washington DC is to the United States. Since I moved here, Delhi is now a state within the republic of India. Having been the capital of many different dynasties, there is no one community that can call Delhi theirs. The same is true for its food. In Delhi one finds foods from all over India. Also in Delhi one sees a fusion of foods old and new and one sees the true melting of many cultures, people and cuisines together. It is a true melting point. A real metropolitan city. Of all the many communities living in Delhi, the food has been influenced most by the Muslim, Bania, Punjabi and the Kayastha community. The Banias are vegetarian and the other three communities enjoyed meat and fish just as much as they loved vegetables. Shahjehanabad was the name of this city before it was called Delhi. The spirit of lavishness and living life like it may end tomorrow is still alive today. Long after the Mughal rule. Street side vendors, tandoori stands, chaat waalas and lavish dinners at homes are still a part of daily life in Delhi. Cocktails, the many tandoori appetizers that are now a part of every famous Indian restaurant are all somehow linked to this region. Delhi has played a very important role in the political and cultural growth of India. The food of Delhi is a fine testament to that very important role.

The Parsis are Zoroastrians. They believe in the preaching of their prophet Zarathushtra. They believe in the one God, Ahura Mazda. They also believe in the natural elements which promote the teachings of that god. Thus they give great importance to the Sun, Wind and Fire. In the late 600s, after the Arabs overthrew the Persian rulers, the Parsis fled to India. They first settled in Gujarat. Soon they moved to Bombay and then to the other coastal town of Calcutta. The Parsis were given a warm welcome in India and were allowed to still practice their religion. They erected Fire Temples for worship and the Towers of Silence where they left the bodies of their dead. In return for this welcome freedom to practice their religion, they gave up eating beef in respect to the traditions of their Hindu rulers who gave them refuge. Parsi food is the amalgamation of all the many techniques of cooking found in the middle east and in India. They married their cooking styles of meats, eggs and sea food with the spices of this land. They maintained all their traditions but also developed a cuisine that has piqued the interest of all Indians. It is just as rich, spicy and varied as all other Indian regional cooking genres.

The Jews of India are a very small community today. They settled in Bombay Cochin and Calcutta. What began as a small trickle in as early as the thirteenth century, became a large immigration in the mid 1800s. India was in the height of British rule and it became easier for the Jews to settle in India. They acted as middlemen in trade between the British, the Arabs and the Chinese. All across the globe one was seeing a heightened acceptance of things new. There was experimentation happening in all fields. Culinary fusion was just as prolific in this period. The introduction to the many tropical vegetables and spices was a fascinating encounter for these immigrants. They embraced most all of these spices and added them to their repertoire and created a Jewish cuisine that became only so much richer. The fusion of the cooking of Baghdad and those of the many Indian regions took place. The earlier part of the last century saw a great high point in the Jewish culture in India. This was true also for the foods of these people. In that last several decades many of these people have emigrated to other parts of the world. Not for any fear of persecution, but simply to pursue another life. The recipes that were created in the first 100 years after they moved to the Indian soil, have remained. They combined the best of the Maharashtrian, Bengali and the southern Indian cooking. Thus Jewish cooking of India was a mix of sweet and sour with spicy and hot. Also common throughout most Indian Jewish cooking is the use of sugar and coconut milk. Like the Parsis, the Jews of India gave up eating beef to show respect for their Hindu neighbors. Some even believed that beef was not kosher. Many non Jewish houses in Calcutta, Bombay and Cochin are still cooking these. And every time these recipes are created, one lives the memories of these people. In fact the cook that worked in the Jewish homes were most sought after. They were most often muslim men who cooked for the Jewish families under the tutelage of the ladies of the homes. In Bombay as also in Cochin and Calcutta, one still is able to find a rare few cooks that belong to that lineage.

A south central state of India, Andhra Pradesh was the wealthiest state of pre-partition India. Hyderabad, the capital of the state is primarily muslim. Before partition it was ruled by 7 nizams. They lived lives that other nobilities would only fantasize about. The nizams reveled in excesses of fine culture and food. Lavish feasts of multiple courses and spread over several days were common place in this rule. Varied and aromatic, the food of this area is a mix of the meat rich cooking of the Muslims and the rice based, vegetable rich foods of the non-Muslim communities. Andhra Pradesh is most famous for their pickles and many chutneys. In Andhra Pradesh one always finds another meal that is hotter. As one gets used to the spiciness of a meal, the next one is made even hotter. Chilies are consumed more here than most other states.

The state of Tamil Nadu is situated on the eastern coast of India. Enriched by the waters of the Bay of Bengal, this state has some of the oldest and most famous of all Hindu temples. Everything about the art and culture of this region is ancient, ornate and Dravidian. Madras which is also called the gateway to southern India is the capital of this state. It is the home to the prized kanjeevaram silk saris and also to the delicious foods known as South Indian food - Dosas, Idlis, uthappams, vadas and many sambhaars. Madras can be called the womb of the famous southern Indian cuisine. Known for its hospitality and for its respect for custom, every meal in a Tamilian home is a celebration. But even as all guests are showered with attention, food and fun, there is never a lavish or ostentatious show. All lifestyle is steeped in tradition. Black pepper, red chilies, cumin, turmeric, coriander, fennel, fenugreek and mustard seeds are some of the many spices that are used daily in these homes. Food and worship are both regarded as traditions that must be performed with respect for that which is ancient, sublime and soothing.

Karnataka is the state west of Andhra Pradesh. Kannada is the classic southern Indian language. The people of this state are very proud of their heritage. Udipi is a town in this state that is famous for its Brahmin cooks. The town is also famous for its Krishna temple. The foods prepared by the Brahmins are first offered to the gods. Udipi chefs travel all over to cook for special religious functions and also for marriages and other celebrations. Strictly vegetarian, Udipi chefs and their cuisine is now famous all across India. In fact there is an Udipi restaurant even in Queens in New York. Dosas (rice and bean crepes) and idlis (rice and bean cakes) are the most famous of their dishes. One sees many spices used in the curries from this area. Black pepper, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves and tamarind are used in abundance. They are grown native to this region. As one travels south towards Kerala, one sees many curries that mantle meat and fish. Coconut is used in all its forms. Coconut oil is used to nourish the hair, coconut water is taken as a nutritive nectar, coconut milk and coconut meat are used in preparing the many curries and chutneys. The coffee grown in Karnataka is a favorite of all Indians. These are the beans used in making the traditional filtered coffee.