The Regional Cuisines of India

I have already made a blog on the heterogeneous India but it dealt more with tourism and less with the authentic Indian Cuisines. So, in this blog I’ll shed light on the distinct Cuisines in our nation which we all have heard about but not known completely.

How are Cuisines made?

Every region of India has its own regional cuisine. There are plethora of reasons behind, the predominant one is the diversity in geographic conditions. All the regions in India donot have the same climatic conditions somewhere there is tropical climate whereas somewhere there is temperate climate. The second important reason is the level of rainfall, the cuisines are derived from the agricultural produce so all depends on the centimetres of rainfall as the crops grown in Cherrapunji differ from the crops grown in Ajmer. The third important reason is the traditional influence, In Bengal the maximum population is of Bengalis so the region is influenced by the Bengali food and lifestyle.

Punjabi Cuisine

This Cuisine is very close to my heart.Being a Punjabi girl, I’m totally under the influence of the mouth watery dishes. The most traditional dish of this region is “Makki ki roti and Sarso ka Saag”. Moreover, Punjabis love butter chicken, chole bature and naan. The Language “Punjabi” is also differently spoken in the different regions like Amritsari Punjabi is distinct from the Punjabi spoken in Patiala. The most widely consumed crop is wheat and pulses remain the part of Punjabi diet. There are so many sweet dishes made from the dairy products such as khoye de barfi, Jalebi, Gajar ka Halwa, poora, jaggery rice and so on. Butter milk is the most popular beverage consumed here.

Gujarati Cuisine

Being the great fan of “Jethalal” in “Taarak Mehta ka ooltah chashmah” my love for Gujarati food is also ever lasting. I love the language as well as the food consumed here. Gujaratis eat different type of ‘Shaak’ which they refer to as vegetables like Karela nu Shak, Kerry nu Shak, Methi nu Shaak, Bateta nu Shaak, Tameta Bateta nu Shaak and so on. They are really fond of farsaans ( snacks) like Khandvi, Khaman Dhokla, Jalebi Fafada, Poha, Upma, Bhajiya, laasun Papad and Dabeli. The best vegetable is ‘Undhiyo’ (mix veg) followed by Gujraati kaadhi . Talking about the sweet dishes, Jalebi, gulab jamun, Basundi, Moong Daal ka halwa, Doodhi no Halwa are widely loved.

Bengali Cuisine

Bengalis have always surprised me with their literacy, language, culture and food. I really appreciate the intellectual capacity as they have a wide interest in literature and drama. Every Bengali loves to have Rice and fish being near a coastal area that’s why they are called “Maach Bhaat Bangali”. There menu starts from ‘Shukto’(a bitter preparation) followed by Shaak(leafy vegetables) and curry (lamb curry, mutton curry, fish curry etc). They consume chutneys of mango, pineapple and coconut too. The star is always the dessert when it comes to Bengali food. The famous sweet dishes are Mishti Dohi, Bhapa Dohi, Roshugulla and Sandesh. The spices used by the Bengali people are called ‘Paanch Phoron’.

Maharashtrian Cuisine

They call ‘Poli’ to chapati and for vegetables the word used is ‘Bhaji,’. Koshimbir Salad which is typically a vegetable salad and is really nutritious. They consume Raaitas made from vegetables. The most popular dishes are Puranpoli and Misal Pav. Chivda, Poha and Upma are some of the spiced flattened rice dishes eaten by them. During Ganesh chaturthi various sweet delicacies such as Shrikhand, Modak and laadu are made as ‘Parshaad’.

Rajasthani Cuisine

When I went on a trip to ‘Chaunki Dhani’ I fell in love with this Cuisine it was really love at the first site. Everything was so traditional and for the First time I ate Bajre ka rotla with mango pickle over there. I learnt certain words like‘khamba Gani and Jai Raam ji ki’ everything was amazing. So let’s come to this Cuisine, RAJASTHAN recieves less rainfall and due to which bread dishes are eaten more than the Rice dishes. Apart from this, the common vegetables like potato and cauliflower are rare over that place. The Dry coconut and curry leaves are widely used in dishes. The best dishes are ‘Dal Baati Churma, Ghevar and Pyaaz ki kachori’. They love to have Chaas (butter milk). Pushkar is known for its ‘Malpua’ and Ajmer for its ‘Sonan Halwa’. The best lamb dishes over there are ‘Lal Maas and Safed Maas’.

Jammu and Kashmir Cuisine

In Jammu, kidney beans (Rajma) are very famous. Moreover, in Kashmir the population is basically divided into Kashmiri Pandits and Muslims. Both of them consume non vegetarian dishes because of the cold climatic conditions. The best dish over there is ‘Wazawan’ followed by other dishes like Shaab Deg, Rogan Josh, Modur pulao, Kashmiri bengan and Gosh Taba. The ‘Kahva’(green tea), is the beverage consumed.

South Indian Cuisine

In South India, there are large minorities of Christmas and Muslims. It is also known as the ‘Land of Coconuts’. Rice is abundantly grown over here. In the Malabar coast, pan cakes and rice cakes are very famous. Tamarind and lime are used in sauces. Pickles and chutneys remain the popular accompaniment. Some of the South Indian dishes are:- Puttu (grated rice and coconut), Dosa, Idli, Sambar, Rasam & curd rice(good for digestion). The desserts served are warm payassam is the dessert made with milk and coconut (kheer). During the occasion of ‘Sadhya’ there is a traditional as well as vegetarian feast in Kerala.

Hyderabadi Cuisine

Hyderabad is the capital and the largest City of India. Moving further towards it’s Cuisine, Rice is the staple food of people which made it famous for its Biryanis. This city is under the regional as well as international influence. It is the descendant of Nizam therefore, it has a Mughal influence. Slow cooking is practised here. Some of the best and famous dishes of Hyderabad are ‘Dum Biryani, kachhe gosht ki biryani, Haleem( seasonal dish of wheat and meat served as a starter in muslim weddings) and Sheermal ( bread stuffed with minced meat).

Odia Cuisine

Odia people use less oil and less spices. Staple food is Rice. Traditionally, food is eaten on banana leafs. Yoghurt is used in the dishes and Cheena (cheese) is used in the desserts. The most popular dish is ‘Santula’ which is made of different vegetables, Paanch Phoron and green chillies. Pithas (rice cakes), chicken and mutton are also widely eaten.

There are so many other Cuisines followed by the people of India as well. But I have tried to highlight the famous and the rich cuisines of India. It is really crucial to know about the unique traditions and food items of India which makes it a famous nation in front of foreign countries.