Indian cuisine is a meta-identity, formed by the coming together of ‘mini-cuisines’ from all over the country. Consequently, it inspires extreme emotions from people who have grown up eating spectacular home food staple to their place of origin. It isn’t unusual to find a Tamilian despair over lack of decent sambar in Delhi or a UP purist scoffing at fast food kebabs. Exploring the various influences and ingredients in Indian food makes for a fascinating (and long) journey.
In Gujarat, familiar offerings such as kadhi and daal tend to have a comparatively sweet flavour due to the reliance on jaggery to counter the saltiness that permeates the coastal state. For balance, some coastal ingredients are used as seasoning, especially lime, tamarind and kokum - a plant native to the Western Ghats. Kokum also features in the Konkani cuisines of Goa and coastal Maharashtra. Sol kadhi, a uniquely Konkan twist on the conventional kadhi comes loaded with sour kokum. In Varadi cuisine, found in the Vidarbha district of Maharashtra, the unique goda masala rules along with bhakri - a coarser roti made of jowar, bajra and other millets found in this dry, drought-prone region.
In Rajasthan, the cuisine has developed to help sustain oneself in the inhospitable climate. In the desert belt (Jaisalmer, Barmer and Bikaner), milk, buttermilk and ghee are given noticeable preference in cooking methods over the scarcely available water. Oil-based dishes and use of chillies as seasoning are still prevalent as they reduce the need of water and preservatives.
In Madhya Pradesh, the fiery Malwa cuisine of the erstwhile kingdom of Malwa still survives. With a legacy rooted in the royal kitchens of Indore, Gwalior and Ratlam, this cuisine is rich in ingredients such as saffron, nuts and dried fruits. The Afghani influences grow stronger as one approaches the Bhopal region and find their peak in the Mughlai cuisine of the northern plains. This cuisine derives its richness from dried fruits and nuts and aromatic spices such as nutmeg.
Further north, the pahari cuisine of Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand makes extensive use of lentils, rice and pulses in their meat preparations as fruits and vegetables are not widely available. Kashmiri cuisine, meanwhile, is marked by the ample use of spices like cinnamon, cardamom, cloves and saffron, which is native to the region.
As one moves to the east, rice begins to dominate the plate. In Bengal, the use of panchphoron – a collection of white cumin, mustard, fennel and fenugreek seeds - is almost sacrosanct. Sweets - the biggest culinary export of eastern India - are mostly made using milk and dairy products. Exotic vegetables such as dhekia, the citrusy fragrance of lime and lemon and the sweet smell of native rice species make Assamese dishes taste quite distinct from its neighbours’.
Turning south, one can catch the aroma of a variety of spices. Andhra cuisine, believed to be among the hottest in the country, makes extensive use of chillies, tamarind and coconut. The neighbouring Telangana, in comparison, shows more Mughlai influences. The Chettinad cuisine of Tamil Nadu keeps up the fiery trend with its Chettinad masala - made of locally found spices such as milagai (red chillies), star anise, fennel, bay leaf etc.
Kerala’s cuisine, as one would expect from the Land of Spices, makes considerable use of black pepper, cardamom, clove, ginger, and cinnamon. Tamarind is frequently used in north Kerala, where sour sauces and gravies are highly popular. Grown in abundance, coconut is used as a thickening and flavouring agent, while rice and tapioca are the main starchy ingredients in Malabari cuisine of coastal Kerala.
As we circumnavigate India looking for culinary influences, a set of common ingredients appears again and again. Staples like rice, atta and daal as well as spices like chilli, pepper, cardamom and ginger are combined in multiple ways for diverse results. Golden Harvest now brings to Indians all over the country these fresh and truly Indian ingredients that will enable anyone to capture the essence of home in their cooking, no matter where in the country they may be. As a Rs 1000+crore brand from Future Consumer Ltd., Golden Harvest understands like no one else that that there is no feeling like that of bhar pet pyaar i.e. a full stomach, satisfied with the food you love, made with love. Available at all Big Bazaar, Easyday, Nilgiris and Foodhall stores, the Golden Harvest range comprises 70 varieties of rice (basmati, sona masoori, ambemohar and more), 10 varieties of chillies and chilli powders, 40 different spices, 25 kinds of flours, 50 varieties of pulses, 25 varieties of other cereals and 20 kinds of sugar, salt and jaggery! Fancy Hyderabadi Biryani or pulao, Punjabi dal or sambhar, Golden Harvest has all you need to cook up a feast.
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This article was produced by the Scroll marketing team on behalf of Golden Harvest and not by the Scroll editorial team.
This is a partnered post with Golden Harvest.