Western, Eastern, Northern And Southern Indian Food

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.

India is a large country with plenty of languages and cultures and not surprisingly its cuisines are segregated according to the four geographic regions. In this article we will attempt a brief discussion on the south, north, east and west indian cuisines.

Lets begin with north Indian cuisines. North India is known to have extreme climates and has abundant supply of vegetables and fruits. The food and culture in North India has been partially influenced by Central Asia. North Indians use a lot of cream and Yogurt with a generous sprinkling of nuts and dry fruits. North Indian dishes have some exemplary vegetarian dishes that makes full use of the abundant vegetables found in this region . Rice is not consumed in this region as much as it is in other parts of India. Bread, Rothis and Kulchas are the staple diet in North India. Coriander, red chillies, garam masala and turmeric are the widely used spices here. Tandoori chicken. Punjabi chole, Dal Makhani and Lassi Patial are the popular North Indian dishes and you will find these preparations in almost any party or special occasion.

South India has a lot of coastal areas that receive heaps of rain during the monsoons and so there is no scarcity of crops, fruits and vegetables in this region. Rice is the staple food in this region with bread and rothis being less common. Rasam and Sambhar are the two most popular soups that are mixed in rice and they form the important part of any meal in South India. The food in some southern regions like Andhra Pradesh tends to be very hot and spicy. Commonly used spices in South Indian Curry leaves, chillies, tamarind and mustard. Some examples of the common south Indian snacks are dosa, vada, idli and payasam. Dosa is made from rice and black lentils and is more like the Indianized version of the pancake. It is rich in carbohydrates and proteins and is generally eaten for breakfast. Idli is the thicker version of Indian pancake prepared 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 influenced by the Chinese and Mongolians. East India is renowned for its sweet dishes and the sheer number of dessert recipes in this region is testimony to that. 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 very popular in this region. Sandesh, Momos and Thukpa are popular vegetarian dishes in this region.

West India has a dry and hot weather and the variety of vegetables is limited, but that does not limit the varieties of cuisines, which are plenty. Rajasthani dishes are spicy while Gujurat is renowned for its delicious sweet dishes. Staple food in this region depends on the cuisines and both rice and bread/rothis are consumed equally well.

For additional information on Indian food and in particular the south Indian recipes please visit South Indian Recipes. The web page contains South Indian Food recipes and videos.

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