RARE INDIAN FOOD
RARE INDIAN FOOD
“Indian food is the
reflection of the heritage of its people.
It represents its historical development, religious beliefs, cultural
practices, and above all, its geographical attributes”
ABOUT THE INDIAN CUISNE, ITS GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATION AND THE
EXTENT THE CULTURE EFFECTS THE FOOD
Characterized by its
aromatic, captivating fragrances and intriguing flavors.India, Pakistan,
Bangladesh, Burma, and Sri Lanka were one part of the single nation of India,
in Indian Subcontinent.
North most Part of India
(Highland climate), valley of Kashmir with magnificent Persian gardens and
terraced lakes, brisk, cool fresh air is lured with fragrance of pine and
saffron flowers. Walnuts and fruit
orchards, morels and black cumin seeds grow wild, cool climate for sheep, thus
lamb forms the bases of many Kashmiri dishes.Long grain rice known as Basmati
grow in the foothills of the mountain.
Northern plains, irrigated by the great rivers of Indus and Gonges,
with soil extreme climate variation, fierce heat (120F) to subfreezing cold
with dry chilly winds, wheat, corn, millet, barley, and innumerable variety of
legumes and vegetable flourish.Clarified butter used as cooking oil, goat,
chicken are common
Bread is primary staple of the people.
On the east, plains of Bengal
where Ganges flows into the Bay of Bengal. Climate is hot and human.Both freshwater and
sea fish, shellfish, coconut palms, mustard plants are commonRice is
abundant. Further northeast, cool air
and seasonal rains create ideal conditions for cultivating tea (Darjeeling tea)
ext-align:
justify'>Bread is primary staple of the people.
Great Deccan plateau lined on
both sides by a chain of hills known as Ghat.
Poor soil, lack of irrigation restrict agriculture. Northwest of
Deccan lies Gujarat, rich soil for cotton, millet, barley, legumes, and
varieties of vegetables.Bread is staple, vegetarian population uses lentil
purees and vegetable cooked in sesame oil are common food.
To the northwest is Maharashtra,
Goa and Malabar, tropical climate and monsoon rains, wet and humid. Rice is staple, dish (white non-oily fish
called Pomfret and a small transparent fish called Bombil is sun-dried and sold
as wafers), variety of shellfish (prawn, shrimp, crab, lobster, clams, and
mussels), banana, palm (coconut, dates)Common food: coconut and rice cooked
with fish and seafood.
Summary of Climate:
Four seasons: dry,
cool winter (Dec-Feb)
Dry, hot summer
(Mar-May)
Southwest monsoon
(June-Sept)
Retreating monsoon
(Oct-Nov)
Cultural: Hindu
81.3%; Islam 12%, Christian 2.3%, Sikhism 1.9%; others: Buddihist, Jainism, and
parsis 2.5% total
Religion’s
influence on people’s food and eating habits is profound
Originated from
India: Hinduism (no beef), Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism (no beef). Moslem (no pork) was brought to India 900
years ago, second largest population there in the world.
Invasion of new
cultural is most influential in north.
Natural barriers and long distance made migration to the south slow and
infrequent.
Certain Hindus
(Brahmins and Jains) are strict vegetarians.
Meat forbidden are red meat, poultry, fish, shellfish, eggs, and their
products
Certain strict
vegetarians won’t eat food that resembles meat, such as tomatoes, red beets,
and watermelon because of their flesh like color. Neither do they use seasonings that are
strong and generally associated with the cooking of meat, such as garlic and
onion.
COOKING
STYLE
u
North India has the most popular and refined
style of cooking. Originated from
Moghuls in sixteenth century. There are
Turk-Mongols by origin and Moslem by religion.
They admire most culture is Persian since they are influence by it on
their way to India.
u
Moghul food: lovers of nature and food life,
keen sense of beauty, and a passion for elegance. Good for meat preparations and rice pilafs,
delicate flavorings and superb silk sauces (often mistaken for Persian dish).
u
Yogurt, cream, fruit and nut betters are
incorporated into the food to mellow and velvetize the sauces
u
Mild but fragrant spices: cinnamon, cardamom,
mace, nutmeg and clove; saffron (especially in rice pilafs)
The foundation of Indian cooking rests on the flavorings of spices
and herbs, not on special techniques or expensive ingredients
•
It is an art than a science, highly
personalized, reflecting individual tastes.
•
Knowledge of how to use spices and herbs is the
key that will unlock the secrets of the Indian cooking
•
Some herbs and spices for aromatics, some lend
coloring, others as souring agents, some give a hot taste, others thicken or
tenderize a dish
•
The role of spices and herbs goes far beyond
pleasing the palate and soothing the senses.
They are medicinal properties known to ancient Indian (preventive and
curative powers)
•
Example: North Indian appetizer is always
sprinkled with black salt and lemon juice, both of which are known for
stimulating the appetite and increasing blood circulation.
SOME OF THE LOST INDIAN TREASURES
THAT NOW RARELY
ULUNDHU KALI
Its one of the very health dishes, given to girls during
puberty in villages in earlier days. Its traditionally eaten with jaggery and
gingely oil. This dish is considered to be a store house of proteins. This dish
used to be very popular in Sri Lanka too.This dish has died a slow death over
the years.
Urad dal is known for its rich in fiber content and hence enhances digestion
and it is helpful in reducing cholesterol. This Kali has been given to girls
who have reached puberty also during pregnancy to give the strength to bones
and muscles. Kali is a easy to digest food.
MURGH ZAMIN DOS
•
A light pounded complete chicken is marinated in
yogurt, cardamom, saffron and almonds. Which is wrapped in an
Awadhi/Mughlai bread called Rumali roti which is like a translucent layer. Then
the bread is sealed with mud to ensure the chicken is locked inside, later it
is placed in a slightly bigger earthen pot. A larger size pot would only create
more vacuum and hence would need more cooking time, so remember to choose the
size that just fits the chicken in it.
•
The pot’s mouth is then sealed with mud and left
in a dying tandoor or a very slow controlled temperature tandoor. If it is a
normal high temperature or a live tandoor, it would only cook the outer layer
of chicken leaving the inside partially raw. The same is the case with French
Sous-Vide where food is packed in vacuumed plastic bags and dropped in water
filled vessed and cooked for hours for an even cook.
TARGOLA
•
A type of palm fruit that grows in
clusters, targola or taal has a stiff brown exterior and a
jelly-like interior. On cutting open, each fruit has jelly-like segmented seeds
with a soft off-white skin that darkens to a light brown when exposed
to air. Removing the thin skin can be tiresome, but the effort is well worth it.
A cooling treat in the hot summer season, biting into a targola releases the
refreshing sweet juice that resides in the center of each segment. The fruit is
also used to make toddy, a local alcoholic beverage.
•
Grown in: Tamil Nadu, Andhra
Pradesh, Maharashtra, Goa, and Kerala.
AMBARELLA
•
Also called wild mango, a ripe ambarella
has the puckering acidity of an unripe mango and the gentle sweetness of
pineapple. Ambarellas can be enjoyed in every imaginable form: as a
juice, as a pickle, as flavouring in fruity cocktails, and as simple slices,
sprinkled with salt and red chilli powder.
•
Grown in: Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka,
Maharashtra, and Goa
CHALTA
•
One of the favorite fruits of wild elephants, chalta
thrives in the wet soil and humid atmosphere of swamps and semi-tropical
forests. The knobby grapefruit-sized fruits are yellow-green, and ripen to
get a leathery brown covering. Mildly sweet and acidic in taste, most locals
value elephant apples not for their jelly-like pulp, but rather, their crunchy
outer petals. Unripe fruits are often pickled or used for chutney. Since they
are a major source of food for elephants, monkeys and deer, it is prohibited to
collect them from the core areas of the forest.
•
Grown in: Assam, Kolkata, Bihar, Odisha
and the sub-Himalayan tract from Kumaon to Garhwal.
How did the rare Indian food come in light?
•
After Madhur Jaffrey, one of India’s best-known
food writers, began publishing her recipes in the 1970s, the Indian
cookery-book scene exploded. Hundreds of others have followed suit, offering a
wider view of Indian cuisine and broadly categorising the culinary expertise of
various states under a few categories.
•
Cookery books today tend to focus on India’s
rich culinary heritage at the micro level, featuring cuisines particular to
certain states, such as Rajput (Rajasthan), and even the food of specific
communities, such as the Jains and the Iyengars.
•
These books are being written not just to share
hard-to-find recipes but to preserve heritage that is fast disappearing.
Treasured recipes were once handed down the generations – easy enough when
extended families lived, cooked and ate together. Today, with smaller families
and working parents, writers are scurrying to hunt down, document and preserve
these old recipes.
•
Here are five books that, while not
representative of all of India, offer a cross-section of unique compilations
that go beyond butter chicken and dal tadka.
Kashmiri Cuisine Through the Ages by Sarla Razdan (Roli Books)
The Kashmiris are famous for
their wazwan, the multi-course wedding feast served at banquets comprising
around 36 different dishes, usually featuring meat and chicken. It’s a gourmet
spread that challenges even gargantuan appetites. An elaborate and lovely piece
of pomp, it is rounded off by a cup of kahwah, a green tea flavoured with
saffron, almonds and cardamom. One exotic recipe to get your hands on is al
posh mond – pumpkin flowers dipped into a paste of rice flour and red chillies
and fried until crisp.
Dining with the Maharajas by Neha Prasada and Ashima
Narain (Roli Books)
This extraordinary book on the
culinary traditions of Indian royalty includes 1,000 recipes that have never
been published before, plus trivia: did you know that the chefs of the Patiala
royals boasted more than 140 recipes for pulao, the popular cousin of biryani?
Rampur’s royals used to serve a minimum of 200 dishes at a daawat (banquet).
And the Sailanas had skilled chefs who made “puris” (deep-fried, whole-wheat
puffs) which, when torn open, revealed a live bird.
Savour
Mumbai: A Culinary Journey Through India’s Melting Pot by Vikas Khanna (Westland)
Vikas Khanna, the man behind the
Michelin-starred Junoon in New York – a branch will open soon in Dubai – says
Mumbai played a big role in the evolution of his palate. The variety of recipes
– from chicken cafreal (Goa) to khubani ka shahi tukda (Lucknow) – is a
testimony to the city’s cosmopolitan composition. Khanna also offers interesting
insights into a Mumbaikar’s eating habits. For example, cashews are expensive
and thus used whole in dishes so they are visible to guests.
MISA MACH POORA
If you love seafood, this Mizo
dish is made for you. Misa Mach Poora (or grilled shrimp) is a dish
traditionally made by grilling or roasting the shrimp on banana leaves placed
on hot charcoals. The shrimp is flavoured with local spices and served with
steamed rice. The sheer simplicity of the dish is what makes it so comforting
to the soul.
MACHER DIMER BORA
It is no secret that the Bengalis
are crazy about their fish, and culinary traditions in general. Macher Dimer
Bora is one such Bengali delicacy. These are fried fritters with fish eggs as
the primary ingredient coated in a batter of chickpea flour and spices. This
delightful dish is specifically enjoyed in the monsoon, which happens to be the
breeding season of freshwater fish. Unlike caviar, these fish eggs are all
natural, unprocessed and not at all expensive!
LITTI CHOKHA
Litti Chokha hails from the
heartland of Bihar and has been on our fave food list since eternity. “Litti”
are tight sattu dumplings traditionally baked in clay ovens while “chokha” is a
fiery dip made of brinjal, onions and spices. The dumplings are often doused
with a generous helping of ghee to offset the dryness, while the clay oven
lends the dish a distinct smoky favour. There is something intensely raw and
rustic about this spicy dish that we can’t seem to have enough of.
CHAMANI QALIYA
Chamani Qaliya is a Kashmiri dish
made of paneer (cottage cheese), milk, curd and spices. The gravy is suffused
with delicate flavours of Kashmiri spices, but the real essence of the dish
lies in the utensil it is cooked in. Kashmiris use earthenware to give the dish
its unique flavour and aroma.
astic bags and dropped in water
filled vessed and cooked for hours for an even cook.
CONCLUSION
•
INDIA IS A VAST COUNTRY WITH PEOPLE FROM MANY
REGIONS. ITS GREAT BIODIVERSITY IS THE UNIQUNESS IN ITS FOOD. IN EVER 100KMS
THERE WOULD BE A NEW CUISINE AND SOME NEW SPICE AND TRADITIONAL METHODS OF
COOKING.
•
OVER THE DECADE THE CUISINE HAS LOST A LOT OF
ITS CONTENT WHICH IS HIDDEN IN THE SAND.
•
NOW A LOT
OF AUTHORS AND MASTER CHEFS ARE DIGGING IN THE SAND IN SEARCH OF THE LOST GEMS.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
•
THE
GUIDENCE OF MY CHEF ( CHEF HARPREET SINGH FROM THE TAJ MAHAL PALACE MUMBAI)
WHERE I TRAINED.
•
INDIA COOKBOOK BY PUSHPESH PANT
•
INDIAN COOKING BY MADHU JAFFERY
Comments
Post a Comment