India's Diverse Cuisines

As I'd hoped, my Book of Curries & Indian Foods by Linda Fraser, which I've had for ages, contains a succinct explanation of the various influences upon India's cuisine.

In a country with scores of religions, both original and imported, each sect has its own traditions. For example, Muslims and Jews don't eat pork, and Sikhs don't eat beef. Hindus also don't eat beef and, while many are strict vegetarians, others regularly eat fish and shellfish. Plus, "the imaginative use of spices see Indian cooking apart from other cuisines," an assertion by Fraser with which I wholeheartedly agree! But, covering more than a million square miles, topography plays perhaps the biggest role in shaping India's cooking styles.

Even though the book was originally published in 1989, based on what I could find online (here mostly), I think it's still generally accurate and I've inserted extra comments [in square brackets] into the quotations below.

According to the author, "In the north [near Kashmir (populated mainly by Hindus and Buddhists)], where the climate is temperate, sheep are reared - and the dishes are generally cooked slowly in the oven. Traveling south through Delhi and the Punjab [where the Anglo influence is stronger], the diet becomes richer - here they cook mainly with ghee (a clarified butter) and eat both goat and chicken. In these regions, instead of rice, the preference is for breads such as chapatis and parathas."

As you continue to venture further south, the cuisine changes yet again. Fraser continues, "To the east around the Bay of Bengal, there is an abundance of fish from the many rivers and, of course, from the bay itself. Coconut palms grow in the hot and humid climate, so coconut also features strongly in many of their recipes. On the west coast, in Gujarat, the people mainly are vegetarian, eating lots of beans and peas as well as vegetables and in Tamil Nadu in the far southeast, the people are also vegetarian [and change eating habits seasonally, using local produce, like mangoes, when they're freshest. The word "curry" is derived from a Tamil word kari, meaning an additive or side dish to the main course]."

The author concludes her regional assessment of India with, "The humid tropical conditions of the southwest, in Goa and Malabar, mean that date and coconut palms, and banana plants flourish. Here there is also plenty of fish and shellfish [and the food has more international flair, due to the many tourists that visit here]."

Starting tomorrow, I'll begin preparing my dishes, hopefully highlighting the limitless variety of Indian cooking. Stay tuned!