Demystifying Indian Cuisine?

Answer 1

I am an Indian & I agree, it can be overwhelming & confusing! There are lots of spices and tons of ways to combine them. Good Indian cooks are true masters in the art of spice manipulation. Great cooks know how to fix a problem (too much or too little of something).

I suggest trying some very basic Indian recipes at first. The simpler, the better. Once you become comfortable with the spices, spice mixtures and their flavors -- you can try more complicated and complex dishes.

If you want to try Indian food at a restaurant, go with someone who is familiar with Indian food.

I guarantee, you will enjoy it either way!

Please visit these websites:

http://www.fatfreekitchen.com/hindinames-spices-pictures.html

http://www.bellaonline.com/site/indianfood

Answer 2

Indian food is varied, delicious, healthy and easy to cook
One country, more than forty languages and roughly 1600 dialects! India is diverse to say the least and its languages are just one aspect of this diversity. Every state has its own traditions, culture, lifestyle, food…. It is ironic then, that when the rest of the world thinks of Indian food, the one word that comes to most minds is ‘curry’. This is perhaps the greatest understatement ever as ‘curry’ does not begin to sum up the amazing variety that is to be had in Indian cuisine. Not only does every state have its own style of cooking, even individual households differ in their preparation of the same dish. Most have their own secret recipes for the powders and pastes that form the backbone of the dish. What unifies all Indian dishes is the spices that bring them their characteristic fragrance and flavor.

Answer 3

What is that to demystify in Indian cuisine, have any one wonder why the Indian cuisine is so cheap & crap compare to French, Italian or even Chinese. I am Indian and love Indian food but wonder why it is co cheap and crapy in terms of presentation. Can we think of better ways to improve is image and quality.

Yes I am Indian and that doesn't mean that I have to lie. Eveyone knows that you can get a Indian meals no more than US 5 dollars. Try buying Abalone or Foie Gras!!!

Answer 4

Indian food is varied, delicious, healthy and easy to cook
One country, more than forty languages and roughly 1600 dialects! India is diverse to say the least and its languages are just one aspect of this diversity. Every state has its own traditions, culture, lifestyle, food…. It is ironic then, that when the rest of the world thinks of Indian food, the one word that comes to most minds is ‘curry’. This is perhaps the greatest understatement ever as ‘curry’ does not begin to sum up the amazing variety that is to be had in Indian cuisine. Not only does every state have its own style of cooking, even individual households differ in their preparation of the same dish. Most have their own secret recipes for the powders and pastes that form the backbone of the dish. What unifies all Indian dishes is the spices that bring them their characteristic fragrance and flavor.

Unity in diversity

In North India chillies, saffron, milk, yoghurt, cottage cheese and ghee (clarified butter) are hot favorites while in the South, folks love pepper, tamarind and coconut and will often even cook in coconut oil. Those in the East love all things mustard and fish while the extremely cosmopolitan West Indians have so adopted western ingredients that their style can quite easily be called fusion.

The common factor, you ask? Indians love their food. It plays a huge part in the country’s culture with festivals all having their own special dishes and certain foods being auspicious or even taboo on certain occasions. Food is a big deal! Even everyday meals are mostly sit-down affairs and comprise of two to three main course dishes, accompaniments like pickles, chutneys and papadums, staples like rice and roti (bread), all rounded off with something to satisfy the sweet tooth! Cooking for and sharing a meal with a guest is the ultimate sign of hospitality. While most people think Indians are largely vegetarian, Indian cuisine comprises of a dazzling array of meat, chicken and fish dishes!
Delicious and healthy too!

While some Indian food is traditionally packed with ingredients like oil and ghee that most of us avoid for health reasons, there is almost no comparison anywhere in the world to the vast variety of fresh fruit and vegetable dishes that form part of its repertoire. As such there is no reason why even the most waistline-conscious among us cannot enjoy good Indian cuisine. The keywords though are ‘in moderation’.
Spicing things up

‘Curry’ is synonymous with Indian food and ‘curry powder’ is thought of as its key ingredient. This all-important powder is actually a mix of spices collectively known as garam masala and is added to dishes along with other spices to enhance their flavor and aroma. While the basic ingredients used are the same, each household has its own proportions so that the end result will often differ from home to home. The better the quality of the ingredients, the tastier the garam masala and the resulting dish in which it is used. Most Indians still prefer to prepare their own garam masala just prior to cooking. Making your own can seem intimidating if you’re just starting out with Indian cooking, but the recipe (link here) and a good coffee grinder is all it takes! There’s nothing to beat the flavour of fresh garam masala.
Getting organised

Many shy away from trying Indian cooking thinking the ingredients are hard to find. This is no longer a problem since Indian spices can be bought in most supermarkets and what can’t be had there is always available in specialist Indian or Asian grocery stores. Most Indian food does not even require special cooking utensils so there’s no need for those starting out to buy too many things.

As with all other cuisines, Indian food too is all about finding what works best for you. Never fear to experiment with spices and try your own blends. Recipe calls for four red chillies and you think you can handle more? Go for it! Enjoy!

Answer 5

okay i dont really have an answer to ur question cuz i dont really know wat ur asking but that first guy who answered your question..his id was Cakebread or some **** like that..he has NO idea wat the hell he's talkin about..

first of all indian cuisine is NOT cheap. I wonder where he gets his indian food from .. unlike you mister/ms. we get our food at some nice restaurants, not some crappy "dhaba" that you're probably referring to when you're callin indian cuisine "cheap"

second of all, wht the hell do you mean by "indian food's crap compared to french, italian or even chinese?" Every type of cuisine is unique in its own way so just comparing diff types of cuisines shows how ignorant you are ..jackass

third of all, if you're indian and if you love indian food then stop calling it crappy and stop dissin it..if you really liked it, you'd root for it..i mean sure there may be a few dishes you may dislike..but slamming the whole indian cuisine when the chances are you have probably tried 0.5% of all the indian cuisines is foolish and dumb of you..so since no one values your idiotic opinion, stop giving them one

lastly, like i said, i don't know what restaurant you go to that presents your food in a "crappy" way in terms of presentation but indian food can be presented in such a magnificent and delicious way that would make you wanna just jump in there...do you know how creatve indian people are with their food? have you not been to india recently? i mean dude look at the way they decorate their sweets..it's just superb..

oh and i've seen chinese "cuisine" ( i dont even know if i wanna call it "cuisine" cuz it looks like just 'crappy food' to quote mr/ms cakebread) and chinese food is sooooo bad..yuck..comparing indian cuisine to chinese food is a huge insult in of itself

anyways..stop bashing indian food and callin it crappy just because you've probably visited the cheapest restaurants out there and cuz you're ignorant


Oh and by the way..that the second guy and the third girl..wat's up with them having the same first paragraph? are they gettin their information from some website or something? lol that looks so stupid ..seems as if she like copied his first paragraph and then went on n on

Answer 6

Indian food is varied, delicious, healthy and easy to cook