Many of India's foods go back as far as five thousand
years. The Indus Valley peoples, who settled in what is now northern Pakistan,
hunted turtles and alligator. They also collected wild grains, herbs and plants.
Many foods and ingredients from the Indus period (c. 3000–1500 B.C.) are still
common today. Some consist of wheat, barley, rice, tamarind, eggplant and
cucumber. The Indus Valley peoples cooked with oils, ginger, salt, green
peppers, and turmeric root, which would be dried and ground into an orange
powder.
Indians have used leafy vegetables, lentils, and milk products such as yogurt and ghee all along their history. They also used spices such as cumin and coriander. Black pepper which is native to India was often used by 400 A.D. The Greeks brought saffron and the Chinese introduced tea. The Portuguese and British made red chilli, potato and cauliflower popular after 1700 A.D. Mughals, who began arriving in India after 1200, saw food as an art and many of their dishes are cooked with as many as twenty-five spices. They also used rose water, cashews, raisins and almonds.
Staples and common ingredients
Chapati, a type of flat bread from the former regions, is a common part of meals to be had in many parts of Indian subcontinent. Other staples from many of the cuisines include rice, roti made from atta flour, and beans.
Foods in this area of the world are flavoured with various types of chilli, black pepper, cloves, and other strong herbs and spices along with the flavoured butter ghee. Ginger is an ingredient that can be used in both savory and sweet recipes in South Asian cuisine. Chopped ginger is fried with meat and pickled ginger is often an accompaniment to boiled rice. Ginger juice and ginger boiled in syrup are used to make desserts. Turmeric and cumin are often used to make curries.
Common meats
include lamb, goat, fish and chicken. Beef is less common than in Western
cuisines because cattle have a special place in Hinduism. Prohibitions against
beef extend to the meat of (water) buffalo and yaks to some extent. Pork is
considered as a taboo food item by all Muslims and is avoided by most Hindus,
though it is commonly eaten in Goa. A variety of very sweet desserts which use
dairy products is also found in South Asian cuisines. The main ingredients to
South Asian desserts are reduced milk, ground almonds, lentil flour, ghee and
sugar. Kheer is a dairy based rice pudding, a popular and common
dessert.
Indians have used leafy vegetables, lentils, and milk products such as yogurt and ghee all along their history. They also used spices such as cumin and coriander. Black pepper which is native to India was often used by 400 A.D. The Greeks brought saffron and the Chinese introduced tea. The Portuguese and British made red chilli, potato and cauliflower popular after 1700 A.D. Mughals, who began arriving in India after 1200, saw food as an art and many of their dishes are cooked with as many as twenty-five spices. They also used rose water, cashews, raisins and almonds.
Staples and common ingredients
Chapati, a type of flat bread from the former regions, is a common part of meals to be had in many parts of Indian subcontinent. Other staples from many of the cuisines include rice, roti made from atta flour, and beans.
Foods in this area of the world are flavoured with various types of chilli, black pepper, cloves, and other strong herbs and spices along with the flavoured butter ghee. Ginger is an ingredient that can be used in both savory and sweet recipes in South Asian cuisine. Chopped ginger is fried with meat and pickled ginger is often an accompaniment to boiled rice. Ginger juice and ginger boiled in syrup are used to make desserts. Turmeric and cumin are often used to make curries.
| Some of the common spices of this region |
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