Cuisines of India  by india_insideout
 

India is happily remembered by travellers for its wide range of ethnic dishes. The Indian cuisines, which are mostly distinguished depending on the use of vegetables and spices, also offer a huge variety of local cooking styles. As a large percentage of people in India happen to be vegetarians, one can easily find a number of delicacies and food products prepared from milk and milk-products including paneer (cheese), ghee, curd and ghee. The staple food of the Indians comprises mainly rice, wheat and maize. South Indians mostly eat rice whereas wheat is the main food in the northern India including states like Jammu & Kashmir, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Rajasthan, Punjab and Haryana among others.

Apart from the main dishes in India, you'll also find a variety of snacks differing from place to place. Samosa, avada and jalebi sell in India like hot cakes. For an evening meal, these snacks have come to be mandatory. Roadside stalls and dhabas easily cash in on these and many other snacks. In terms of drinks, tea and coffee are something one can never leave home without. Even during office hours, in the evening at home and before going to bed, Indians like to perk up with nice cups of tea and coffee. And to cool the summer days are drinks including nimbu paani, lassi and coconut water.

Coastal areas in India are also famously known for their lip-smacking delicacies. Here, the delicacies are prepared mainly with the use of fish and coconut. Moving to the north-west and the western areas (states like Rajasthan and Gujarat), you are provided with lip-smacking Indian dishes that come along with varities of dals and achaars (pickles). The Tamils (the people of Tamil Nadu) are known widely for using tamarind in their dishes, resulting in an interesting tanginess.

Chapatis, rotis and rice - these at once remind one of the northern India. In this part of India, you are provided with the aforementioned staples along with optional dishes like dals, curries, chutneys, achaar etc. South Indians, as mentioned earlier, have mainly rice-based dishes whereas sambhar, rasam and curries serve as side dishes and add much flavour to the whole course of meals.

Wherever in India you are, you'll notice that spices like coriander, ginger, garlic, cardamoms, turmeric, green/red chillies, cloves and aniseed are used in a number of dishes. Indians are also equally fond of sweets after each of their meals. If available with every meal, they would be happy to indulge their sweet tooth. 

Many customs and traditions are known to be associated with serving of meals. Like in case of Bengalis (the natives of West Bengal), food is serves on banana leaves and you are offered to sit on a short mat on the floor. Indians can also be seen eating their meals sitting on the floor on low stools. Dishes in India are served with much respect.

Needless to say, India is a land of fairs and festivals. Celebrated with much pomp, these festivities bring out the essence of Indian tradition and the amity that the people of the country share among themselves. It is to be noted that almost on each of these occasions there are special dishes to be prepared. By participating in the Indian festivals, you can have delectable preparations like besan halwa (preparation of gram flour, ghee and sugar), motichoor laddoo (sweets prepared with gram flour and milk), kaju katli (sweets prepared with cashew nuts), kheer (preparation of rice and milk), gajar ka halwa (preparation of carrots, milk and dried fruits) etc.
 

Keywords : indian cuisines, dishes in india, cuisines in india
 

About the author : 

I am a travel writer and regularly write on various travel topics. I like to travel and share my travel experiences with others.