The Taste of India

Ever Wondered what would actually signify as the real “Taste of India”, I am not asking visualize Amul Butter rather try reflecting your thoughts on the varied Demographics of the Ethnically Diverse Indian Subcontinent. But then that would ensure your mind turning into a “Jalebi”.

India over the years has experienced immigration and intermingling resulting in “Cultural Cauldron” which stretches from the deep tropical trees of Kerala to the alpines in Jammu. All of them mixed together and the very concept of “Indian Food” over the years have taken a bad beating. Much to blame are our so called “Mohan Ka Dhabas” who serve “Launch and Diner” (Chineese, Muglai, Conti). I scene that is so common these days all of these “Dhabas” would be (mostly) run by a very welcoming “Punjabi”, the cooking staff would be “oriyas / bihari’s” and the food served by some “Chotus”. All of this would combine to constitute the biggest and most damaging “Culinary Slander” ever prepared. The ones serving “Chinees” food would proudly display their “Chefs”, mostly underage “Nepalese”, as authentic “Chinees” ones, who would prepare “Fried Rice” and “Gobi Manchurian” at speeds which would put “Mac Donald’s” and “Burger King” to shame.

Now “Gobi Manchurian” is not “Indian Food”, not even with the generous helping of “Dhania” and “Haldi” which has been put into it, which makes it not so “Chinees” as well. But then we are still obsessed with “Gobi Manchurian”, a decent bar along with “Kingfisher Premium” or “Kalyani Black Label” would any day serve several “Kilos” of the so called modified “Chinees” version of our “Desi” “Gobi”. But then if not the “True Taste of India” it certainly is the “Most Tasted Ones”. Then there is the “western Influence”. The “Curry & Kadai” people got their first taste of “Western Food” and they no longer wanted “Dahi”, “Yogurt” was the order of the day. “Roti and Parantha” a day dosnt necessarily keep the doctor away, ghee is shunned, we gift chocolates for “Diwali” rather than sweets, kids don’t eat “Kalaa Khatta” any more they prefer “Softees”, pizza sales have sky rocketed (30 minutes nahi to free, the formula guarantees arrival of a pizza earlier than an ambulance) and “Power Lunches” have replaced the “Old Dabbas” (What ever will happen to Milton and Cello). The “Mango People” are not “Aam” any more. The traditional “Khaata Peeta Banda” image has been shunned for “Lean right now is In”.

The point however is not to shun eating outside, please do rising Per Capita Income allows us to do so. But then why the certain complete knowledge catastrophe when it comes to Indian Food. Confusion has lead to we not even realizing what Indian Food actually is. The average Indian does not even know what his fellow countrymen eat in other parts of the country. We up in the north think southern cuisine is all but “idlys, dosas and sambhar”, the ones in south think northern cuisine is basically “Punjabi Food”. When it comes to the northeast we don’t even know what they eat, except for the fact a few of them pose and cook “Chinees” delicacies such as “Gobi Manchurian” and “Fried Rice”. The west seems even more confused and all they know about Indian Cuisine is a dish called “Chicken Tikka Masala”. A Indiana Jones movie (Temple of Doom) even shows Indian eating “Monkey Brains, Chilled Eye Soup even Snakes”. The fault however is not theirs and much blame is ours. The origins of the dish too is not Indian as it was prepared by a “Bangladeshi” chef who whipped up a spicy tomato sauce (one variation has him using Campbell’s tomato soup), poured it over the chicken and created an instant hit.

The convoluted history of the above dish demonstrates the difficulty in trying to identify “Authentic Indian Food”. But to be fair to us “Indians” and our lack of knowledge about our own cuisine is the fact that Indian food has been shaped by millennia of foreign influences, including migrants introducing their traditional recipes; conquerors imposing new palace cuisines; merchants importing unfamiliar plants; and new religions with their own dietary laws. All of the above have resulted in a “Culinary Cooking Pot” found across the sub continent today.

But then a deeper look into the cuisines would show the influences left by the “Persians” and “Portuguese”. While cuisine in northern India is heavily influenced by the “Persians” the “Portuguese” had its influence in “Goa” resulting in dishes such as the “Vindaloo” (Spelt vinho e alho, meaning wine and garlic), Sorpotel and Chourisam. Even the “Pao” served along with “Pao Bhajji” ever so popular in the streets of Bombay” was influenced by the Portuguese who realized the lack of “Yeast” to make bread rise could be overcome by “Toddy” (fermented palm juice). Corn was first introduced in India by the Portuguese allowing the “Punjabis” to make the now famous “Makke ki Roti”. “Chilies”, “Tomatoes” even “Potatoes” were introduced in India by the Portuguese. The Original Taste of India I would suppose was quite bland and uninteresting.

“Meat” was never quite a staple in the Indian food plate and we were more vegetarian. The “Mughal Age” basically allowed a huge inflow of both culture and culinary knowledge from “Persia” into India. Marinating meat to be “Grilled” to make “Kebabs” or other “Kormas” was learnt from the “Persians”. Use of “Garlic” and “Onions” too came into frame during the “Mughal Era”. Best if all thanks to them “Biryani” came into existence. The effect of the “Persians” and “Portuguese” in Indian Cuisine has been immense. The west more so Britain though ruled us all they were able to influence were “Tea, Cutlets and Custard”. All three are now found in plentiful at most “Railway Stations”. Weren’t that popular I would say.

“Indian Cuisine” is too generic a term to describe India’s vast culinary diversity and variety. I explained why we being “Indians” were so confused with our own cuisine, for the rest of the world though the image was made by the narrow range of focus on “Indian Dishes”, which too was served by an Indian who was already confused. The first restaurants (opened again by a humble Punjabi) served dishes as the “Butter Chicken”, “Tandoori Chicken, Kebabs, Rogan Josh etc. The menu however caught on and “Indian Food” outside India thus claimed a more “Punjabi” touch to it. But these were not the food which an average “North Indian” would eat every day. “Chapatis”, “Naans”, “Pooris” were more the staples taken with “Daal”, “Subzies” and “Panner” (notice the vegetarian touch).

The same way as the north the cuisine of the south too were signified from the numerous “Darshinis” (Udipi style restaurants) which opened up. South Indian food is not merely rice, dosa and sambhar. Though rice is the staple here Mouthwatering curries are prepared with a wide assortment of meats, vegetables and are finished off with the traditional tempering of coconut oil fried curry leaves, mustard seeds and dried red pepper.

If borders could be drawn on a imaginary map of “Indian Cuisine” it would be a general one segregating the north from the south. But then there is more to than just north and south Indian cuisine. “Thupkas”, “Momos”, “Khorisa Tenga” (pickled Bamboo), “Baaganjhor Logot Gahori” (pork with bamboo shoots), “Rongalao Aru Haanhor Manxor Jhol” (Duck with Pumpkin) too are a big art of “Indian Cuisine” which hails from the north eastern part of the country. Contrary to popular belief that the cuisine of the north east is heavily influenced by the “Chinese” it is actually influenced by the regions of “Bengal”, “Nepal” and in cases even “Bangladesh”. But then I'm sure apart from the people who cook and eat the above mentioned dishes most of us are not aware about anything on north eastern Indian cuisine.

There is much more to “Indian Cuisine” than what we know about it. Its enough to leave us confused but then that is the fun with India with each place offering a unique cuisine of its own due to the influence of the cultures present there in most cases foreign. As “Madhur Jaffrey” puts it “No foreign food was discarded. It was just made Indian”.

So as the world samples “Chicken tikka Masala” and while “Pizza Hut” dresses its pizzas with “Tandoori Chicken” let us “Indians” try and experience “Indian Cuisine” in a way never done before. Let’s shun the “Fried Rice” and “Gobi” and try out “Rongalao Aru Haanhor Manxor Jhol” instead, lets dump the cola for a “Sherbet”, have your ice cream alone with a “Jalebi”, try out a “Kulfi” , have a “Paan” instead of a stupid mouth freshener.

Let’s start discovering our country through our STOMACHS, the “Real Taste of India” lies in there itself.