Asian Recipes Online

THREE THOUSAND YEARS OF TRADITION AND CHANGE ARE REFLECTED IN THE CUISINE OF THE SUBCONTINENT

INDIA HAS IT ALL, THEY SAY - FROM PALM-FRINGED BEACHES TO DESERT, AND BUSTLING CITIES AND TO SMALL ONE-OX TOWNS. THIS IS ALSO THE LAND THAT GAVE RISE TO TWO OF THE WORLD'S MAJOR RELIGION, BUDDHISM AND HINDUISM.

COOKING AND EATING INDIAN CUISINE IS A DISCOVERY OF THE CULTURE, THE RICH VARIED HISTORY AND THE SPICY TREASURES OF THIS FASCINATING LAND.

BACKGROUND

The Indus Valley civilization, one of the oldest in the world, goes back at least 5,000 years. Aryan tribes from the northwest invaded about 1500 B.C.; their merger with the earlier inhabitants created the classical Indian culture. Arab incursions starting in the 8th century and Turkish in 12th were followed by European traders beginning in the late 15th century. By the 19th century, Britain had assumed political control of virtually all Indian lands. Nonviolent resistance to British colonialism under Mohandas GANDHI and Jawaharlal NEHRU led to independence in 1947. The subcontinent was divided into the secular state of India and the smaller Muslim state of Pakistan. A third war between the two countries in 1971 resulted in East Pakistan becoming the separate nation of Bangladesh. Fundamental concerns in India include the ongoing dispute with Pakistan over Kashmir, massive overpopulation, environmental degradation, extensive poverty, and ethnic and religious strife, all this despite impressive gains in economic investment and output.

ECONOMY

India's economy encompasses traditional village farming, modern agriculture, handicrafts, a wide range of modern industries, and a multitude of support services. Overpopulation severely handicaps the economy and about a quarter of the population is too poor to be able to afford an adequate diet. Government controls have been reduced on imports and foreign investment, and privatization of domestic output has proceeded slowly. The economy has posted an excellent average growth rate of 6% since 1990, reducing poverty by about 10 percentage points. India has large numbers of well-educated people skilled in the English language; India is a major exporter of software services and software workers. The poor monsoon of mid-2002 has reduced agricultural output substantially.

THE INDIAN KITCHEN & TABLE

The Indian kitchen is a place of surprising simplicity. It has a stove, usually heated by charcoal, and a few implements such as the kadai, a wok-like utensil, straight-sided pots and pans. The range of spices in an Indian kitchen however, is hard to beat in terms of color and aroma - from the sweetness of cumin and coriander to the pungency of turmeric. Spices in India embraces dried seeds, bark, flowers, leaves and chilies. This may be used dried or fresh, roasted, ground or put into hot oil to expand their flavors. Certain spices are used only with meat since they can overpower the more delicate seafood and vegetable dishes. Others such as cardamom, saffron and cinnamon are also used.

At the heart of Indian cuisine is spice. The use of spice in India was recorded in the Sanskrit texts more than three thousand years ago. Walk into any Indian home at meal time or into a good restaurant and you will be engulfed by a wave of heavenly aromas. So great was the importance of spices for seasoning, as preservatives and as medicine that the search for their source pushed the Europeans into the Age of Exploration in the 15th century.

Any combination of spices is referred to as a masala. The most widely used is garam masala, a fragrant combination of cinnamon, cloves, black pepper and cardamom, with the optional addition of nutmeg, mace and saffron. The spices are then combined with fresh rhizomes and leaves such as ginger, garlic, turmeric, mint and chilies. All Indian food is served with either bread or rice, or both. In the North bread are commonplace; in the South, rice is the staple.

Food is generally served on a banana leaf or a stainless steel thali. Washing the hands before meals is an important ritual since Indians generally use their fingers to eat. A small straw mat is placed for sitting and the thali or banana leaf is laid in front of the mat, either on the floor or on a low stool. The thali contains all the courses of the meal, but there is usually an order in which the food is eaten. The first mouthfuls of rice are eaten with ghee or chutney and spicy additives. Dal is served with a variety of dry-cooked vegetables seasoned with different spices and garnishes. Pappadums and relishes are replenished, as are the dal and rice. The best portions of fish or meat are always offered to the guest.

The sweets, which is milk-based , completes the meal, although in the South it is followed by rice with curds or butter milk which are believed to soothe the stomach after a spicy meal. A very Indian end to a meal is the betel leaf and its seasonings or paan. The leaf is chewed along with a slice of areca nut, a dab of slaked lime and a smear of katha paste (a wood extract). The act of chewing of the betel leaf can mean many thing; hospitality, moral and legal commitment, a digestive, and a fitting end to the remarkable hospitality displayed during the meal.

More recipes, cooking tips and humor is available through the FREE subscription of our weekly recipe e-zine, The Asian Cafe.