Characteristic products
The Ganges plain is one of the world's most fertile agricultural regions, with a huge rice production, while drought-resistant wheat, millet and sorghum are found in the central and north-western parts of the country. Added to this are a large number of vegetables and starches: potatoes, lentils, beans, chickpeas, eggplants, tomatoes, peppers, squash, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, cucumbers, spinach and okra, with its light zucchini flavour.
Vegetable products play a major role in India. Meat is considered impure by Brahmins, and out of devotion, other Hindu castes have taken to not eating it. Yogis therefore advise against meat diets, which are thought to give an aggressive character, in contrast to vegetable foods and dairy products. The followers of Jainism and Sikhism also eat little or no meat. Among the country's most vegetarian states are Rajasthan (75%), Haryana (69%), Punjab (67%), Gujarat (61%) and Madhya Pradesh (51%).
The maharajas, who were great hunters, were not above eating game. Most meat-based recipes date back to the Muslim invasions of the Middle Ages. They are inspired by the Turco-Mongol and Persian dynasties, which are grouped together under the name of Mughlai or Mughal cuisine. Buddhist populations are generally vegetarian, but there are several schools of thought. In India, cows are sacred to Hindus, but Indian Muslims eat them. Chicken, lamb and goat (sometimes called mutton) are the most popular meats.
Dairy products such as cream, milk, yoghurt and certain cheeses - like paneer, with its soft texture and light taste - are very common. Ghee or clarified butter, which can be stored for several months at room temperature, occupies a symbolic place in Indian homes. Used in cooking, especially on feast days, ghee is also sacred to Hindu religious ceremonies. Ayurvedic medicine attributes numerous curative virtues to ghee, and Indian science has demonstrated its positive effects on cholesterol production.
Indian cuisine would not be the same without countless spices: turmeric, coriander seeds, cardamom, cumin, cinnamon, saffron, ginger, pepper, fenugreek, mustard seeds and, of course, various varieties of chillies, although North Indian cuisine is generally less spicy than in the south of the country. Herbs such as coriander, mint and bay leaf are also widely used.Asa foetida is an aromatic resin with a powerful sulphurous odour. Garam massala, which contains coriander, nutmeg, cinnamon, cumin, fenugreek, mustard, cloves and laurel, among other seeds, is the most common spice blend in North Indian cuisine.
Although hygiene conditions are improving rapidly in India, if possible avoid raw vegetables, which may be washed in dubious water, and unpeeled fruit. Avoid fruit juices cut with water (ask for them without ice cubes) and ice creams sold on the street. Drink only bottled water. Traditionally, people eat with their hands in much of India, although cutlery will be served without any problem. Always use the right hand, the left being considered impure.
Classics of North Indian cuisine
Although the north of the country has its own state-specific specialities, there are dishes that can be found throughout much of the region. One of these is the famous tandoori chicken, cooked in the tandoor, a traditional semi-buried clay oven. This Punjabi specialty consists of chicken thighs marinated in a mixture of yoghurt and spices. Closely related, chicken tikka takes the form of chicken skewers with a similar seasoning, but cut into small pieces and boneless. Other types of kebab are sometimes called "kebab", such as the seekh kebab made with finely spiced minced meat. The kofta takes the form of a minced meatball, but may also contain potato and small vegetables(malaï kofta), all cooked in a spicy yoghurt sauce.
Many dishes in sauce are similar to curries, despite their different local names. In the north, yoghurt and cream are preferred, whereas in the south, coconut milk is more popular. Korma is a meat- or vegetable-based sauce dish from Central Asia, simmered with spices, yoghurt and cashew or almond puree, giving it a creamy texture.
Rice is served at almost every meal, and can even be the main course. Biryani and pulao are two Persian rice recipes. Pulao (pilaf) is cooked by absorption with spices. It is then garnished with meat, vegetables, dried fruit, nuts, etc. Biryani rice is pre-cooked in advance, then piled in layers with meat in sauce, spices, onions, etc., before being either baked or stewed in a saucepan.
Bread is an essential part of a North Indian meal, and even serves as a side dish. A good example is naan, a thick, fluffy wafer containing baker's yeast. Thinner chapatis or roti are made with wholemeal flour. Paratha, which is quite similar, contains oil, giving a fatter patty that can be stuffed with potato(aloo paratha), for example. From southern India, the dosa is a large, thin pancake made with rice, lentil or chickpea flour, while the puri is a crispy puffed pancake.
For those who want a taste of everything, order a thali (assortment). You'll find rice, grilled meat or meat in sauce, simmered vegetables(sabji) and, of course, dal. This spicy lentil compote is an essential part of any Indian meal. It can take several forms: yellow dal (based on yellow lentils), dal mughlai (large lentils with chunks of vegetables), dal makhani (black lentils in a thick butter-based sauce). Sambar is a more liquid sauce made with lentils and vegetables.
And let's not forget samosas, crispy triangular-shaped turnovers filled with meat or vegetables, and pakoras, fried vegetable croquettes. All served with chutney and raita. The latter is a yoghurt flavored with herbs - mint and coriander - and vegetables: cucumber, tomato, spinach. Note that traditional chutneys are not like the spicy jams served in Europe, but are often fresh purees of coriander, mint or coconut.
Regional specialities
In the far reaches of the Himalayas, and particularly in Ladakh, the cuisine is reminiscent of neighboring Tibet and Nepal. You'll eat momos (steamed ravioli filled with meat or vegetables), tingmo (twisted steamed bread) and skyu (vegetable soup with thick pasta). Try chhurpe, a dry cheese made from yak milk. Kashmiri cuisine is renowned for its refinement. Examples includeaab gosht (lamb simmered in milk), rogan josh (chili-rich mutton stew), shalgam gosht (lamb with turnips), dum aloo (potato curry), kashmiri baingan (whole eggplant in a spicy sauce), paneer chaman(paneer in a mint and coriander sauce) or goshtaba (lamb dumplings in a delicate yoghurt sauce).
Punjabi cuisine has produced many classics of Indian gastronomy, such as the aforementioned tandoori chicken and tikka, as well as Punjabi kadhi pakora (fried onion croquettes in a creamy chili sauce), rajma chawal (red bean curry), chole (chickpea curry),amritsari (spicy fried fish) and sarson ka saag (mustard leaf and spinach compote). Closely related, palak paneer is a spicy spinach compote with paneer cubes.
Rajasthan also boasts many vegetarian dishes, such as matira (watermelon curry), dahi baray (spicy lentil flour fritters topped with yoghurt sauce), gatte ki subzi (chickpea flour dumpling curry) and mirchi bada (green chili fritters stuffed with potato). The most famous meat dish is laal maans, a mutton stew cooked in a rich sauce with red pepper, garlic, onion and fermented milk, formerly prepared with wild boar or deer.
In Gujarat, you can enjoy khandvi (bean flour rolls), handvo (a rice and lentil flour cake flavored with chopped herbs) orundhiyu (a vegetable stew).
A major city of the Mughal Empire, Delhi offers all the flavours of Mughlai cuisine, known for its rich, delicately spiced dishes. Examples include butter chicken(murgh makhani) with a creamy sauce made from yoghurt, butter, chilli and tomato. But also nalli nihari (lamb shank confit with spices), murgh malai kebab (chicken kebabs), mughlai paratha (patty filled with vegetables and minced meat), murgh pista (chicken with pistachio cream), safed murgh korma (chicken in a creamy yoghurt and cashew paste sauce), nargisi kofta (meatballs stuffed with a hard-boiled egg, in sauce) and galouti kebab (minced lamb meat croquettes).
Uttar Pradesh's cuisine is similar to that of its neighbors Uttarakhand, Bihar, Jharkhand and Haryana. Try kakori kebab (skewers of minced meat croquettes flavoured with green papaya), murgh awadhi korma (chicken in a thick cashew nut puree sauce), pasanday (beef in chilli sauce) or paneer do pyaza(paneer in tomato sauce with spring onions). And let's not forget litti chokha (chickpea and vegetable purée turnovers) and bihari dal pitha (steamed rice flour turnovers filled with lentils).
In the state of Odisha, there's the tasty chungdi malai (creamy curry with shrimp and coconut milk), macha besara (fish curry) and kadali manja rai (banana heart curry), not forgetting the simple khicede (spicy lentil and rice dish).
West Bengal offers a wealth of delicious recipes such as murgh rezala (chicken in a delicate yoghurt, milk and spice sauce), murgh jalfrezi (chicken simmered in a thick chilli sauce), mangshor jhol (light mutton curry), kosha mangsho (mutton in a rich caramelized sauce) oraloo posto (potatoes in a poppy seed paste). The kathi roll is a wrap filled with spicy meat, tomato and other raw vegetables, although the meat can be replaced by paneer. The surprising gobi manchurian is a Chinese-influenced dish of cauliflower flavored with soy sauce and various spices. There are also versions with meat, poultry, seafood or fish. In fact, fish is legion here: macher jhol (fish curry with tomato and various spices), shorshe maach (fish in sauce flavored with mustard seeds), ilish paturi (papillote of fish in banana leaf garnished with spices and pumpkin leaves), macher chop (fish croquettes), gondhoraj maach (fish with combawa lemon leaves), not forgetting chingri pulao (rice with shrimp).
North-east India is one of the country's lesser-known regions, and as a result, you'll discover recipes that are very rare outside the Indian subcontinent. In Assam, let's mention khar, which refers to several recipes for thick soups based on green papaya or lentils cooked in an infusion of banana leaf ash. Unless you prefer kumurat diya hanhor mangxo, a sauce dish with duck and squash from the same state, or masor tenga, a tangy fish curry. Mizoram's vawksa rep is a dish of sautéed pork belly with spinach and bamboo shoots. In Nagaland, smoked pork is particularly appreciated, either grilled or in a sauce, as is chicken, which is prepared as a spicy curry(naga curry).
Nga atoiba thongba is a fish curry from Manipur.Erompa is a vegetable curry flavoured with ngari (dried fermented fish). In the Meghalaya region, you'll enjoy jadoh (rice spiced with pork) and tungtap (a kind of fermented fish chutney). A Tripura specialty, chikhvi contains bamboo shoots, pork and sautéed vegetables. Zan from Arunachal Pradesh is a nourishing millet porridge garnished with baby vegetables. Thukpa is a noodle soup found not only in Tibet, but also in Sikkim, as is sha phaley, a meat and cabbage turnover.
Desserts and sweets
Among the classics is kheer, a rice pudding with raisins and cashew nuts, very popular throughout northern India. Every town also has its own variety of halwa, a highly versatile preparation based on flours or starches (wheat, corn, sweet potato), with a texture that varies between nougat and porridge. Creamy gajar ka halwa is made with carrots. Laddu, yellow dumplings made from flour, are very popular at celebrations. Gulab jamun(pantua in Bengal) is a doughnut made from curdled milk, floating in rosewater syrup. Street corners often sell jalebi, sweet orange twists flavored with saffron. Kaju katli are milk and cashew nut nougat lozenges. Finally, shankarpali are very popular diamond-shaped doughnuts with semolina, sugar and ghee.
In the Punjab, kada prasad is a creamy halwa made with wholemeal flour(atta), often given as an offering in gurdwaras (Sikh temples). Pinni is a bite-sized sweet made from ghee, wheat flour, jaggery (unrefined sugar molasses) and almonds. Common in Rajasthan and Gujarat, mohan thal is a chickpea flour nougat garnished with almonds and cardamom. Other Rajasthani desserts include mawa kachori, a cookie filled with mawa (a type of nougat) and topped with pistachios, and kalakand, a type of nougat made with chhena (a local fresh cheese) and topped with pistachios.
Ghughra (Gujarat) are fried turnovers topped with dried fruit, nougat and spices. Basundi is a condensed milk dessert flavored with saffron and cardamom. Shrikhand is a dessert made with yoghurt, saffron and cardamom. Mughlai cuisine includes shahi tukra, a bread, milk and dried fruit pudding with spices, served at the emperors' table, and kesar kulfi (ice cream in a cone, flavored with saffron, cardamom and pistachio). Khaja is a flaky doughnut soaked in syrup and originally from Bihar.
In Bengal and Odisha, we enjoy rajbhog (bites of fresh cheese topped with dried fruit served in a saffron syrup), sandesh (dumplings made from fresh paneer, sugar, cardamom and saffron, topped with pistachios, almonds or crushed pineapple) or ras malai (bites of cardamom-flavoured paneer served with milk cream topped with pistachios). Also worth mentioning are rasgulla, fresh cheese balls in syrup. In Assam, enjoy laru (bite-sized rice flour, coconut and jaggery).
From the foothills of the Himalayas to the tropical plains of Bengal, northern India offers a phenomenal diversity of fruits. Of course, you'll find the classic mangoes, bananas, papayas, pineapples and guavas, as well as apples, peaches, grapes and plums, depending on altitude. Ladakh apricots - known locally as lal khubani or jardalu- are particularly famous in India. Less common fruits include langsat (translucent, lychee-like pulp), phalsa (small, tart purple berries sometimes eaten as sorbet) and tadgola (fruit of the sugar palm, with sweet, transparent flesh). Finally, bilimbi and chalta, with their acidic flesh, are transformed into spicy pickles(achar).
Beverages and spirits
Delicious, fresh fruit juices can be found on every street corner. Note the nimbu pani, an excellent lime juice, served sweet or salty. Just make sure your juice isn't cut with undrinkable tap water. Also try lassi, a yoghurt beaten until smooth, often garnished with fruit. It can be found with fruits such as mango or banana, although this is a Western invention. In India, we prefer it plain, salted or sweet.
But of course, India's national drink is by far the tea, the country being the world's second largest producer and consumer after China. Note that the term chai (pronounced "chai") means "tea" in general, but also refers to the way it is served in India, i.e. mixed with milk and lots of sugar. Spiced with cardamom, fennel and cinnamon, it becomes masala chai. In Kashmir, we love kahwa, a milk-free green tea with rose petals, cardamom and saffron. In Ladakh, people drink gur-gur chai, a tea enriched with milk and yak butter, with a little salt. Tea is to be found absolutely everywhere in India: in the street, on the menu of every restaurant, in railway stations, on the train, etc.
Although it was the Chinese who were the first to drink tea, the tea plant occurs naturally in the far north-east of India, and of course in southern China and northern Burma. It was the British who began intensive tea cultivation in the early 19th century. Cultivation naturally began in Assam and West Bengal, before spreading to southern India. Arunachal Pradesh, Tripura and Sikkim are also important growing regions. Darjeeling, produced in the region of the same name (West Bengal), is one of the world's most prized black teas.
Although tea is India's favorite hot beverage, the country is the world's seventh-largest producer of coffee, and this beverage has existed in the country for several centuries. It is said to have been introduced to India in 1640 by Baba Budan, an Indian Sufi, who stopped off at the Yemeni port of Mokha on his way to Mecca. However, commercial coffee cultivation in India only took off after the country was colonized. Today, more and more young Indians are enjoying the espresso and cappuccino beverages served in the country's flourishing coffee shops.
While there is no national law prohibiting the consumption of alcohol in the country, several states - Bihar, Gujarat, Mizoram and Nagaland - firmly penalize its sale and consumption. Nor will you find alcohol in the sacred city of Pushkar in Rajasthan. The most common alcoholic beverage is beer, including the famous Kingfisher, but there are other brands such as Kalyani, Haywards and Zingaro. Indian wine from Maharashtra, sometimes made from French grape varieties, is also available. There's also mahua, India's oldest handcrafted brandy. Made from the flowers of the eponymous tree, mahua is 40° proof. The term " toddy " refers to different palm wines.Apo is a rice wine produced by craftsmen in Arunachal Pradesh and Assam, generally consumed during religious ceremonies. Some of Rajasthan's royal families had their own liqueurs produced, and while many recipes have been lost over time, the Royal Heritage Liqueur brand has attempted to revive this ancient tradition with liqueurs such as Chandra Haas or Royal Mawalin.
