It’s a great misconception that there are just a handful of Indian styles that are repeated across the vast country. This could be said to be put down the fact that for over 40 years the majority of restaurants in the UK are in Bengali in origin. The truth is that there are in fact hundreds of different styles and in some areas the food can change from village to village with each having its own subtle differences in both the taste and type.
I’ll try to broadly summarise this in easy to digest sections but suggest you go here if you want a far more detailed breakdown of the different regions.
Bengali, Bangladeshi and Oriya cuisines
Bengalis are big on seafood and are tend to be very keen on fresh fish. So if you are eating a Seafood curry chances are It is a Bengali one. Mustard seeds and mustard oil are added to many recipes, as are poppy seeds.
As for the Oriya people they tend to have similar eating habits and are considered masters in preparing these types of curries. This is proved by the number of Oriyas deployed in West Bengal as master chefs.
Gujarati cuisine
Ever wondered where the Thali comes from? You know that Indian version of the Smorgasbord which is made up of Roti bread, daal or kadhi, rice, and sabzi/shaak (a dish made up of different combinations of vegetables and spices, which may be stir fried, spicy or sweet). Well it is mainly a Gujerati dish, though there are versions that are popular in southern Indian too
North Indian and Pakistani cuisines
North Indian cuisine includes Mughlai cuisine, the cuisine of Kashmir, Awadhi cuisine, the cuisine of Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthani cuisine and Bhojpuri cuisine.
One of the most-loved Pakistani curries is Karahi, which is usually chicken cooked in a dry spice rub. Also popular is Peshawari karahi which is a simple dish made with just meat, salt, tomatoes and coriander.
Punjabi cuisine
Do you know why Masalas are so popular in Scotland? Well, it’s all thanks to the large Punjabi population whose curries are mainly based upon masalas (spice blends), pure desi ghee, with liberal amounts of butter and cream. It’s not just Masalas that the Punjabi region is famous for there are certain dishes that are exclusive to Punjab, such as Maha Di Dal and Saron Da Saag (Sarson Ka Sa)
Northeast Indian and Nepalese cuisines
The curries of North-East India are very different from other parts of India. This area’s cuisine has been influenced by its neighbours, namely Burma and Tibet. Its use of well known Indian spices is less. Yak is a popular meat in this region of India.
As many gap year backpackers will testify – Dahl baht, rice and lentil soup, are staple dishes of Nepal. Newa cuisine is a type of cuisine developed over centuries by the Newars of Nepal.
Malayali cuisine
One of my favourite regions of India and one where I have spent a fair amount of time is that of Kerala and not just for the stunning beaches! Malayali curries of Kerala often contain shredded coconut paste or coconut milk from one of the many trees that line the beaches as well as curry leaves, and various spices.
Mustard seeds are a key ingredient along with onions, curry leaves, sliced red chillies fried in hot oil. Kerala is known for its traditional Sadya, a vegetarian meal served with boiled rice and a host of side-dishes, such as Parippu (Green gram), Papadum, some ghee, Sambar, Rasam, Aviyal, Kaalan, Kichadi, pachadi, Injipuli, Koottukari, pickles (mango, lime), Thoran, one to four types of Payasam, Boli, Olan, Pulissery, moru (buttermilk), Upperi, Banana chips…. the list just keeps on going!
What do all of these different regions all have in common? That a Cobra is the perfect companion to every curry!
(Thanks to Wikipedia for filling some of the gaps in my knowledge. Image from Students of the World)
I gave his Indian butter chicken recipe a go and thought it was delicious. Unlike many Indian recipes all the ingredients can either be found in your local Asda or Sainsbury’s; some are store cupboard essentials. I cooked the dish for some friends who are also die-hard curry fans and they all couldn’t believe it when I said it was a Gordon Ramsay creation – they all expected it to have come from a top Indian Chef. Check out some of his other recipes on the Times’ website if you’re not sure on the book yet, but trust me , it’s certainly worth giving it a go – especially the aubergine bhajis!
