A History Of Indian Cuisine

Thali (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

As a nation that has experienced extensive intermingling throughout its long history, India's cuisine has benefited from many food influences. The varied climate in the region, ranging from deep tropical heat to alpine cold, also helps broaden the ingredients available to the many schools of Indian cookery. In many cases food is part of religious and social identity, with differing and often distinctive taboos and preferences (for instance, a segment of the Jain population will not consume roots or subterranean vegetables).

Vegetarianism is a basic aspect of food preferences among India's Hindu (majority), Buddhist and Jain communities. Followers of a strict vegetarian diet make up 20–40% of the population in India, while fewer than than 30% are regular meat-eaters.

Masala dosa served as a breakfast dish in restaurants in southern India

Around 7000 BC, sesame, eggplant and humped cattle were domesticated in the Indus Valley, which some consider the cradle of Indian civilzation. By 3000 BC, turmeric, cardamom, black pepper and mustard were consumed. Many recipes emerged during the Vedic period, when India was still heavily forested. At that time agriculture was complemented with game hunting and forest produce. In this era--which some Indians consider the classic, formative period of their history--a normal diet consisted of fruit, vegetables, meat, grain, dairy products and honey.

Over time, some people embraced vegetarianism, encouraged by the ancient Hindu philosophy of ahimsa. This practice gained greater popularity as Buddhism flourished. The cooperative climate in many parts of the country permitted a wide variety of fruits, vegetables, and grains to grow easily throughout the year. A classification system that categorized food as saatvic, raajsic or taamsic was part of Ayurveda, one of the world's oldest systems of medicine.

Later, invasions from Central Asia, Arabia, the Mughal Empire (that is, Mongols) and Persia had deep and fundamental influence on Indian cooking. Arab and Portuguese traders left their marks on cooking technique. Like the rest of the world, Indian cuisine was also touched by the New World--that is, the Americas--in the form of tomatos, chili and the potato.

Islam introduced rich gravies, pilafs and non-vegetarian choices such as kebabs (spelled many different ways). The Mughals introduced such fruits as apricots, melons, peaches, and plums. The Mughals prided themselves on their taste and cooking skills. Lavish dishes were prepared during the reigns of Shah Jahan (who is famous also for dedicating the Taj Mahal to his wife Mumtaz), among others. The Nizams of Hyderabad state developed and perfected their own style of cooking, whose most notable contribution is the popular dish the biryani.

The Portuguese and British introduced many New World foods, such as potatoes, tomatoes, chili and squash, as well as baking.

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