In the life of every Indian, food takes a special place. That's why Indian cuisine is not just a mechanism for absorbing food, but a kind of action filled with national traditions.
India - the birthplace of vegetarianism
In addition to Muslim Indians, none of the representatives of this nation does not eat meat. Only Islam allows its followers to eat poultry meat, goat meat and lamb. If we talk about the dishes that are accepted in the Northern part of India, here you can find a lot of Central Asian dishes. Mughla dishes have a very rich and rich taste. All of them are usually generously seasoned with various spices, sprinkled with saffron and nuts. It was here that the famous Tandoori was invented. According to local traditions, which even Muslims adhere to, meat of any cattle can not be eaten in any way. Although if we talk about the population living in Goa, then the main dish, included their daily diet, is rice with pork.
In dishes that are customary to cook in the north of India, usually use melted butter and wheat. The use of melted butter in these dishes is due to the fact that it is considered a sacred product having a cleansing property, like all products made on the basis of cow's milk. As Indians believe, the use of this product in various dishes demonstrates the consistency of the families who prepare them.
Religious precepts and some natural conditions made India the birthplace of vegetarianism. After all, the main part of this country has a very hot climate, which does not allow to store meat for a long time. At the same time, the same climate promotes an excellent harvest of vegetables and fruits, which are collected by Indians 3-4 times a year. Meat is not allowed to eat from religious beliefs. And Muslims do not eat pork, and followers of Hinduism never eat beef. There are cases when in one family there are adherents of different religions. In this case, they even eat separately from each other.
In the southern part of India the most popular vegetarian cuisine. And for many Indians living in this part of the country, this way of eating is the only way. Here it is not accepted to eat garlic and onions, you can not eat tomatoes and beets, as both of these products have the color of blood. But residents of these places with great pleasure eat dishes made from boiled rice, sweet pepper, dates and yellow lentils.
Traditional dishes of Indian cuisine
In the southern part of the country very popular vegetable dishes of curry are very popular. Under the name curry here is meant a whole group of dishes. They all have a thick consistency, contain a large amount of freshly ground spices and the difference in their composition and allows you to distinguish between these dishes. At the heart of the cuisine of southern India is coconut and rice. In the north of the country rice is used in dishes a little less often and very often it is replaced with such cakes as: chappati, puri, nan, etc. On the whole territory of this country is very popular gave, which is a soup made from vegetables and crushed lentils. In addition, incredible popularity is enjoyed by such a drink as dhay. This drink, which is yoghurt or yogurt, very well quenches thirst and is usually served along with curry.
Both for the northern and southern parts of this country is characterized by the consumption of vegetable and bean dishes. Legumes have a very high nutritional value due to their high protein content. And vegetables are valued for the complete absence of cholesterol in them. Dishes cooked in Indian villages are very different from the dishes that are cooked in the city. A great influence on the composition of the ration is the fact that the villagers grow all their food for their own food. And the time of the year influences the choice of these products. The same ingredients that they can not grow on their own, they buy at the bazaars.
In the western part of India seafood and fish became very popular. Indians are very fond of eating mackerel, red lutpus, liquorice, royal prawns and other seafood, which are so rich in local waters. Indians cook fish in many different ways. They put it out, marinate it, cook it on a pan and frying pan, and it gets a very sharp smell. Especially famous throughout India are Bengali sweets, such as sandes and mystic-doha. Only Bengali cooks know how to cook these products correctly.
The entire population of this country is very fond of a drink made of water and lemon juice, which is called nimbu punch. In summer, all Indians drink mango juice. Alcoholic beverages are usually not very popular here. Instead of them, food is usually served with water. Indians are also very fond of drinking tea and coffee. To improve digestive processes, they can after eating eat a few grains of cardamom and rice, wrapped in betel leaves. This food is called pan here.
National Indian cuisine is delicious and varied. It is rightly considered one of the most healthy and useful world cuisines.