Introduction

When someone asks me if I know how to cook Indian food, all I can do is smile. Sure I can cook some of it, but can anyone truly cook food that represents a country of more than 1 billion people, with over a dozen languages, 800 recognized dialects, and several religions, India is as diverse as it gets!

The Aryans who occupied the North and the Dravidian’s who occupied the South were the first influencers in India. India’s cuisine has also been influenced greatly by the multitude of invaders throughout the country’s history; the Mughals, British, Turks, and Portuguese all left their mark. By adding their own cooking styles and ingredients, they provided a rich diversity, resulting in a unique cuisine. In the words of the legendary Madhur Jaffrey “Nothing was ever discarded. It was made Indian.”

India is also a country with a 3000 year old religious heritage. Home to Buddhism, Hinduism, Sikhism, Islam, Jainism, Christianity, Zoroastrianism, and the Bahai religions (to name a few) – all dictating what can and cannot be eaten. The Jains don’t eat garlic, the Muslims don’t eat pork, and the Hindus don’t eat beef. Other faiths have limitations on any vegetable grown under ground. Then there are days when people fast and on those days’ special meals need to be prepared according to the guidelines for that particular faith. There are specific norms for food that are followed for major life events like pregnancy, birth, baby’s first foods and death.

From the lap of the Himalayas in the North to the coast of southern Indian, from the Ghats of Western India to the eastern Bay of Bengal, from the deserts of Rajasthan, to the backwaters of Kerala, from the luscious fields of Punjab to the mountains of Kashmir -- the geography, climates and the landscape are as diverse as they get.