India is a country of diverse cultures and religions. Its terrain too differs from place to place resulting in diversity of soils in different regions. Due to this the produce in each region differs causing a diverse range of cuisines. The regional cuisine differs from place to place and the Indian fare is so wide and varied that several preparations in one region are unknown in the other. Indian regional cuisine relies on the indigenous spices, and growth of vegetables in the local soil. The different regional cuisines like Rajasthani, Kashmiri, Mangalore, Karnataka, Kerala, et al. are rarely available in metros and several other cities. North Indian and South Indian food are the only cuisines which have become popular and they are projected as Indian cuisine not only in most restaurants in India but also abroad. Ashok Malkani, in this first part, finds out the different regional cuisines and their complex nature.
Indian cuisine is one of the world's most diverse cuisines, due to the fact that each geographical region has its own wide assortment of dishes and cooking techniques reflecting the varied demographics of the ethnically diverse Indian subcontinent. The cuisine is based on the climate of the region and religious practices. For example, Jain cuisine is not only completely vegetarian but also excludes underground vegetables such as garlic, etc. Cuisines from regions like Rajasthan, Sikkim, Malabar, Pondicherry, etc. have their own distinct taste and flavor
Yet when one visits a restaurant in metros and even tier II and III cities the dishes listed on the menu are mostly North Indian or South Indian. Even when one visits Indian restaurants abroad for some genuine Indian food one finds only North Indian or South Indian food on the menu.
There are a vast number of regional cuisines too! Why this bias towards these two cuisines and what are the other regional cuisines and what are the favorite cuisines of each region?
Anand Kumar, Executive Chef, Hilton Bangalore Embassy GolfLinks explains, “Indian cuisine has been categorized as North and South for a long time, perhaps because of the lack of knowledge on different states, regions, and places earlier. However, now there is much more awareness. Each state in India boasts of a distinct cuisine like Kashmiri, Punjabi, Rajasthani, etc. which offers a variety of tastes and flavors. In fact, many times within a state say like Karnataka you can find various cuisines like Mangalore coastal cuisine, Uttara Karnataka, etc.
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Sustainable Development Goal 3 (SDG 3), one of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals established by the United Nations in 2015, was about "Good Health and Well-being". This could be said to be an eye-opener and the source of making people aware of maintaining their health, which became more pronounced due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Consuming healthy food, since then, has become a significant - if not imperative - element in lives of almost everyone. And this healthy and nutritious food is also playing a significant role in the success of restaurants. Diners are now becoming more particular about the food they consume, making the F&B outlets offer a diverse and appealing menu of healthy food options. Ashok Malkani tries to evaluate how the restaurants and chefs are meeting this desire for nutritious food by customers and what are some of the healthy food options.
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