Variety is the spice of life with Indian food

India has one of the most diverse and fascinating cuisines in the world and eating there quickly becomes a pleasurable pastime. And it’s largely thanks to the spices.

The main ones used are chilli pepper, garlic, cumin, black mustard seed, turmeric, fenugreek and ginger. Garam masala is a widespread mixture of five spices used in cooking and cardamon, while saffron and nutmeg can be found in sweeter dishes.

These spices have been traded for thousands of years but by no means are all dishes spicy or just about curry. Over the centuries, many different aspects have influenced the varied diet, from the climate (hot and tropical in the south to alpine in the north), invaders from other countries (such as the Portuguese in Goa) and religious and caste influences, such as Indian Buddhists being vegetarians.

The way is which food is presented is often the typical silver plate with lots of small side dishes, called a thali, which in Kerala is usually a green banana leaf. Eating with your right hand is also highly typical and takes a bit of practice, especially when eating dal (split lentils).

In very general terms, the diet can be divided into the more vegetarian south and the heavier meat-based dishes of the north, but as you look at north, south, east and west together it quickly becomes more complex and interesting.

Northern flavours

In the north dishes tend to use more dairy products. Yoghurt, milk, ghee (clarified butter) and paneer (cheese) are widespread and sauces for curries are often dairy-based. Saffron, chillies and nuts are also common ingredients.

Wheat is also important and delicious flat breads like parathas and rotis are cooked using a griddle called a tawa. The famous tandoor, a coal-fired oven, creates international favourites like tandoori chicken.

The samosa is a popular snack which has spread to other parts of the country, often filled with minced meat, potato or paneer. Like everywhere else in India, locals have a sweet tooth and gulab jamun, kulfi or ras malai is the perfect end to a delcious meal.

Eastern delicacies

In the east of India the cuisine isn’t particularly spicy, with fairly bold flavours. Rice is a staple, just as it is in the south. Meals typically feature fish and plenty of vegetable side dishes. In Orissa, dalma and santula are the most popular vegetable dishes. In Bengal, it’s sukto.

You will also frequently find vegetables mashed up and fried as well. Bengal curries typically use green chillies, cumin seeds, cumin paste, poppy seed paste and curd. But the region is most well-known for its desserts, such as chumchum and kheeri.

Southern style

South Indian cuisine is much more rice-heavy and the presence of millions of coconut palms in the region means an adundance of coconut and cocounut oil in the cooking. There are also delicious pickles and sambar, a kind of vegetable stew, is found eveywhere, although it can be very different in, say, Kerala or Tamil Nadu.

Eating your first masala dosa, a rice and lentil pancake with curry inside, on a vivid green banana leaf is an exotic breakfast. Idlis (rice dumplings) are also a great way to start the day, as is the coffee, which is particularly good in Mysore.

Other well-known dishes include the Biriyani, which has a bit of a reputation in Hyderabad. Some Andhra dishes can be hot so be careful if chillies aren’t your thing.

Taste of the west

In the west, Rajasthan and Gujarat have many achars, or dals and preserves, to make up for little fresh fruit and vegetables in the drier areas. In Gujarat the cuisine is predominantly vegetarian and many dishes use sugar for a slightly sweet taste.

Goan cuisine meanwhile is influenced by the Portuguese colonisation of Goa and seafood, especially prawn curries, are order of the day. Maharashtrian cooking in the beautiful hills of the Western Ghats and the Deccan plateau uses jowar (sorghum) and bajra (millet) as staples, whereas on the coast coconut, fish and rice are more typical.

If all this has got your taste buds tingling, then have a look though some of our holidays to India to start planning a trip to the sub-continent to sample the country’s diverse cuisine for yourself.