Indian Cuisine

India is not only a land of diversified destinations, festivals, cultures and languages, but its cuisines as well. Indian cuisines vary from region to region, state to state. Indians believe that the easiest way to a person’s heart is through his/her stomach. So whenever a tourist emerges onto this land of spices, the person gets a taste of an array of various Indian lip smacking dishes. Presenting some of the most sought after cuisines of India on a platter!

Delicacies of the South
The extraordinary cuisine of Kerala, in South India, highlights the culinary proficiency of the people of Kerala. The state is considered to be the source of some of the world’s most famous and flavoursome dishes on earth.  The Keralalites are indeed the varied connoisseurs of their cuisines. The recipes are usually crisp, aromatic and tangy. The food, like its land, is abounding with coconuts. One finds it difficult to envisage Kerala Cuisine without proper blend of coconuts, chillies, curry leaves, mustard seed, tamarind and asafoetida. Interestingly, a dash of tamarind can act as a wonder and an appropriate replacement of tomatoes, however there is no true alternative for curry leaves. Coconuts comprise an essential part of the cuisine of Kerala since ages. To savour delicacies of a varied range of fishes, Kerala is the ideal place. Fish curry, fish molly, fish fry and fish peera are the most sought after items usually served with steamed rice or tapioca (cassava). Thakkukadasare where one gets hot, fresh prepared foods and balance food is not preserved in the refrigerators. Karikku or Ilaneer (tender coconut), Sambhaaram (buttermilk) and fresh toddy from local coconut trees not only quench thirst, but also fill one’s mind with ecstasy. Sadya is a calorific and over-elaborated preparation. Avial, an all time preferred combination of vegetables, coconut paste and green chillies. It is usually used for seasoning purposes. 'Kottucurry' on the other hand, is prepared with cubed potatoes, onions and green chillies in coconut milk added with red chillies. 'Olan', is a bland dish of pumpkin and red grams made in thin gravy of coconut milk. The creamy and tempting sweet dishes form an integral part of the meals. These mainly include a variety of Payasam - a thick fluid dish of brown uncrystalised sugar syrup, coconut milk and spices, embellished with cashew nuts and raisins which are dished up halfway during the meals. Rasam is a concoction of chilly and pepper-corn powders boiled in diluted tamarind juice. Appam is a soft pancake prepared from toddy fermented rice batter. Puttu is also another type of steam cake.

Hyderabad is the capital of the state of Andhra Pradesh in South India. The place is situated on the Deccan Plateau. Hyderabadi cuisine is very popular all over India, which is a fusion of Persian and Mughal cuisine. The worldwide popular Hyderabadi Biryani, a lip smacking rice dish, is worth having during one’s visit to Hyderabad. Other dishes like Haleem and Paya, Irani chai and samosa are equally popular; so are the sweet dishes like phirni, sewai, dilkhush, badaam ki jaali etc.

Delicacies of the North
Different forms of Indian breads like Parantha, Naan and Roti are the special attractions of the Northern part of the country, served with scrumptious preparations of cottage cheese, assorted vegetables, chicken or meat.

Apart from these typical Indian cuisines, one can bump on to various eateries providing Chinese or continental dishes.