Indian food is food for thought. We believe that our thoughts reflect in the food that we cook and we eat. In addition to this, the person who serves food transitively influences our thought process. Food has been a part of our culture and history. Even in the mythological stories we find some of the best cooks and gluttons. In Mahabharatha it is Bheema and his son Gadhotgaja. Nala was a great cook. In Ramayana, Dasartha procures a pot of kheer from the fire god to beget progeny. Interestingly, men are better cooks than women.

From Kashmir to Kanyakumari and from Gujarat to the far east, each district in each state has a special cusine. We Indians are well known for our gastronomic and culinary skills. There exists a menu for every occasion and festival in this country. From birthday, festivals, marriages and death cermonies we have a special menu for each occasion.

We use all the available ingredients and do all the permutation and combination of these ingredients. We roast, fry, soak, coak, grind and pound our ingredients. What makes our food an epicurean experience is we cook our food and there exists a right balance of calories. We use the best available pulses, cerals, spices and grains. Not to forget, we make the best use of our milk products as well. Our diet pattern is the best in the world. We have heavy breakfast and a mid day tiffin and sober supper.

Each region has a unique cuisne because we expolit our native resources to the best extent. This is why in the north people eat more wheat which is in abundence and in the south people eat more rice. The genes are imbibed with this diet pattern that the very traditional way of cooking has never harmed the older generations.

If you travel from one corner to the other, you will find a change in climate, ethinicity and food. You can find the best rotis, nans, phulkas and all the variants of wheat products in north. This is accompanies by the variety of side dishes made out of permutation and combination of vegetables and meat. If you want to experience the true spirit of North India, you must eat in the road side eateries called Dhaabas. At the end of every meal, we are used to having curd in some form. In the north it ends with a lota of lassi and in Gujart with butter milk and in south with curd rice.  Potatos are very polymorphic in Indian kitchens. In south it is potato roast in the north it is Aaloo with gobi or peas masala.

Typically, we start with a salad in north it is onions and cucumbers in south it is pachadi. We have our main course and end it with curd which is a coolant to all the spices that we have consumed and finally with a dessert. 

The dessert is an experience by itself from Gajar ka Halwa from Punjab to Rasmalai in Gujarath and Rasgolla in Calcutta and Paal Paaysam in South India it is an experience by itself. In my opinion, one must live every moment to enjoy this kind of food.

In the middle of the country exists a plateau called the Deccan Plateau. This area is domainated by the nawab kitchen. The nawab kitchen has a unique style which comprises of rich biryani. If one goes by history, the moghals brought with them kababs. The tribes used to hunt animals and cook them in fire and eat it. With time, this has undergone several changes and even today Kababs and Tandoori cooked in clay ovens are the most sought after starters across the country.

In south there is no barbecue. However, the traditional south indian food today is considered as the best available meal across the world. Any south indian brahmin has brunch. A full course meal by 10 or 11 AM in the morning a mid day tiffin by 3 or 4 PM and finally at 7 PM a light supper and goes to bed by 10 in the night. This kind of a system keeps him brisk all day long and helps evade health complications.  In other houesholds, they start with break fast with Idli Dosa or Pongal served with variants of chutneys and samabar and a heavy mid day lunch and a light supper.

During Ekadashi, any tamil brahmin is expected to fast. If they fast, the next day their cuisne is altered accordingly. The next day, Davadasi, they do not add tamarind to their food. Tamarind is known for its acidic properties. If one fasts the entire day, it is not advisable to eat a product of tamarind because it will have side effects. Indian food has lot of significance. When you understand the purpose, you will relish our food better.

During shraad, the food is very spicy without the use of toor dal. As mentioned, for every occassion their is a menu. When we do prayers with fire we offer sweet pongal to fire god. During Shankranthi, we offer prayers to the Sun God and with the first harvest we make pongal and sweet pongal for HIM.

For Janmaashtami, we make different kinds of sweets and savaries that are rich in all aspects. Whereas for Raamnavami it is only sweetened jaggery water. It is believed that Krishna was a prince and he lived a princely life. Therefore, we must prepare all kinds of rich savories. Raama was a prince too but he lived in the forest. Therefore, a very simple food will suffice that festival.

Here you have Ganesh Chaturthi with modaks and sundal and for hanumath jayathi it is vadai and for navarathri all the nine days we make sundal using different pulses and cerals. For pongal it is sweet pongal, kara pongal and the traditional south indian food with saambar rasam kootu curry and curd rice. For kannu we prepare mixed rice like tamarind rice, coconut rice and curd rice. This is eventually follwed by new years according to our hindu calendar. We make mango pachadi and neem flower rasam. From the most sour neem flower to the sweetest mango pachadi, we learn that life is a mixture of bitterness and sweetness and one must learn to balance this according to our diet. There are some exclusive womens festivals like Varalakshmi Virtham and Kaaradair Nombu. We make adai and avial for this.   For karthigai we make use of poha and puffed rice. Every month there is a festival and every festival has a unique cusine. We don’t leave a single edible item to be uncooked.

Not to forget the vibrant deepvali. We start cooking by 5 in the morning with idlis appam and chutney and a grand lunch consisting of saambar rasam kootu two curryes pachadi curdrice paayasam and an array of sweets and savories and dry frutis. We have our indigenious digestive called deepavali legiyam. Everything has been logically defined and set.  

There were times when we used to drink nimbu paani and tender coconuts as cool drinks. In the north, you will find more people drinking nimbu paani because coocnut trees are not grown in south as these are grown in abundence people drink tender coconuts and butter milk for thirst. We were never worried about pesticides nor about the side effects of our food. The list is endless . In short, all I can say is one must live every moment in India to experience the culture and food habbits because this is India where life is an experience by itself.