Indian cuisine is variety.
It takes more than two hands to count the regional sub-cuisines of India, which are as wide and varied as the geography and cultures of the country itself. Some variants of Indian cuisine are separated only by slight nuances in spice usage, or by subtle differences between the fresh produce and meat native to one state but not to its neighbor. Other regional varieties—those starkly separated by land, customs, or religion—diverge more perceptibly. Vegetarianism, for example, is common throughout the majority-Hindu country; pork dishes in particular are few and far between in regions of northern India, where Islam prevails.
Individual dinner tables across India also exhibit the astounding variety of food and spices that the country has to offer. A full Indian meal consists of five or six courses, none of which are similar. Elaborately seasoned meats like rogan josh (lamb) or vindaloo (pork) might be the centerpiece of the evening. Daals containing beans and lentils add protein to vegetarian meals. Breads like naan—leavened and deliciously chewy—or thin, lightly charred roti serve as vehicles for scooping chutneys and dry curries. Vegetables of all sorts are served alongside basmati rice, and a dish of tangy yogurt cleanses the palate in between bites or at the end of a meal.
Indian cuisine is also balance.
Heavy spice rubs of peppercorn, cardamom, and carom season savory chicken that sits opposite almond-sweetened yogurt. Light brown basmati is served next to vividly red chili sauce. Cubes of paneer, a mild Indian cheese, are smothered in thick, rich purees like tomato-and-green-pea matar. Coriander and cumin, turmeric and tamarind combine in endless array of perfectly juxtaposed plates of pani puri and palak paneer to create balance that is visual, textural, and flavorful.
And, finally, Indian cuisine is swaadisht. (It’s very, very good.)
