On the Spice Trail in India
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In the brown sand dunes of India's Thar Desert, local farmers lay out mounds upon mounds of red chilies on thin plastic sheets to dry out under the harsh desert sun. Red, lustrous, and inviting, they are a sight to behold. Once dried, these red chilies will be ground up, packaged and shipped to every corner of the country, or even used directly in one of the many Indian curries.
Red and yellow are the two predominant colors in Indian cuisine. Red, from the generous use of chilies; yellow from turmeric. To say that Indians like their food to be spicy would be an understatement. In some parts of the country, it is an acceptable practice to keep shakers filled with ground up red chili powder next to the salt and the pepper on dinner tables!
I've been fortunate enough to travel through this wonderful and exotic land and sample the great many cuisines of this country's rich culinary tradition. From 'sambhar' in South India to rich Mughlai stews in New Delhi, the sheer variety of cuisines this country has to offer can boggle the mind. And while the food may vary from region to region in taste, ingredients, and preparatory methods, one thing remains constant: the liberal use of spices.
Walk through a spice market - virtually every Indian city, big or small, has one – and your senses will be assaulted by a medley of aromas. Mounds of ground turmeric strike a contrast with the red of chili, while sacks filled with peppercorns, cardamoms, whole chilies, aniseed, and cinnamon sticks line the walls of grocery stores. Little wonder then that India was such a prized possession for colonial powers in the years past.
Seeing Red
The red chili is the one constant in all Indian food, regardless of region. The red of the chili lends its name to a delectable mutton curry found in Rajasthan, 'Lal Mass' (literally, 'red meat'), is used as the base for the many Mughlai stews sold in Old Delhi's narrow streets, and forms the foundation of the incredibly spicy Andhra cuisine in southern India. In other words, India is a veritable paradise for connoisseurs of spicy food.
Start off in the capital city of New Delhi and sample the many delights of Punjabi and Mughlai cuisine. This cuisine abounds in thick, rich curries made with onions, garlic, ginger, and an assortment of spices such as red chilies, cardamoms, bay leaves, and peppercorns. Sample the so-called 'national dish' of India, Butter Chicken – a rich, creamy curry made from tomatoes with pieces of grilled chicken. Or try your hand – and I mean literally, your hand, as forks and knives are almost verboten on Indian dining tables – at crunchy Tandoori chicken eaten with a thin flatbread called 'romali roti' (literally translated: 'handkerchief flatbread'). For slightly more authentic fare, head over to the old streets of Delhi's Jama Masjid for authentic Mughlai cuisine cooked by the former royal chefs of the Mughal court. By the end of a day's sampling, your head (and stomach) will be dizzy with delight.
Mutton Rogan Josh with Biryani
Your next stop should be Jaipur in the erstwhile princely state of Rajasthan. After you've feasted your eyes on the gorgeous architecture of the many forts and palaces that line the outskirts of this city, dig into one of the city's special offerings: the 'pyaaz kachori'. This deep fried ball of dough is stuffed with the most heavenly combination of onions and potatoes and is served with a tangy tamarind based sauce. Next, sample some local fare, such as the ever popular 'dal-bati' (lentils served with baked balls of dough). Round up your culinary adventure with some 'lal mass' or 'rogan josh'.
The Tandoori Chicken is one of the most popular dishes across North India
A trip to India is incomplete without a visit to the popular coastal state of Goa. Colonized by Portugal until the late 1960s, this state's cuisine is a curious blend of Indian and Portuguese traditions. Signature dishes from Goan cuisine include 'pork xacuti' and 'chicken vindaloo', along with freshly caught grilled fish and 'masala mussels'. Next, stop-over in South India and sample the famous rice pancakes or 'dosas', served with a spicy lentil stew (called 'sambhar') and a coconut based chutney. For even more spicy fare, head over to Hyderabad, where Mughlai and south Indian culinary traditions come together to offer some of the finest food you'll ever taste. The 'Hyderabadi biryani' is especially famous (and justifiably so) for the aromatic blend of spicy curry and fragrant basmati rice. And while you're at it, don't forget to sample some extremely spicy Andhra cuisine, such as the spicy mutton fry, and the melts-in-your-mouth bheja fry (i.e. fried goat brains).
This paper dosa is served with 'sambhar' and is a staple of South Indian cuisine. Note the bright red chili chutney
But for really spicy fare, you'll have to step into India's cultural and financial capital, a city housing over 20 million people, Mumbai. Famous for its Kolhapuri cuisine, the city of Mumbai is a gastronome's paradise. A very spicy red chili (called 'Kolhapuri mirchi') is the predominant ingredient in most dishes and is used in popular mutton recipes such as 'sukka meat' (strongly spiced dry mutton), and 'tambada rassa' (a fiery red mutton curry). And while you're still in Mumbai, make sure to savor the spicy Indian 'chat' at the famous Chowpati beach.
To round up your Indian gastronomical experience, make a final stop in the state of West Bengal, a region at the eastern edge of India. Mustard and red chilies are the two most common ingredients in Bengali cuisine. You'll find mustard seeds or oil used in virtually every dish, from the ever popular 'machar jhol' (a mustard flavored fish curry) to vegetarian fare like quirky jackfruit and potato curry. Bengali cuisine is peculiar because of the multiplicity of influences, from the erstwhile Nabobs of the Mughal Empire, to the British colonial influence, Bengal being the seat of British power in India for centuries. The end result is a cuisine that is a curious blend of quintessentially Indian and Western influences.
This isn't a compendium of Indian cuisine by any means. With hundreds of languages and even more myriad cultures spread throughout the breadth of this country, the variety in cuisines can be mind boggling. But rest assured that if its spicy food you want, India won't disappoint you. After all, the hottest chili in the world, the 'bhoot jalokia' or ghost chili, originated in India!
Kevin Ray blogs about BBQ and bbq gas grills at GodOfTheGrill.com. When not grilling up deliciousness in his backyard, he tinkers with computers, and surprisingly, even gets to make a living out of it!
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