Khana- Indian Recipes and Cuisine

Indian Food

Indian food is as diverse as the many ethnic and cultural groups in India. Tradition, ethnicity, geographic location, religion or individual preference defines a typical meal 'Thali' (a large plate with small bowls dishes, like the one you see on top left in this page). A typical Indian meal consists of starch, lentils or beans, and vegetable. Non-vegetarians tend to have meat in moderate quantity few days a week.

Most Indian cuisine are related by the similar usage of spices and the use of a greater variety of vegetables than many other cuisine. Religious and caste restrictions, weather, geography and the impact of foreigners have affected the eating habits of Indians. ... more about Indian Cuisine

Indian Vegetarian and Non-Vegetarian Recipes
In India, more people are vegetarians than anywhere else in this planet. Majority of them are vegetarian due to traditional or religious beliefs. However, even a typical non-vegetarian Indian meal has lot of vegetarian dishes compared to other cuisines. Indian food is always known for its wholesome selection of vegetarian food. However, there is also large selection of the non-vegetarian fare that goes along with the meal as well. ...more

Indian Appetizer or Snack
Indian cuisine has rich array of appetizers, snacks or hors d'oeuvres. Many of these are comparatively lower in fat than most western appetizers which are heavy on butter and cheese. ... more

Indian Side Dish Recipes
Beside traditional main dish, Indian food is rich in array of special dishes. Some of side dishes are very different and do not have any counterpart western cuisine in its use and purpose. One of the main Side dish is the Indian Dessert or Sweets; India has a wide variety of desserts. Many popular Indian desserts such as Rasgula are common throughout South Asia while many other are local favourite are typical to only a specific ethnic group in India. Indian desserts can be divided into two categories. First category is milk based such as Rasgula, Rasbari, Peda, Burfi etc. The second category of Indian dessert are based on flour such as Lal Makkan, Malpuwa, Halwa, Ladoo etc. ...more

Sweet Dishes
No Indian meal is complete without a generous treat of sweets that tickle the taste buds. A rich variety of sweets are prepared in the Indian households not only on special occasions like festivals and fairs but also to treat their guests. Most popular among the Indian sweets are the different types of Laddoos, halwas and syrup-based sweets. ... more

Indian Drinks
Tea is the most popular drink in the north, while in the south, Filter Coffee is the number one drink. A number of branded Soft drinks like Pepsi, Coca-cola, sprite, seven-up, etc have cropped up in recent times, and they seem to quench ones thirst though they are alleged to have only artificial contents, pesticide residues, colourants and with high sugar content. Nimbu Paani, which is nothing but lemon squash is commonly available in all the towns, particularly in the summer. Apple juice drinks are widely available in Himachal Pradesh. Tender Coconut water, straight from the young coconut, is a popular street-side drink - it is supposed to bring down body heat, and it is mostly very safe to drink in any place. Another escape from soft drinks is the plain soda, which is widely available. Finally there is the Lassi, that cool, refreshing and delicious iced curd drink. ... more

Curry and Spices
There is no such thing as "curry" in India. It is an all-purpose term devised by the English to cover the whole range of Indian food spicing. Indian cooks have about 25 spices on their regular list and it is from these that they produce curry flavor. Normally the spices are freshly ground and blended in a mortar and pestle to certain combination. Popular spices include saffron, an expensive flavoring produced from flowers. This is used to give biryani, that yellow color and delicate fragrance. Turmeric also has a colouring property and acts as a preservative. Chillies are ground, dried or added whole to give that hot taste to curries. ...more

Ethnic Indian Cuisine
Every fine meals that suit the various taste buds of people all over the world are prepared in India. Strict vegetarianism is mostly confined to the South. Beef, from the holy cow is strictly taboo for the Hindus and Pork is equally taboo for the Muslims.In the north, much meat is eaten and cooking is often of the "Mughal style" which bears relation to that of the Middle East and central Asia. The emphasis is more on spices and less on curry heat. In the north more grains and breads are eaten and less rice. In the South, more rice is eaten and the curries tend to be hotter. Another peculiarity of Southern vegetarian food is that it has to be eaten by hand and not by fork and spoons! ... more about Ethnic Cuisine