Food tourism in India is rapidly gaining more and more popularity all around the world. The country boasts of wide range of tastes and flavours. With differences in geography and culture come the differences in cuisines.
Indian culture gives huge importance to being a good host. Be it marriage, meeting, birthday or any other kinds of functions, dining and cuisine is one of the important part of Indian culture and lifestyle and varied from one culture to another.
The variety of cuisines mostly depends on local climatic conditions, social conditions along with the geographical location which majorly define the food habits. Mots defining features of all kinds of Indian cuisine is extensive use of herbs and spices along with vegetables.
# Kashmiri CuisineEssentially a meat based cuisine, Kashmiri cuisine has most of its famous dishes made from lamb, goat’s meat and chicken meat. You will find use to saffron and Kashmiri chilli in the dishes which is quite specific to Kashmiri Cuisines.
Dry fruit like walnuts, dried dates, and apricots along with cottage cheese or ‘chaman’ is also hugely used in the dishes belonging to this particular cuisine. Because of the cold climate, some specific fruits are grown in part of the country such as strawberries, plums, cherries and apples which also form important part of the meals.
# Punjabi CuisineQuite popular not just in India but in the entire world, the Punjabi cuisine presents you with mouth-watering and rich delicacies varying from marinated meat to chicken to fish to paneer to breads such as rotis (of various kinds), naans, parathas, etc. to sumptuous list of sweets.
It majorly includes tandoori cooking. Influence of mughals can also be seen in Punjabi cuisine such as in murgh makhani where the gravy component can be related to the Mughal style of preparation. The drink such as lassi is also very specific of Punjabi cuisine.
# Mughlai CuisineMughlai Cuisine is nothing less than a royal cuisine. The dishes in the Mughlai cuisines are rich and prepared with elongated methods and precision. Rich sauces, butter-based curries, ginger flavoured roast meats, and exquisite sweets define this cuisine. The cuisine offers you with amazing varieties ranging from tangy shorba to the rose petal strewn kulfi to delicately prepared meats, etc.
# Bengali CuisineBengalis cuisine is most popular for its sweets and fish preparations. Some of the famous sweet from this cuisine are rasgulla, gulab jamuns, cham cham, chena murki, anarkali, rajbhog, mishti dohi, etc.
The cuisine has wide varieties of fish delicacies. The spices used in cuisine slightly differ from central part of India. Use of panch phoron which is prepared from five basic spices which include jeera, kalonji, saunf, fenugreek and mustard seeds is a speciality of Bengali food.
# Hyderabadi Cuisine
Hyderabadi cuisine is not just one way of cooking. It includes both the original Andhra style of cooking and Mughlai influenced cooking style.
Hyderabadi cuisine is known for its richness and aromas. Use of exotic spices along with ghee and dry fruits and nuts can be easily seen in Hyderabadi cuisine. The meat of lamb is widely used in non-vegetarian dishes. Hyderabadi Biryani & haleem is something which is known to everyone.
# Goan CuisineGoan cuisine offers some unique flavours that are totally different from other Indian Cuisine. Delicacies such as the tangy pork ‘vindaloo’, spicy ‘sorpotel’ and the ever popular Goan fish curry with rice treat your palate in the best way possible.
Fish based dishes along with coconut are quite well known. Goan meals are often accompanied by local liquor “Feni”. Coconut milk, ‘kokum’, a sour, deep red coloured fruit with sharp and sour flavour, red Goan chillies, tamarind forms important part of many Goan dishes.
For lovers of seafood, Goan cuisine offers mouth-watering preparations of prawns, lobsters, crabs, and jumbo pomfrets. Goan sweets like bebinca, dodol, rose-a-coque, etc. are also quite famous.