Northern India
Regional Background
Comprising the regions of Kashmir, Punjab, Rajhastan and Uttar Pradesh. Flanked by the Himalayan mountains to the north and the Vindhya mountains to the south, this area supports a primarily rural population, although there are a number of major cities notably Delhi and Jaipur. In the last thousand years, this area has been subject to a number of invasions from neighbouring countries, all leaving their mark on the culinary and societal development of this region.
Cuisine characteristics
A typical North Indian meal would comprise vegetables, pulses (such as daal), rice or chapattis, and at least one meat dish, using either chicken or goat. Up to 50% of the population are vegetarian, so unsurprisingly seasonal vegetables such as spinach, okra, gourd and baby pumpkin are popular. The Tandoor is a common cooking method, particularly in Punjab, and often brings the community together for a more social meal.
- Kashmiri cuisine is heavily influenced by the surrounding areas such as Timur, Persia and Afghanistan. Kashmiri food uses lots of yoghurt and turmeric, but surprisingly no onions or garlic. Typical dishes include Rogan Josh, Aloo Bhukaar and Shammi kebabs.
- Punjabi cuisine has a diverse range of dishes with varying levels of spiciness. Large amounts of clarified butter or ghee is used. Wheat is the staple carbohydrate although rice is eaten on special occasions.
- Rajhastani cuisine is predominantly vegetarian, cooked with ghee and very spicey. Dal-bati is probably the most fanous dish from this region – spicey lentils with balls of wheat.
- Uttar Pradesh is famous for the ‘Dum-Pukth’ method of coooking, where food is cooked in sealed clay-pots on a very low heat, tenderising the meat and preserving its natuiral flavours. Kebabs and biryani are also popular dishes.
Common ingredients include:
- Cloves – used in the majority of dishes to provide a deep flavour. As they have a strong taste, they tend to be used sparingly, and are most commonly ground up alongside other spices.
- Ghee –clarified butter, made by simmering unsalted butter in a pan of water so that the milk solids fall to the bottom of the pan, leaving the clarified butter to be spooned off the surface.
- bay leaves – often crushed or ground before cooking so that more of their fragrance emerges in the dish. Whole bay leaves can be used during the cooking process to add flavour, then removed before serving.
- Star Anise is a beautiful looking spice shaped like an eight-pointed star with subtle aromas of aniseed and liquorice. An essential part of Chinese five-spice powder, it is also widely used in braised dishes.
Recipes from India