Current Events > What are the essentials of Indian food?

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I'm in a food culture course, and I have to write a paper on Indian food. I am very unfamiliar, but excited to try. What are some must haves?

Curry
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Butter chicken.
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Naan
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Chicken Tikka Masala
Basmati Rice
Naan
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Diahhrea
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Vol2tex posted...

Naan

This! Also, definitely some kind of curry. Maybe Tikka Masala for something not too tame, not too spicy.
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chicken tikka
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I love Indian cuisine

Im so fucking hungry now
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India has more vegetarians than any other nation. 30 - 40% of the country is vegetarian and the cuisine reflects that. It's very heavy with rice, lentils, legumes, breads, vegetables, fruits, and most people consume dairy. When meat is consumed it is almost exclusively fish, chicken, and goat.

Indian cooking has a lot of spices and seasonings. Every region had a different distinct cuisine based on what's available.

There's so much to it. Love it

My suggestion is chana masala, aloo Gobi, Malai kofta, vindaloo chicken, palak paneer, biryani, and mango lassi + gulab jamun for dessert
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https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ghee
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pieisthebest posted...

Basmati Rice
Naan

^
You can't go wrong with any type of curry (as long as the restaurant itself is good), but the above two foods are essential sides - the rice serves as a nice base for the curry, which you ration onto the rice to your own liking, and the naan makes for an excellent pallet cleanser (as well as a decent heat extinguisher, if you're eating a particularly spicy curry). I'd also say that lamb might be considered an essential, since it's arguably the most common protein used in non-vegetarian curries.

As for chicken tikka masala, that's kind of a gray area; it's likely the most iconic "Indian" dish in the world, but the thing is: its status as an actual Indian dish is contested. It for sure originated at an Indian restaurant, but some claim that its restaurant of origin is located in Glasgow, Scotland, and the UK is arguably where the food's popularity soared. Regardless of its origin, it is certainly delicious.

Oh yeah, perhaps it's not an "essential" of Indian cuisine, but gulab jamun is a truly fantastic dessert; they're essentially like donut holes, but super syrupy & moist, and typically served hot. I'd also gravitate towards several various mango desserts & drinks.

Edit: Paneer cheese is another thing that might be considered an essential part of Indian cuisine; IIRC some vegetarian curries even have it as the base protein.
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Chicken Madras and Plain White Naan.
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Rogan Josh
Bhel Puri
Kheema
Saag
some kind of Dal
Biryani
Vindaloo
Chettinad
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