A diverse country with over 1600 languages and dialects, the food of India is as diverse as the languages and culture. Every state has a distinctly different style of cooking with variations in amongst almost every family.
Curry – a term used for meat or vegetables cooked in a sauce with spices is widely used for spice mixes. Ironically Indian food is traditionally prepared from scratch, without the use of proprietary spice mixes. Whole spices are powdered or made into a paste depending on the recipe. The one dry mix used often is ‘garam masala’ which is a blend of a few aromatic spices and most families have their own recipe for this mix.
A common misconception about Indian food is that it is spicy and hot. In reality, Indian food for most part is not chili hot. It is aromatic with a good balance of flavors from the spices used in the recipe.
Many shy away from Indian cooking because of the complexities of spices, different cooking techniques and complex flavours. As with all other cuisines, Indian food too is all about finding what works best for you. Never fear to experiment with spices and try your own blends.
Remember, if at first you don’t succeed, call us!