Indian Recipes

By: Laura Sommers

Narrated by: Virtual Voice

India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country in the world.

Half of India borders the ocean: the Indian Ocean on the south, the Arabian Sea on the southwest, and the Bay of Bengal on the southeast. It shares land borders with Pakistan, China, Nepal, and Bhutan, Bangladesh and Myanmar.

Indian cuisine has been influenced by many factors, including region, climate, religion, trade and colonization. It reflects an 8,000-year history of various groups and cultures.

Early diet in India mainly consisted of legumes, vegetables, fruits, grains, dairy products, and honey.[citation needed] Staple foods eaten today include a variety of lentils (dal), whole-wheat flour (aṭṭa), rice, and pearl millet (bājra).

A food classification system that categorized any item as saatvic, raajsic, or taamsic developed in Yoga tradition. The Hindu Bhagavad Gita proscribes certain dietary practices. Many Hindus are vegetarians, which is praised within the Hindu religion. They also avoid eating beef because cows are viewed as sacred.

Indian cuisine uses lots of spices. There are native spices that are known as the seven spices of India. and These include cumin, coriander, clove, cinnamon, turmeric, fenugreek, and cardamom. These are by no means the only spices used. Saffron, ginger and garlic are some other popular spices. Then, of course, there are spice blends such as curry and Garam Masala.

Some of the favorited recipes from India include Chicken Curry, Naan bread, Red Lentil Curry, Kheer (Rice Pudding) Chicken Makhani (Butter Chicken) and Tikka Masala.

This cookbook has many delicious traditional Indian recipes for a variety of tastes.