Western Indian cuisine: weather, geography and religion influence flavor in region's rich and diverse culinary traditions

Nation's Restaurant News, March 27, 2006 by Erica Duecy

In a country of more than 1 billion people, with 16 official languages and myriad ethnic influences, there is no singular "Indian" cuisine. Instead, hundreds of culinary styles co-exist, each shaped by a unique confluence of geography, history, climate and religion.

Each of India's 28 states and seven union territories has its own specialties. Many American diners are familiar with dishes like chicken tikka masala, lamb saag and tandoori shrimp--specialties that have become the lingua franca of Indian cooking in America. Those northern Indian foods dominate menus in the United States, leaving many customers uninformed about the rich regional variation in Indian cooking.

In India's five western coastal states--Gujarat, Maharashta, Goa, Karnataka and Kerala--the proximity to the ocean, as well as a rich abundance of fruits and vegetables, defines the cuisine of the region. Common spices include mustard seeds, fenugreek, curry leaves, coriander, red chiles and many spice blends.

The cuisines of southwestern India also are controlled largely by weather patterns, according to Floyd Cardoz, chef-partner of New York's Tabla, a fine-dining modern Indian restaurant. "From the second week in June until the end of September, there are monsoons," he says. "Nothing grows and no fishing boats go out, so people depend on dried fish or pickled fish and pickled vegetables to sustain them over a period of time."

Religion also shapes eating patterns. About 81 percent of India's population is Hindu, a religion that forbids the consumption of beef. Additionally, some orthodox Hindu communities forgo all animal proteins. "Some Hindus will not eat any animal protein, but there are others who will eat chicken and fish," says Cardoz. "It all depends on where you are from."

Another 13 percent of Indians are Muslim, a religion that prohibits the consumption of pork. Finally, 2 percent are Christian and 2 percent are Sikh, with other religions accounting for the remainder.

While it is easy to find regional Indian cuisine in major U.S. cities like New York and Los Angeles, regionally focused restaurants now are appearing in smaller markets as well, catering to consumers' growing appetite for new culinary experiences. Here, Indian-born chefs, operators and cookbook authors share their recipes and insights on popular southwestern Indian foods that are primed to become stateside hits.

Gujarat: Renowned for vegetarian cooking

India's northwestern coastal province, Gujarat, is known for its vegetarian cooking, with signature dishes such as undhiyu, a mixed vegetable stew with chick-pea-flour dumplings, and savory snack cakes called dhoklas, according to Cardoz.

"The Gujaratis are staunch vegetarians--they don't even take eggs," says Cardoz. "There is a sect of Gujaratis called Jains that don't even take onions or garlic or other root vegetables because they believe that [the vegetables] sustain life underground." In place of onions, Jains typically use asafetida, also called heeng, a spice that smells like onion when cooked.

One of the best-known dishes from the region, undhiyu stew incorporates large chunks of plantain, yam, eggplant and several types of peas and beans. The vegetables are rubbed with a paste of coconut, chile, ginger, green garlic, turmeric, coriander and garam masala--a spice mixture that often includes black pepper, cloves, cinnamon, cardamom, cumin, bay leaves and coriander, as well as other spices--and then fried and folded into the beans and peas. The vegetables are braised in their juices over low heat, and the chickpea-flour dumplings soak up the flavor of the vegetables and spices.

At the fine-dining Indian restaurant Devi in New York, chef-partner Suvir Saran serves "pan-Indian street food and home-style cooking," incorporating flavors and techniques from several of India's major states. His Gujarati-style braised corn dish features shucked ears of corn broken into thirds and braised in a chile-spiked, sweet-and-sour coconut broth with split peas. Saran's cookbook, "Indian Home Cooking: A Fresh Introduction to Indian Food, with More Than 150 Recipes," was co-written with Stephanie Lyness.

Most states in India have a signature steamed dish. In Gujarat, it is the dhokla, says Julie Sahni, in her cookbook "Classic Indian Vegetarian and Grain Cooking." Dhoklas are steamed savory cakes made from rice and channa dal, or yellow split peas. Raw rice and channa dal are ground to make coarse flour and then are mixed with yogurt, chiles, ginger, turmeric and lemon juice. The batter is spread onto round pans and steamed for about 10 minutes. After the cakes cool, they are cut into diamond shaped pieces.

At Vik's Chaat Corner in Berkeley, Calif., dhoklas are available as a special, topped with a hot mixture of fried mustard seeds, onion and curry leaves and served with mint chutney.

Maharashtra: Famed for street food

Maharashtra is a western coastal state of India and home to India's largest city, Mumbai--formerly known as Bombay--which has more than 16 million inhabitants, according to The World Almanac 2006. Bold flavors and the use of such spices as garlic, ginger, mustard seeds, curry leaves and coconut characterize Maharashtran cuisine. The region is known largely for its street foods, coconut curries and pan-fried flat breads.