The food of a subcontinent: there's a lot more to Indian food than tandoori chicken and flat bread

Nation's Restaurant News, Sept 27, 2004 by Priya Luthra

India long has conjured notions of exotic fantasy for the Western world, a combination of the adventurous and somewhat dangerous that doesn't necessarily translate into something one wants to eat.

Combine that image with the fears of many Americans over spicy food, not to mention modern India's reputation for poor sanitation and poverty, and one begins to understand why the country's rich, varied cuisine has had trouble finding its way into the mouths of Americans.

However, the word "Indian" is on the lips of many American chefs--at independent fine-dining restaurants and casual chains alike--who expect the sub-continent's food to take off as the next trend any day now.

And as Indian food in America expands beyond the generic "curry" and as more people here try the cuisine, those chefs may be proven right.

Many people fail to realize that curry, in strictly Indian terms, does not contain curry powder--an invention of British merchants--but comes from the Tamil word kari, meaning sauce. Curry is any meat or vegetable dish with a sauce that might contain ginger, garlic, tomato, onion and a wide array of spices. Chile, a common ingredient in modern Indian cooking, is not native to the shores of India, and much Indian cooking is flavorful but not palate-burning.

Modern Indian cuisine is tied closely to the country's long history and to its relationship with neighboring countries. Western travelers in India often are surprised by the sweet, nutty pilaus, or rice dishes similar to the Middle East's couscous; creamy coconut curries reminiscent of Thai cuisine; and spice-infused lentils like those one might eat in Ethiopia. In the far north, near Nepal, a local favorite called a momo- a steamed dumpling similar to those in northern China--is devoured with aachar, which is Indian mango or lime pickle.

Indian cuisine also is tied closely to geography, with inland communities eating a diet full of fresh fruits and vegetables, while coastal areas abound in seafood. The one constant is the flat breads found all over the country and used as utensils to scoop food into the mouth. Nevertheless, even the type of flat bread varies from region to region.

Until recently, the majority of mainstream Indian restaurants in the United States served a menu primarily derived from the region around Punjab, a state on the India-Pakistan border that was divided during the 1947 partition of those countries. The region is well known for its use of the tandoor, a day oven that is used to cook the fire-engine-red tandoori chicken. Tandoori dishes are marinated in yogurt and spices and then roasted in their own juices, creating full-flavored meats often served with a squeeze of lemon and raw sliced onions.

Punjab also is famous for its use of fresh dairy products, such as malai, or cream; yogurt; and paneer, a type of firm cottage cheese. Saag paneer is pureed spinach or mustard greens cooked with spices and bite-sized pieces of paneer. Creamy lentil dishes are cooked for hours over a slow fire and then finished with spices and topped off with malai.

Most popular vegetable and meat curries from Punjab--simmered with sauteed onion, chile, tomato, ginger, coriander and mustard seeds, as well as turmeric, coriander, cumin, chile powder and, other spices--are accompanied by raita, a cooling yogurt dish. Regional desserts like kheer, a milky rice pudding, also use local dairy products.

South from Punjab on the West Coast is the port city of Bombay, also called Mumbai.

This cosmopolitan city in Maharashtra state is India's financial center, as well as the heart of the country's film industry.

Maharashtrian food is straightforward, and adding to the experience is that diners can feast on meals straight from the countless street vendors while walking along Mumbai's boardwalk, called the "Queen's Necklace," as lights twinkle like diamonds along the U-shaped boulevard. Grilled corn on the cob is served hot from a stand, slathered with butter or sprinkled with lemon juice, salt, pepper and chile powder. Vada pav, a fried vegetable patty stuffed inside a buttered bun, comes with coriander and tamarind chutneys.

But the most popular Bombay street food, without a doubt, is the Frankie.

Frankies are Bombay's version of the wrap or the burrito. Wheat-flour flat breads called chapatis are dipped in egg and grilled, then stuffed with spiced grilled chicken, mutton, paneer or vegetables.

Continuing down the western coast of India, travelers eventually will reach Goa, the former Portuguese colony that today is a popular beach destination for European tourists. From its perch on the Arabian Sea, Goa grows large amounts of coconuts and spices, as well as tropical fruits, rice, cashews and betel nuts. The 450 years of Portuguese rule has left quite an influence on the Goan community. Both Christmas and Diwali, a major Hindu holiday, for example, are celebrated with equal fervor. The Hindu and the Christian populations in Goa each have their own delicacies, but traditional Goan food is powerfully hot, with a deep, smoky flavor from wood fires.