India is a diverse and ancient land encompassing more than two dozen states. With a population over one billion, made up of hundreds of tribes that have mixed over centuries, you might expect a highly varied cuisine. That is seen even in such categories as snacks. The variety of dosa, hailing from Southern India, is [...]

Curry is a very general term for a wide variety of powdered spice mixtures. The most basic usually consists of turmeric, coriander, cumin and cayenne, but the variations are endless. For such a simple sounding item it can be very challenging to make. The reasons are, in part, the result of that wide variety. It [...]

What Indian cuisine dish is complete without some chutney? Not many. This delicious fruit-based spread is more than mere jam – it is a jamboree of healthy flavor. Chutney is made from fruit, vinegar, sugar and spices. But that simple description masks a continent of variety. Chutney can be made with mangos, plums, peaches, tamarind… [...]

Yes, you read that correctly: it is ‘chaat’, not ‘chat’. But if you prepare one of these Indian delicacies the right way, your guests will definitely have something worth talking about. As you would expect in a land that holds dozens of sub-cultures, India has developed as many chaats as they have languages. By some [...]

Like the cuisine of many cultures, it is the spices in Indian food that make its dishes distinctive. Italian and Mexican food is instantly recognizable. So it is with Indian food, and the native spices are a major factor. Everyone has heard of curry, to be sure. And, without doubt, curry (actually a variety of [...]

Naan is the most well known traditional Indian bread to Westerners. But roti is a delicious alternative that can complement your Indian cuisine. Like its more famous cousin, Roti is a flat bread. But there are several key differences between the two. Roti is unleavened – i.e. it is not made with yeast and nothing [...]

India is a land of two dozen states with hundreds of languages. Even so, there is a fairly sharp division between Northern India and Southern India, at least in terms of cuisine. There is plenty of mixing to be sure. But one example of this difference is found in what will accompany the main dish. [...]

Cottage cheese is known the world over. It is among the most basic of American foods and an ordinary component of a meal in France or Greece. But the Indian version, known as paneer, is just a little bit different. Similar to ricotta, it adds not just dairy but a delightful hint of tang to [...]

Naan is leavened bread. But, oh, what a world of delicious facts are contained in that plain statement. Like the cuisine of most cultures, bread is central to Indian food. It can be a meal by itself, but more often it is a complement to a main dish. It can be eaten plain, buttered with [...]

The Mughals invaded India in the 16th century, adding yet another culture to a land already full of so many. They brought with them their own distinctive cuisine and the world has benefited. Rich dairy, heady spices and more characterize this delightful style from the North, heavily influenced by elements of Central Asia. But the [...]