Taste across India

India is a multicultural nation and home to some of the most lip-smacking delicacies. And if you love food and culture, it is pertinent that you explore the varied cuisine of India and what better time to try new things than the New Year.

Image Source: Tripoto

Food makes up for an essential part of the human experience. It is one of the best ways possible to gauge an understanding of different cultures and their practices. While India is home to a number of unique and amazing cuisine, these cuisines often get lost in the cacophony of modern marketing and fast food chains. Here are my picks for the food that you should try this year.

Indrahar

The name Indrahar literally translates to the food of Indra, as it is believed that it was offered to Indra, the Kings of God. Indrahar is a popular dish in the Rewa district of Madhya Pradesh. Indrahar is made by fermenting a mixture of lentils overnight. It is best enjoyed with Kadhi which is a thick gravy made from gram/chickpea flour and flavoured with yoghurt added to it to give it a bit of sour taste. If you don’t want to mix it with Kadhi, Indrahar can be enjoyed on its own.

Solkadhi

Solkadhi is a Konkani beverage that is normally served after a spicy meal because of its sweet taste. It’s made by mixing coconut milk and Kokum. It is also known as Aamsol or Rathambe in Marathi. The dried fleshy leaf of Kokum contains anthocyanin which results in the purple-pink colour of Solkadhi. Because of its sweetness and cool nature, Solkadhi can calm down your stomach after a spicy Konkani meal.

Pathrode

Malenadu refers to the western and eastern region of the Western Ghats or the Sahayadri Mountains in Karnataka. Malnad cuisine is one of the oldest surviving cuisines of India, and its influence is visible all over Karnataka. Pathrode is a snack made from rice and colocasia leaves. A mixture of coconut paste and spicy sour rice is covered in colocasia leaves, and it is then rolled and cut so that the stuffing becomes visible. The bun is then steam-cooked, thus making it a healthy snack since no oil is used. However, you can fry the pathrode in coconut oil for some extra flavour if you wish.

Dhansak

Dhansak is a Persian dish popular among the Indian Parsi or Zorastrian community. The name of the dish itself is derived from Gujarati. Dhan is a dish mentioned in a 13th-century text called Kanhadade Prabandha, while Shak in Gujarati refers to vegetables. The dish is a mixture of Persian and Gujarati cuisine. It is made from mutton or goat meat cooked with lentils and vegetables, served with caramelized rice. The mixing of lentils with meat is a Persian innovation, and in contrast to the more mellow Persian cuisine, the use of a range of spices and condiments is the Gujarati element of Dhansak.

Wazwan

Technically not a single dish but a whole course. Wazwan is a meal of thirty-six dishes in Kashmiri cuisine. One of its specialities is that curd is used a lot in its recipe. Because of this, the curry is quite thick. Asafoetida is used for fragrance in dishes. Cardamom, cinnamon, cloves and saffron, fennel and dried ginger are also used to make delicious and aromatic food. At the same time, all kinds of nuts, including walnuts, almonds and raisins, are also used in the curry.

Apart from vegetable and cheese-based dishes, more than a dozen mutton dishes are a part of Wazwan. Shredded mutton balls with spicy red gravy are served with rogan josh, Mirchi korma, aab gosht and lahabi kebab. Finally, large balls of shredded mutton cooked in curd and spices, called gustabas, are served. The techniques and skills of Wazwan are under threat of becoming lost because of the unstable political situation in Kashmir.