India's Language and Cuisine

8/3/2019 India's Language and Cuisine

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LanguagesINDIAN LANGUAGES

India is 418 and out of this 11 have become extinct and there are 407

living languages of India, and 22 languages officially recognized by the

Constitution of India. Out of these languages Hindi is spoken by majority

of North Indians. When India got independence it was thought that Hindi

will be made the National language of the nation but this thought did not

materialize, as large population in Southern India did not understand

Hindi. During British rule English was the official language and language

of communication. So it was learned by elites of India too. After

independence English was made the associative official language to

help in communication but it was thought that after a decade it will be

withdrawn but it did not happen due to the protest by the southern

states. Slowly English got embedded in Indian culture and is now one of

the widely spoken languages of India. From kindergarten to the

government offices it has became the medium of communication.

The Indian languages belong to four language families namely Indo-

European, Dravidian, Austroasiatic (Austric) and Sino-Tibetan.

Majority of India's population are using Indo-European and

Dravidian languages. The former are spoken mainly in northern and

central regions and the latter in southern India. Some ethnic groups in

Assam and other parts of eastern India speak Austric languages.

People in the northern Himalayan region and near the Burmese

border speak Sino-Tibetan languages.

The written forms of language or scripts come from an ancient Indian

script called Brahmi. India has 22 officially recognised languages. But

around 33 different languages and 2000 dialects have been identified in

India. Hindi, in the Devanagari script is the official language of the Federal

government of India. English is an associate official language. Sanskrit,

the classical language of India, represents the highest achievement of the

Indo-Aryan Languages. The beginning of Sanskrit literature may be

traced back to Rig Vedic period. It is the oldest literary language of India,

which is more than 5,000 years old and the basis of many modern Indian

languages including Hindi and Urdu. Its earliest dialect form, Vedic was

spoken by the Aryans. All the classical literature and the Indian epics

have been written in Sanskrit.


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Languages Of India

Assamese : A language of Assam that's spoken by nearly 60 percent of theState's population.

Bengali : An official language of West Bengal, now spoken by nearly 200 millionpeople in West Bengal and in Bangladesh.

Dogri : Jammu and Kashmir

Gujarati : It is the official language of Gujarat. 70 percent of the State's populationspeak Gujrathi but it the most spread language not only in India but also abroad.

Hindi : The official language of India, accent and dialect differs with different regionsbut almost every Indian has a working knowledge of Hindi. It is written in a Devanagiri script.

Kannada : A language of Karnataka and is spoken by 65 percent of the state'spopulation. It belongs to the Dravidian family.

Kashmiri : Though the language is mistaken as a state language of Kashmironly 55 per cent of the state's population speak Kashmiri.

Konkani :Goa, Karnataka, Maharashtra

Maithili :Bihar

Malayalam : The state language of Kerala. It is the youngest of all developedlanguages in the Dravidian family.

Manipuri/Meitei : Manipur

Marathi : An official language of Maharashtra. It has a fully developed literature of the modern type


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Nepali : Sikkim, West Bengal

Oriya : A branch of the Indo-Aryan family, is the official language of the State of Orissa.

Punjabi :The official language of the State of Punjab. It is written in Gurmukhi script, created by the Sikh

Guru, Angad.

Sanskrit : The classical language of India that has lost it's value in the modern world. It is also one ofthe oldest languages in the world- perhaps the oldest to be recorded. All the ancient scripts are found to be written in

the same language.

Sandal : Santhal tribals of the Chota Nagpur Plateau (comprising the states of Bihar, Chattisgarh,Jharkhand, Orissa)

Sindhi : Is spoken by a great number of people in the Northwest frontier of the Indian sub-continentcomprising parts of India and Pakistan

Tamil : The State language of Tamil Nadu. Tamil literature goes back to Centuries before the Christian eraand is spoken by more than 73 million people. It belongs to the Dravidian language family.

Telugu : A language of Andhra Pradesh. It is numerically the biggest linguistic unit in India.

Urdu : The state language of Jammu and Kashmir and is spoken by more than 28 million people in India.Urdu and Hindi have proceeded from the same source. Urdu is written in the Persio - Arabic script and contains many

words from the Persian language.


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Cuisine

Cuisines of India

Diverse CuisineSummer Season The duration of summer in India is from March to

June. It is mildly pleasant in March, a bit uncomfortable in April, hot in

May and scorching in June. The temperature in the plains of northern

India can go upto 45o Celsius. The southern region is equally hot. This

is the time when people pack their bags and head off to the hills and

valleys where it is relatively cooler.

Cuisine Adopted By Different ReligionWhat has helped along this diversity is the amazing number of

religions and the sects and sub-sects within them; each of them

often have strict dietary codes. For example, Hindu Brahmins may

not eat onions, ginger and garlic, meat which meant that a special

cuisine came up around that bias and so on. Whereas Christians and

Muslims favors meat eating. The most striking contrast in eating

habits shows up between the meat-and-bread eating northern regions

and the pulse-and-rice southern regions

Indian Food

The major culinary influences on Indian cuisine resulted from significant

historical invasions, including the Greeks, Mughal Portuguese and

British. Today, Rich and diverse Indian cuisine, coupled with the

celebrated hospitality of the people is the crowning glory of the opulent

Indian culture. Simply irresistible and sumptuous, Indian dishes are any

gourmet's delight. Various permutations and combinations of variousingredients and the innumerable aromatic spices create magical, mouth

watering variety of the same dish, which may be very often different in

taste, colour, texture and also appearance, taking into account the

regional variations. The skill lies in the subtle blending of a variety of

spices to enhance rather than overwhelm the basic flavor of a particular

dish.


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Indian Cuisine Recipe

Bengali Cuisine

For the quintessential Bengali, food is one of the most important aspects

of daily life. Fish, sweets, and other foods are discussed and debated

about as passionately as Leftist ideologies and Tagore. The cooks and

housewives spend an enormous amount of time in the kitchen and the

rest is spent in chalking out menus, buying foodstuff or discussing and

comparing recipes

State

The eastern state of west Bengal is considered to be the cultural

capital of India. A land of aesthetes and political activists, Bengal is

famous for its many eminent writers, poets, artists, spiritualists,

social reformers, freedom fighters and revolutionaries.Bengal, the

land of maachh and bhaat, of rasogolla and sondesh, lies on the

monsoon-drenched east coast of India. The cuisine of West Bengal

differs from that of Bangladesh in that the use of coconut in this

cuisine is much lesser and mustard oil is cooking medium instead of

coconut oil.

Specialities

Bengali cuisine does not start and end with fish, though it forms a large

part of the Bengali's food habits. Among varieties of the fish, the specialty

of Calcutta is the hilsa fish. 'Smoked hilsa' and machher jhol are

quintessentially Calcutta. Bengalis also take pride in its luchi - a refined,

sophisticated form of puri. The Bengalis are compulsive sweet lovers.

Mention Bengal and one is immediately reminded of the delicious sweets

of the state-gulab jamuns, rasogolla, sondesh, chum chum and many

more. Made of milk and cottage cheese, these are light and delectable.No account of Bengali food is complete without a eulogy to its sweet dahi

or mishti doi as it is more popularly called. Poyodi-a thick sweet curd that

is colored a subtle pink and rich in texture is synonymous with the city of

Calcutta.

Potha Parban is a day given to feasting on homemade sweets, pancakes

and puffed rice. Instead of the daily fare of rice and fish curry, the rice

harvest is made festive with the addition of jaggery syrup, coconut candy

and condiments, to create a variety of recipes for this day. Platefuls of

specialties are exchanged between neighbors, relatives and sent as gift

hampers to in-laws


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Goan Cuisine

The Goan cuisine is an interesting mix of varied influences. Though the

recipes and techniques of the two major communities there, Christians

and Hindus are quite different, there are some points where they come

together to produce culinary wonders. The ever-popular pork vindaloo is a

result of this combination. Apart from these two, there is a telling influence

of Portuguese cooking. Goan food is simple but one has to bear in mind

that most, though not all, of it is chili hot, spicy, and pungent

State

A small state on the western coast of India, Goa was a Portuguese

colony for a long time. The state has always been a populardestination for those wanting to enjoy the sun, sand, and sea though

it offers much more than that. One of the best things about Goa are

its people, known for their easy-going nature, civility and love for

fun and food.

Specialities

Sweets : For those with a sweet tooth, Goan cuisine offers the

famous bebinca. The extract of coconut milk is added to flour,

sugar, and other delectable ingredients are used to make thisdelicacy. Each scrumptious layer has to be baked before the next

one is added, though not many people nowadays have the time to

make the traditional 16 layers.

Even so, a good bebinca is a mouth-melting dream. Other sweets include

a soft jaggery flavored fudge called dodol made from finger-licking palm-

sap jaggery, rice flour and coconut; the crispy delicate rose-a-coque that

are flower-like waffles and can be eaten alone or drenched with cream or

honey; the curled and sugared kulkuls spiraled around the tines of forks

and deep-fried as Christmas goodies and Easter eggs known as ovos da

pascoa. Similarly, during the Hindu festival of Ganesh Chaturthi, cone-

shaped dumplings called modaks are a favourite fare.

Feni : An accompaniment to wash down all Goan food is the locally

brewed feni. The Goans probably first distilled this from the fermented sap

of the coconut flower-stalk, but later they also made it from the fruit of the

cashew tree which the Portuguese had brought to the state with them.

Though other forms of liquor are readily available across the state, theGoans are as emotional about their feni as they are about their food.


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Gujarati Cuisine

Gujarati cuisine is a vegetarian gourmet's dreams come true. It is a

vegetarian wonder with complete nutrition derived from leafy vegetables

prepared in innumerable variations and subtly flavored with spices.

Simple, practical, down-to-earth and wholesome, Gujarati cuisine truly

reflects the heart of the state.

State

Situated on the western coast of India, the name of the state is

derived from Gujjaratta, which means the land of Gurjars, who had

migrated to India around the 5th century AD. The real cultural

history of these people, however, is believed to have begun much

earlier when Lord Krishna arrived here with the Yadavs, some3,500 years ago. Gujarat has three distinct regions. One is Gujarat

proper and the other two are Saurashtra and Kutch. Communities

practicing religions like Jainism, Islam, Zoroastrianism etc. can be

found in the state.

Specialities

A Kathiawari favorite is debra. Made with wheat flour mixed with

spinach, green chilies, a dollop of yogurt and a pinch of salt and

sugar, these are eaten with chudo-a thick sweet chutney made withraw man-goes, cardamoms, cloves, saffron and sugar. Yet another

specialty is methia masala, a dry powder made from fenugreek

seeds, chili powder and salt. This is sprinkled over raw vegetables

and salads for a piquant flavor. A peanut fudge made from gur is

another specialty, which is quite delicious

Using the same lentils and rice, Kutchi kitchens produce delectable items like the khaman

dhokla, a salty steamed cake made from chickpea flour; doodha pak, sweet, thickened milk

confectioned with nuts, and srikhand, a dessert made of yogurt, flavored with saffron,

cardamom, nuts and candied fruit which is eaten with hot, fluffy pooris. These three delicacies

have made their way into the favorites list of the rest of India too and can be found in

restaurants all over the country.

Karnataka Cuisine

The culinary fare offered by Karnataka is quite varied with each region of

the state having its own unique flavors. Many factors and influences

have contributed to enrich this culinary heritage

State


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Geographically, Karnataka is divided into three distinct regions. A narrow

coastal strip along the Arabian Sea, the hills of the Western Ghats, and

sprawling plains to the east. Karnataka is also known as the coffee-bowl

of India. It is the spice country which produces the best cardamoms,

fondly called the queen of spices and 'black gold' or black pepper.Specialities and Sweets

A typical Karnatka meal has many delicacies like Kosambari, a salad

made of the broken halves of the soaked green moong dal (lentil) minus

its skin, spiced with salt, green chili and mustard seed (oggarane) and

mixed with tiny scrapings of coconut, cucumber and carrot and dressed

with a little lime juice. Then there are the playas which are vegetables

steamed or boiled to retain the original color and flavor. Sometimes, huli

is replaced with a milder kootu. Tamarind is taboo for kootu, which is

spiced with lots of pepper, cumin seeds and ground coconut. Also, no

Kannada meal is complete without saaru-a clear pepper broth.Kesari bhath (a halwa made of semolina, sugar, and saffron), chiroti and

Mysore pak are among the favorite sweets in Karnatka. But the piece de

resistance is the obbattu or holigea-flat, thin, wafer-like chappati filled with

a mixture of jaggery, coconut and sugar and fried gently on a skillet. Along

with payasa (south Indian kheer), obbattu is always served withcelebratory meals in Karnatka. Other delectable sweets that come out of

the Kannada kitchen are the shavige payasa made of vermicelli and sugar,

hesaru bele made with green gram dal, and baadami hallu, which is,

crushed almonds mixed with milk, sugar and saffron.

Kashmiri Cuisine

Think of Kashmiri cuisine and visions of deliciously spicy meat dishes, the

kahva (salt tea), and the delicate flavor of saffron come to mind. The

Kashmiris are passionate about their food and this is evident from the

amount of time they spend either cooking it or discussing about it. That

the kitchen is typically the best decorated room in the house says a lot

about its importance. However, contrary to impressions of those living

outside the state, every Kashmiri meal is not an eight-course wazwan.


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State

Kashmir is one of the most scenic and beautiful places of India. It is

a part of the state of Jammu and Kashmir, which comprises the

Jammu region, the Kashmir Valley, and Ladakh. Though affected

by political violence for over a decade now, Kashmir is are gentle

and food loving people and their elaborate banquets are world

famous.

Specialities

Meat being the staple, most of the special dishes have mutton as a

major ingredient. Nahari, a special breakfast dish, is a stew of

trotters and tongue, seasoned with cassia buds, cardamom,

sandalwood powder, vetiver roots and dried rose petals. The

sheermal bread goes well with this stew. The methi maz, on the

other hand, is a superb blend of mild tasting entrails and strong-

flavored fenugreek leaves.

Almost every special occasion in Kashmir is celebrated with a wazwan.

Named after the cooks who dish out culinary wonders on these occasions,

the wazwan is equivalent to a mutton lover's vision of paradise. Eight

preparation of mutton are essential for any wazwan and the number can

go up to thirty-six. The preparation for the wazwan begins with contacting

the family waza or cook who, together with the host, decides the menu.

On the day of the wazwan, the waza, accompanied by his various helpers,

starts the pounding, cutting and grating early in the morning. Only the leg

of lamb is used for dhaniphol, only ribs for tabak maz, only neck for rogan

josh, and so on. During the course of a wazwan, amid a veritable storm of

courses, not one dish tastes like another.

Kerala Cuisine

Kerala has a distinctive cuisine, very unusual and different from the rest of

India. Cooking in Kerala is all about discoveries, aromas and colors. Kerala

cuisine is very hot and spicy and offers several gastronomic opportunities to

those willing to experiment with the local cuisine.

State

A tropical paradise of undulating palms and warm sandy beaches, Kerala is a

narrow strip of coastal territory sloping down from the Western Ghats in a riot

of green, luxuriant vegetation. Kerala is also one of the richest states in India

with forests and plantations of rubber, cashew, and coconuts everywhere.

The meeting place of many cultures, Hindu and Muslim, Christian and

Jewish, Kerala has a particularly rich heritage of dance and drama and the


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people are among the most industrious and well educated in the country.Specialities

Kerala is noted for its variety of pancakes and steamed rice cakes

made from pounded rice. Though the same ingredients are used all

over the state, each of the communities has its own specialties.

For the Muslims, the lightly flavored biryani-made of mutton,

chicken, egg or fish-takes pride of place. In seafood, mussels are a

favorite. A concoction of mussel and rice flour, cooked in the shell

is called arikadaka. The Arab influence on the local cuisine is very

visible in the rich meat curries and desserts. A community of

Muslims who live in an area called Kuttichara, have a special dish-a

whole roasted goat stuffed with chickens inside which are eggs.

For the Christians, who can be seen in large concentration in areas

like Kottayam and Pala, ishtew (a derivation of the European stew),

with appam is a must for every marriage reception. There wouldalso be beef cutlets with sallas (a salad made of finely cut onions,

green chilies and vinegar), chicken roast, olathan erachi (fried

mutton, beef or pork), meen moilee (a yellow fish curry), meen

mulligattathu (a fiery red fish curry), and peera pattichathu (a dry

fish dish of grated coconut). Another interesting feature is the

abundant use of coconut oil, mustard seeds, curry leaves, and

coconut milk.

Maharashtrian Cuisine

The culture of Maharashtra, which reveals itself in many ways, is also

reflected in its local cuisine. Though most people are not very familiar with

Maharashtrian cuisine and it has yet to find its way into five-star kitchens,

there does exist a large and interesting culinary repertoire

State

Overlooking the vast expanse of the Arabian Sea is the western state ofMaharashtra, which presents a strong blend of the traditional and the

contemporary-each co-existing with the other with surprising ease.


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Specialities

Among seafood, the most popular fish is bombil or the Bombay duck,

which is normally served batter fried and crisp. Bangda or mackerel

is another popular fish in coastal Maharashtra. It is curried with red

chilies, ginger and triphal. Pomfret is another popular fish eaten

barbecued, stuffed, fried or curried. Pamphlet triphal ambat is a

traditional dish in which fish is cooked in creamy coconut gravy thatgreatly enhances its taste.

Besides fish, crabs, prawns, shellfish and lobsters are also relished by

the coastal Maharashtrians. A popular prawn dish is the sungtachi-

hinga kodi, which consists of prawns in coconut gravy, blended with

spices and asafetida

Special Occations

In Maharashtra, festivals and food go together. During Ganesh Utsav,every Maharashtrian welcomes Lord Ganesh into his home and offers

Modak-a favorite sweetmeat of Lord Ganesh that is made only during

this festival. It has a rice flour casting that is fashioned like a large

flower bud and stuffed with freshly granted coconut cooked with

aggery. The modak is placed on lightly greased banana leaves and

steamed.

Punjabi Recipe

Mention Punjab and the first image that comes to mind is that of lush greenfields. Mention Punjabi food and the first thing that comes to mind is makke

ki roti and sarson ka saag. Punjabi cuisine is like the Punjabis themselves.

It is simple, sizeable and hearty - with no unnecessary frills or exotic

accompaniments

State

The land of Punjab is a land of earthy culture, myriad images of swaying

emerald green fields and warm people whose robust rustic ways of

camaraderie and bonhomie are very much a part of their heritage. Beyond

its joyous people and carpet spreads of fertile fields, this 'Land of Milk and

Honey' has a host of culinary treasures that it readily offers to the others

too.


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Specialities

Most Punjabi menus are made according to the season. The universal

favorite is chole-bathure which is a round-the-year item and is

available at every wayside dhaba anywhere in Northern India. But,

the pride of the Punjabi winter cuisine is sarson-ka-saag (mustard

leaves) served with blobs of white butter accompanied by makke-di-

roti and lassi (churned yogurt).

The other popular dishes, which belong exclusively to Punjab, are

mah ki dal, rajma (kidney beans) and stuffed parathas. Punjabi

cuisine is characterized by a profusion of dairy products in the form

of malai (cream), paneer (cottage cheese) and curds. Then there is

also paneer-a must in the vegetarian Punjabi menu. Several delectable

items are made out of this rather bland derivative of milk. Creations

like the Kadai Paneer, and Makhani Paneer are basically Punjabi but

are well loved all over the country.

Special Occations

A predominantly wheat eating people, the Punjabis cook rice only on

special occasions. Rice is rarely cooked plain or steamed and is

always made with a flavoring of cumin or fried onions, which is the

served with rajma (kidney beans) or kadhi (curd curry). In winter,

rice is cooked with jaggery - gurwala chawal or with green peas or as

a delicacy called Rao ki kheer, which is rice cooked on a slow fire for

hours together with sugar cane juice.

Rajasthani CuisineThe Land of Princes, as Rajasthan is called, boasts of many a fine kitchen-

both within the palaces and outside. In the royal kitchens of Rajasthan, the

preparation of food was a very serious matter and was raised to the level of

an art form. Hundreds of cooks worked in the stately palaces and kept their

recipes very closely guarded. Some recipes were passed on to their sons

and the rest were lost forever.

State

Situated in northwest India, Rajasthan is india at its exotic and colorful

best, with its battle-scarred forts, its palaces of breathtaking grandeur, its

riot of colors, and its romantic sense of pride and honor. In Rajasthan, the

spectacular is commonplace and colorful costumes, festivals, and customs

relieve the tedium of coping with a harsh, demanding land.


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Specialities

Perhaps the best-known Rajasthan food is the combination of dal,

bati and churma but there is a wide variety to choose from in

Rajasthan cuisine. The bati, lachhedar paratha and besan ki missi puri

are types of bread peculiar to Rajasthan. Two meat specialties are lal

maans (red meat), a fiery heavily spiced dish, and safed mass (white

meat) cooked with almonds, cashew nuts and coconut. Variouschutneys are made from locally available spices like turmeric,

coriander, mint and garlic.

Apart from the spicy delicacies, each of the regions of Rajasthan is

distinguished by its popular sweet - ladoos of Jaisalmer, mawa

kachori of Jodhpur, malpuas of Pushkar, dil jani of Udaipur, mishri

mawa and ghevar of Jaipur, sohan halwa of Ajmer, mawa of Alwar,

and rasgullas of Bikaner, to name a few. Bikaner also has a whole

range of other savories and snacks like the world famous Bikaner ki

bhujia.

Special Occations

With every festival in Rajasthan, some traditional goodies are

associated like the ghevar with Teej, and the malpuas with the

Pushkar cattle fair. For occasions like hunting, there special

preparations of meat that the men cooked themselves. During the

times of the kings and princes, every cook tried a new dish almost

everyday. Game, ranging from peacocks to camels, was prepared to

perfection and decorated elaborately before being served in silver

platters.

Tamil Cuisine

Tamil Nadu provides the visitors with a wide variety of delicacies, both

vegetarians as well as non-vegetarians, though most food in Tamil Nadu

consists of grains, lentils, rice and vegetables. Spices are added to give a

distinctive taste to this cuisine, which uses chili liberally.

State

Situated in the southernmost part of India, Tamil Nadu is referred to as the

cradle of the Dravidian culture, the ancient Indian culture distinguished for

its unique languages, customs and architecture. The cultural icons are

everywhere-huge temples with their towering gopurams (gateways),

intricate rock carvings, evocative music, classical dances, and, of course,

the cuisine.


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Specialities

Some of the popular dishes in Chettinad menu are varuval -- a dry dish friedwith onions and spices (chicken, fish or vegetables sauted), pepperchicken, poriyal a curry, and kuzambu which has the ingredients stewed ina gravy of coconut milk and spices.

In the same range, one can include the numerous pickles, powders,specially roasted and ground spices, dry snacks, papads, appalam andvada. Numerous shops now sell pre-packed snacks like murukkus, smallspirals of fried rice dough, chips and other edible 'hand grenades' likethattai, masala vada and so on.

The Tamil variation of Mughlai food can be savored in the biryani and paya.The latter is a kind of spiced trotter broth and is eaten with either parathasor appam.

Tamil Nadu is famous for its filter coffee as most Tamils have a subtlecontempt for instant coffee. The making of filter coffee is almost a ritual, forthe coffee beans have to be roasted and ground. Then the powder is putinto a filter set and boiling hot water is added to prepare the decoction andallowed to set for about 15 minutes. The decoction is then added to milkwith sugar to taste. The final drink is poured individually from one containerto another in rapid succession to make the ideal frothy cup of filter coffee.

India's Language and Cuisine

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