All Indian recipes are spicy: Though Indian cooking is hot and spicier when compared with European or Western cooking, there are many regions in India where the food is bland, even sweet. Should you want to test something less-hot, go taste some Gujarati dishes.
Infact traditional Indian cuisines from many areas of India might have that added masala but are generally less spicier than regions like Andhra Pradesh where food is very spicy in general.
Most of Indian food is Vegetarian: Well, not entirely true. While many sections of India are strictly vegetarian, the array of non vegetarian food available in this part of the world is immense.
Many of the Hindus while vegetarian have traversed to the other side and there is a great population of non vegetarians in India. Muslims and Christians in India also consume meat, while Hindus do not eat them as they considered it sacred.
There isn’t variety in Indian cooking: Many, especially foreigners and first time visitors to India, are of the opinion that Indian food doesn’t have so much of choices. Indian cuisine is perhaps one of the most varied food-culture on the planet!
Indian food = Chicken Tikka : This is a popular myth made famous by ethnic Indians in England. Chicken Tikka was originally a Persian dish brought to India by the Mughals. This was later adopted by the people of Punjab (in India and Pakistan). They created their own version of Chicken Tikka and took the recipe with them when many of them migrated and settled in Britain. Though it is highly popular in UK, it is not so much in India where it has to compete with hundreds of other local dishes.
Indian food is all about Curry: Curry is something that was again made popular by British-South Asian ethnic groups. While Curry abroad may refer to a thick and spicy gravy dish, India takes a different meaning altogether. In South India, Curry may refer to a vegetable side-dish that is often served with rice.
Indians eat food with their hands: Sometimes shocking to a visitor to India is the practice of eating food with hands. This is true as Indians consider eating with their hands as tastier as well as ritualistic. Also, most Indian dishes are difficult to be eaten with forks and spoons. Many Indians today use their hands as well as forks & spoons.
You will also find that in certain Indian regions, food is served on a banana leaf or an areca nut leaf. These traditions have been passed on to families since many generations and many modern Indian continue to follow then regardless of caste differences.
For additional information and video recipes please go to the buzzing food community at ifood. If you are an Indian food lover you can also take a look at Indian Recipes and South Indian Recipes.
