A guide to Indian food.

What are the basics food of India? Today I am going to share some basic things about the food that people of India eat in their day to day life.

India is a very big country with the population of almost 1.39 billion (139 crores). The taste of food changes every 100 kilometres across the country.

From East to west and north to south food differs and people's tastebuds too. Dal, chawal, roti and sabzi are the most basic food every Indian like to eat. Though states to states food preference change. Let me share some essential facts about Indian foods......

India is also called the land of spices. No other country in the world produces as many varieties of spices as India.

Indian taste buds are prone to six different flavours : sweet, spicy, salty, bitter, sour, astringent. A proper Indian meal is always likely to be a balance of all these flavours.

Sweets are an important and integral part of Indian cuisine and celebrations too.

Chilli is the most widely used spice in India.

Tea is an ancient and national drink of India.

In north of India the most basic food people like to eat is roti, sabzi or curry, achar. North India, which includes food from states like Punjab, Haryana, Jammu & Kashmir, Rajasthan, Delhi, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Bihar. As the staple food of north India is wheat. It is grown extensively throughout the region. The greater part of the north Indian people have vegetarian diet aside from the Kashmiri's. Rajma, dal makhani, korma, kadhi, Chole, paratha's, kulcha, biryani, samosa are some of the basics. They also have a thing for sweets jalebi, kheer, Rabdi, halwa,  ladoo are adored and made frequently.

(Chole bhature)

While down in South rice is the staple food.So most of the delicacies are prepared with rice. South India consists foods from the five States of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil nadu and Telangana. Fruits, vegetable's, lentils, spices are used primarily while coconut is also used extensively in south Indian cuisine. The food people eat are mostly idlis, dosa's, vada's sambhar, uttapam, rasam, vegetable stew, fish curry, rice and payasam.

(South Indian breakfast)

Eastern India grows a lot of rice. Green vegetables and fruits are also abundant. Though the coastal section allows for a variety of fresh seafood. East India is a region consisting of states like Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha and West Bengal and also the union territory of Andaman and Nicobar islands. Basic food enjoyed by people in this region are macher jhol (fish curry) and rice, dalma, momos, thupka, lithi chokha etc. People of this region are renowned for its sugary treats. Some of the favorites include sandesh, roshogolla, mishti doi, rasmalai, kheer etc.

(Bengali Rajbhog)

At last West India; Rice, wheat, bajra, jowar, lentils, gram flour, corn, chillies are some staples of these region. Peanuts, coconut, yoghurt, buttermilk are used widely. Fresh fish is in abundance. The Western India include states like Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Gujarat and Goa. These region have hot and dry as well as coastal and arid parts. This region probably has the most diverse styles of food in India. Vegetables, kadhi, bhakri, chapati, rice, hot & sour fish Currie's, theplas, daal baati, laal Maas, ghewar, chicken xacuti, vindaloo are some basic food people like to eat. Snack foods and street foods like bhelpuri, pav bhaji, misal, samosa, vada pav, dhokla, Gujarati farsan are also loved in this region. 

(Misal-pav... street food)

Indian cuisine is a very vast topic and it can't be sum up in a small blog. Indian food is heavily influenced by religion, its culture and traditions. Indian cuisine is quite versatile and vivid in the whole world. Indian food is one of the richest and most elaborate foods in the world, which is famous for its aromatic spices, colors, and beautiful flavors. But I have tried to share some essentials of every region in a very simple and short way.