In a recent survey, Indian cuisine was found to be the fifth best in the world. While people might agree or disagree with this survey, it is an undisputed fact that Indian cuisine is one of the most, if not the most, diverse cuisines in the world, with both vegetarian and non-vegetarian options spanning the length and breadth of the country. Another survey by Dr. Oetker-Ipsos showed that about 79% of Indians cook western food in their kitchens at least once a week. Because western food is easy to make, 70% of the people who answered said they would cook it not only for special occasions but also as a meal replacement.
With a busy lifestyle and an evolving palate, Indian consumers in general and Indian urban consumers in particular are beginning to experiment with exotic and foreign ingredients and recipes, as they are usually easy to cook. With excessive emphasis on ease of cooking and saving time, most Indians have almost forgotten about the various grains, vegetables, fruits, and seafood that are native to this land. For example, brinjal, which is also called eggplant or aubergine in the English-speaking world, is not as favorably looked upon as it was in the past. The humble tur dal, or pigeon pea, which is a staple or basis for many Indian dishes and is a rich source of protein, is usually skipped by India’s urban youth in favor of oats. Karela, or bitter gourd, which is extremely healthy and is known to even lower blood sugar levels, is frowned upon by most Indians due to its bitter taste.
However, there is a resurgence of culinary use of local produce. First, let us consider fruits. While the king of fruits, mango, along with orange and mosambi (sweet lemon), usually steal the show here with their juices, certain native fruits like jackfruit, mangosteen, bael, and ice apple are slowly making a comeback. Certain India-based ice cream parlor chains have started offering jackfruit-flavored ice cream. While ice apple or sugar plum fruits are mainly consumed in South India, their desserts are becoming quite popular as well. NunguPayasam, or ice apple, is an extremely refreshing and cooling summer dessert that can be found in certain restaurants in Tamil Nadu. The Indian gooseberry, or Amla, is gaining more traction with every passing day as people start realizing its health and medicinal benefits. Many restaurants now offer pickles made with Indian gooseberries, which have a long shelf life and have been traditionally used in preserves and pickles. not to mention its sour and tangy taste. The black plum, or jamun, is quite popular in South India, not only for its juices but also for the fruit itself and its many medicinal qualities. Black plum trees usually grow wild in many places in South India, and people harvest the fruit without anyone stopping them. Its juices are now served at certain juice bars and have elicited a good response from customers.
If we look at vegetables, it’s usually potatoes, tomatoes, turnips, yams, coriander, cabbage, cauliflower, and garlic that steal the show. However, certain vegetables native to India, like moringa, drumstick, and bitter gourd, are getting quite popular as their dishes are being served in many upscale restaurants. For example, in certain east Indian states like Bihar, Jharkhand, and West Bengal, bitter gourd stew, bitter gourd fry, and moringa stew are extremely popular and served in local restaurants.
So far as grains are concerned, north India predominantly eats wheat in the form of chapatis or rotis, and south India consumes many varieties of rice. However, grains like jowar, bajra, ragi, and barley are quite popular in certain states. For example, in the southern parts of the state of Karnataka, millets, also known as ragi, are widely consumed. Having understood its nutritional benefits, it is slowly becoming a mainstream grain in local restaurant businesses. It is washed, dried, and ground into a fine powder or flour before being cooked. In northern parts of Karnataka, another millet, namely jowar or jola (as it is called locally), is ground into flour and is used to make rotis that are an excellent source of healthy carbohydrates and a decent amount of protein. These rotis are being served in many local restaurants. Another grain indigenous to northeast India is black rice. It is grown extensively in Odisha, West Bengal, and Jharkhand. Also known as chak hao, it is used to prepare pulao and rice-based desserts. Black rice goes very well with vegetables, mushrooms, and seafood. With a very low glycemic index, black rice is an excellent source of healthy carbohydrates. Black rice puddings, crepes, and pancakes are regularly served at upscale restaurants in cities like Bangalore.
When it comes to Chinese food, India has no shortage of variety. Freshwater fish popular in India are rohu, katla, mahaseer, hilsa, kajuli, pulasa, rani, karimeen, magur, pabda, and kokila. About 70 different types of prawns, crabs, shrimp, and lobster native to India are extremely popular. Fried and stewed dishes are served all over the west and east coasts of India. With imports of salmon from Norway and the UK on the rise, one might think that local fish might lose out in the long run. The cost of such imported seafood alone discourages most average Indians from purchasing it. With such a diverse range of seafood native and local to India, most Indians do not need to travel to foreign shores to satisfy their seafood cravings.
From a restauranteur’s perspective, using local ingredients not only saves them money based on seasonality, but it also helps them promote, propagate, and keep local dishes alive so that tourists and future generations are made aware of India’s ancient and rich culinary traditions.