The cooking traditions of the Indian subcontinent, unified by the layered use of spices toasted and ground into masalas but sharply regional in ingredients and technique. North Indian cooking, shaped by Mughal-era court kitchens, favors wheat breads, dairy and slow-cooked meats; South Indian cooking, centered on Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh, favors rice, lentils, coconut and souring agents like tamarind. Religious dietary practice, most extensively vegetarian in the south, belongs to Divinity's own coverage; this atlas holds the foodways.
Facts
Signature TechniqueTempering whole spices in hot oil or ghee (tadka), slow simmering of gravies, and clay tandoor roasting are hallmark techniques. 1 Origin RegionThe Indian subcontinent, with distinct northern and southern regional traditions. 2 Indian Cuisine
Filter Results1 entry
Connections
Associated With
Durban holds one of the largest Indian communities outside India, the product of indentured laborers brought by British colonizers from 1860 to work sugar plantations, whose descendants built a distinct South African Indian curry tradition including bunny chow.
Source Where to Eat Bunny Chow in Durban, the City's Beloved Curry in a Loaf Dish (National Geographic)Erica Platter
Expresses Tradition
Source The Oxford Companion to FoodAlan Davidson
Features Dish
Source The Oxford Companion to FoodAlan Davidson
Source Butter Chicken (Wikipedia)
Source The Oxford Companion to FoodAlan Davidson
Source Vindaloo (Wikipedia)
Used By
Source Coriander, Wikipedia
Uses Ingredient
Source Larousse Gastronomique
Source Larousse Gastronomique
Cumin, Ingredients Cumin is a base spice across Indian regional cuisines.
Source Cumin (Wikipedia)
Turmeric, Ingredients Turmeric is foundational to Indian curry powder blends and to Ayurvedic and ceremonial use.
Source Turmeric (Wikipedia)
Sources
1. On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the Kitchen
Harold McGee, Scribner, 2004technique discussion: spice tempering
2. Encyclopaedia Britannica
The Oxford Companion to Food
Alan Davidson, Oxford University Press, 2014- entry: India
- Expresses Tradition: Pickling, s.v. Pickles, Indian
Larousse Gastronomique
Hamlyn, 2009- Uses Ingredient: Black Pepper, entry: Pepper
- Uses Ingredient: Chili Pepper, entry: Chilli
Where to Eat Bunny Chow in Durban, the City's Beloved Curry in a Loaf Dish (National Geographic)
Erica Platter, National Geographic, 2026Associated With: South African CuisineView the Source Turmeric (Wikipedia)
Cumin (Wikipedia)
Butter Chicken (Wikipedia)
WikipediaFeatures Dish: Butter Chicken, Lead section, second paragraphQuote, Features Dish: Butter Chicken, Lead section, second paragraph
The dish was invented by Indian chefs Kundan Lal Gujral and Kundan Lal Jaggi and is associated with their Moti Mahal restaurant in Daryaganj, Delhi which popularized it in the 1950s.
Vindaloo (Wikipedia)
WikipediaFeatures Dish: Vindaloo, Lead sectionQuote, Features Dish: Vindaloo, Lead section
Vindaloo is a curry dish known globally in its British form as a staple of curry houses and Indian restaurants, specifically a fiery, spicy dish that can be made with a choice of meats.
Coriander, Wikipedia
Used By: Coriander, Culinary, SeedsQuote, Used By: Coriander, Culinary, Seeds
Coriander seed is a spice in garam masala, and Indian curries
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