P.Ramakrishnan urges people to be adventurous with Indian dishes by sampling the more exotic treats - some not even on the menu.
A spicy curry, pappadams, naan bread and samosas do not constitute Indian food in its full range, yet few strangers to Indian cuisine are willing to go beyond what is easy to remember from the menu.
From the foot of Kanyakumari to the head of Kashmir, India is a celebration of diversity, in language, customs, religion and food. Ask any Indian chef or restaurateur will cry, Indian food need not be spicy or heavy.
For light dishes, head down South. Other than dosas, most south Indian dishes are neglected almost entirely due to the fear of the multi-syllabic, unpronounceable names the dishes are burdened with.
As Ganga, from Gunga Din, will admit, only those in the know will pick up the navaratanam korma. a grand mixture of nine vegetables and fruits - French beans, carrots, cauliflower, green peas, potato, capsicum, mushroom, apple, pineapple - and nuts (often almonds) cooked in cashew-nut sauce and dressed with cottage cheese, it is a rich delicacy that vegetarians would adore.
Similarly, dosas are far more popular than the odd-sounding uttapam - which are, in essence, a thicker version of the rice flour pancake. Layered with tomatoes, onions and green chilli, it is primarily a breakfast item in Kerala and Tamil Nadu, but they also make an excellent light lunch. Although, fried, it does not simmer in coats of oil.
To the Chinese palate, an iddly may be a novelty in syllables but not in taste.
The steamed, savoury rice cakes in Woodlands come with sambar (a spicy vegetable soup) and coconut chutney (a staple item in southern India, as most of the land is strewn with palm groves and rice paddies) that makes a delicious instant lunch.
To sample a variety of curries in one go, try the thali at Woodlands. The Indian version of fastfood (although preparation is anything but), thalis are large metal plates with many cups, each filled with small portions of different curries.
Pappadams, savoury wafers that come in a variety of flavours (either studded with crushed black pepper and red chilli powder or sprinkled with asafoetida), are a bonus.
For the best of Indian food, try Kashmiri cuisine. More "meat-centric" than food of the southern regions, these dishes - such as the mutton, marinated in spices - take hours of preparation.
These dishes have evolved from the times when Muslim moguls once ruled India. The North Indian cooking style is now a synthesis of Kashmiri, Punjabi and Mughlian food with basic vegetarian curries (dhal or lentils) on the side.
Meats traditionally burnt over a charcoal fire, are mixed in finely granulated spices. The masala (a range of flavouring and seasoning agents) dishes are offset by sweet lassis (a yoghurt, often flavoured, milk shake).
As the manager at the Mughul restaurant in Wyndham Street, Central, says, any of the dishes can be toned down by either going easy with the spice rack or by adding cream.
Every restaurant will gladly modify dishes to suit the customer's palate.
At the other end of India, Assam touches neighbouring countries Bangladesh and Myanmar (and is not too far from China, either) where the natives introduced an uncommon element to the Indian diet - noodles! Khauwse are thick threads of wheat flour mixed with meat (chicken, lamb or prawns), a rare treat in Hong Kong and available at the Mughul restaurant.
Let your taste buds explore the rich, multitudinous flavours of India.
Sunday, October 7, 2001
