Hamara Apna Food Apna Nahin Hai !
Today, I will talk to you about few items in our plate or cup which we swear by khalis desi but they are absolutely Videshi, traveled from other part of globe.
If you ask what Goan families love most in their food plate, no doubt it is Vindaloo . But this spicy meat curry is not Goan at all! Vindaloo has it's roots in Portuguese cuisine and it has been adapted from the very famous carne de vinha d'alhos which is the Portuguese name for Vindaloo. Originally, Vindaloo was made of wine, pork and garlic and that is how it derived it's name (vin - wine, alhos - garlic) though Indians modified it by using palm vinegar, pork/beef/chicken and multiple spices. Though the original recipe does not use potatoes, Indians modified the recipe further by using potatoes as the word "aloo" in Vindaloo means potato in Hindi. Now you know where that sudden piece of potato popped up from between those meat chunks.
Similarly, mouth-watering Bengali delicacy Shukto is another surprise which has it's origins in Portuguese cuisine. The Portuguese influence extended all the way from Goa to Eastern Bengal or Bangladesh and the influences are visible in Bengali food even today. Shukto is prepared from Karela or Bitter Gourd which is Indian in origin but was prepared by the Portuguese in olden days. Slowly, Indian influences like multiple other vegetables and a dash of milk/sweet to cut the spice were added to the dish. Just be happy you get to savour this amazing dish today!
The unassuming comfort drink of almost every Indian is in, our Chai no way true desi. Famous the world over as Chai Tea. even Starbucks in USA has introduced Chai Tea in their Menu, this is made just like Indian style tea . Tea has it's origins in China. While the Chinese used it as a medicinal drink, the British traders soon discovered it and loved it's versatile nature. British being British wanted to cut China's monopoly in the tea market. So, they brought the humble 'chai plant' to India. They taught its cultivation techniques to the tribals in North-East India plus offering incentives to Britons who wanted to cultivate in India. And it has been a part of India ever since! In fact, it was only in the 1950s that tea became so popular. Now, don't suddenly look down into that cup you're sipping from while reading this!
Dal Bhaat or Dal-rice is a comfort food all over India. There are even variations of this food like the Khichdi which are very popular among Indians. Though Dal Bhaat seems as a very simple meal, it is also not Indian at all! Dal Bhaat is actually of Nepali origin and it was through North Indian influences that the dish entered India and spread throughout the region. I am sure that you're going to dream of the Himalayas the next time you're eating this simple food!
Rajma chawal has quickly spread from being a North Indian staple to being loved by most Indians. The dish which is as popular as the North Indian chole-bhature is a wholesome meal in itself. However, the preparation of Rajma or the kidney bean in Rajma chawal is not Indian. The bean was brought to India through Central Mexico and Guatemala probably by our Spanish or Portuguese connection . The initial preparation or soaking and boiling the beans and adding a few spices is adapted from Mexican recipes. Rajma is a staple in Mexican diet even today though, it's Indian variants are quite different from the Mexican preparations. The bean and recipes prepared using Rajma are famous in North India and the locals often add Indian spices and vegetables like onions and tomatoes to make it tangy. Cool, isn't it?
This is another staple Bengali dish, Bandel, which has Portuguese influences. While the cheese was developed in India and has it's origins in Eastern India, it was created by the Portuguese using their own techniques for making cheese and breads. The cheese which has developed into a wide variety today was originally available in just one variety. Over time, people experimented and created the smoked flavor of Bandel cheese. It was the fermentation techniques of the Portuguese that helped developed this cheese and in the olden days, it was made by Burmese cooks under Portuguese supervision.
Naan is one dish that is loved all over the country. A type of leavened bread, Naan is a staple of North India and is available in almost all North Indian restaurants across the country. The Americans and Europeans have recently discovered the joys of this bread and love pairing it with their Chicken Tikka Masala. However, Naan was brought to India during the Mughal era. Naan has it's roots in Persian cuisine though the form of leavened bread i. The soft, melt-in-the-mouth bread is surely a favourite but trying different forms with rose-water, khus or stuffed with Paneer, Veggies actually tingle the taste buds!
We even have an item number associated with this delicious sweet called Jalebi. we are originally from Moradabad, our breakfast will not complete without garma garam Jalebies. My Moradabadi friends will be shocked to know that even jalebi is not Indian ! Jalebi has actually traveled from the Middle East. Its different variations can be found across different Asian Regions. Originally called zalabiya in Arabic and the zalibiya in Persian language, the dish was brought to India by Persian invaders. Today, the dessert Jalebi is famous all over the country in different forms. While North India loves their thin and crispy jalebis, the South Indian version consists of thicker and have a slightly different shape. Jaangiri and Imartee are also first cousins of the Jalebi. Wow! So many variations of just one sweet. No wonder you thought it was Indian!
Filter coffee is also not Indian.
Well, filter coffee became popular in India pretty late, some time in the fifties, around the same time Chai began to get traction. Coffee was not a part of India till the 16th century when it was smuggled into the country, by Baba Budan, on his pilgrimage to Mecca. On returning, he cultivated coffee and the drink soon became popular. Indians would drink coffee without milk or sugar in place of liqueur. Filter coffee was popularised by Coffee Cess Committee when they set up their first Coffee House in then Bombay in 1936.
Chinese food is also very late entrant in India. You go to China Town in Calcutta where a good number of people of Chinese origin are living from many generation. Gradually, Chinese noodles and Chinese fried rice taken the wing and reached to all nooks and corners of India. in North India, in all marriages food is not complete without a stall of Chinese food. And believe me if you serve our Chinese fried rice or noodles before a Chinese, he will hardly recognise that its origin is from his country as we have completely Indianised it !
What I may add, food also travel from region to region and from coast to coast. If it appeals to the taste buds you will swear by it.
If you ask what Goan families love most in their food plate, no doubt it is Vindaloo . But this spicy meat curry is not Goan at all! Vindaloo has it's roots in Portuguese cuisine and it has been adapted from the very famous carne de vinha d'alhos which is the Portuguese name for Vindaloo. Originally, Vindaloo was made of wine, pork and garlic and that is how it derived it's name (vin - wine, alhos - garlic) though Indians modified it by using palm vinegar, pork/beef/chicken and multiple spices. Though the original recipe does not use potatoes, Indians modified the recipe further by using potatoes as the word "aloo" in Vindaloo means potato in Hindi. Now you know where that sudden piece of potato popped up from between those meat chunks.
Similarly, mouth-watering Bengali delicacy Shukto is another surprise which has it's origins in Portuguese cuisine. The Portuguese influence extended all the way from Goa to Eastern Bengal or Bangladesh and the influences are visible in Bengali food even today. Shukto is prepared from Karela or Bitter Gourd which is Indian in origin but was prepared by the Portuguese in olden days. Slowly, Indian influences like multiple other vegetables and a dash of milk/sweet to cut the spice were added to the dish. Just be happy you get to savour this amazing dish today!
The unassuming comfort drink of almost every Indian is in, our Chai no way true desi. Famous the world over as Chai Tea. even Starbucks in USA has introduced Chai Tea in their Menu, this is made just like Indian style tea . Tea has it's origins in China. While the Chinese used it as a medicinal drink, the British traders soon discovered it and loved it's versatile nature. British being British wanted to cut China's monopoly in the tea market. So, they brought the humble 'chai plant' to India. They taught its cultivation techniques to the tribals in North-East India plus offering incentives to Britons who wanted to cultivate in India. And it has been a part of India ever since! In fact, it was only in the 1950s that tea became so popular. Now, don't suddenly look down into that cup you're sipping from while reading this!
Dal Bhaat or Dal-rice is a comfort food all over India. There are even variations of this food like the Khichdi which are very popular among Indians. Though Dal Bhaat seems as a very simple meal, it is also not Indian at all! Dal Bhaat is actually of Nepali origin and it was through North Indian influences that the dish entered India and spread throughout the region. I am sure that you're going to dream of the Himalayas the next time you're eating this simple food!
Rajma chawal has quickly spread from being a North Indian staple to being loved by most Indians. The dish which is as popular as the North Indian chole-bhature is a wholesome meal in itself. However, the preparation of Rajma or the kidney bean in Rajma chawal is not Indian. The bean was brought to India through Central Mexico and Guatemala probably by our Spanish or Portuguese connection . The initial preparation or soaking and boiling the beans and adding a few spices is adapted from Mexican recipes. Rajma is a staple in Mexican diet even today though, it's Indian variants are quite different from the Mexican preparations. The bean and recipes prepared using Rajma are famous in North India and the locals often add Indian spices and vegetables like onions and tomatoes to make it tangy. Cool, isn't it?
This is another staple Bengali dish, Bandel, which has Portuguese influences. While the cheese was developed in India and has it's origins in Eastern India, it was created by the Portuguese using their own techniques for making cheese and breads. The cheese which has developed into a wide variety today was originally available in just one variety. Over time, people experimented and created the smoked flavor of Bandel cheese. It was the fermentation techniques of the Portuguese that helped developed this cheese and in the olden days, it was made by Burmese cooks under Portuguese supervision.
Naan is one dish that is loved all over the country. A type of leavened bread, Naan is a staple of North India and is available in almost all North Indian restaurants across the country. The Americans and Europeans have recently discovered the joys of this bread and love pairing it with their Chicken Tikka Masala. However, Naan was brought to India during the Mughal era. Naan has it's roots in Persian cuisine though the form of leavened bread i. The soft, melt-in-the-mouth bread is surely a favourite but trying different forms with rose-water, khus or stuffed with Paneer, Veggies actually tingle the taste buds!
We even have an item number associated with this delicious sweet called Jalebi. we are originally from Moradabad, our breakfast will not complete without garma garam Jalebies. My Moradabadi friends will be shocked to know that even jalebi is not Indian ! Jalebi has actually traveled from the Middle East. Its different variations can be found across different Asian Regions. Originally called zalabiya in Arabic and the zalibiya in Persian language, the dish was brought to India by Persian invaders. Today, the dessert Jalebi is famous all over the country in different forms. While North India loves their thin and crispy jalebis, the South Indian version consists of thicker and have a slightly different shape. Jaangiri and Imartee are also first cousins of the Jalebi. Wow! So many variations of just one sweet. No wonder you thought it was Indian!
Filter coffee is also not Indian.
Well, filter coffee became popular in India pretty late, some time in the fifties, around the same time Chai began to get traction. Coffee was not a part of India till the 16th century when it was smuggled into the country, by Baba Budan, on his pilgrimage to Mecca. On returning, he cultivated coffee and the drink soon became popular. Indians would drink coffee without milk or sugar in place of liqueur. Filter coffee was popularised by Coffee Cess Committee when they set up their first Coffee House in then Bombay in 1936.
Chinese food is also very late entrant in India. You go to China Town in Calcutta where a good number of people of Chinese origin are living from many generation. Gradually, Chinese noodles and Chinese fried rice taken the wing and reached to all nooks and corners of India. in North India, in all marriages food is not complete without a stall of Chinese food. And believe me if you serve our Chinese fried rice or noodles before a Chinese, he will hardly recognise that its origin is from his country as we have completely Indianised it !
What I may add, food also travel from region to region and from coast to coast. If it appeals to the taste buds you will swear by it.
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