It's no secret that #IndianFood is full of flavours and spices. We are a #SpiceLoving country, where each region has it's distinct spice and seasoning for it's local cuisine.
For example, #NorthIndianCuisine uses whole jeera, coriander (dhaniya seed), carrom (ajwain seed) for tempering dals, dry vegetable dishes and gravies. The herbs used in Punjabi, Himachali, UP and MP cuisine are mostly coriander and mint or pudina leaves.
Whether it is chhole, or alu paratha, butter chicken or tinde ki subzi, saag, or kadhi, coriander leaves or dhania patta adds the final zing of flavour to the dish.
#PunjabiCuisine also uses kasoori methi leaves or dried fenugreek leaves for giving a distinct taste to onion-tomato-ginger-garlic based gravies. Combined with spices kasoori methi adds a piquant flavour to dal makhani, butter chicken, palak paneer, rajma etc.
Mint leaves or pudina is a strongly flavoured herb used to add flavour to kebabs, chutneys, and biriyanis. Pudina chutney is the perfect accompaniment to tikkas and kebabs. It also makes its way into sandwiches and paneer pakoras, as the ubiquitous green chutney. It's an absolute favourite across India, particularly the North and West.
The combination of whole mustard seeds with curry leaves and chillies gives a unique flavour to both vegetarian and non-vegetarian South Indian dishes.
In Gujarat and Maharashtra too, the use of curry leaves is pretty common. Gujjus flavour snacks like dhokla and khandvi with it, as well as dals and curries. Marathis use curry patta for flavouring poha, misal bhaat, kolhapuri chicken etc.
Coriander leaves are sparingly used in South India.
Eastern India traditionally doesn't use any of the above herbs for seasoning, though for the past two decades, coriander and curry leaves have gained immense popularity and household acceptance.
Bengali, Oriya and Assamese cuisine are fish-dominated and use a variety of greens or shaak to accompany fish. Pui, kolmi, kochu, palang, laal shaaks are very popular in Bengali cuisine.
Dhania leaves or #Dhonepata, as it is called in Bengali, is now used to season all meat-based, onion-garlic flavoured curries in West Bengal. Street food like jhaalmuri and ghughni use coriander leaves liberally.
Imagine having chicken tikka or mutton sheekh kebab without pudina chutney. Or alu tikiya chaat without chopped coriander. Or poha without curry leaves. Or sambar without curry leaves.
Can't imagine can you? That's the magic of Indian herbs.
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| Coriander/dhaniya leaves |
Whether it is chhole, or alu paratha, butter chicken or tinde ki subzi, saag, or kadhi, coriander leaves or dhania patta adds the final zing of flavour to the dish.
#PunjabiCuisine also uses kasoori methi leaves or dried fenugreek leaves for giving a distinct taste to onion-tomato-ginger-garlic based gravies. Combined with spices kasoori methi adds a piquant flavour to dal makhani, butter chicken, palak paneer, rajma etc.
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| Kasoori Methi or Dried Fenugreek Leaves |
#SouthIndian, Maharashtrian, and Gujarati cuisine, on the other hand, are characterized by the liberal use of curry leaves and whole mustard seeds for tempering a variety of dishes ranging from dal, to khandvi, to sambar, to vegetable thoran.
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| Curry leaves |
The combination of whole mustard seeds with curry leaves and chillies gives a unique flavour to both vegetarian and non-vegetarian South Indian dishes.
In Gujarat and Maharashtra too, the use of curry leaves is pretty common. Gujjus flavour snacks like dhokla and khandvi with it, as well as dals and curries. Marathis use curry patta for flavouring poha, misal bhaat, kolhapuri chicken etc.
Coriander leaves are sparingly used in South India.
Eastern India traditionally doesn't use any of the above herbs for seasoning, though for the past two decades, coriander and curry leaves have gained immense popularity and household acceptance.
Bengali, Oriya and Assamese cuisine are fish-dominated and use a variety of greens or shaak to accompany fish. Pui, kolmi, kochu, palang, laal shaaks are very popular in Bengali cuisine.
Dhania leaves or #Dhonepata, as it is called in Bengali, is now used to season all meat-based, onion-garlic flavoured curries in West Bengal. Street food like jhaalmuri and ghughni use coriander leaves liberally.
Imagine having chicken tikka or mutton sheekh kebab without pudina chutney. Or alu tikiya chaat without chopped coriander. Or poha without curry leaves. Or sambar without curry leaves.
Can't imagine can you? That's the magic of Indian herbs.
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