About Indian Curry

North Indian food that can be eaten in Japan can be broadly divided into “Punjabi food” and “Mughal food”.
Punjabi cuisine is a dish from the Punjab region that stretches from northern India to Pakistan. Roasted in a tandoor kiln such as naan and tandoori chicken, cooked with vegetables such as aloo gobi (fried potato and potash flower), and good quality dairy products such as butter chicken curry and parakpanir (cottage cheese and spinach curry) Tandoori is famous.
Mughal cuisine is the court cuisine of the Mughal Empire (the Islamic dynasty that ruled India in the 16th and 19th centuries) and uses plenty of cashew nuts and cream. There are Kema Mata (dried minced meat and beans) and Mughal Mung Biryani (Mughal chicken biryani).

The first thing that comes to mind when you think of Indian curry is the so-called North Indian curry.
India’s territory is roughly divided into four regions, north, south, east and west (or five including northeastern India). North India, where the capital city of New Delhi is located, has been under the control of the Mughal Empire of the Turkish Islamic dynasty for about 300 years since the 16th century, and has been influenced by Afghanistan and Persia, and has eaten naan and chapati made from wheat. It features a thick and thick curry using cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and garam masala. Due to the influence of Islam, there are a wide variety of meat dishes.
Typical examples are “Murgu McCani (butter chicken curry)”, “Keema Mata (Keema curry)”, “Tandoori chicken”, and “Parakpanir (spinach and cheese curry)”. On the other hand, in South India, where the ancient Dravidian culture of India is still alive at the knees of Ayurveda, rice is the staple food, and curry leaves, mustard seeds, and coconut milk are often used for smooth curry. .. Vegetable and yogurt curry “Avilal”, spicy and sour tamarind, black pepper, tomato and other soup “rasam”, spice-fried potatoes wrapped in bean flour crepe “masala dosa”, and banana The set meal “Meals” with various side dishes on the leaves is popular. The Malabar Coast on the Arabian Sea side was the land of Portuguese voyager Vasco da Gama in the 16th century in search of pepper that had been cultivated since BC, and good quality pepper is still produced.

In East India, “Bengali cuisine” around Kolkata (Calcutta) is well known, and it is a food culture similar to Japan, where rice is the staple food and fish are often eaten. “Machel Jor (Bengal Fish Curry)” using mustard oil, mustard seeds, turmeric, etc. is famous. In West India, the Jain sect of Gujarat, which has a strict vegetarian doctrine, is famous for its set meal “Gujaratari”. He is also the birthplace of Mahatma Gandhi, and although he is a Hindu, he is said to have been influenced by the local food culture and maintained strict vegetarianism. In Jainism, root spices and herbs such as turmeric, ginger, and garlic, which are considered to be the source of plant life, are also taboo, but dairy products and sugar can be consumed, and they are a reinforcing material for deliciously eating limited ingredients. I am. In West Indies, both wheat bread and rice are staple foods.

Looking at the characteristics of cooking by religion, first of all, Hinduism regards cows as sacred, so they do not eat beef. There is a caste-based identification system, and there are regional differences, but people with higher castes in particular tend to avoid eating meat itself and adhere to strict vegetarianism. In addition, Islam contraindicates pork, but in India, beef itself is difficult to obtain due to the influence of Hinduism, so chicken and mutton curries are often seen. Although meat eating itself is not prohibited in Buddhism, few people prefer to eat meat and tend to avoid pungent spices.
Christianity does not prohibit eating meat, and in Goa, a former Portuguese territory with many Catholics, there are curries made with beef and pork. Sikhism, based in northern Punjab, has no food contraindications except for some denominations, but Sikh temples, which accommodate people of all religions, offer vegetarian meals for everyone. I will. Traditionally, in South and West Asia, including India, the culture of eating with the right hand has been alive regardless of religion. The reason is that in addition to hygiene (the left hand is said to be unclean), food is sacred and given by God, and there is a concept that using tools is rude.

It features a thick and thick roux, and uses a spice that is a blend of several spices called Garam masala. Dairy products such as milk and fresh cream are used, and the ingredients are mainly meat such as chicken and mutton, so it has a rich taste.
Butter chicken curry, which is also popular in Japan, corresponds to North Indian curry. Why is the same Indian curry so different in the north and the south?
The reason is “climate”. Compared to South India, which is hot all year round, North India is 5-8 degrees colder in winter. Therefore, in North India, you warm your body with a thick curry with a lot of fat, and on the contrary, in South India, you use a light curry with a lot of water to keep out the heat.
Also, the staple food to eat with curry is similar to bread such as naan and chapati in North India, and rice in South India. Wheat cultivation is popular in northern India, where it is cold, and rice cultivation is popular in warm south India.

North Indian curry is the opposite of South Indian curry, and features a thick and rich roux. For spices, we use Garam masala, which is not used in South India. Garam masala is a blend of several spices. Depending on the household, the proportion and amount of the mixture will differ.
The heavy use of dairy products such as milk and cream and cashew nuts is unique to North Indian curry. The curry made from a material with a lot of oil and fat gives a thick impression. The staple food of North India is chapati and bread made by kneading flour such as paratha and naan. Eat while dipping or wrapping in curry roux.