To accompany every recipe there is a story. Each combination of ingredients and method of preparing a dish hasits own context. It can take a long time for a recipe to develop, and this is something that is particularly true with Indian cuisine. The background and circumstances in which recipes evolve is what gives them their soul and unique characteristics. In India there are key aspects that have had (and continue to have) a profound effect on the way in which the dish develops over time.
One of these influences is religion.It plays a huge role in people’s everyday lives and this is reflected in food. With Hinduism as the main religion within the country and Islam second, there are many individuals who do not eat beef or pork, respectively. For this reason, these two meats are rarely found on menus around the country.
In addition to religion, another major influence on what people in India eat is the region in which they live. In the north, where the climate is cooler than other parts, wheat is the staple grain crop. The soil is largely fertile in the northern states and fruit and vegetables also grow in abundance. Rice dishes are also on the menu here and are often made with milk, butter, lamb or chicken. The level of spices ranges from the mild, creamy taste of butter chicken to the fiery, rustic flavour of kadhai-style dishes.
Move further east and you enter the state of Bengal. Whereas wheat is generally considered the staple of the North, in Bengal it is rice. The core spices used in dishes comprise of fennel seeds, mustard seeds, cumin, cardamom, onion seeds and carom. Mustard oil is also a favourite in Bengal and the starting point for many regional dishes. Another distinguishing feature of Bengali cuisine is its prolific and unique use of fish and seafood in so many dishes.
Head to the southern states of India and you reach the peninsula states of Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka, which are encompassed by a long, sprawling coastline. This proximity to the sea means that fish and seafood feature strongly on regional menus. Other key flavours that make the recipes of the region so distinctive are coconut and chillies. The latter are used to counter-balance the hot, humid climate as sweating has a cooling effect on the body.
Along the western coast you find Goa and Mumbai, both being diverse in culture and culinary style. In Mumbai, anything goes – Maharashtrian, Pan-Indian and global. In Goa, the emphasis is on fresh seafood matched with bold flavours. Further west still in Gujarat and Rajasthan the cuisine is predominantly vegetarian. The dry, arid land makes crop growing hard, so bold a use of spices is characteristic of the region.
At Chutney Mary we celebrate the unique regional differences of Indian cuisine. We are the original contemporary Indian restaurant, meaning we combine authentic flavours and traditional recipes with modern techniques and stunning presentation. Every one of our dishes tells its own unique story and has a narrative to whet any appetite.
Chutney Mary | Best Indian Restaurant 