Photo - AzizAcharki/Freerange Stock
Colonialism in India has left an indelible impact on its cuisine culture. Before that, Mughal period also brought its influences which were amalgamated in the cuisine of India. Following are some instances.
Samosa is actually Central Asian. Yes, it came via 2 routes - From Afghanistan to North India. It was filled with lamb meat. From Central Asia it also went to Arab and Persian regions. There it was filled with lamb, chicken and camel meat. Meat filled samosa can still be found in West Asia. From there it came to Malabar coast. Even today mutton and chicken meat filled samosas can be found in Kerala. When Portuguese brought potato to Goa and to West coast, the rest of India was under the Mughal Empire. Traders from the Mughal regions brought potato -and green and red chilli - from the Portuguese territory and spread it across the rest of India. It became a pan Indian food only by 18th century. It took 2 centuries to spread all over India. From 18th century onwards, samosa in India began to be filled with potato.
The spread of green and red chilli across India is very similar.
Yes, Jalebi is actually Persian.
Contrary to the popular belief, chicken was domesticated in India even during the Indus Valley Civilisation. Mughals ate chicken, but goat was more popular than chicken throughout the Mughal period. It was the Europeans who popularised a widespread use of chicken across India and its mass usage became possible only after the coming of broiler chicken during 1970s. In South India, chicken was sacrificed to Katikeya/Murugan and to the Goddess and the sacrificial meat was eaten even in the ancient period.
Black pepper is through and through Indian and it brought a lot of gold from the Greco-Roman regions in the ancient times. Its Sanskrit name is Yavana priyaa (beloved of the Greco-Roman people). Sometimes, while cooking chicken or mutton, grind black pepper with pestle and mortar and add it to the gravy while boiling. You'll know the difference. Vegetarians can try it with paneer in gravy.
Traces of brinjal cooked in gravy with black pepper and turmeric is found even in the Indus Valley sites excavations.
About Green Revolution - Yes, it brought the mass hunger to an end. But the modern wheat that it spread across India was gradually found to be high in blood sugar raising capacity. The Emmer wheat (Khapli wheat/Khapli atta) that was grown earlier in North West and Western India could not satisfy the hunger of a fast growing large population. But it was much higher in fibre, vitamins and protein than modern wheat. The fast growth of diabetes in India is not only linked to refined white sugar, but also to modern wheat - and to potato. The root cause was a fast growing population. If only India had controlled its population growth, the Emmer (Khapli) wheat and atta that were earlier used could have sustained the population. It had done so for thousands of years - it was the wheat that was used in ancient Mesopotamia, ancient Israel, Arab and Persian regions and in the Indus Valley.
Same with Khandsari or Khand.
Khandsari (Khand), Emmer wheat and atta (Khapli atta) are available even today. But they are more expensive than refined white sugar and modern wheat. But if you want to use them, you can buy them online.
If you can understand Hindi, you can watch this video on this topic - Click link.
