IAM - Folklorama Magazine 2008 - Indian Association of Manitoba

Food: A total experience
Submitted by Anupam Sharma.
For Trevor Ahluwalia, owner of Clay Oven a popular Indian restaurant in Winnipeg, cuisine
from India is about fresh food, preparation, ensuring representation of major food groupings and
presentation. For Ravi Tandon and Nita Bahri, returning co-chairs of the food committee, good
food is also a requirement to ensuring a successful India Pavilion at Folklorama.
This year, India Association of Manitoba is joining hands with Clay Oven to provide food at the
India Pavilion.
Representation of India in its entirety can be both a creative and challenging task. Geographically,
slightly smaller than Europe, it packs in an incredible amount of diversity. The usual areas
of diversity- social and cultural understandings, economic, language and religions- are well
known. Less known and appreciated is the diverse range of cuisine found across the country.
Large sections of the population are vegetarian. While in the north and west regions wheat is
the staple base; in the south and east, rice occupies the same position.
Depending on the region, food can be hot and spicy, mild and spicy. In the Gujarat it is more
on the sweetish side. As for meat, while chicken and mutton are predominant in the North,
elsewhere it is fish. This should not be particularly surprising as India is the world’s largest
peninsula, and its three sides are surrounded by water.
Underlying preparation of meat and vegetarian dishes is the use of herbs and spices where
particular combinations and proportions to taste render it more as a creative art. Rarely are
written and rigid recipes followed providing much liberty to taste and preference. For meat
dishes, garam (hot) masala (spice- a blend of spices such as cinnamon, roasted cumin, caraway
seeds, cloves, nutmeg, green and black cardamoms) serve as base. For vegetarian dishes, it is
primarily dhania (coriander) that serves the same role. Whereas for meat dishes, spices serve
as a preservative and tenderizer, the coriander in vegetable dishes enhances freshness and
taste.
In addition, herbs and spices also provide health and medicinal benefits. This has long been
known in traditional societies but now is increasingly accepted as such by the mainstream
society in the west. This is one reason why these are used in particular combinations so as to
ensure maximum benefits. According to Fitness Magazine, spices such as cinnamon, turmeric,
garlic, ginger and paprika are all helpful agents to alleviating among other things issues related
to heart, lowering blood sugar and nausea. However, for precise listing of benefits it is best to
consult a doctor who can in turn refer to the appropriate persons.
Indian Cuisine Abroad
For the mainstream especially across Europe and North America, Indian cuisine is synonymous