Tastes of India

Just as Japanese sushi relies on the freshness of the meat and Chinese food relies on the various sauces to impart the right flavor and taste, Indian food relies on the spices in which it is cooked.  Spices have always been considered to be India’s prime commodity.  Most Indian cuisine are related by the similar usage of spices and the use of a greater variety of vegetables than many other cuisine. Religious and caste restrictions, weather, geography and the impact of foreigners have affected the eating habits of Indians.

TAMIL NADU – BRAHMIN VEGETABLES

Brahmins (one of the highest orders of caste) are strict vegetarians usually, but in the coastal states of West Bengal and Kerala, they consume a lot of fish. Southern Indians generally speaking, have been orthodox in their tastes, probably because eating meat when it is hot all year round can be difficult.  Tamilian food uses a lot of tamarind to impart sourness to a dish, whereas Andhra food can be really chili-hot. It is believed that a hot and spicy curry may be one of the best ways to combat the flu virus! Begin your tour by exploring the teeming historic port of Madras. Taste the sophisticated vegetarian cuisine for which Tamil Nadu is famous. Then on to Karaikudi and the beautiful, intriguing Chettinadu mansions, with an authentic dinner of spicy Chettinad cuisine. At Madurai experience the ceremonies at the breathtaking Meenakshi Temple.

SPICES AND SPECIES

A visit to a spice plantation and a boat safari on Periyar Lake make for a restful day in the beautiful countryside of Thekaddy. Relax before boarding a luxury rice barge for an overnight cruise, gliding through tranquil waters and coconut groves as you enjoy a delicious Keralan dinner.

TROPICAL SEAFOOD CUISINES

In Kerala, lamb stew and appams, Malabar fried prawns and idlis, fish molie and dosai, rice puttu and sweetened coconut milk are the many combinations eaten at breakfast. Puttu is glutinous rice powder steamed like a pudding in a bamboo shoot. Lobster, prawn, crabs and mussels are combined with tropical fruits and spices in Cochin, to be enjoyed with the accompaniment of Kathakali dancing. In Tellicherry, you’ll sample the distinctive Moplah cuisine: festive curries and wonderful biryanis.

PUNJABI & NAWABI ( NORTH INDIA & MOUGLAI)

In the North, the weather varies from a scorching heat to a nail-biting cold, with a sprinkling of showers in between. So, the food here is quite rich and heavy. Also, the Mughal influence has resulted in meat-eating habits among many North Indians.  An everyday meal of a Punjabi farmer would be centered around bread, corn bread, greens and buttermilk(lassi). Buttermilk is whipped yogurt, and can be had sweetened or with salt and is usually very thick. Wheat is the staple food here. Shredded vegetables mixed with spices and stuffed into the dough, which is then rolled and roasted to make the delicious stuffed parathas. Some Punjabis also eat meat dishes, an Indian cottage cheese called paneer, pilaus garnished with fried onions and roasted nuts like cashew and topped with silver leaf and rose petals. Another specialty from this region is ‘khoya’ a kind of thick cream, mainly used in the preparation of sweets. ‘Tandoori’ food, a favorite with many foreigners is a gift from the Punjab. Various meats are marinated with spices, ginger and garlic pastes and curd and roasted over a primitive clay-pot(tandoor) with a wood-fire burning underneath. The special wheat bread cooked over the tandoor is called ‘Naan’. In the beautiful and rich valley of Kashmir, all dishes are built around the main course of rice. A thick-leafed green leafy vegetable called ‘hak’ grows in abundance here and is used to make the delicious ‘saag’. The boat-dwelling people use the lotus roots as a substitute for meat. Morel mushrooms called ‘gahchi’ are harvested and consumed around summer time. The tea drunk in Kashmir is not orange pekoe or Twinning, but a spice-scented green tea called ‘kahava’, which is poured from a large metal kettle, called ‘samovar’. Fresh fish found in the many lakes and streams here are also consumed with relish. Lamb and poultry are cooked in the Mughlai style. The Kashmiri equivalent of the thali is a 36-course meal called the ‘waazwaan’.  Around Delhi, you’ll discover mouthwatering cuisines: aromatic Kashmir curries, delicious Mughalai specialities and rich, buttery sauces from the Punjab. The Shatabdi Express will whisk you across the Ganges Plain to Lucknow for an evening of culinary inspiration in a nobleman’s mansion. A tour of ‘the City of Nawabs’ followed by a visit to Lucknow’s famous food emporia and a sampling of delicious local kebabs concludes this mouthwatering tour, prior to heading back to Delhi for your flight home.

ITINERARY