Never been to East India? Home to beaches, mountains, and the city that experiences the most rainfall in the world, East India is a place where food grows in abundance and the choices of food you have around you are endless! The perfect weather conditions of East India make it easy for fruits, veggies, and rice to grow, making it one of the best places to eat fresh foods in the world.
There are many different kinds of cooking styles in East India, as there are ten states included in this region, the simplicity of East Indian cuisine is known all over the world. The majority of India is considered vegetarian, but in East India you can expect to see a good mix of vegetarians and meat-eaters. Want to explore East India with us? Let’s take a trip across the seas to a place where food is aplenty!
East Indian Style Foods
The East Indian style of food is much different than that of other areas of India. The focus remains on creating simple dishes, but the food itself has been strongly influenced by Mongolia and Chinese cuisines due to the region’s location. As with many Asian-influenced cuisines, East Indian food is known for their cooking methods of steaming and frying.
In coastal areas, fish is the food of choice. Other areas further from the sea eat mostly pork and vegetables as their staple foods. What East India is really known for is their desserts. It is hard for any other part of India to take claim to sweets, because East India takes the cake almost every time!
East Indian Ingredients
As you can tell, a lot of rainfall in a warm climate equals a lot of rice! This abundance of rice is used in almost every dish across East India, but rice isn’t the only thing on the menu. Many recipes call for local vegetables and fruit, which also grow well in East India’s climate.
The spices used in East India include things such as mustard seeds, chilies, white cumin seeds, onion seeds, etc. It’s not uncommon to mix spices together to bring together the perfect dish. Many of these things you can find at your local Indian grocery stores or markets to add to your own Indian dishes!
As far as cooking oil is concerned, mustard oil is very popular in East India. It is used for both deep frying and cooking. Some other oils are used for cooking, but oils like ghee are only used for special occasions.
Like much of India, East India uses dairy products in many of their recipes. The biggest use of dairy in East India comes from the preparation of sweets. Milk, yogurt, coconut, and more are used to create popular desserts across East India.
East India’s Most Popular Dishes
East Indian food is much different than the regions surrounding the area. Many dishes feature less spice than other areas such as North and South India. This allows the main ingredients to grab more of the attention than the spices, which is very unlike any other region in the country.
European and Muslim settlers influenced East Indian cooking, making East Indian foods all their own. Popular dishes such as momos, or steamed, meat or vegetable filled wontons, or Machher Jhol, a fish curry, are often found on the menus in East India.
Sweets Over Everything
We touched on it quite a bit, but East India’s sweets are not to be missed. The people of East India have sweet tooths that could rival most Americans, as most of their sweets are sugary and delicious. Some favorites of East India are Kheer, a creamy rice pudding, and Rasgolla, which are dumplings in syrup. The sweets of East India are lighter than most other Indian desserts, but they are talked about all over the country!
Want to Experience East India at Home?
You can find East Indian ingredients at local markets near you. Recipes for East Indian sweets, main dishes, and more are all over the internet and can be a great resource to you as you shop for East Indian ingredients. Finding an Indian grocery store is even better, as you can experience authentic Indian ingredients that are not usually found on the shelves of your local supermarket.
Be sure to visit a store that can help you find what you need, as locating these ingredients can be tricky. Stores like Pioneer Cash & Carry or local market vendors will be able to point you in the right direction as you search for your ingredients. Experience East India with us and create something simple and great!
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