Sebastian, Jessielvie C.

09 Activity 1

Culinary Influences
Settlers of Ancient India
 Munda and Dravidian people grew crops like rice, wheat, millet, chickpea, red lentil,
sesame, mango, and mustard
 Dravidian also herded sheep and goats, used water buffalo for working in fields, and
drew milk from cattle for milk production
 Aryans brought varieties of legumes, gourds, and roots like the lotus roots.
 They used fertile cows to produce clarified butter and paneer which is a type of cheese
 They have the belief that cows are a sacred symbol which gives more nutrition in dairy
products than killing it’s for its meat same for its cattle
 They have agricultural system which made them rely on grains and other starchy foods
as part of their main diet.
Hinduism and Buddhism
 No animal products derive from harming any animal
 Lifestyle became vegetarian
 Some of them do eat meat, some add little meat on their diet, some do not. This is
based on their religion beliefs
Persian/Arabic Influences
 Became an important trade route
 Transfer of ingredients and ideas from west to east and vice versa
 Introduction to new types of legumes, spinach, almond cumin seed, okra, and rosewater
 Islamic religion and dietary customs were introduced
Moghul Empire
 Customs of feasts that includes food cooked with a lot of spices in sauce which is called
curry, dals which is spiced and wet legumes, rice dishes, sweet confections, and
chutneys which is a highly flavored fruit and herb condiment
European Spice Traders
 Introduction of potatoes, cashew, kidney beans, and chilies which are from America
brought by Europeans
British Colonial Period
 The introduction of tea
 This is also the time where the use of silverware was introduced but not actually
implemented because Indian people believed that the food taste better if you eat it with
bare hands. Thus, they clean their hands before eating as part of their customs.
 Cooking Method
 Grilling over an open fire or cooked in a pot placed in the embers of the fire
 One-pot cookery resulted to stews like curries which is perfect for slow cooking like
legumes
 Tender cuts are put in a skewer then grilled
 Tougher cuts are them used for braising
 Stir frying and sauteing
 Steaming, frying, poaching, and grilling
Special Cookware
 Tandoor used for cooking meat, poultry, vegetable skewers, and flatbreads. (It is a clay
oven that is very hot from the fuel of the wood or charcoal)
 Skewers
 Karahi which is a deep pan with a rounded bottom and handles on each side
 Tava which is used for sauteing. It is a slightly concaved griddle made of cast iron
Common Ingredients
 Rice and wheat
 Legumes including lentils, split peas, mung beans, and chickpeas
 Goat and lamb
 Seafood and fish
 Ghee
 Vegetables such as spinach, cauliflower, potatoes, peas, and sweet potatoes
 Fruits such as bananas, plantains, mangoes, oranges, and coconuts
 Chutneys, pickled fruits
 Garlic, cilantro, coriander, cumin, ginger, turmeric, cardamom, fenugreek, hot chilies,
mustard, fennel, cloves, and cinnamon

Unique Components
Settlers in Ancient India
 Legumes
 Sattvic Food
Hinduism and Buddhism
 Vegetarianism
 Sattvic Food
 Rajasic Food
 Tamasic Food
Persian/Arabic Influences
 Spices
 Legumes