Indian recipes - blend of spices and cooking styles

Indian cuisine is totally unique and different in taste and cooking styles as compared with the rest of the world. It shows great combination of different cultures. India is land of vast cultures and civilizations and that is reflected through its cuisine.

In fact, Indian recipes are mostly known for its spiciness. Spices are essential part of all the Indian recipes. Well, it is very important to note that every single spice consumed in Indian recipes carries some nutritional and medicinal properties. Every Indian state has its own unique style of preparing recipes. Special Indian recipes are prepared for different occasions and festivals.  

Rather Indian cuisine is well known for delicious gravies. Gravy includes chilies, nuts and saffron. Both vegetarian and non vegetarian recipes are important part of Indian cuisine. In fact, food is categorized into six tastes in the Indian cuisine; like sour, salty, spicy, sweetness, astringent and bitterness. Generally spices are included in the Indian recipes for their flavor and medicinal values.     

Traditionally, groundnut oil is mostly used for cooking in West and North India, while mustard oil is used in Eastern India and Coconut oil is used in the South India. In the recent past decades, Soya oil and sunflower oil have gained more popularity throughout India. South Indian recipes are based on rice, curry powder and coconut oil. In fact, Indian food is considered to be incomplete without deserts and sweets.