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The Bloomsbury Handbook of Food and Popular Culture, Edited by Kathleen LeBesco and
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BLOOMSBURY
Peter Jackson
HANDBOOK
OF INDIAN
CUISINE
Edited by Colleen Taylor Sen, Sourish
Bhattacharyya and Helen Saberi
CONTENTS
BLOOMSBURY ACADEMIC
Bloomsbury Publishing Plc
50 Bedford Square, London, WC1B 3DP, UK
1385 Broadway, New York, NY 10018, USA
29 Earlsfort Terrace, Dublin 2, Ireland List of EntriEs vi
List of iLLustrations xvi
BLOOMSBURY, BLOOMSBURY ACADEMIC and the Diana logo are
PrEfacE xviii
trademarks of Bloomsbury Publishing Plc
acknowLEdgEmEnts xix
First published in Great Britain 2023 notEs on tExt xx
Copyright © Colleen Taylor Sen, Sourish Bhattacharyya, Helen Saberi and contributors, 2023 Introduction 1
Colleen Taylor Sen, Sourish Bhattacharyya, and Helen Saberi have asserted their rights under Entries 7
the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act, 1988, to be identified as Editor of this work.
BiograPhiEs 410
For legal purposes the Acknowledgements on p. xix constitute an
extension of this copyright page. indEx 413
Cover image: Ramayana, Bala Kanda. Udaipur, 1712 © The British Library Board. Add. 15295, f.148.
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ENTRIES vii
ENTRIES 25 Barley 42
26 Basil 42
27 Bene Israelis 43
28 Bengaluru 44
29 Ber 46
1 Achaya, K.T. 7 30 Berries 47
2 Agra Petha 7 31 Bihar 49
3 Ajmud 8 32 Bikaneri Bhujia 52
4 Ajowan 9 33 Biryani 53
5 Alcohol 9 34 Bohras 55
6 Amaranth 18 35 Bombay Duck 56
7 Amla 19 36 Breads 57
8 Ammal, S. Meenakshi 19 37 Butter Chicken 63
9 Amritsar 20 38 Buttermilk 65
10 Andhra Pradesh 21 39 Camphor 66
11 Anglo-Indians 23 40 Capsicum 67
12 Aniseed 26 41 Cardamom 67
13 Appam 26 42 Carey, William 68
14 Apple 27 43 Carrot 70
15 Apricot 29 44 Cassava 71
16 Arunachal Pradesh 30 45 Cassia 72
17 Asafoetida 31 46 Cheese 73
18 Ashoka 32 47 Chennai 74
19 Assam 33 48 Cherries 77
20 Aubergine 37 49 Chhana 77
21 Bael 38 50 Chhattisgarh 78
22 Bamboo Shoots 39 51 Chicken 65 79
23 Banana 41 52 Chicken Manchurian 80
24 Barfi 42 53 Chillies 81
viii ENTRIES ENTRIES ix
54 Chinese Indian Cuisine 83 83 Drumstick 133
55 Chutney 86 84 East Indians 134
56 Cinnamon 88 85 Eggs Kejriwal 134
57 Citrus Fruits 89 86 Falooda 136
58 Clove 90 87 Fasting 136
59 Coconut 91 88 Fennel 139
60 Coffee 93 89 Fenugreek 139
61 Cookbooks, Early 94 90 Firni 140
62 Cooking and Dining 97 91 Firpo, Angelo 140
63 Coriander 102 92 Fish 141
64 Corn 103 93 Fish Koliwada 144
65 Country Captain 104 94 Flower Waters 145
66 Cucumber 104 95 Flurys 146
67 Cumin 105 96 Food and Medicine 147
68 Curry 106 97 Gandhi, Mohandas 150
69 Curry Leaves 108 98 Garlic 152
70 Curry Powder 109 99 Geographical Indication 153
71 Dabbawallahs 110 100 Ghee 153
72 Dairy Sector 111 101 Ginger 154
73 Dalal, Tarla 116 102 Goa 155
74 Dates 117 103 Gourds 157
75 de Orta, Garcia 118 104 Guava 159
76 Delhi 119 105 Gujarat 160
77 Devi, Pragyasundari 123 106 Haleem 162
78 Dhabas 124 107 Halwa 163
79 Dharwad Pedha 126 108 Haryana 163
80 Diaspora 127 109 Himachal Pradesh 165
81 Dorabjee & Sons 131 110 Honey 166
82 Dosa 132 111 Hyderabad 167
x ENTRIES ENTRIES xi
112 Ibn Battuta 170 141 Lal, Premila 211
113 Ice 171 142 Landour Community Centre Cook book 211
114 Idli 174 143 Lassi 213
115 Irani Cafes 175 144 Ledikeni 214
116 Jackfruit 176 145 Lichens 214
117 Jaffrey, Madhur 177 146 Lotus 215
118 Jalebi 178 147 Lucknow 216
119 Jambu 179 148 Lychee 218
120 Jammu and Kashmir 180 149 Madhya Pradesh 218
121 Jamun 183 150 Maharashtra 222
122 Jharkhand 184 151 Manasollasa 227
123 Kachori 187 152 Mangaluru 228
124 Kanji 188 153 Mango 230
125 Karnataka 189 154 Manipur 232
126 Kebab 194 155 Mappilas 233
127 Kedgeree 197 156 Mathew, Mrs KM 235
128 Kerala 197 157 Mavalli Tiffin Rooms 235
129 Kheer 198 158 Megasthenes 236
130 Khichri 199 159 Meghalaya 237
131 Khoya 199 160 Melons 238
132 Khus Khus 200 161 Millets 239
133 Kodavas 200 162 Mint 241
134 Kofta 202 163 Mizoram 242
135 Kohinoor, Boman 203 164 Modaka 243
136 Kokum 204 165 Mughals 244
137 Kolkata 204 166 Mukhopadhyay, Bipradas 248
138 Kulfi 208 167 Mulberry 249
139 Ladakh 208 168 Mumbai 250
140 Laddu 210 169 Mushrooms 252
xii ENTRIES ENTRIES xiii
170 Mustard 253 199 Poppy Seeds 288
171 Mysore Pak 254 200 Potato 289
172 Nagaland 254 201 Poultry and Eggs 290
173 Nairs 255 202 Puducherry 292
174 Neem 257 203 Pulao 293
175 Nigella 258 204 Pulses 294
176 Nihari 258 205 Punjab 297
177 Ni’matnama 258 206 Rabri 301
178 Nutmeg and Mace 260 207 Radish 301
179 Nuts 260 208 Railway Food 302
180 Odisha 262 209 Raita 304
181 Okra 266 210 Rajasthan 304
182 Onion 266 211 Rama Rau, Santha 307
183 Paan 267 212 Rampur 308
184 Pakora 269 213 Rasgulla 309
185 Palghat Iyers 270 214 Rice 310
186 Palmer, Edward 272 215 Riddell, Dr Robert Flower 314
187 Paneer 273 216 Rites of Passage 315
188 Panjabi, Camellia 274 217 Saffron 327
189 Papad 274 218 Sahni, Julie 328
190 Papaya 275 219 Salt 329
191 Parsis 276 220 Sambar 330
192 Peliti, Federico 280 221 Samosa 331
193 Pepper, Black 281 222 Sandesh 332
194 Pepper, Long 282 223 Sapodilla 333
195 Pickles 283 224 Sesame 334
196 Pineapple 285 225 Sev and Seviyan 335
197 Plums 286 226 Sheherwalis 336
198 Pomegranate 287 227 Sherbet 337
xiv ENTRIES ENTRIES xv
228 Shrewsbury Biscuits 337 257 Vadas 395
229 Shrikhand 339 258 Varanasi 395
230 Sikkim 339 259 Vark 398
231 Sindhis 340 260 Vegetarianism 398
232 Singh, Mrs Balbir 341 261 Vindaloo 401
233 Singh, Raja Digvijaya 342 262 West Bengal 401
234 Soft Drinks 343 263 Wheat 406
235 Spice Box 348 264 Woodapple 407
236 Steel, Flora Annie 357 265 Wyvern 407
237 Stokes, Satyananda 358 266 Yam 408
238 Street Food 359
239 Sugar 363
240 Sweets 365
241 Syrian Christians 369
242 Tamarind 371
243 Tamil Nadu 372
244 Taro 375
245 Tea 376
246 Telangana 379
247 Temple Food 381
248 Thandai 385
249 Tiffin 385
250 Tomato 386
251 Tripura 387
252 Turmeric 387
253 Turnip 389
254 Udupi Restaurants 389
255 Uttar Pradesh 390
256 Uttarakhand 393
ILLUSTRATIONS xvii
ILLUSTRATIONS 25 KEBAB. Shami kebabs 195
26 KEBAB. Seekh kebabs 195
27 KODAVAS. Women rolling kadambuttus, steamed rice dumplings 200
28 LADDU. Besan laddus 210
29 LASSI. Kolkata lassi shop 213
1 ALCOHOL. Rice beer of Assam 9 30 LUCKNOW. Shop making nihari 216
2 APPAM. Neyappam is a Kerala speciality 26 31 MAHARASHTRA. Vada pav 222
3 ASSAM. Tea smoked in bamboo tube – Shing Po tribe 33 32 MODAKA 243
4 BAEL 38 33 MUGHALS. Babur and a banquet of roast goose 244
5 BIHAR. Bihari thali 49 34 NUTS. Nutseller, Delhi 261
6 BIRYANI. Kolkata biryani 53 35 ODISHA. Chenna poda, a popular dessert 263
7 BOMBAY DUCK. Fried Bombay duck 56 36 PAAN. Paan in Varanasi 268
8 BREADS. Phulka 58 37 PAKORA 269
9 BREADS. Cooking rumali roti 58 38 RICE 311
10 CAREY, WILLIAM 69 39 SAMOSA. Samosas and chutney served at a roadside stand 331
11 CHILLIES. Chilli vendor, Mumbai 81 40 SPICE BOX. Turmeric on sale in the market 349
12 CHINESE INDIAN CUISINE. Sing Cheung sauce factory, Kolkata 84 41 STREET FOOD. Plate of momos 359
13 COOKING AND DINING. Idli pan 98 42 STREET FOOD. Students enjoying street food in New Delhi 360
14 COOKING AND DINING. Grinding stone 98 43 SUGAR. Sugarcane mill driven by bullock 363
15 CURRY LEAVES. Curry leaves (Murraya koenigii) 108 44 SWEETS. Sweet stall in Mathura, Uttar Pradesh 365
16 DABBAWALLAHS. Dabbawallahs tiffin carrier 110 45 TEA. The Colonel’s Morning Tea 376
17 DHABAS. Dhaba on a highway near Delhi 125 46 TEMPLE FOOD. Langar at the Gurdwara Bangla Sahib 382
18 DIASPORA. Menu in Doubles Shop, Santa Cruz, Trinidad 127 47 TEMPLE FOOD. Annakuta at a Swaminarayan temple 382
19 DOSA 132 48 VARANASI. Morning tea 396
20 EGGS KEJRIWAL 135
21 FISH. Fishing in village pond in Bengal 142
22 FLURYS. Iconic Kolkata restaurant 146
23 JAMMU AND KASHMIR. Rogan josh 180
24 KARNATAKA. Lunch on a banana leaf 189
PREFACE ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Editing and writing this book proved to be a challenge. How can the cuisine of a country This book could not have been written without the contributions of the twenty-seven
as vast, as diverse and as ancient as India be summarized in a single volume? Every state writers who generously shared their expertise in their areas of speciality. We owe a
of India, indeed every city (and perhaps even certain neighbourhoods) warrants a book of great debt of gratitude to Jyotirmay Nirjhar who reviewed the copy and put it into its
this scope and size. We see this book as the next iteration in the ever ongoing expansion final form; Nirjhar is a paragon among editors. Thanks to our agent Max Sinsheimer
of the body of knowledge of and writing on Indian food. who solved some of the knotty problems that arose during the book’s creation, and
While we have written much of the book ourselves, we have also drawn on the expertise to Lily McMahon and Kaveya Saravanan, our editors at Bloomsbury Berg for their
of India’s leading food writers, whose names will be familiar to every aficionado of Indian patience. Above all we thank our spouses – Ashish Sen, Kaveree Bamzai and the late
food. These writers bring their own unique and personal perspective to their subjects. Nasir Saberi – for their understanding and continuing support.
While striving for consistency in content and style, we have tried to retain the writers’
own voices. And to some extent the available expertise has determined what topics are
covered. There are a great many areas of Indian cuisine that still await their chroniclers.
The only works of a similar scope were written by the late K.T. Achaya more than
twenty years ago. Achaya, a scholar of Sanskrit as well as a noted food chemist, focuses to
a large degree on historical roots of Indian cuisine. Since then, much has changed. More
states have been added to the Republic of India, including Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and
Uttarakhand, whose cuisines are different from what is mainstream. This work contains
what may be the most comprehensive description yet of the ingredients that go into
Indian cuisine, especially the individual spices and spice mixtures that give it its unique
flavours. Furthermore, the history and usage of ingredients essential – potato, chilli,
onion, garlic, paneer, pulses, ghee, etc. – and special – ajowan, kokum, lotus, etc. – are
described. Iconic dishes such as butter chicken and dosas have their own separate entries.
There are major entries on important topics such as alcohol, breads, spice mixtures and
rites of passage.
The book also features profiles of individuals who have had a major impact on the
development of Indian food, including agriculturalists, restaurateurs, authors and rulers
(Ashoka, the Mughals). The connections between food and medicine and food and
worship are explored in separate entries. New creations such as chicken 65 have become
international favourites. The Indian diaspora has been the source of exciting new dishes,
such as roti, the national food of Trinidad and Tobago. And recent years have seen a
surge in the writing of not only collections of recipes, but also articles and, even, entire
books on regional and local cuisines in both English and Indian languages – some of
them written by contributors to this work. The availability of such work was a great help
in putting together this work which would have been much more difficult to write ten
years ago.
