Global Charm of the Indian Food

Indian cuisine has been proved to be one of the most inclusive cuisines of the world, thanks to its variety and diversity

Australian author Andrew Charlton’s just released book, “Australia’s Pivot to India” has described how a string of new restaurants in Australia is reconstructing the idea of Indian food.

The book describes how Sydney’s Little India is a bustling streetscape of Indian restaurants, groceries and sweet shops. Amid the 20-odd Indian restaurants and food stalls in the area, there are a handful specialising in hard-to-find varieties of Indian food that cater to in-the-know locals and venturesome food travellers.

Many Australian restaurants have now even “amped up” version of Chinese food by Indian hoteliers who are adding chilli, garlic and thick gravies that give the dishes the consistency of Indian curries.

Indian food, like the people themselves, is endlessly adaptive. Indian Curry, which is thought to have originated thousands of years ago, has evolved into a truly global food, having travelled the world through trade, colonisation and immigration. “Today, curry is everywhere, from chicken tikka masala in the United Kingdom to fiery green curry in Thailand, katsu curry in Japan and bunny chow in South Africa” . Charlton has written, adding how the Punjabi community, among the earliest Indian immigrants to Australia, has influenced Australian understanding of Indian food and their thick tomato or dairy curries with bread dominated the menus of Indian restaurants.

“For most Australians, ‘Indian food’ meant butter chicken and chicken tikka masala – even though butter chicken is a modern dish first made in Delhi in the 1950s and tikka masala was invented in Britain……(but ) In recent decades, Australians have come to appreciate more of the variety in Indian cuisine, which consists of many different regional traditions influenced by the diversity in soil, climate, culture and religion, and employs locally available spices, herbs and vegetables. And Indian restaurants in Australia today are less focused on offering a homogenised derivative of the northern Indian cuisines and more likely to be presenting authentic flavours”.

Dosa Hut was one of the pioneers of traditional South Indian food culture in Australia. South Indian food is not lagging behind. The first Dosa Hut opened in Footscray in 2007 and has grown to dozens of stores across Australia, serving over seven million customers annually. Some of the largest Indian chain restaurants have started to open outlets in Australia to serve the growing diaspora. Saravanaa Bhavan is a vegetarian restaurant originally from Chennai which now operates 120 outlets across 28 countries. It opened its first store in Australia in Parramatta in 2014, according to Charlton.

Even Indian street food has also gained popularity in Australia. Charlton says that newer Indian restaurants, such as Delhi Streets in Melbourne, are serving chaats, including bhel puri (puffed rice with assorted lentils and chutney) and pani puri (a ball-shaped crispy shell filled with a mixture of tamarind chutney, potato, onion or chickpea.

“The flourishing food culture in Australia is a living allegory for the nation’s diverse and evolving society. Indian restaurants have recently been recognised among Australia’s best dining experiences. Five Indian restaurants – three from Melbourne and two from Sydney – featured in the Australian Good Food Guide (AGFG) Chef Hat Awards in 2022. These include Melbourne’s Tonka, Atta and Ish restaurants and Sydney’s Urban Tadka and Manjit’s Wharf. These leading restaurants are popular across the community for combining modern interpretations with traditional favourites”, Charlton has written in the book.

As it is, when it comes to global preference for food, Indian cuisine is topping the charts in the world. It’s not about spices anymore, as people are able to see our cuisine differently due to the availability of flavours and varieties. Recently, Bulgarian travel guide Taste Atlas announced its list of ‘Best cuisines in the world’ for the year 2022 and India ranked at fifth spot in this category. It was Italian cuisine that topped this list followed by Greek and Spanish & Japanese at the third and fourth spots. The ranking was based on votes by the audience for ingredients, dishes and beverages.

Among the listed food, Chai Masala (popularly known as Masala Chai), Sweet Lassi, South Indian Coffee, Thandai, Haldi Doodh, Shahi Paneer, Malai Kofta, Paneer Tikka, Butter Chicken, Rasgulla, Masala Dosa, Chole Bhature, Kaju Katli are some of the most popular foods & drinks ,among others, world wide.

In sum, there is no shortage of Indian food in the world. Go to any corner of the Earth, and you’re likely to find at least one Indian restaurant to fulfil your cravings. Why? Because, Indian food is delicious, comforting, and healthy.