Think Indian food and most people think about curry. Although curry is a common spice in Indian cooking, it is only one of many flavorings that make up Indian Cuisine.

The foods of India are a product of local culture and foods and cooking methods brought to Indian soil through exploration from many other lands. The influences of Persia (Iran), Portugal and England can still be found throughout restaurants in India today.

Indian cuisine is heavily influenced by many religions, each of which has its own dietary rules. Some Indians are vegetarians, others eat all meats except beef, others don’t eat pork, still others don’t eat pork or shellfish. Lamb and goat are also widely eaten in many regions. For our selection of Indian cuisine, we prepared traditional recipes such as Tandoori Chicken, Chapatis, Mulligatawny Soup and recipes that combine the aromatic spices of India with beef, pork and vegetables.

Indian cooking is colored with aromatic spices that are usually used in American desserts, such as cinnamon, cloves and cardamom. These spices added to vegetarian or meat entrees produce incredible flavors that almost hypnotize one’s senses. Some spices and ingredients are a little difficult to find, but others are readily available at most grocery stores.

Common Indian ingredients:

• Basmati rice
• Yogurt
• Lentils
• Ghee The Indian version of clarified butter
• Spinach
• Garam masala: A spice blend of bay leaves, cinnamon, cardamom, cumin, coriander, pepper and cloves
• Ground curry
• Curry paste
• Chutneys
• Green chilies
• Cilantro
• Ginger
• Garlic
• Chili powder
• Cinnamon
• Cloves
• Cardamom
• Cumin
• Coriander
• Saffron
• Turmeric

This month we bring you the flavors of India with an exciting collection of recipes.

We hope you enjoy these recipes and the incredible aromatics of Indian cuisine as much as we did.

- Glutenfreeda