Indian food is not just about spice and smell

[Iqjot]

Have been a foody all my life and i love to eat and try absolute anything. But my first love is and always will be Indian food.

I have been born and brought up in New Delhi and been in thailand for about 7 years. Delhi has a varied mix of typical north indian cuisine, a lot of masla dosas and than there is lots and lots of street food. We love our street food and yes some of it is very spicy.

But than the food what everyone eats at home is not spicy at all, the food our mothers cook is not spicy at all, and even the resturants in Delhi dont sell too spicy. The food in most indian homes is not spicy at all.

In India food differs with every reigon and depending on the person you meet or resturant you go the taste will differ a lot for some very similar curries.

For example North indian food is about spices but not much chillies, however south indian curries have lot of chillies. North indian food use cream and dairy,however south indian will use coconut milk. Every reigon in India there will be a variation to same curry, some reigons might add sugar, some might add tamarind etc.

There is a different variation to indian curries in England.

Whenever i try a food at any resturant, i dont have in prejudice in my mind, i dont judge it by the way how i like it or how i am use to eating it. But on the merits of the food i am eating. I personally like non spicy food. But i like to try everything.

Some indian resturants or may be so called indian restaurants have truely no clue what they are doing, they just throw in spices, spices and more spices, some people might just like them, but indian food is not about spice, every curry have different flavour balance and cannot be achieved by randomly throwing in spices, to make true indian food you have to know indian food. I have tried lots of indian restaurants in thailand, some have been good some bad, i have also tried frozen ready to eat, really liked british india curry and found it to be quiet good, again for me it is not indian, but similar but it taste good and thats what matters.

Also i hear a lot about indian food smell very bad, i think it is just a myth, i think indian food is one of the best smelling foods in the world, indian food tops in using the most aromatic spices. I think the smell is more to do with poorly maintained resturants and is not part of the food.

Hope everyone enjoy indian food at every restaurant without any prejudice in their mind, and judge the food at its merits, because india is very big, and there is lots and lots and lots of variations in indian food.

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[Ulysses G.]

Interesting. I don't like spicy (spicy hot) food and avoid it, but always thought that I was not eating Indian food the way that it was meant to be eaten. Now I know that is not necessarily true.

[junglechef]

Nicely said! A lot of that holds true for Thai cuisine, Mexican or other the many regional foods of many countries. But I would imagine that judging food by its merits one would have to have a very good understanding of the particular food your eating.

[DeeMockMark]

Does anyone have a favorite Indian restaurant in CM to share? I love Indian food.

[iainiain101]

Great Indian food has many varities.

Truth is Thais don't seem to like it and Westerners like it hot (I dont think spicy is the correct description)

So who is your target customer? A Mombai resident on holiday, or the general expat community?

[northernjohn]

Great Indian food has many varities.

Truth is Thais don't seem to like it and Westerners like it hot (I dont think spicy is the correct description)

So who is your target customer? A Mombai resident on holiday, or the general expat community?

First I would like to thank the OP it made a lot of sense.

Often I have heard there are no good Indian restaurants here in Chiang Mai. His post pretty well explained a lot of them. They got used to Indian food in one place and did not realize there are many different Indian foods. I have eaten it in three different places and found them all good. Now they may not be Indian to some as they were used to it from a different region.

I would think that possably the Indian Restarants are aimed at ex Pats like myself who really don't know we think it is because the restaurant says it is.

Question was it not the British who concocted curry. Not really Indian food they just incorporated it?

Edited October 5, 2013 by northernjohn

[transam]

OP, you are a guy/gal after my own heart. Indian food is the ''creme de la creme'' of food, as you say, farang folk think that Indian food is to be chilli hot. Nooooooooooooo, I love it and thank you for your post...............................I could now really eat Bombay Potatoes and a Madras Curry, of course with a Butterfly King Prawn. I wish.......

[Iqjot]

There are many debatable topics, but personally my take on chicken tikka masala controversy is that it was neither Indian nor british, it came from the mughals, who came to india from the middle east. The kings use to have roasted chicken which was marinated with various spices, including kashmiri chilli and saffron, the orangish red colour came from saffron and kashmiri chilli. They would eat it right of tandoor or onion and tomato masala curry.

At that time everything was eaten with bones.

After the british came to india, the officers like this a lot ,but they added a twist by removing the bones and making small pieces to go with their drinks and eliminate the problem of throwing away the used bones, hence chicken tikka was born from tandoori chicken.

The masala was pureed and became the curry as we know it. Over the years and also the fact so many indians living in the uk and innumerable indian resturants it became the national dish of uk.

Sent from my GT-N8000 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[jombom]

Of all the great foods in the world, Indian is my favourite. One can still taste the food.

[Torrens54]

Does anyone have a favorite Indian restaurant in CM to share? I love Indian food.

I'd also like to know where I can buy Indian Spices in Chiang Mai so I can make my own. The Indian restaurants I've seen here over the past 30 years have always been "less than healthy looking."

[hellodolly]

Does anyone have a favorite Indian restaurant in CM to share? I love Indian food.

I'd also like to know where I can buy Indian Spices in Chiang Mai so I can make my own. The Indian restaurants I've seen here over the past 30 years have always been "less than healthy looking."

There is a road running parallel with Changklan behind the Night bazaar. It is one way going North. Right across the street from where it joins Tha Pa road is a shop that says on the sign Indian spices.

I can't vouch for any thing in there as I have yet to go in there.

Give it a try and get back to us.

[DeeMockMark]

Does anyone have a favorite Indian restaurant in CM to share? I love Indian food.

I'd also like to know where I can buy Indian Spices in Chiang Mai so I can make my own. The Indian restaurants I've seen here over the past 30 years have always been "less than healthy looking."

There is a road running parallel with Changklan behind the Night bazaar. It is one way going North. Right across the street from where it joins Tha Pa road is a shop that says on the sign Indian spices.

I can't vouch for any thing in there as I have yet to go in there.

Give it a try and get back to us.

I have tried that one i believe.... It is a restaurant also? I remember it being a little further west on the north side of the street. Friendly mother and daughter running the place. They have some basic essential stuff. There is also a place across from the parking garage down the east/west soi that the American Consulate is on the corner of. Ran by Thai Indians it has a small Indian section in the back of the store to the left. Their Basmati rice seemed quite expensive.

[Bpuumike]

Iqjot, a nice post, enjoyed reading it.

[onthedarkside]

Off topic posts removed and the complaints about the off topic content also removed.

[Thailand]

Great post.I really do like Indian food.

Especially in Chiangmai.

[cnx37]

A very enjoyable post! I have been to some but that was some time ago & always in central CNX. What is the forum's current recommendations? I live in the Huay Kaew Rd area.

[Chicog]

Interestingly, Indian food was popular in Britain in Victorian times, it was considered very upmarket. London's first Indian restaurant was opened in 1810!

It's obviously developed over the years to suit the British palate, and that includes second (and upwards) generation immigrants.

I'm not sure, but I think Balti houses actually originated in Britain and now the curry trade is something like 4 or 5 billion quid IIRC!

Anyway, always interested to hear a professional opinion of any food in Chiang Mai.

Thanks for the post.

I'm more of a North Indian foodie myself, not a big fan of too much chili....

[WinnieTheKhwai]

Does anyone have a favorite Indian restaurant in CM to share? I love Indian food.

I'd also like to know where I can buy Indian Spices in Chiang Mai so I can make my own. The Indian restaurants I've seen here over the past 30 years have always been "less than healthy looking."

There is a road running parallel with Changklan behind the Night bazaar. It is one way going North. Right across the street from where it joins Tha Pa road is a shop that says on the sign Indian spices.

I can't vouch for any thing in there as I have yet to go in there.

Give it a try and get back to us.

I've been there; forget it to buy spices. Very small selection, nothing particularly new or fresh. Think some dusty cartons of some common spice mixes.

Possibly the vendor at the big market is better, though I still haven't made it there. Actually Rim ping have the essentials anyway.

[Oscar2]

i hesitate to ask if the OP is still in business at Promenanda. when i was there 2 weeks ago, you could drop a pin in the food court and hear it hit the floor. there were about 4 people dining there at the time.

[Chicog]

It was like that when it opened. They were offering us free food just to get us to sit down.

[puukao]

I have yet to find Indian food in USA that compares to a few places in Chiang Mai. Nice touch of ginger, good rice, but perhaps maybe 100 baht more than some would like. Nonetheless, there are some days you have to dig deep in your pockets, pull out that pink note or two, and go crazy like Fat Albert crushing the $1 menu at McD's!!!!!!!

[worgeordie]

I think Indian food IS all about the spice and smell,without the blend

of spices it would have no taste,and the smell is also very important,

if it did not smell good you would not eat it,smell is the first sense you

use with food.

I think the poster should have said Indian food is not just about heat,

don't think its a very pleasurable experience eating a curry that has

so much chili in it that it burns the roof of your mouth off,i think these

very hot curries,are the UK restaurants revenge for all the hassle they

get from drunks late at night,giving them an extra hot Phall,resulting

in the "ring of fire" in the morning.Phall invented just for that purpose.

A really good curry is manna from the gods,in the UK I used to travel

100,200 miles just to get a really good one,The British Indian curry houses,

most of which are owned by Bangladeshi' s,bares no real relationship

to food eaten on the Sub Continent,like Chinese food it was changed

to suit the Western palate.

regards Worgeordie

[uptheos]

I think Indian food IS all about the spice and smell,without the blend

of spices it would have no taste,and the smell is also very important,

if it did not smell good you would not eat it,smell is the first sense you

use with food.

I think the poster should have said Indian food is not just about heat,

don't think its a very pleasurable experience eating a curry that has

so much chili in it that it burns the roof of your mouth off,i think these

very hot curries,are the UK restaurants revenge for all the hassle they

get from drunks late at night,giving them an extra hot Phall,resulting

in the "ring of fire" in the morning.Phall invented just for that purpose.

A really good curry is manna from the gods,in the UK I used to travel

100,200 miles just to get a really good one,The British Indian curry houses,

most of which are owned by Bangladeshi' s,bares no real relationship

to food eaten on the Sub Continent,like Chinese food it was changed

to suit the Western palate.

regards Worgeordie

Excellent

[HaleySabai]

The wife and I run a seasonal food truck business in Canada doing Thai-food at major music festivals and other outdoor summer events from May-Sept. One year there was an Indian operation around called 'Curry in a Hurry' their butter chicken was extra-ordinary aromatic,that mouth watering scent would wafer over a large area and the lines of salivating customers would form.

Having to sample their food I was astonished at how bland it was, in the end the only pleasure was eating with the nose, it was poop-on -a -plate,I had to throw most of it away...... sort of an Indian culinary rope-trick.

Having lived in India for over 3yrs I can appreciate the sophisticated,diverse and complex concoctions of the cuisine, the best being home-cooked,not from a restaurant. Unfortunately,as much as I love the flavors the after-effects of the food on my metabolism often leaves me feeling bloated,heavy and tired.

Judge a cuisine on the obvious creative mix of presentation,flavor and texture but also take note on the after effect....does it leave you feeling energized,satisfied without fullness or.... in search of a sofa or worst, toilet seat.

[HeavyDrinker]

I'm not sure, but I think Balti houses actually originated in Britain and now the curry trade is something like 4 or 5 billion quid IIRC

There is a huge debate within the South Asian community in the UK as to whether it was Bradford or Birmingham which gave birth to the Balti House...

[uptheos]

I'm not sure, but I think Balti houses actually originated in Britain and now the curry trade is something like 4 or 5 billion quid IIRC

There is a huge debate within the South Asian community in the UK as to whether it was Bradford or Birmingham which gave birth to the Balti House...

I think Birmingham would be favourite.

[Chicog]

I think the poster should have said Indian food is not just about heat

I thought the poster did in maybe a few more words. The British did not "invent" very hot curries.

Mind you, it's the same in Thailand, with some regions preferring spicier than others:

Another factor that influences the Thai cooking style is the region in which the food is cooked and consumed.

The four regions are

Northern - comprising 17 provinces, the most well-known perhaps being Chiang Mai or Lampang. This region is the home of such dishes as pad prik khing, tom yum soup, and naem, a sour pork sausage served with sticky rice.

North-Eastern - locally known as Issan and holding 19 provinces, some of which are Udon Thani, Khon Kaen and Sakon Nakhon. This region is famous for som tum, or green papaya salad (very hot), and larb (sour pork mince, again consumed with sticky rice.

Central - with 26 provinces including, Bangkok, Ayuthaya, Kanchanaburi and Chonburi, and offers Thai salads of beef or seafood, panang-style curry and khai yud sai omelettes as well as many other egg-based dishes.

Southern - having 14 provinces that include Phuket, Krabi and Surat Thani and is the source of mussamun curry, other popular coconut-based curries, tom kha soup and prominent seafood dishes.

Whereas "sticky rice", or glutinous rice, is popularly enjoyed in the north-east, it is hardly eaten in the south, whereas central and southern regions favour the wet, coconut-based curries. Other dishes which are common across the country, still produce regional variations as to sweetness and hot-ness, with the two northern regions seeming to favour hot and sour more than sweet in the same dish. The central region is the home of Pad Thai and Pad Kra Praew, that offer sweeter and milder taste choices.

[cnx37]

I was an Indian food addict for many years - Hot & Spicy - Yum!

Now I have throat cancer & cannot handle "Hot & Spicy" nor chewy food!

Where can I access quality but not firey Indian food near NH (Kaew San Kaew/Maya area) or do I survive on vegetable soup from TOPS @ B55 per small bowl - 8-10 bowls per day?

HELP!

[philw]

I was an Indian food addict for many years - Hot & Spicy - Yum!

Now I have throat cancer & cannot handle "Hot & Spicy" nor chewy food!

Where can I access quality but not firey Indian food near NH (Kaew San Kaew/Maya area) or do I survive on vegetable soup from TOPS @ B55 per small bowl - 8-10 bowls per day?

HELP!

Suggest go to any of the Indian restaurants, explain the problem, tell the guys what you want and I am sure they will respond with grace and accuracy.

Tell people what you need.

When you find a good puree spinach curry, please let me know.

( Last time I had one was Bradford 1974, can still taste it........Wonderful )

phil