Indian food...I don't get it

[Anonymous]

I thought it was bad until I had an Indian roommate who made a lot of dishes that weren't that spicy or mushy.

Much of what she made was grilled or baked and didn't have cumin in it which can be overwhelming in a lot of restaurant Indian food. She also made a lot of dishes with fresh raw veggies, instead of boiled ones.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Didn't your mamas teach you any manners? It is perfectly fine not to like certain cuisines (I can think of quite a few I am not crazy about), but just keep it to yourself. And keep in mind, there are a lot of people out there who probably can't stomach your favored cuisine!

+1. Half the people on this thread seem to be people who went to a buffet and decided that buffet represents all of Indian cuisine. That's a little like going to saying I don't like American food because I don't like Golden Corral.

This!!!

Also some people don't like spicy food

[Anonymous]

India is a hot climate and food can spoil quickly which is probably why they put tons of spices on it to mask any off flavors.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm also not a fan of Indian although I will have it on occasion when we go out with friends and they elect to have Indian.

It really is, to put it crudely, overspiced brown mush in varying guises for the most part. I can recognize and appreciate the culinary heritage built around spices and the use of spices as the flavors that dominate and enhance the dish, whereas the raw ingredients of the meats or vegetables or grains are far less important other than a vehicle for the spices. It's different from the traditional European culinary heritages where the success of the dish is based on enhancing the flavors of the raw ingredients and spices are only subtle enhancements to strengthen the original flavors.

Really? Brown mush sums up the totality of Indian food? If you don't like the cuisine that's fine, but your description and criticism of the cuisine is ridiculous to say the least.

OP, I get what you are saying. I have eaten Indian foods many times (in India; north and south) and it does seem to be many variations (and not that varied) on the same thing. It's not as varied as say, "American" where the range is a Caesar salad all the way to fries and burgers all the way to pork chop with applesauce and green beans. I was a fan of some creative preparations of paneer in the south, and the tandoor is a slight variation, but Indian in general was all the same theme. And that's OK and it's delicious when you are in the mood, but there you go.

What? Punjabi tandoori chicken couldn't be any more different than say a beetroot puriyal from Kerala. People here don't know regional Indian cuisine.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I get it, OP. Maybe you're a supertaster. I love so many kinds of food, but I have trouble with intensely overseasoned food like Indian. And I've had multiple Indian friends (including several vegetarians and vegans) from a variety of areas of India cook me meals. They were gorgeous and interesting, but so overpoweringly seasoned I couldn't eat a lot of them. It just felt like, if they'd dialed the seasonings down 100 notches it would be great. Only one friend made a lot of delicately flavored dishes, and I can't remember where he was from.

I have similiar issues with certain Thai dishes. Like, it reminds me of Vietnamese food, except that the chef threw in 100 times the spices and intense flavor elements that were needed, so the basic ingredients are overwhelmed.

I'd wager money that it was Keralan or Himalayan. These are the only two regional cuisines in India that have ever struck me as "delicately" seasoned. They're both delicious, too-- though I'd never turn down robust Mughlai, either!

[Anonymous]

OP here. It's fascinating to read everyone's responses--thanks!

I just want to clarify that my intent was not to disparage Indian cuisine. I'm merely trying to figure out if I was missing something, because Indian cuisine is so popular, and I pride myself on being open to new things (and this is no niche or fad--I want to like it).

After reading these replies, It's obvious that Indian cuisine is nuanced and regional (duh--its a large country!). I believe I've tried a few lunch hour, takeout-type places--places that probably muddle everything together and, as a result, the subtle nuances are lost in generic, overly-sauced/spiced dishes.

TBH, I'm not in the DC area (I'm in CT, 45 mins from NYC). I think I'll have to pick a quality place in the city to try!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:India is a hot climate and food can spoil quickly which is probably why they put tons of spices on it to mask any off flavors.

Did you pull this fun fact out of your arse? Because that's not true

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:India is a hot climate and food can spoil quickly which is probably why they put tons of spices on it to mask any off flavors.

Did you pull this fun fact out of your arse? Because that's not true

Could be true...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:India is a hot climate and food can spoil quickly which is probably why they put tons of spices on it to mask any off flavors.

Did you pull this fun fact out of your arse? Because that's not true

Could be true...

Sure, it's not because spices grow abundantly in India and and not because Ayurveda guides Indian people in using them for their health aspects. When you use turmeric, it's because you are doing it for health. When Indians add it to their food, it's because they are masking spoiled food.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:India is a hot climate and food can spoil quickly which is probably why they put tons of spices on it to mask any off flavors.

Are you posting from 1850?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:India is a hot climate and food can spoil quickly which is probably why they put tons of spices on it to mask any off flavors.

Are you posting from 1850?

It makes sense. Refrigeration is a modern invention and India is a third world country. The spiciest foods come from warmer climates, where spoilage is more likely.

[Anonymous]

PP again. For the people who deny the spicy food spoilage connection, it's real.
https://www.quora.com/Why-do-Indians-eat-extremely-spicy-food

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:India is a hot climate and food can spoil quickly which is probably why they put tons of spices on it to mask any off flavors.

Are you posting from 1850?

It makes sense. Refrigeration is a modern invention and India is a third world country. The spiciest foods come from warmer climates, where spoilage is more likely.

There's a difference between using something to prevent spoilage and using something to disguise spoilage.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I love it! My kids love it and DH loves it too. But, it is OK not to like it. I dislike Mexican and Tex Mex to the extreme, and also Greek cuisine and make no apologies. My DS started eating chicken curry at 11 months old! We lived in East Africa and Indian food is very popular there, that is how we got introduced to it. I was told by a Pakistani kid in my class, that here in the US we really don't know what real Indian/Pakistani food it. He is right. I see any raw onion and peppers and mush that is Mexican food to me, I get a gag reflex right away! It is perfectly fine you don't like it.

I know this thread is about Indian food--but how can you dislike Greek?!

Big Greek Cafe!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I love it! My kids love it and DH loves it too. But, it is OK not to like it. I dislike Mexican and Tex Mex to the extreme, and also Greek cuisine and make no apologies. My DS started eating chicken curry at 11 months old! We lived in East Africa and Indian food is very popular there, that is how we got introduced to it. I was told by a Pakistani kid in my class, that here in the US we really don't know what real Indian/Pakistani food it. He is right. I see any raw onion and peppers and mush that is Mexican food to me, I get a gag reflex right away! It is perfectly fine you don't like it.

I know this thread is about Indian food--but how can you dislike Greek?!

Because of the raw onion mostly. I otherwise like the concept, but there is also some spice that I can' identify that makes me sick in addition to onion. Cooked onions, I am fine with. I always had some kind of sensitivity to raw onion, garlic and peppers, roasted and fresh. I get sick and throw up.

Cant you get "no onion?" And not everything has onion....