Indian cuisine is famous worldwide for its rich variety of regional and traditional food native to the subcontinent. But the fact remains that Indian food is also heavily influenced by various religions and cultures that interacted with India and led to a diversity of flavours, aromatic spices and cuisines that are an integral part of Modern India.
Here are five such dishes that don’t have their origin in India.
Samosa – This is a very popular street food snack found almost everywhere in India. Originally knownas ‘Sambosa’, this trendy Indian appetizer and a savoury snack made its way to India via Arab and Middle Eastern traders in the 13th and 14th century. It is a popular snack loved by people of all age groups and is available in different variations, both vegetarian as well as non-vegetarian.
Chicken Tikka Masala – This is one of the most popular dish, not only in India, but around the world and was discovered accidently as a creative improvisation by Chef Ali Ahmed while he was working in a Scottish restaurantin the year 1971. It is said that Chicken tikka masala was created when a guest complained that the chicken dish he had ordered was too dry. Chef Ahmed added a blend of spices, yoghurt and cream to create a flavourful gravy that changed the entire dish.
Jalebi – The sugar soaked, sweet and crispy jalebis that you love to have any other day were actually not created in India but have their origin in the Middle East. Persian invaders were the first ones to bring jalebis in India. In fact, jalebi was originally known as Zolbiya in Persian and Zulabiya in Arabic.
Naan – Naan is a standard accompaniment with curries and vegetable. This popular flatbread was also introduced to us by Persians. Naan became a very important part of the North Indian cuisine in the Mughal era and is still the hot favourite.
Pav Bhaji – This famous street food of Maharashtra was brought here by the Portuguese. They made bhaji with different vegetables and ate it with bread, called Pao in Portuguese.
Apart from these, there are many other popular dishes that have their roots somewhere else. Tasting various delicacies is one of the attractions for the foreigners visiting India.
