The Spicy Flavours of Indian Kitchens

India, through its cuisine has managed to transcend its borders, giving the world its aroma, colors, as a source of exotic spices. The Indian kitchen has maintained its flavors and traditions since years, due to cultural backgrounds and geographical determinants. The Indian culture can be known through its cuisine, which reveals the common aspects of its culture and traditions which have a unique authentic Indian inspiration, the Vedas.

The Indian curries are known throughout the world, but there is a wide variety of dishes that reflect its geography too. The Indian weddings are the best occasions to experience the taste of India. Every community organizes big feasts for the wedding, be it Bengali, Kerala or Marathi Matrimony. As per the taste of people and communities, India can be mainly divided into two zones: the Northern India and Southern India.

The North: The North Indian food forms the most famous Indian cuisine in the world, which is influenced by Mughals and Muslims. There is a mouth-watery and sumptuous range of vegetarian dishes in the North Indian cuisine. Tasty preparations of meat, including meat of goat, sheep, chicken, form the non vegetarian cuisine of Northern India. The tandoori dishes from Punjab are very popular in the entire India and also world. The dishes include spices like ginger, garlic, saffron, nutmeg, chili or cayenne, etc.

Southern Cuisine: The southern cuisine mainly involves dishes from states like Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Goa, Andhra, Maharashtra, etc. Wedding ceremonies like Marathi Matrimonial include vegetarian preparations predominantly, using grains and pulses, spices and condiments like chilies, coconut milk, tamarind, cinnamon, curry leaves, etc. All types of curries in South India include turmeric, which gives a characteristic colour and flavour.

The spices used in the curries can be dry or wet, and all the dishes make extensive use of oil, ghee, and other herbs.

Author: Rashmi Karan

Important Rituals of Marathi Matrimony

The people of Maharashtra have a unique culture and tradition of their own and this truly reflects in Marathi Matrimony. Maharashtra’s culture is an amalgamation of northern Aryan traditions and the Dravidian culture of the south. The people from different regions of Maharashtra also have different traditions and rituals. Folk songs and dances are very much is part of the culture of the state and is showcased in the weddings.

I’m a foreign national and was really lucky to be a part of a Marathi Matrimony. This is a wedding of one of my friends and I came attend the function in her hometown, which is Nagpur. The traditional Marathi wedding is usually a long affair with many functions and customs. Every family member engages himself in some kind of work. Before the marriage, the house of the bride and groom is painted.

There are many rituals in a Marathi Matrimony. What I noticed is that many rituals involved prayers to the almighty. The Seeman Pooja is a traditional practice among the Marathi people. Here the girl’s parents welcome the groom and his family members. Upon arrival, the bride’s parent washes the groom’s feet as well as his parents. The groom is made to sit on Chaurang, which is a square tool. The bride’s sides bestow gifts to the groom like gold ring or a wristwatch. He also receives silverware as gifts. I was amazed to see the gifts received by the groom before the wedding day.

Another interesting ceremony in the Marathi Matrimony is the Gouri-Har Pooja. This is also a prayer ceremony where the bride seeks blessings of the goddess Gouri. The idol is placed on a square tool and the bride sits in front of the idol and offers prayers. At the end of her prayers, her maternal uncle takes her for the curtain ceremony also known as ‘antarpaat’ in Marathi. For this ceremony, the bride wears a yellow sari and green glass bangles adorn her arms. I heard that in Marathi custom wearing green glass bangles is considered auspicious as it signifies new beginning.

I was happy to be a part of the Marathi Matrimony and watched some interesting rituals typical of a Hindu Marathi wedding. Taking blessings of the Almighty is something I liked in their wedding rituals. Keeping the entire function very simple, the wedding was good experience for me.

Author: Shipra Sinha