Garam masala is a blend of ground spices originating from the Indian subcontinent. It is common in Indian, Pakistani, Nepalese, Bangladeshi, Sri Lankan and Caribbean cuisines. It is used alone or with other seasonings. The specific fixings differ by district, but it regularly incorporates a blend of flavors like cardamom, cinnamon, cumin, cloves and peppercorns. Garam masala can be found in a wide range of dishes, including marinades, pickles, stews, and curries.
Trinidad and Tobago has a unique history and its food is influenced by Indian-South Asian, West African, Creole, European, American, Chinese, Amerindian, and Latin American culinary styles. Trinidadian and Tobagonian food is dominated by a wide selection of dishes, most notably, doubles, roti, pelau, callaloo and curried crab and dumplings. Trinidad and Tobago is also known for its prepared provisions, such as dasheen, sweet potato, eddoes, cassava, yam, soups and stews, also known as blue food across the country. Corresponding to the Blue Food Day event held annually in Trinidad and Tobago.
Indo-Trinidadians and Tobagonians or Indian-Trinidadians and Tobagonians are people of Indian origin who are nationals of Trinidad and Tobago, whose ancestors came from India and the wider subcontinent beginning in 1845 during the period of colonization.
Hot sauce is a type of condiment, seasoning, or salsa made from chili peppers and other ingredients. Many commercial varieties of mass-produced hot sauce exist.
Doubles is a common street food originating in Trinidad and Tobago of Indian origin. It consists of curried chickpeas served on two fried flatbreads. It is normally eaten during breakfast, but is also eaten occasionally during lunch or as a late night snack and popular hangover food.
Geera pork is a Trinidadian pork dish. It is a style of pork cooked with roasted, ground cumin seeds, garam masala and pepper. The pork is cut into small pieces and seasoned with salt, hot peppers, chives, onions, garlic, black pepper, pimentos, and cilantro. The pork is then left to marinate. The seasoned meat is fried for a few minutes. Water is then added to the pot and the pork is allowed to cook. It is cooked until all the water has dried out, leaving the pork and a bit of oil.
Gujarati cuisine is the cuisine of the Indian state of Gujarat. The typical Gujarati thali consists of rotli, dal or curry, rice, and shaak. The thali will also include preparations made from pulses or whole beans such as moong, black eyed beans etc., a snack item (farsaan) like dhokla, pathra, samosa, fafda, etc. and a sweet (mishthaan) like mohanthal, jalebi, sevaiya etc.
South Asian pickle is a pickled food made from a variety of vegetables and fruits preserved in brine, vinegar, edible oils, and various South Asian spices. The pickles are popular across South Asia, with many regional variants, natively known as lonache, avalehikā, uppinakaayi, pachadi or noncha, achaar, athāṇu or athāṇo or athāna, khaṭāī or khaṭāin, sandhan or sendhan or sāṇdhāṇo, kasundi, or urugaai.
Bhojpuri cuisine is a style of food preparation common among the Bhojpuri people of Bihar, Jharkhand and eastern Uttar Pradesh in India, and also the Terai region of Nepal. Bhojpuri foods are mostly mild and tend to be less hot in terms of spices used. The cuisine consists of both vegetable and meat dishes.
Bangude pulimunchi is a Mangalorean mackerel based dish of coastal Karnataka in southwest India. The dish uses tamarind, a distinctive ingredient in traditional Mangalorean cuisine, to impart tanginess. Another local mackerel dish is bangude masala, which is popular in the coastal districts of Dakshina Kannada and Udupi.
Many cuisines feature eggplant salads and appetizers.
Baigan bharta, also spelled bainganbharta or baigan chokha is an Indian dish prepared by mashing or mincing grilled eggplant (baigan) with tomato, onion, herbs and spices, with variations being common from chef to chef. Traditionally, cooking the eggplants over charcoals, inside of a tandoor, barbecue grill or oven, or even directly applying flame to the outside of the fruit infuses the dish with a smoky flavour; the blackened skin is then easily peeled and the eggplant may be further prepared.
Bihari cuisine is eaten mainly in the eastern Indian state of Bihar, as well as in the places where people originating from the state of Bihar have settled: Jharkhand, Eastern Uttar Pradesh, Bangladesh, Nepal, Mauritius, South Africa, Fiji, some cities of Pakistan, Guyana, Trinidad and Tobago, Suriname, Jamaica, and the Caribbean. Bihari cuisine includes Angika cuisine, Bhojpuri cuisine, Maithil cuisine and Magahi cuisine.
Kuḻambu, is a tamarind-based stew in Tamil cuisine popular in Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka that can include a variety of meat, vegetables, and in some cases, dal.
Malaysian Indian cuisine, or the cooking of the ethnic Indian communities in Malaysia, consists of adaptations of authentic dishes from India, as well as original creations inspired by the diverse food culture of Malaysia. Because the vast majority of Malaysia's Indian community are of South Indian descent, and are mostly ethnic Tamils who are descendants of immigrants from a historical region which consists of the modern Indian state of Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka's Northern Province, much of Malaysian Indian cuisine is predominantly South Indian inspired in character and taste. A typical Malaysian Indian dish is likely to be redolent with curry leaves, whole and powdered spice, and contains fresh coconut in various forms. Ghee is still widely used for cooking, although vegetable oils and refined palm oils are now commonplace in home kitchens. Before a meal it is customary to wash hands as cutlery is often not used while eating, with the exception of a serving spoon for each respective dish.
Vada, vadai, wada, or bara is a category of savoury fried snacks native to India. Vadas can be described variously as fritters, cutlets, or dumplings. Vadas are sometimes stuffed with vegetables and traditionally served with chutneys and sambar.
Buljol is a salad dish of the cuisine of Trinidad and Tobago. It consists of chopped salted cod, tomatoes and chilies. The name is of French origin. 18th-century colonial power Spain launched the cédula de población in 1783, an edict that successfully promoted the settling of French planters in Trinidad who quickly set the population majority. The name is a combination of the French words brulé ('burnt') and gueule ('muzzle'), which was changed into bu'n jaw in Trinidad's 19th century patois and finally morphed into buljol. The name does not relate to the temperature of the dish but to its spiciness, caused by the added hot pepper.
Kasundi is the Bengali variety of mustard sauce or relish. It has the pungent paste of fermented mustard seeds, spices and sometimes dried mangoes, dried Indian plum and olives. Kasundi is popular as a dipping sauce in Bengali cuisine.
Saheena are a street-food and snack of Indian origin in Trinidadian cuisine.
