India: 195 Country Cooking Challenge

Mackenzie DeArment
Sep 24, 2024
5 min read

Updated: Oct 7, 2024

Welcome to the seventh country of the 195 Country Cooking Challenge - where I cook a popular dish from all 195 countries around the world! If you missed the previous countries, you can check those out on my blog as well as my YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok (That Country Cook). Along the journey, I will be sharing these recipes with you plus some interesting facts about each country. My goal is to teach you a bit about each country while you eat or cook their cuisine! Today, I will be cooking a popular dish of India!

The National Dish of India

While researching the National Dish of India, I discovered something - there is no official National Dish for the country. Because the country is so diverse, it would be difficult to select just one dish to represent the entire country. Once realizing this, I did more research into popular dishes throughout each region of India. Although there are many different popular foods in the country, I decided to go with a dish that originated in India and spread throughout the entire world... CURRY!

'Curry' comes from the Tamil word 'kari', which means 'sauce; or 'soup'. So curry is not really a spice at all! The Portuguese had a large influence on curry when they introduced chili to India in 1498. British traders who spent time in India brought curry back to Britain in the 18th century. This dish became popular because it was a convenient way to use leftover meat.

You can definitely make this dish at home! I will go through the recipe below, but if you would like a more streamlined approach, you can check out the official recipe here.

Facts About India

What is it about this country that makes it so unique?

India has a rich and complex history that spans thousands of years. It is known as one of the world's oldest civilizations, with the Indus Valley Civilization emerging around 2500 BCE. Throughout its history, India has seen the rise and fall of numerous empires, including the Maurya and Gupta Empires, which contributed to significant advancements in science, art, and philosophy.

In the medieval period, various kingdoms flourished, and the arrival of Islam led to the establishment of the Delhi Sultanate and later the Mughal Empire, which brought cultural synthesis and architectural marvels like the Taj Mahal.

The British colonial period began in the 18th century, leading to significant economic and social changes. The struggle for independence intensified in the early 20th century, culminating in India gaining independence in 1947, led by figures like Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru.

Today, India is the world's largest democracy, known for its diversity in culture, languages, and religions, and it plays a significant role on the global stage.

The flag of India is saffron, white and green. Saffron is the top band of the flag and is a specific mixture of red and yellow. This color represents the country's strength and courage. White represents peace and truth. The bottom band, green, represents and fertility and growth of the land. The flag also features the Ashok Chakra, India's national emblem, in the center of the white band. The Ashok Chakra has 24 spokes and represents the idea that there is life in motion and death in stillness.

India is 1,269,219 square miles of land. The most common job in the country is agriculture, which now employs about 60 percent of the workforce. Key crops include grain, commercial crops (Jute, cotton, sugarcane, oilseeds and tobacco), plantation crops (rubber, coffee, tea, coconut), and horticulture crops (vegetables and fruits). However, the most widely grown crop is rice. One of the most popular landmarks in India is the Taj Mahal, an ivory-white marble mausoleum on the south bank of the Yamuna river in the Indian city of Agra. It was commissioned in 1632 by the Mughal emperor, Shah Jahan (reigned from 1628 to 1658), to house the tomb of his favorite wife, Mumtaz Mahal.

The official language of India is Hindi, which is known to be the world's oldest language. However, India has 22 separate official languages across its states. It is home to a total of 121 languages.

Cooking a Popular Dish in India

Ingredients:

1 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 medium onions
1 serrano pepper
1 inch ginger piece (peeled)
4 cloves garlic
2 medium tomatoes
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1 teaspoon salt
3 mint leaves
1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 teaspoon red chili powder
1 teaspoon garam masala
1 bay leaf
4 cloves
2 inch cinnamon piece
3 green cardamom
Optional: rice and naan bread

Steps:

Step 1:

Prepare all ingredients. Dice onions into small pieces. Wash and slice serrano pepper in half and remove seeds. Wash and dice tomatoes. Wash mint leaves and cut into tiny pieces. Wash bay leaf and leave whole. Remove skin of garlic then grind garlic and ginger together using either a spice grinder or mortar and pestle. Clean and cut chicken thighs into bite-sized pieces. Set all ingredients aside. I love using these bowls for prep (they are easy to clean and can go in the dishwasher).

Step 2:

Heat olive oil in a pan with tall sides (like this). Add bay leaf, cinnamon, cloves, and green cardamom. Cook for 3 minutes on medium heat or until you can smell the spices.

Step 3:

Add onions and serrano pepper. Sauté until the onions become golden. This will take around 5 minutes.

Step 4:

Add ginger and garlic paste and cook for about a minute.

Step 5:

Add tomatoes, turmeric, and salt. Mix and cook until tomatoes are mushy.

Step 6:

Turn heat to low. Stir in yogurt, red chili powder, garam masala, and coriander powder. Cook for about 3 minutes.

Step 7:

Add chicken and mint and turn heat to medium. Cook until the chicken looks completely white, I would recommend at least 5-7 minutes.

Step 8:

Cover the pan and turn temperature to low for 5 minutes.

Step 9:

Warm 1 cup of water in a tea kettle or on the stove.

Step 10:

Add 1/2 cup water to the pot of curry. Cover and continue to let cook until the chicken is fully cooked. NOTE: Chicken should be cooked to at least 165 degrees Fahrenheit before consumption. You can use a meat thermometer to check. Add more warm water if needed to reach your desired consistency. Serve over rice or with naan bread and enjoy!