The Food of the Centre

Central India has an eclectic mix of foods which can be roughly divided into East (Bengal), West (Gujarat and Maharashtra) and Central (Hyderabad) styles. Fish feature heavily on both coasts while Hyderabad has a cuisine with Moghul overtones and a diet rich in meat.

Fish, both coastal and those from inland waterways, appear in many Bengali, Assamese and Orissan dishes, hilsa being a particular favourite. Smaller fish are made into soupy johl or deep-fried with spices. Larger ones are covered with thick spice pastes and steamed or fried. On the opposite coast, the fish market on Mumbai’s (Bombay) Sassoon Docks is the busiest in India and caters to the varied communities of Mumbai (Bombay), as well as national and international buyers. The Parsi people in Mumbai (Bombay) and Gujarat use fish for more elaborate dishes such as patra ni machi, which is traditionally served at weddings.