Exploring Indian Food In Bangkok

I’ve recently rediscovered Indian cuisine and it feels like I am a bit evangelical about it. I admit, while Indian was in my dining repertoire before, I rarely ventured from my two “favorite” Indian dishes. And by favorite, I mean the two I knew--- Palak Paneer and Aloo Gobi.

Though I’ve never visited India, I had heard that it is a vegetarian’s paradise because of the variety of delicious and flavorful dishes served on the subcontinent. Thanks to some special people here in Bangkok who have taken the time to educate me and my palate, I have developed an appreciation for the vastness and variety of Indian food available here in Bangkok! I’ve realized, we don’t have to go to India to experience vegetarian paradise—it’s right here. Allow this to serve as encouragement for all of us to order something other than the usual, familiar dishes.

The Indian food that’s become famous throughout the world began in the Mughal period, in the 16^th and 17^th centuries. The Mughali were the ruling, conquering class who had an appetite not just for invading, but fine food too. They traveled with teams of cooks, who amongst other things perfected the now world-famous tandoor oven. This simple technology has served as the foundation of fine Indian cuisine ever since.

Naturally, vegetarianism is a large part of the Indian dishes, as spiritual and religious beliefs influence the Indian diet. Beliefs, as well as the abundance of spices, fruits, vegetables and masterfully prepared rice and breads make up this paradise. At Indian Host like nearly all Indian restaurants, curries are made from vegetable oils, not animal fats. In other establishments, like Saras , they use clarified butter called, ghee.

Northern Indian cuisine is particularly abundant here in Bangkok. One of its hallmarks is the amazing incorporation of Indian dairy, which is different from Thai dairy or that found in Western countries. Two dairy products ubiquitous in Northern cooking are paneer and yogurt. Paneer is homemade cottage cheese made from pure milk and it is completely natural—it is unique in that it is firm, doesn’t melt and isn’t salty. Indian yogurt is light, creamy and versatile. It is added to dishes to give them a creamy topping and is delicious as a drink too- sometimes sweet, sometimes salty, sometimes with fruit, like in lassis. In India, almost all lunchtime meals are served with Dahi, a drinkable yogurt curd. Ragita is whipped yogurt that is often served as a tasty condiment.

It goes without saying; India is a huge country, spanning 28 states, with 1.2 billion people, and quite literally each household has its own cooking culture. By definition, Indian cuisine is characterized by its variety. Maharajs, or Indian home chefs, have written and published encyclopedic collections of books on the topic of Indian food and it is unrealistic to try to touch on it all here. And, after all, food should be experienced! For the best vegetarian Indian food in Bangkok, be sure to check out: restaurantsofbangkok.com . At each of these establishments, the wait-staff will happily guide you through the many vegetarian options- I’d encourage you to order something new, something you’ve never tried before.

One warning, though: the more you explore, the more likely you are to get hooked.