Indian food is a culinary behemoth; there’s no debating that. Flavourful, colourful, lively, bright and satisfying to all senses, no matter which part of the country you visit, food is the first thing that you want to sample. But, even with so much variety there’re always naysayers and those who like to group all Indian food under one banner – SPICY! While this is the most common misconception about Indian food, there are a few more that would probably make you see red.
Ghee is unhealthy
The use of ghee in food is one of the most disputed even among us Indians. There’s literally nothing wrong with a spoonful of ghee on steaming hot rice and dal or adding some to a paratha. The amount of ghee you use on a daily basis can dictate if it could be unhealthy, but isn’t that for absolutely anything you eat? Isn’t too much salad also a bad thing? Ghee is one of the most delicious additions to Indian food. And can you really imagine Indian sweets without ghee?
The benefits of ghee are multifold
- Good for the immune system
- Aids in digestion
- Is lactose-free
- Source of energy
- Source of good fats
- Good for intestinal health
- Good for heart health
Moderation is key here and that goes for anything. Not only is ghee great for your body it’s also great for your skin.
Indian food is too rich
Anyone who says this has either eaten only Butter Chicken and Biryani and is basing their entire outlook on it. These people need to try Aviyal, Akki Roti, Thalipeeth, Theplas, Dal Tadka, Aloo Gobi and Phulkas, Kadhi, Appams, Neer Dosa, Thayir Sadam or even a simple chicken curry- the list is endless. Classifying an entire cuisine as too rich based off of half-baked information is so lazy. A simple meal of rice, rasam and cabbage thoran is delicious, healthy, light and oh so satisfying!
All Indian food tastes the same
Well, if the idea is to add “curry powder” in everything, it’s fair to say that all Indian food would taste similar. But ever tried comparing Dal Baati Churma with Neer Dosa and Chicken Sukka or comparing Idiyappam and Vegetable Stew to Misal pav, or Chhole Bhature to Pomfret fry. It’s incomparable. The beautiful crispy exterior of the pomfret fry clashing with the melt-in-your-mouth flesh on the inside cannot be compared with the fluffy softness of a bhatura wrapped around a tangy, beautifully spiced morsel of chhole. The variety of tastes and textures and flavours is as diverse as the length and breadth of the country with each dish and each recipe not competing, but existing in perfection with each other.
All Indian food is spicy
It certainly is NOT! That’s the beauty of Indian food. You can adjust the spice in anything you’re preparing; it will not compromise the taste in the least. Take the simple khichdi for example. Nourishing and great for an upset stomach it also makes for a quick meal when you’re in a pinch. But elevate that khichdi to a completely different level with a tadka of dark green chillies, jeera, curry leaves and maybe a pinch of red chilli powder. Eat it with a side of cold dahi or boondi raita or just plain cucumber and tomato salad. Wholesome? Yes! Delicious? Yes! Spicy? Only if you want it to be! A simple meal of Puri Bhaaji, Kadhi and Rice, Kerala vegetable stew and appams will sing a culinary song you’ve never heard before. And therein lies the versatility of Indian food. The same dish can be spiced up or toned down and will taste delicious either way. It’s just a matter of preference. So that’s not to say that you wouldn’t enjoy a certain dish if you don’t like spicy food! You can tone it down and still enjoy all the flavours in their fullness.
Indian food takes too long to prepare
The average Indian meal does not take long to make. By average I mean the meals that we eat most days. Something out of the ordinary like a chicken tikka masala, biryani, undhiyu etc would take more the usual amount of time because prepping for these and cooking time is quite a bit. But a simple dal and rice, roti sabji, khichdi kadhi, idli sambar, aloo paratha and dahi etc., would not take as much time considering the simplicity of these meals. And while Indian meals can be extravagant, the true flavours of India are in the simpler foods.
Indian food is too heavy
Indian food is generally light on the stomach and the heaviness depends on how the food is prepared. Eg. You can skip the cream in the palak paneer, to reduce the heaviness; reduce the amount of ghee in a paratha, skip the pulav and choose steamed rice, boil potatoes before adding to meals, instead of cooking them in oil… the options are endless. It’s just a matter of making the right choices.
You can’t make healthy choices in Indian food
Says who?! Again, the versatility of Indian food lies in the fact that it can cater to a variety of health options and regimes. While limiting yourself to particular foods and excluding entire food groups is just no way to stay healthy, following a simple meal plan based on locally found and Indian food can do wonders for you.
If you have been harbouring these misconceptions about Indian food and falling prey to buzzwords like Paleo, Keto, Low-fat, Raw food assuming that they’d be better than local food, think again. Everything in moderation. Nothing in excess.
