Dishing it out: Indian food replaces Chinese cuisine globally

Chinese cuisine may be becoming increasingly ubiquitous around the world, but is getting a run for its money from Indian food which is making its way to the plates of foodies around the world, feels celebrity Chef Ajay Chopra.

"Indian food has definitely made a mark on the global map," Chopra told PTI in an interview.

"Globally, Chinese food has been the 2nd favourite after the native cuisine, but slowly Indian food has become very popular and replaced Chinese cuisine globally," he said. A widely travelled food expert, Chopra has found that the world over, what is common among food connoisseurs is the love and passion while cooking.

"In my travels, I have experienced that the heart of cooking all across the world is pretty much the same. All cooking techniques are similar and made with love and passion," said the chef, who hosts the cookery show "Northern Flavours" on Living Foodz television channel.

Asked to comment on North Indian food vis-a-vis South Indian cuisine, he said, "North Indian food depicts the personality of North Indians, which is vibrant, tasteful and quirky whilst the usage of flavourings and fat is on a higher ratio, the food is delectable and enjoyable just not by the whole of India, but around the world."

Comparing the two culinary arts in terms of ingredients, flavours and cooking techniques, he said, "Indian food by and large has one thing in common. The local delicacies depend a lot on very regional and local produce and flavours." "Whilst the local produce decides the predominance on flavours, there is a huge difference in the consumption patterns in both cuisines when it comes to staples like meat, fish and rice.

"South Indian food has a lot of use of coconut, curry leaves, different chillies, whole spices, while the North Indian food gets a lot of flavour from its home churned butter, cream, regional spices, meat and chicken," opined Chopra, who is currently working as the Executive Chef in The Westin Mumbai Garden City.