INDIAN FACT OF THE MONTH (January 2007): Indian Vegetarian Food

Many in Western societies consider vegetarian food as something raw without any selection. Indian vegetarian food proves all of this wrong. Indian food has a very wide variety of vegetarian (even vegan) foods. For starters, go to your local Indian restaurant to find a wide range of cooked, spiced and diverse variety of vegetarian food. Many of the Indian restaurants would prepare less spicy version if you are not used to the spices yet (you will love them as you get used to them). We would also recommend you to go through some of our vegetarian food and do not shy away from experimenting to fit your taste prefeences.

Vegetarianism came to prominence duing the rule of Ashoka, one of the greatest of Indian rulers who was a promoter of Buddhism. In India, food, culture, religion, and regional festivals are all closely related. South Indian cooking is even more vegetarian-friendly than north Indian cooking. Indian vegetable dishes offer a great opportunity for creative spicing. Though many on the subcontinent eat meat, fowl and fish, vegetarianism has been a way of life for much of India's population for thousands of years. The importance of vegetarian cuisine is derived from a religious tenet preached by one of that nation's great Hindu philosophers.