West Indian Cuisine can be categorised as vegetarian, however a very small section of the society consume non vegetarian food. The communities that belong to the western part of the country principally practise
Jainism and the religion teaches them non violence.
Indian regional cuisine is majorly influenced by religion and external invasions. The major
states of the region comprise of
Gujarat,
Maharashtra,
Goa and
Rajasthan. West Indian Cuisine varies from region to region.
Essentially, the cookery in the western region of the country is simple with dishes like Aloo Bhaji (spicy potatoes),
Kadhi (chickpea dumplings in yoghurt sauce) and preparations polished off with
rice and
pooris (puffed whole wheat fried breads).
Maharashtrian Cuisine
Maharashtrian cuisine among the West Indian Cuisine has mainly 2 sections defined by the geographical demarcations. A large portion of Maharashtra falls in the coastal regions and depends on rice, coconut and fish. Maharashtra also resides in the hilly regions of the
Western Ghats and
Deccan plateau regions and use groundnut. Their main cookery follows with jowar (sorghum) and bajra (millet) as staples.
Goan Cuisine
Goan cuisine, on the other hand is influenced by the Portuguese cookery as well. Goa with its lush green coastline makes fresh fish and seafood available in ample quantity. Goan cuisine is a typical blend of regional foods such as seafood, coconut milk, rice and paste. As the area is located in a tropical climate, Goan delicacies popularise the use of
spices and intense flavours. The accepted dishes of the region are Vindaloo and
Xacuti.
Saraswat cuisine is found in the coastal areas of Goa and contributes to the Konkani food.
Gujarati Cuisine
Gujarati cuisine depends on the influence of
Hinduism and Jainism. However, Gujarati cuisine is predominantly vegetarian. And the dishes are prepared with hint of sweetness adding sugar or brown sugar. A typical Gujarati Thali consists of
Roti, daal or kadhi, rice and sabzi or shaak. Most of the Gujarati dishes are specifically sweet, salty, and spicy at the simultaneously.
The states of West India are places with hot, dry climates and thus insufficient variety of
vegetables are available in the region. In order to beat the heat, cuisines in western India include
pickles and
chutneys.
