There are some very popular dishes that are found at almost all Indian restaurants you go to in the US. You know the ones I’m talking about, here are a few of them:
samosas
saag paneer/palak paneer
alu gobi
chicken tikka masala
navratan korma
However, I have heard that in India food varies widely from region to region and so there is a lot of diversity in Indian food, but not so much in US Indian restaurants. Of course, the same thing happens with Italian restaurants or Mexican restaurants and such in the US (and Canada… I can’t speak for other countries because I’m not familar with them but probably it happens everywhere). There are usually a few very popular dishes that almost all the restaurants serve.
So, I was wondering where these popular Indian dishes came from and how/why they got to be the standard dishes on menus. Is it because they are particularly rich dishes? Are they mostly from a certain region?
Just to sum up my question more concisely: Out of all the many, many different Indian dishes, how did the few that we see on almost every menu get to be the popular ones for restaurants?
The dishes you have listed all are Punjabi dishes (North Indian cuisine), some have their origins with the Moghuls (Persians).
They are popular dishes with non-Indians, that’s why they have become standard restaurant menu items.
I don’t understand that you are asking us or telling us, anyhow, the dishes you mentioned are not the the original forms but understand that food from India is primarily using the available ingredients, also to provide relief or fight mild infections or to treat mild to severe infections etc. so it is not only for culinary purpose but for medicinal qualities also. Hot and chillies are used in Indian sub continent for treating water borne infections etc.
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The dishes you have listed all are Punjabi dishes (North Indian cuisine), some have their origins with the Moghuls (Persians).
They are popular dishes with non-Indians, that’s why they have become standard restaurant menu items.
References :
These "signature" dishes are popular in restaurants outside India because they are easy to cook, with readily available ingredients, and they are tasty. However, it can get monotonous and boring.
Restaurant fare, sadly, still seems to be fairly limited.
India is a very diverse country, and the food from every region is different. The ingredients, the type of meats and vegetables, spices and almost every other aspect of Indian food depends on which part of the country you are in. It is difficult to replicate the varied food if you have never had it before, and it is only native to a small region. The people who moved away from India, doubtless took their food with them, and simpler, (and milder flavored) versions of these dishes have become immensely popular. Food from the regions of India that are represented by smaller populations abroad (and there are many), is unfortunately, not as common.
Being Indian myself, I have actually eaten more varied Indian food after moving to the U.S., and this is because I have met people from parts of the country that I would not have met, had I been back home. The food was home-made, though
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The popular dishes are those that sell well, are profitable and comparatively easy to make. Often, they become Americanized to appeal to local tastes — the food on China is quite different from what you find in Chinese-US restaurants, and the same most probably holds true for all cuisines.
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