This is why Indian food is so delicious, according to science

Ever wonder just what it is that makes Indian food so darn tasty? A team of researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology Jodhpur have, and their curiosity inspired them to scientifically analyze more than 2,000 different recipes to shed some light on the subject.
Study authors Anupam Jaina, Rakhi N K, and Ganesh Bagler investigated the frequency with which overlapping compounds factored into a dish's ingredients, Time.com reported in a story published Wednesday. The trio of researchers used recipes posted on the website TarlaDalal.com and looked at the "subtle molecular-level differences that distinguish the cuisine."

A plethora of flavors
They found that the average flavor sharing in Indian cuisine was "significantly" lower than they had expected. Unlike in Western cooking, where ingredients are usually paired together for their similar flavors, the average Indian dish includes a minimum of seven different ingredients, most of which do not contain overlapping flavors, according to the study authors.
While cayenne, green bell pepper, coriander, and garam masala tend to be paired with ingredients with no chemical overlap, each one brings a unique component that winds up being incorporated into the finished meal, the website added. The result is a menu filled with flavorful dishes for a cuisine that uses more than half of the estimated 381 known cooking ingredients on Earth.

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2015/03/this-is-why-indian-food-is-so-delicious-according-to-science/

I like it but find it quite sickly tbh.
I couldn't eat it twice in one day certainly and possibly not even twice in one week.....

Hmm, a study sponsored by the Indian Institute of Technology. So no bias then. Lol!

I did like the mathematical nature of the study though.

Anyway, most Indian food in UK eateries tend to over spice and ruin ones pallet. To the point where you cannot taste the ingredients. Unlike western cooking, where a carrot (for example) tastes like a carrot.

Fuzzy Zack wrote:Hmm, a study sponsored by the Indian Institute of Technology. So no bias then. Lol!

I did like the mathematical nature of the study though.

Anyway, most Indian food in UK eateries tend to over spice and ruin ones pallet. To the point where you cannot taste the ingredients. Unlike western cooking, where a carrot (for example) tastes like a carrot.

Totally agree Zack! One of my dearest friends is Asian and her cooking is far different from "jars" or takeaway places!
Her Dhal is out of this world - she's pregnant at the mo so can't cook it due to feeling nauseous! Pffffffff!  

I find oriental spices the same; very sickly and my palate  tires of them easily

you're both too English (especially you Zack)
what is it about England liking bland food.


Asian food has a similar idea where the believe it should be in ratio of sweet savoury and sour.

Good Indian is excellent
Anglicised Indian takeaway is decent but still meh
and jar sauce Indian is crap

hmm I just though of something to add to Eddie Chicken thread..
Fijian Indian chicken samosa/Gem's mum's curry
I'll have to get the recipe out (at work at the moment).. although I just thought might be hard to Fijian Marsala in some of your countries (it is pretty hard here) Garam marsala will work as a substitute
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/easy-garam-masala/

In one thread some said about adding peanut butter to curry.. Garam marsala, peanut butter, soy sauce, sweet chilli sauce and coconut milk is the basis of a south east Asian Satay.

Veya I have far from a bland taste!!! I hate and detest bland food but I find Asian food too "samey"

Even my asian friend agrees! She won't eat it every day either!

veya_victaous wrote:you're both too English (especially you Zack)
what is it about England liking bland food.


Asian food has a similar idea where the believe it should be in ratio of sweet savoury and sour.

Good Indian is excellent
Anglicised Indian takeaway is decent but still meh
and jar sauce Indian is crap

hmm I just though of something to add to Eddie Chicken thread..
Fijian Indian chicken samosa/Gem's mum's curry
I'll have to get the recipe out (at work at the moment).. although I just thought might be hard to Fijian Marsala in some of your countries (it is pretty hard here) Garam marsala will work as a substitute
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/easy-garam-masala/

In one thread some said about adding peanut butter to curry.. Garam marsala, peanut butter, soy sauce, sweet chilli sauce and coconut milk is the basis of a south east Asian Satay.

Certainly is, one of my favourites. Was lucky, out in Singapore was taught Chinese, Malay, Indian and Thai food. Scrumtous.

eddie wrote:Veya I have far from a bland taste!!! I hate and detest bland food but I find Asian food too "samey"

Even my asian friend agrees! She won't eat it every day either!

what is Asian food?
Thai, Vietnamese, Malay and Chinese are different, more so than any European nations differences.
And Indonesian and Filipino are Even more different.

Indian is Altogether different from Asian, I would include it in style with Pakistani Afghani Nepalese and Sri Lanken food, Nepalese and Sri Lanken are the 2 extremes Sri Lanken is hot spicy curries and more dry spices and Nepalese is mild creamy curries.

veya_victaous wrote:you're both too English (especially you Zack)
what is it about England liking bland food.


Asian food has a similar idea where the believe it should be in ratio of sweet savoury and sour.

Good Indian is excellent
Anglicised Indian takeaway is decent but still meh
and jar sauce Indian is crap

hmm I just though of something to add to Eddie Chicken thread..
Fijian Indian chicken samosa/Gem's mum's curry
I'll have to get the recipe out (at work at the moment).. although I just thought might be hard to Fijian Marsala in some of your countries (it is pretty hard here) Garam marsala will work as a substitute
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/easy-garam-masala/

In one thread some said about adding peanut butter to curry.. Garam marsala, peanut butter, soy sauce, sweet chilli sauce and coconut milk is the basis of a south east Asian Satay.

Hmm! Thanks for calling me a coconut. Lol!

Also - for the best Chinese in the world, go to Mumbai, INDIA

There are 2 things any good dish have in common: good ingredients and love.

You don't need to over spice if you them both.

To be fair, a lot of regional cuisines are rather samey -- I particularly find Italian food that way.

Fuzzy Zack wrote:

veya_victaous wrote:you're both too English (especially you Zack)
what is it about England liking bland food.


Asian food has a similar idea where the believe it should be in ratio of sweet savoury and sour.

Good Indian is excellent
Anglicised Indian takeaway is decent but still meh
and jar sauce Indian is crap

hmm I just though of something to add to Eddie Chicken thread..
Fijian Indian chicken samosa/Gem's mum's curry
I'll have to get the recipe out (at work at the moment).. although I just thought might be hard to Fijian Marsala in some of your countries (it is pretty hard here) Garam marsala will work as a substitute
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/easy-garam-masala/

In one thread some said about adding peanut butter to curry.. Garam marsala, peanut butter, soy sauce, sweet chilli sauce and coconut milk is the basis of a south east Asian Satay.

Hmm! Thanks for calling me a coconut. Lol!

Also - for the best Chinese in the world, go to Mumbai, INDIA

Singapore is generally considered best (trade, wealth and multiculturalism leads it to having the best quality ingredients and chefs)
A lot of Chinese say Chinese food can be better here simply because of the quality ingredients, we do have a lot of Asians here and Australians are surprisingly keen to support "Authentic Immigrant food" many and Indian or Chinese restaurant is judged by the number of Indian or Chinese people in it.

The food from the vendors on the side of the road in Singapore was amazing. It was where I was taught to cook by friends in all communities, how lucky was I.

Ben_Reilly wrote:To be fair, a lot of regional cuisines are rather samey -- I particularly find Italian food that way.

True. I guess I just prefer italian. In fact, I prefer Mediterranean food.

Ben_Reilly wrote:To be fair, a lot of regional cuisines are rather samey -- I particularly find Italian food that way.

true and if they were to say Thai Or Vietnamese that would be fair but the difference between Thai and Vietnamese is greater than the difference between Italian French and Spanish.

Comparing Italian to Chinese is literally comparing 301,338 km² half the size of than Texas to 9,596,961 sq km over 15 times the size of Texas... and as one would expect the when spread from Mongolian steps to subtropical island rainforests there is Massive variation.

Comparing it to 'Asian' is just not even possible, Xia Jiang Chinese food is like Russian think starchy noddles and cucumber laden greasy stews while Indonesian is more dry egg noddles and spices flash fried.
And I am just using Oriental Asian if you include India that is just silly... so like two 3rds of the world's cooking is just one type

eddie wrote:

Ben_Reilly wrote:To be fair, a lot of regional cuisines are rather samey -- I particularly find Italian food that way.

True. I guess I just prefer italian. In fact, I prefer Mediterranean food.

Mediterranean is so good ... my cousin's wife is a fantastic chef and she made a big Mediterranean meal when I went to Colorado. One of those times I wished I had a bigger stomach, you know?

risingsun wrote:The food from the vendors on the side of the road in Singapore was amazing.  It was where I was taught to cook by friends in all communities, how lucky was I.

last weekend was at a Very authentic Singaporean restaurant for Chinese new year...


singaporean chili mud crab and 'prosperous fish' were to die for

Lucky you! Remember the fire crackers running up the flats we lived in from the ground to the top (8th floor), the tables round the bottom where all the families gathered and we would eat and 'Yam Sing' into the night!. At my final working place a Chinese friend was very surprised when I greated him with Gong Hey Fat Choi at his New Year.

I don't like it, it's too hot and spicy for me

Ben_Reilly wrote:

eddie wrote:

Ben_Reilly wrote:To be fair, a lot of regional cuisines are rather samey -- I particularly find Italian food that way.

True. I guess I just prefer italian. In fact, I prefer Mediterranean food.

Mediterranean is so good ... my cousin's wife is a fantastic chef and she made a big Mediterranean meal when I went to Colorado. One of those times I wished I had a bigger stomach, you know?

What did she make??

veya_victaous wrote:

eddie wrote:Veya I have far from a bland taste!!! I hate and detest bland food but I find Asian food too "samey"

Even my asian friend agrees! She won't eat it every day either!

what is Asian food?
Thai, Vietnamese, Malay and Chinese are different, more so than any European nations differences.
And Indonesian and Filipino are Even more different.

Indian is Altogether different from Asian, I would include it in style with  Pakistani Afghani Nepalese and Sri Lanken food, Nepalese and Sri Lanken are the 2 extremes Sri Lanken is hot spicy curries and more dry spices and Nepalese is mild creamy curries.

Okay mr picky!
She's indian

I prefer Thai and Vietnamese food to indian food actually
Although I tend to avoid the "perfumey" dishes

Thai is the hottest food I've ever tasted

Talking about Italian food got me looking into my old favorite local Italian place -- it closed down in 2011

That was the place where I used to prove to my dates that I am a man of good taste, damn it!

Another casualty of the recession ... like the poor old Gypsy Tea Room in Dallas.

Indian food does not have to blow your head off or make you sit in the bathroom all day.....some of the best is very mild.

I used to be able to tell the difference between Punjabi and Bombay and Delhi ......I'm so outta practice now its not fair.....I miss my Indian restaurants

eddie wrote:

veya_victaous wrote:

eddie wrote:Veya I have far from a bland taste!!! I hate and detest bland food but I find Asian food too "samey"

Even my asian friend agrees! She won't eat it every day either!

what is Asian food?
Thai, Vietnamese, Malay and Chinese are different, more so than any European nations differences.
And Indonesian and Filipino are Even more different.

Indian is Altogether different from Asian, I would include it in style with  Pakistani Afghani Nepalese and Sri Lanken food, Nepalese and Sri Lanken are the 2 extremes Sri Lanken is hot spicy curries and more dry spices and Nepalese is mild creamy curries.

Okay mr picky!
She's indian

I prefer Thai and Vietnamese food to indian food actually
Although I tend to avoid the "perfumey" dishes

Thai and Vietnamese fairly much staples of my diet, I eat both at least one a week since there are decent restaurants near work and they are relatively cheap
Plus the Vietnamese do most of the bakeries so the Banh mi are very popular and cheap

Make me one with jalapenos -- scratch that, I'll take four.

If you like Turkish, try: Diyabakir, in Harringay. Awesome food.