The spice trade, often cited as the primary catalyst for Europe’s Age of Discovery, was sourced from India, where it grew in abundance in the tropical climate. While those who were permitted to eat meats, created their own cuisine. The caste system determined, who ate what and when, which resulted in the development of vegetarianism and a rich variety of dishes. Religious, cultural and ethnic affiliations also determined the diverse cuisine. While in the people in the northern wheat belt eat chapattis or unleavened bread, rice is the staple in the South Indian and East Indian cuisine., rice remains the staple in the South Indian and East Indian cuisine. With 29 states, literally a Europe under one flag, spread over 3.2 million square kilometers, India’s diverse soil type and climate determine the kind of agriculture practiced and the food eaten. But there is more to Indian food than that. To the uninitiated, Indian foods are deep fried samosas or the tandoori tikka masalas. This is the end of your organic and solar cooking course with Taste Organic India in the Nilgiris Day 7 - Friday This will be followed by a traditional Badaga dance, where you can join the locals, as they dance to the lilting melody helping to digest your meals. This is the last class learning food from the Nilgiris. But, just remember to be back by 16:30 for your fifth class. You can also go on your own shopping in Coonoor or Ooty.
You will cook a South Indian Thali (meal) consisting of: After a light lunch and maybe a nap, you start will start your fourth cooking class at 16:30. Or, you can visit the Last Forest, which is an NGO, where you learn about the Nilgiri biosphere, the tribals, and their products. You will head to the Military township of Wellington, where you will visit an Ayurvedic center and be served a Satvik meal, which is a very light, non-oily, and non-spicy. You will have dinner on your own at either the Taj or McIver (Taste Organic India can make reservations for you). Here you can shop for tea, spices, and antiques. Upuma or poha - a spiced up cream of wheat dish, which are no longer staples in the South of India, but are found across the country at breakfast, as they are a healthier option to the traditional deep friend puris and pan fried parantha.Īfter brunch, at 10:30, you will drive to Ooty, where you take the heritage train to Coonoor.Idly - a steamed rice and lentil dumpling.
You will start your third class at 07:30 and will be shown how to make the ever popular South Indian breakfast. Main course - Two seasonal vegetables cooked dry the Gujrati way.Main course (gravies) - Daal and Gujrati Kadhi.Appetiser (farsaan) - Dhokla and muthia.
In the evening, you will be taken west with the cuisine of Gujrath: By 15:30, you will get back and start your second cooking class at 16:30. Another option is to go to the Culinarium for a light western meal. This will be followed by a Malyali or Parsi lunch. You will drive to an organic tea garden, where you will learn about the cultivation and processing of organic tea, while partaking in a tea tasting. Dessert- gajar ka halwa /phirni washed down with lassiĪfter yoga and breakfast, at 09:00, you will be shown how the solar cooker works and how to load it for the meal you will cook later in the afternoon.Main course serving gravies - Paneer palak, chole / rajma, and two seasonal vegetables cooked dry in the Punjabi style.You will come back by 15:30 and at 16:30, you will begin your first cooking class.įor dinner, you will be taken north to the Punjab, with its rich and popular dishes: After the two-hour walk, you will have lunch at The Place to Bee, a café serving organic Indian, continental food, and pizza. Then you will be driven to Ooty 09:00, where a qualified guide will take you on a heritage walk to see the historical buildings left behind by the British. Your breakfast will be a mix of South Indian dishes with cereals, milk, eggs, and toast with organic preserves at 08:00. If you would like to sleep in until breakfast, you can do so. Those who are game to get up at 07:00, can join the yoga class and stretch out on the mats in the garden, after a cup of tea, South Indian filter coffee, or just plain coffee. That night, you will be served with dinner, which will be a mix of some of the many regional Indian cuisines. You will be served lunch or a light tea, followed by a talk on the Nilgiris. You will arrive either in the morning or noon at Coimbatore International Airport (CJB), where you will be picked up and driven up to the Nilgiri biosphere through forests, between coffee and tea plantations.