India is a subcontinent, equal in size to Western Europe, but without a single common language. It has about two and a half times the number of people, several language scripts and numerous religions. So it is not easy to label its cuisine with a single heading. One has to allow for differences in climate, availability of produce, vast differences in incomes, religions, customs, traditions and beliefs.
The strongest influence on Indian cuisine, at least among 75 to 80 percent of Indians, is Ayurveda, an ancient body of knowledge on health. Ayur is derived from the word ayus meaning span of life in Sanskrit, and veda meaning knowledge. Thus, Ayurveda is knowledge regarding the maintenance of long life. It discusses the purpose of life, the importance of mental as well as physical health, and a code of ethical conduct for healthy living. The aim is salvation- to keep the body healthy and to give life such quality that one can progress beyond it. Life is a combination of mind, body and soul, and this is in fact the central subject of Ayurveda.
According to Ayurveda, the human body is composed of seven body elements or tissue layers. These are plasma, blood, muscle, fat, bone, nerves, marrow and reproductive secretions. And there are innumerable channels that supply the various tissue constituents. Good health means proper flow through these channels and an equilibrium in the proportions of the seven body elements. Also, there are three primary life forces in the body, or three biological humors. The humors correspond primarily to the elements of air, fire and water. Ayurveda believes that when the humors are out of balance and aggravated, they manifest symptoms and give rise to various illnesses. The excess humors move into the body’s channels, causing improprieties in their flow.
Illnesses should first be treated with food and with medications only if required. The treatments using foods are based on six tastes (rasa in Sanskrit); sweet sour, salty, pungent, bitter and astringent. Each taste has its specific therapeutic actions. The tastes variously increase or decrease the biological humors. Everyone needs a certain amount of each of the six tastes, and relative proportions differ according to the constitutional or humor type of the particular individual. Too much of any one taste is harmful to any constitutional type. A lack of any of the six tastes in the food will also aggravate the relevant humor. Now one can appreciate the complexity of an Indian meal, which includes a spicy-sour taste mix, a yogurt-based item, a dash of a hot and bitter pickle, and a sweet. Vegetables play a more dominant role in Indian cuisine than perhaps any other. Usually one green and one other vegetable form part of every meal. India offers an array of vegetables unequaled anywhere in the world, and a variety of ways to prepare each one. Protein is also present in the Indian diet, but much effort is made to use protein derived from lentils and dairy products, rather than from meat. Legumes (lentils) or dhal, boiled with herbs and tomatoes, seasoned with spices and eaten with rice, provide the amino-acid balance that constitutes “complete protein”. Indian cuisine is specially designed and committed to provide you a balanced, healthy diet. Ayurvedic teachings exhort people to follow a pure life-style, one that gives clarity and peace of mind.
Physical purity involves a wholesome diet with emphasis on raw or freshly cooked vegetarian food, pure air and water, proper exercise of a calming nature (yoga), and physical cleanliness. Purity of mind involves nonviolence, friendliness and compassion, and service to humanity. May our Pure Vegetarian Indian Cuisine help you maintain a long, healthy life. Thank you for choosing our restaurant for your unique dining experience. We are proud to bring you Pure Vegetarian Indian Cuisine the way it is meant to be...light, healthy and delicious.
