Indian Chinese cuisine

Indian Chinese cuisine,Chinese Indian cuisine,Indo-Chinese cuisine,Sino-Indian cuisine,Chindian cuisine,Hakka ChineseorDesi-Chinese cuisineis a distinct style of Chinese cuisine adapted to Indian tastes, combiningChinesefoods withIndianflavours and spices. Though Asian cuisines have mixed throughout history throughout Asia, the most popular origin story of the fusion food resides with Chinese labourers ofCalcutta(now called Kolkata), who immigrated toBritish Indialooking for work.Opening restaurant businesses in the area, these early Chinese food sellers adapted their culinary styles to suit Indian tastes.
Chinese Indian food is generally characterised by its ingredients: Indian vegetables andspicesare used, along with a heavy amount of pungent Chinese sauces, thickening agents, and oil.Stir-friedin a wok, Sino-Indian food takes Chinese culinary styles and adds spices and flavours familiar to the Indian palate.This idea of flavourful, saucy Chinese food cooked with Indian spices and vegetables has become integral to the mainstream culinary scenes of India,Pakistan,Bangladesh, andAfghanistan, and its diffusion to nations like theUnited States, theUnited Kingdom,Australia,Canada, and theCaribbeansuch asJamaicaandMartiniquehave shaped and altered the global view of Chinese, Indian, and Asian cuisines like in mostSoutheast Asiancountries ofIndonesiaandThailand.
The most popularized theory for the origins of Chinese Indian food was during theBritish Rule of Indiadeep within Calcutta. Calcutta was the capital ofBritish-ruled Indiawhen it was governed by theEast India Trading Company(from 1757 to 1858).The city's relation to the British crown made it a great place for material prospects and opportunity, which drew businessmen and immigrant workers from surrounding areas.Located in the Northeastern region of India, Calcutta was the most accessible metropolitan area of the country by land from China; thus, this city harboured the very first Chinese settler, a southern Chinese man named Tong Atchew (also referred to as Yang Dazhao or Yang Tai Chow).In 1778, Atchew settled 20 miles southwest of Kolkata (then Calcutta), founding asugar millalong with five dozen or so Chinese labourers.Following Atchew's footsteps, waves of immigrants from theGuangdong provinceof China fled to India due to civil war, famine, poverty, and conflict, searching for safety and prosperity.HakkaChinese found their niche ascobblersandtanners, while theCantonesesettled mostly ascarpentersand theHubeipeople as dentists. However, an occupation popular among all groups, especially of wives supporting their labouring husbands, was arestaurateur.
From these first early settlers, communities of Chinese influence sprung up throughout the area, neighbourhoods of immigrants cooking and eating foods from their homeland. TheseCanton cuisines, known in China to be light and fresh in flavour, began to adapt and evolve into the new area. One reason is due to the availability of ingredients and spices being different from those in Guangdong, therefore forcing the flavour to naturally Indianize; additionally, Chinese businesses began to cater their foods to the tastes of their Indian patrons to increase sales, utilizing more spices and heavier douses of sauce and oil than theirtraditional techniquesrequired.Recognized as one of the first Indo-Chinese restaurants in the country, the still-standing corner eatery of Eau Chew gained its popularity by using the fashionable pull of exotic Chinese foods combined with non-threatening familiar flavours of chili,curry, and corn starch, to attract and keep-on customers.Kolkata today boasts the onlyChinatownin the country, a neighbourhood known as theTiretti Bazaar.This being said, nearly every city in India has these adapted "Chinese" foods, whether found in restaurants or hawked byroadside vendors, as the greasy, spicy, stir-fried food has become wildly popular throughout the country.It is important also to note those Chinese returning from India to their homelands in China's south, for they often brought their new culinary practices and flavours with them, working to Indianize the taste of Cantonese-style foods in southern coastal cities such asHong Kong.
As Indian historianPushpesh Pantonce noted, Indian Chinese food is "the result of several isolated encounters."These encounters, in addition to the Kolkata story, include influences of theSilk Road, historical ties, and geography. Each of these aspects has worked in some way to tie the culinary practices and flavours of the two countries together, marking other possible origin points for the Indian Chinese culinary tradition.
TheSilk Road(or Silk Routes) was a network oftrading postsand pathways on land and sea utilized from 130 BCE to 1453 CE spanning from China and theIndonesian islandsthrough India and theMiddle East, all the way tonortheastern Africaand Italy.The significance of this route to ancient history is undeniable, the exchange of goods,diseases, and ideas from the East to West and vice versa has had a lasting impact upon the human story. Chinese and Indianmerchantswould carry their goods across the borders separating the two neighbouring countries:silks,rice, andcrockerycoming from China, with a plethora of influential spices sprouting from India.Another exchange between China and India was religion, withBuddhismcoming to China from India via the Silk Road as well; moreover, as aspects of Indian culture, practices, and beliefs melded with Chinese traditions, theMahayana Buddhistreligion was formed.Just as the Chinese adapted Buddhist practices to their own beliefs, the two cultures adopted certain aspects of the other throughout their historical interactions and exchanges. Rice dishes cooked inIndianized Chinese wokscan be found in thenation's south, and there are spices ofginger,cinnamon, andblack pepperpresent in various Chinese culinary styles; in this way, it can be seen how the Silk Road was vital in bringing characteristics of the two cultures together.Indian and Chinese food aspects collided hundreds of years ago to form culinary traditions now inextricable with these nations; in this way, the Indo-Chinese fusion cuisine could be said to have appeared long before the first Chinese settlers in Kolkata.
Geographically, India and China are neighbours; historically, the two nations areancient empires. Two of themost populouscountries in the world today, both India and China boast lengthy histories. Since the second century CE,Hindu rulerspresided overSoutheast Asian countriesand Chinese regimes ruled the more eastern regions, such asVietnam.Similarly, Asia's southeast was historically populated by immigrants from both China and India, namely theHanandTamilethnic groups who joined scattered aboriginal societies.The influences of China and India can be detected in thecuisines of Southeast Asia, where the two culinary practices have been combined, adapted, and developed by generations of people. For example, the Chinese practice ofrice cultivationwas introduced to the regions of Southeast Asia and Nepal in the thirtieth century BC, where it has existed as an irreplaceable and undeniable staple ever since.Furthermore, now completely embedded within Southeast Asian culinary practices, Chinese cooking andeating implementssuch as spoons, chopsticks, andwokswere other products which were introduced to the region.Evidence of Indian influence, in addition toreligious philosophiesandancient architecture, can be found in the spices and flavours of Southeast Asian cooking.Curries—meat, fish, or vegetables cooked in a spiced sauce accompanied by rice or bread—originated on the Indian subcontinent, but have since diffused throughout Asia.Spices such asturmeric,coriander,pepper,brown mustard, and ginger are present in curries throughout Southeast Asia, though each country has adapted the practice to utilize their own regional ingredients as well; most notably,Indonesian,Malaysian,Thai,Filipino, andCambodiancuisines all have strong ties to Indian-style curry flavours.These aspects of both Chinese and Indian culinary practices and traditions have combined to create the origins of what is now a rich and diverse culinary scene making up Asia's southeastern region. Thus, with the joined influence of the two cultures, Southeast Asian cuisine itself is another example of Indian Chinese food origins.
In addition to Southeast Asia, China has been influenced by Indian spices as well, especially in the autonomous region ofTibet, withNepalalso possessing culinary practices hailing from both its Chinese and Indian neighbours.Therefore, another origin point of Indian Chinese food can be traced to the cultures ofNepaleseandTibetanpeoples, whose lands are mostly encompassed by the two nations (India and China). Although not aligned with the greasy and pungent flavors of the culinary traditions which evolved inKolkata, the simplefoods of Nepalare often accompanied by rice, and consist of curries or spiced vegetables stir-fried or boiled in an Indian-style wok called akarahi.Tibetan food, in addition tohigh altitude and harsh climates, is geographically influenced by the flavours of the countries surrounding it: notably Nepal, India, and China. Tibet is a nation heavily influenced byIndian Buddhistvalues (first brought in the fifth century AD), and with beliefs and ideas travels culture and food as well.Noodlesandteasfrom China (vital in making thetsampaeaten with every meal),brown mustardfrom India, and even a "momo" dumpling dish shared with Nepal are all significant constituents to and dishes of Tibetan cuisine.With the diffusion of ingredients, culinary styles, and flavours acrossborders, the regions of Nepal and Tibet (as well asBhutan) which touch both India and China inadvertently developed cuisines mixing both Chinese and Indian styles and tastes, creating yet another Indo-Chinese food origin.
Foods tend to be flavoured withspicessuch ascumin,corianderseeds, andturmeric, which with a few regional exceptions, such asXinjiang, are traditionally not associated with much ofChinese cuisine. Hotchilli,ginger,garlic, sesame seeds, dry red chillis, black pepper corns andyoghurtare also frequently used in dishes.This makes Indian Chinese food similar in taste to many ethnic dishes inSoutheast Asiancountries such asSingaporeandMalaysia, which have strong Chinese andIndiancultural influences.
Non-stapledishes are by default served with generous helpings ofgravy, although they can also be ordered "dry" or "without gravy". Culinary styles often seen in Indian Chinese fare include "Chilli" (implyingbatter-fried items cooked with pieces ofchilli pepper), "Manchurian" (implying asweetandsaltybrownsauce), and "Schezwan" (sic - see below) (implying aspicyredsauce).
The main ingredient in all these dishes can often be substituted with other meats, vegetables orpaneer. Usually thenomenclatureis such that the main ingredient is mentioned first, followed by the entree style, for example "Chicken Chilli". Many are available in both "dry" or "gravy" versions, varying the amount of sauce served in the dish.
Staple base options for an Indian Chinese meal include chicken,shrimpor vegetable variants of "Hakka" or "Schezwan"noodlespopularly referred to aschow mein; and regular or "Schezwan"fried rice.Americanchop sueyandsweet and sourdishes can be found at many restaurants. SomeSouth Indianrestaurantshave also come up withspring rollsand "Schezwan"dosas.
Indian Chinesedessertoptions includeice creamonhoney-fried noodles ordatepancakes.
In Southeast Asia, particularlyMalaysiaandSingapore, many popular dishes carry influence from both Indian and Chinese cuisine due to cultural syncretism.MalaysianandSingaporeanChinese cuisine is primarily based onFujian,Cantonese,Teochew, andHakkacuisines, andMalaysianandSingaporeanIndian cuisine is primarily based onSouth Indian cuisine, especially fromTamil,Telugu, andMalayalicuisine as well as the cuisine of South Indian Muslims. Chinese and Indian cultures have fused in Singapore and Malaysia, with Chinese and Indian relationships being the most common intercultural relationships in both countries.Singaporean and Malaysian dishes that carry influence from both Indian and Chinese cuisines includefish head curryandmee goreng, and popular Indian Chinese dishes such as Manchurian and chili chicken are also popular in Singapore and Malaysia.
Indian or Calcutta Chinese food is readily available in major metropolitan areas of India such asKolkataalong with other towns and cities inWest Bengal,Mumbai,Chennai,Guwahati,Hyderabad,DelhiandBangalore. It is also available in a number of towns and atdhabas(roadside stalls), also popularly referred to as "Fast food", adjacent to major Indian roads and highways. Many restaurants have a Chinese section in their menus, and some are even dedicated to serving Indian Chinese food. It can also be found in mobile kitchen carts, prepared inwoksover a portable gas burner. Manchurian sauce,Schezwan sauce, soy sauce fresh and dry Hakka noodlesare available in many stores in cities across the country.
As of 2007, Chinese cuisine ranked as India's favourite cuisine after local food, growing at 9% annually. It is the most favoured option when young people go out to eat and the second favourite (aftersouth Indian cuisine) when families dine out.
Many overseas Indian restaurants inthe Westand theMiddle Eastalso cater to the overseas Indians' nostalgic taste for Indian Chinese food.The cuisine is also branching out into the mainstream in major cities of North America, such asNew York City,San Francisco,Seattle,Philadelphia,Houston,Dallas,Chicago,Toronto,Los Angeles,Atlanta,Montreal,PhoenixandVancouver. Chinese food inNairobi,Kenya, also tends to be of this style. It is also available inAustralia, especially inBrisbane,MelbourneandSydney. In many of these places, the restaurants are labelled as Hakka Chinese, when in fact the cuisine itself has very little resemblance to authenticHakka cuisine. "Hakka" label in these restaurants are usually referring to the owner's origins, and many Chinese restaurant owners in India were of Hakka origin.