| This article is part of the series Indian cuisine |
|
Regional cuisines
North India
Main article North-East India South India East India West India Other |
|
Ingredients and types of food
Main dishes • Desserts • Bread • Drinks • Snacks • Spices • Condiments |
| India portal |
| This article is part of the series |
| Chinese cuisine |
|---|
|
Regional cuisines
Four Great Traditions
Cantonese • Huaiyang • Shandong • Sichuan Eight Great Traditions Beijing and the vicinity Other regional styles |
|
Overseas cuisine
Burma • Canada • Caribbean • Philippines • India • Indonesia • Japan • Korea • Malaysia • Pakistan • Peranakan • Perú • Puerto Rico • Singapore • United States |
|
Ingredients and types of food
|
| China portal |
Indian Chinese cuisine is the adaptation of Chinese seasoning and cooking techniques to Indian tastes. It is said to have been developed by the small Chinese community that has lived in Kolkata (formerly Calcutta) for over a century. It is also enjoyed by Indian and Chinese communities in Malaysia, Singapore, Ilford and North America.
Contents |
The cuisine is believed to have originated from the Chinese of Calcutta and Chinese food is still popular there. At present, the Chinese population in Calcutta stands at approximately 20,000.[1] Most of these people are of Hakka origin; however, the dishes of modern Indian Chinese cuisine, such as Chicken Manchurian, bear little resemblance to traditional Chinese cuisine.[2]
People of Chinese origin mostly live in India's only Chinatown located around Tereti Bazar and Bowbazar area which has since been relocated to Tangra, Calcutta. Most of these immigrants were Hakka. Chinatown in India still boasts a number of Chinese restaurants specializing in Hakka cuisine and Indian Chinese variants.
Foods tend to be flavoured with spices such as cumin, coriander seeds, and turmeric, which with a few regional exceptions, are traditionally not associated with much of Chinese cuisine. Hot chilli, ginger, garlic and yoghurt are also frequently used in dishes.[3] This makes Indian Chinese food similar in taste to many ethnic dishes in Southeast Asian countries such as Singapore and Malaysia, which have strong Chinese and Indian cultural influences.
Non-staple dishes are by default served with generous helpings of gravy, although they can also be ordered "dry" or "without gravy". Culinary styles often seen in Indian Chinese fare include chilli (implying hot and batter-fried), Manchurian (implying a sweet and salty brown sauce), and Szechwan (Sichuan (usually spelled Schezuan in Indian Chinese cooking), implying a spicy red sauce). These correspond only loosely, if at all, with authentic Chinese food preparation.
Soups like Manchow soup and sweet corn soup, again available in vegetarian and meat form, are commonly available, as are starters such as chicken lollipops, spring rolls and wontons (sometimes spelled "wantons").
Staple base options for an Indian Chinese meal include chicken, shrimp or vegetable variants of Hakka or Szechwan/Sichuan noodles popularly referred to as chow mein; and regular or Szechwan/Sichuan fried rice. American chop suey and sweet and sour dishes can be found at many restaurants. Some South Indian restaurants have also come up with spring rolls and Szechwan dosas.
Ubiquitous main course entrees include:
Often the nomenclature is such that the main ingredient is mentioned first, followed by the entree style such as "Chicken Chilli" .
Indian Chinese dessert options include ice cream on honey-fried noodles or date pancakes.
Indian Chinese food is readily available in major metropolitan areas of India such as Mumbai, Chennai, Kochi, Hyderabad, Delhi, Kolkata and Bangalore. It is also available in a number of towns and on dhabas (roadside stalls), also popularly referred to as "Fast foods", 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 the mobile kitchen carts that ply the streets of cities, prepared in woks over a portable gas burner. Manchurian sauce, Szechwan sauce, soy sauce and Hakka noodles are available in many stores in cities across.
Many overseas Indian restaurants in the West and the Middle East also cater to the overseas Indians' nostalgic taste for Indian Chinese food.[6] The cuisine is also branching out into the mainstream in major cities of North America such as New York City, San Francisco, Philadelphia, Chicago, Houston, Toronto, Los Angeles, Atlanta and Vancouver. Chinese food in Nairobi, Kenya, also tends to be of this style. In many of these places, the restaurants are labelled as Hakka Chinese, when in fact the cuisine itself has very little resemblance to authentic Hakka 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.
As of 2007, Chinese cuisine ranks India's most favorite cuisine (after local food), growing at 9% annually. It is the most favoured option when young people go out to eat and the second favorite (after south Indian cuisine) when families dine out.[7] Inchin's Bamboo Garden is the biggest indian chinese chain in America.