GASTRONOMY

Celebrate the great Indian festivals of the season with a sampling of the best, and most diverse festive food from around the country. By PRIYA BALA

We map out the extraordinary Indian festive food trail, and tell you what’s on offer across the length and breadth of the country.

THE INDIAN FOOD theory says that our menus consist of six distinct flavours: sweet, salty, bitter, sour, astringent, and spicy. The thali beautifully captures this philosophy, irrespective of its place of origin. Every Indian state boasts its own prolific circular platter of bowls filled with goodness and culture. The dishes in every thali let you soak up the history and tradition of that region. Each recipe has a story, and once you understand the balance of flavours and the science behind it, you truly learn about India.

One of Maharashtra’s favourite sweets, shrikhand, is made of hung curd whipped with powdered sugar and cardamom.