Indian Regional Cuisine

The 2017 Regional Cuisine issue celebrates six traditional Indian dishes, highlighting the distinctive flavours, culinary traditions and food culture of different parts of India :

Issued by India

Issued on Nov 3, 2017

Credits :
Stamps/Sheetlets/Miniature Sheet/First Day Cover/Brochure/Cancellation Cachet : Shri Brahm Prakash

Type : Miniature Sheet, Mint Condition

Colour : Multi Colour

Denomination : 500 Paise (6)

Sheetlets Printed : 1.1 Lakh

Miniature Sheet Printed : 1.1 Lakh

Printing Process : Wet Offset

Printer : Security Printing Press, Hyderabad

About : 

• Indian cuisine encompasses a wide variety of regional and traditional cuisines. Indian cuisine reflects an 8,000-year history of various groups and cultures interacting with the subcontinent, leading to diversity of flavours and regional cuisines found in modern-day India. Later, trade with British and Portuguese influence added to the already diverse Indian cuisine.
• The cuisine of India is one of the world’s most diverse cuisines, characterized by its sophisticated and subtle use of the many spices, vegetables, grains and fruits grown across India. India’s religious beliefs and culture have played an influential role in the evolution of its cuisine. Indian cuisine is still evolving, as a result of the nation’s cultural interactions with other societies.
• Department of Posts is pleased to release a set of 24 Commemorative Postage Stamps on the following four categories of Indian Cuisines in the form of Sheetlets and Miniature Sheets:
  • Regional Cuisine:
    • Regional cuisines in India may vary based upon food availability and trade, varying climates, cooking traditions and practices, and cultural diversity. The cuisine of each geographical region includes a wide assortment of dishes and cooking techniques reflecting the varied demographics of the ethnically diverse Indian subcontinent. The six types of Regional Cuisines that are being depicted through postage stamps are Baby Appam, Baghare Baingan, Dal Bati, Litti Chokha, Makke Ki Roti Sarson Ka Saag & Biryani:
      • Baby Appam is a type of pancake made with fermented rice batter and coconut milk. It is a common food in Kerala and Tamil Nadu. It is eaten most frequently for breakfast or dinner.
      • Baghare Baingan is a popular Indian Cuisine of eggplant/brinjal curry of Hyderabad. It is also used as a side dish with the Hyderabadi biryani. Baghare baingan was introduced during Mughal period from Tashkent, then became popular in Hyderabad.
      • Dal Bati is an Indian dish comprising dal (lentils) and Bati (hard wheat rolls). It is popular in Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh. Dal is prepared using tur dal, chana dal etc. and Bati is a hard bread made up of wheat flour.
      • Litti along with chokha, is a complete meal popular in Indian states of Bihar, Jharkhand and parts of Eastern Uttar Pradesh. It is a dough ball made up of whole wheat flour and stuffed with Sattu (roasted chickpea flour) mixed with herbs and spices and then roasted over coal or cow dung cakes or wood and tossed with lots of ghee.
      • Sarson Ka Saag is a popular dish from the Punjab regions made from mustard greens and spices. The dish is regarded as the traditional way to prepare saag and is usually served with Makke ki Roti (unleavened corn bread). It is served with either butter or more traditionally with ghee.
      • Biryani is a South Asian mixed rice dish with its origins among the Muslims of the Indian subcontinent. It is generally made with spices, rice and meat. Different varieties of biryani developed in Indian states are Mughal cuisine of Delhi, Awadhi cuisine of Lucknow and Hyderabadi Biryani from Telangana.
• Text : Based on the material available on internet.