GOING out for an "Indian" after a day at the first Test? Which of countless types of type of "Indian" food did you have in mind?
With 1.3 billion souls, speaking 22 different languages, packed into 1.3 million square miles divided between 29 states and seven union territories, you could hardly expect a single bowl of curry to represent the cuisine of all India.
"It is such a vast country and there is so much variety that you will find different things wherever you go – north, south, east or west," says Nottingham restaurateur Tony Verma (pictured below right).
The food at his Laguna Tandoori, in Mount Street, reflects the cuisines of northern India – with the partition of India in 1947, his father moved to New Delhi from Lahore, which became part of the new Pakistan.
"Bread is more prevalent in the north of India, and you get more rice the further south you go," Mr Verma added. "In the south, you get more vegetable-based meals and fresh seafood, while in the north, more mutton and goat will be consumed."
So while Laguna offers a broad spectrum of northern dishes, fish dishes form a larger part of the menu across the city centre at Kayal, the Keralan restaurant in Broad Street.
India's touring party includes players from all parts of India. Skipper and wicket-keeper MS Dhoni, like Varun Aaron, is from Jharkhand, formerly Bihar, in the north-east of the country.
Batsman Cheteshwar Pujara is from across the country in the western state of Gujarat. Bhuvneshawar Kumar and Pankaj Singh are from Uttar Pradesh, in the north, while Murali Vijay is from the eastern coastal city of Chennai and Stuart Binny from Bangalore, towards the south.
Culturally, that's a much bigger difference than the gap between cricketers from Sussex and Durham turning out for England. The panels on these pages show how regional dishes differ.
Tony Verma is expecting a big Indian and English turn-out once the action starts at Trent Bridge on Wednesday. Laguna diners during previous England v India showdowns have included the legendary batsman Sunil Gavaskar and wicketkeeper-batsman Farokh Engineer, India's stumper in the 1960s and 1970s.
So if you can't nominate a dish that represents India as a whole, what would Mr Verma suggest to home fans trying Indian food for the first time?
"A tandoori dish like chicken tikka kebab," he suggests. "Chunks of chicken marinated overnight in yogurt, roasted cumin powder, coriander powder, ginger, garlic and chilli powder, then cooked in a tandoor, or standard oven."
THE northern state of Uttar Pradesh is the birthplace of seamer Pankaj Singh. Originally from Sultanpur, the 29-year-old Rajastan Royals star has been on the fringe of the Test team for several seasons – and at last he gets his chance to shine at the highest level on what could be helpful English conditions. His right-arm bowling is lively in the right conditions – a description which might also apply to one of the signature treats of Uttar Pradesh... Vegetable samosa Like pakoras, samosas are enjoyed all over the world – but the old northern provinces of India are the homelands of the spicy snack. 3 tbs vegetable oil Half tsp mustard seeds 50g /2oz chopped onion 1 tsp finely chopped ginger 50g / 2oz frozen peas 1 tbs ground coriander 1 tsp ground cumin Pinch red chilli powder Half tsp garam masala Salt Juice of half a lemon 600g /20oz peeled potatoes, boiled and crushed 4 tbs chopped coriander leaves Filo pastry 5 tbs melted butter Method 1. Heat the oil in a non-stick pan and fry the seeds until they start jumping. Add the onion and ginger and cook for 2-3 minutes over a high heat. Add the peas, spices, salt and lemon juice, stir and cook for two minutes. Add the potatoes and coriander and cook for a further two minutes and season. 2. Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6. Unroll the shop-bought pastry and cover with cling film and a damp tea towel. Peel off one sheet and keep the rest covered. Lay the sheet flat on a clean surface and brush with melted butter. Fold in one third of the pastry lengthways and brush with butter. Fold in the other side to make a three-layered strip. 3. Place one rounded teaspoon of the filling mixture at one end of the strip, leaving a 2cm border. Take the right corner and fold diagonally to the left, enclosing the filling and forming a triangle. Fold again along the upper crease of the triangle. Keep folding until you reach the end of the strip and brush the outer surface with more butter. Place onto a baking sheet and cover while you make the rest of the samosas. 4. Bake in the centre of the oven for 30 minutes, or until golden, turning halfway.
CHETESHWAR Pujara, 26, proved his temperament at the highest level by racing to 1,000 Test runs in just 18 innings. In last year's tour of South Africa the batsman, born 26 years ago in Rajkot, Gujarat, stroked 280 runs at an average of 70. Another Gujarati export to have done well in South Africa is mango soup, the recipe having been taken across the Indian Ocean by Gujaratis who settled in the Cape area in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Gujarati mango soup 2 tbs gram flour (available at Asian supermarkets, delis) Half tsp ground turmeric Half tsp ground cumin Half ground coriander 120g natural yoghurt Flesh of 2 mangoes, blitzed Large pinch of salt 1 tsp sugar 2 small chillies 2 tbs corn oil Pinch of asafoetida Half tsp cumin seeds 1 whole dried red chilli Half tsp fenugreek seeds 10 fresh curry leaves Method 1. Put the gram flour, turmeric, cumin and coriander in a bowl. Whisk in 120ml water. Whisk in the yoghurt then pour in the mangoes and another 400ml water. Mix in the salt and sugar. 2. Put the oil into a heavy-bottomed pan over a medium heat, add the asafoetida, cumin seeds, dried chillies, fenugreek and curry leaves. Take off the heat and stir in the mango mixture. Return to a low heat and simmer for five minutes, stirring. 3. Remove the pan from the heat and rest for half an hour. Pass the soup through a coarse strainer. Reheat and serve hot – or refrigerate and serve chilled.
THE principal city of Tamil Nadu, Chennai, is the birthplace of right-handed batsman Murali Vijay, 30. After being dropped from the national squad he returned last year and dominated the Australian bowling in the home series, with two big centuries included in a 430-run haul. As with many regions of southern India, rice and lentils are staples. However, as Chennai was once known as Madras, and never mind that the name of the dish was probably invented by British colonialists, our representative meal has to be... Chicken Madras Ingredients 4 skinless chicken breast fillets Juice of half a lemon 1 tsp garam masala Salt 2 tsp vegetable oil 1 large onion, finely chopped 3 tbs shop-bought Madras curry paste (more if a hotter dish is required) 400g can chopped tomatoes Handful of fresh coriander, chopped Method 1. Cut the chicken into 1in chunks and mix with the lemon juice and garam masala. Season with salt. 2. Heat the oil in a deep frying pan over a medium heat and cook the onion until softened and turning golden. Add the chicken and fry for 3-4 minutes until it is sealed and has a little colour. 4. Stir in the Madras paste and cook for two minutes before adding the chopped tomatoes. Cover with a lid and leave to simmer gently for about 20 minutes. 5. Stir in the chopped coriander and serve immediately with plain rice or naan bread.
BORN in the city of Nagpur, wristy batsman Rohit Sharma proved his class after being asked to open for India in one-day internationals. In the longer game he became only the fifth player ever to score centuries in his first two Test innings. Nagpur is one of the main cities of Maharashtra, where soupy vegetable curries and dhal (lentil) dishes are popular. However goat and mutton also figures on local menus... Mutton curry 500g / 1lb mutton, 1in chunks Half a cup yoghurt 1 tsp turmeric powder 2 large onions 1 and a half inch ginger root, peeled and chopped 3 tbs oil 6 cloves garlic, crushed 1 tsp coriander powder 1 tsp cinnamon powder Half tsp clove powder 1 tsp red chilli powder Half tsp ground black pepper Water 2 tbs dessicated coconut Salt to taste 2 tsp vinegar Method 1.Blend the yogurt and turmeric, mix in the meat cubes and marinate for at least 4 hours. 1. Finely chop one onion and slice the other. Crush the ginger and garlic. Heat half the oil over medium heat in a heavy bottomed pan and fry the chopped onion until brown. Reserve, add the remaining oil to the pan and fry the sliced onion until soft. Reserve. 2. Add the ginger and garlic to the pan and stir-fry for one minute. Add the coriander powder, cinnamon, clove powder, pepper and red chilli powder. Stir fry for one minute over low heat. 3.Add 2 tbs of water and stir until it evaporates. Add the desiccated coconut and cook for two minutes over low heat. 4. Add the meat, turn up heat and fry the chunks until browned. Add 2 cups of water and bring to the boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes. 5. Add the fried onions and salt. Simmer for another 30 minutes or until the meat is tender. Stir in vinegar.
