Indian cuisine and umami

Abstract

India has a unique culinary history of its own. Many Indian curries are watery. There is more liquid which is usually served with rice or chapatti. Dal, sambar, and rasam are also watery and similar to soup. However, the distinct difference between these watery dishes and soup is that stock or bouillon is not used as a base for the dishes.

In southern parts of India, people often use tomato, which was brought to India by the British, in their dishes. In Sri Lanka, stock made from thin pieces of dried bonito is used in curry. These may be examples of using umami in Indian cuisine. Though use of umami does not have a long history in India, Chinese or Western foods may have influenced their native cooking style.