| The internet has transformed India, just like rest of the | | | | languages. Each Indian culture borrows heavily from |
| world. There was once a time when it was hard to | | | | other Indian cultures and ethnicities they are living with. |
| find Indian recipes in other countries. Now a days it has | | | | They share a common country, many common |
| become easier to find Indian recipes online and prepare | | | | customs, traditions, and they also share their recipes |
| them anywhere in the world. However, the question | | | | with each other. Each cultural group adds their own |
| that bothers many is how do they find out that the | | | | flavors to what was supposed to be the original |
| recipe they are looking at is an authentic Indian recipe? | | | | authentic recipe. |
| What confuses them is that each website is telling the | | | | Some traditional Indian recipes are around for centuries, |
| same recipe with different ingredients. Which one of | | | | and these recipes were shared between different |
| them is authentic? | | | | regions of India. People of each region and cultural |
| Before deciding the authenticity of Indian recipes on the | | | | background added their own flavors to that recipe, |
| web, perhaps we should first talk about authenticity | | | | evolving it into something more exotic. Eventually, it |
| itself. In terms of cooking, what recipes are called | | | | becomes impossible to trace back a recipe to the |
| authentic? | | | | source of its origin and follow the traditional recipe. |
| To some experts an authentic recipe is the one that is | | | | Even if you succeed to find out the original source of |
| presented just like the natives prepared it. To them it is | | | | the recipe, most likely you will find it a lot different than |
| very important to follow each and every ingredient the | | | | how it is currently done in India. |
| same way as it is used at the place of origin of that | | | | I believe that a perfect authentic recipe is the one that |
| particular recipe. So basically it is about how some dish | | | | is somewhat closer to the original but has added |
| or food is prepared at its place of origin. The authentic | | | | flavors. In fact many flavors that were added to these |
| recipe strictly follows the ingredients and method | | | | dishes by people of different cultures and ethnicities |
| almost religiously. | | | | add much more value to the authentic recipe. Today's |
| Now if this is how we judge the authenticity of a | | | | Indian recipes show the cultural diversity of India. There |
| recipe, then it would become almost impossible to find | | | | are many ways to prepare each authentic Indian |
| any authentic Indian recipes. India is world's second | | | | recipe. The most common of all recipes in India are |
| most populous country after China. It has a population | | | | prepared differently in each region and each regional |
| of 1.13 Billion people. These people belong to different | | | | flavor is unique and I don't think there is any harm in |
| cultures, religions, traditions and speak different | | | | accepting the authenticity of these regional flavors. |