Indian vs Aussie food & cuisine

Long before anyone coined macronutrients, Indian cooks were already serving complete meals: protein-rich lentils, fermented batters full of probiotics, fiber-packed vegetables, cooling yogurts, and energy-giving grains. It grew from Ayurvedic principles where food balances the body through qualities like hot, cold, dry, and oily, and every bite served a purpose beyond taste.

The thali perfectly demonstrates this logic. A round plate carrying many small portions in deliberate order represents all six tastes. There’s always a balance: dry curry against runny dal, fried items with pickles, and cooling raita (a refreshing condiment) to offset the heat.

India has perhaps the world’s most sophisticated grain fermentation. Dosa, a savory crepe made from ground black gram and rice, and idli, savory rice cake batters, dhokla, a savory sponge dish, fermented rice – these are complex biotechnological processes that transform grain nutrition and digestibility. Few other cuisines utilize fermentation as extensively for grains as this one.

Indian breads are eaten extremely fresh. A roti or paratha (unleavened flatbread of flaky texture) must be cooked moments before serving. This ‘hot off the griddle’ approach is so important that day-old bread is already inferior. Most Indian breads are unleavened or use alternative fermentation methods. When Indians ferment, it’s often through natural fermentation using rice-lentil batters, rather than commercial yeast, to create different textures and flavors entirely. Indian breads actively use millet, corn, rice, sorghum, and combinations thereof. A single Indian household might use five different grains for different breads in one week.

Quinoa has gained traction as health-conscious grain alongside other trendy ancient grains like farro or freekeh.

What’s interesting is that grains are a basis for that multicultural fusion, like rice bowls topped with Korean-spiced proteins, or sourdough bread, which Aussies are pretty obsessed with.

Grains are supporting and they are there when you need them, but they’re not going to steal the spotlight from the barbie or the flat white.

Extensive pickling achar is common, usually in mustard oil, spices, and acids. E.g., mango pickle, lime pickle, carrot pickle, green chili in vinegar. Indian pickles are very often oil-preserved, while other cultures more extensively use vinegar or brine. Vegetables are nearly always paired with lentils (dal) or flatbreads.

Some of the most popular produce in the cuisine of India are potatoes, onions, tomatoes, chillies, spinach, eggplants, cauliflowers, okra, green mango, bitter gourds, and bottle gourds.

A dry curry refers to a dish where vegetables, meat, or legumes are cooked with spices until the moisture evaporates, leaving a thick, clinging masala or no sauce at all. It’s the opposite of a ‘gravy’ curry. Dry curries are common in home cooking, especially for everyday potatoes, okra, or cabbage. Dry curry is not a traditional culinary term – it’s more common in English-language cookbooks to distinguish sauceless versions. In Indian kitchens, such dishes are simply called sabzi or sookhi sabzi (dry vegetable).

Indian cuisine uses some of the spiciest chilies in the world, like Bhut Jolokia ghost pepper and Naga King, but not uniformly across the country. Chili heat in India ranges from extreme in the Northeast (ghost, naga chilies) to hot in the South (Andhra curries, pickles), moderate in the West (Rajasthani chutneys), balanced in the North (curries with dairy), and mild in the East (mustard-based dishes).

In many other cuisines, fruits are eaten fresh or in desserts, but India incorporates fruits into main courses, curries, pulaos, and chutneys extensively. For example, pineapple pulao combines sweet pineapple with spices and rice, and mango is used in tangy chutneys and yogurt drinks like lassi.

Multicultural influence shows up here too – Asian bok choy is mainstream, avocados are super popular, and Mediterranean zucchini and eggplants show up grilled or in pasta dishes. The café culture has elevated vegetables with things like roasted vegetable salads, sweet potato everything, and Instagram-worthy veggie bowls.

There’s a growing awareness of native plants like saltbush, samphire, warrigal greens (native spinach), bush tomatoes, native yams, and desert lime, but they’re honestly more in the ‘chef’s special’ category than everyday cooking.

Classic fruits are central: mangoes, stone fruits, and berries, bananas are year-round staples; oranges and lemons are kitchen essentials. Native fruits are having their trendy moment too, with finger limes, Davidson plums, and kakadu plums popping up in high-end restaurants, though they’re still more of a novelty.

Consumption is higher in Kerala, West Bengal, Goa, Nagaland, and the Northeast, where Christian and Muslim communities are larger and Brahminical norms weaker. Urbanization, income growth, and safer supply chains are also driving demand.

Chicken leads the domestic market, while buffalo meat is exported as ‘beef.’ In India, ‘mutton’ usually means goat, not sheep, and is tied to special occasions.

At home, meat is stewed, fried, or simmered in gravies – like rogan josh in Kashmir, pan-Indian chicken curry, or Bengal’s slow-cooked mutton kosha. Biryani is another classic: marinated meat layered with rice, sealed, and steamed. Ground meat (keema) fills breads, kebabs, or curries  keema matar.

Abroad, Indian food is often represented by butter chicken or tandoori, with smoky grills that fit Western ideas of meat. But everyday Indian meals are saucier, designed to soak into rice or bread.

And that famous chicken tikka masala? It’s not Indian at all—likely invented in the UK by Bangladeshi chefs for British tastes, inspired by but distinct from Delhi’s butter chicken.

Poultry is the most consumed meat, chicken is everywhere, from the Thai-spiced chicken parmi to simple grilled pieces alongside salads. Beef has a more special role: classic meat pies, premium steaks from Australia’s cattle industry.

Lamb is loved: roasts with rosemary and garlic, or chops on the barbie. Pork shows up as bacon in café brunches and as those essential snags that are basically mandatory at any outdoor gathering.

Kangaroo meat is authentically Australian, and it’s actually quite good – lean and gamey, one of the healthiest red meats (low-fat, high-protein). You’ll find it in supermarkets and definitely in trendy restaurants, often prepared with native peppers or bush spices. Ironically, most kangaroo meat is exported.

Crocodile is even more niche – mainly found in the northern parts and served as an experience. It’s surprisingly mild, tasting like a cross between chicken and fish.

Indian seafood is almost always served with rice – not naan or roti. Fish is often shallow-fried, steamed in banana leaves, or simmered in thick gravies – not grilled or raw. Even in seafood dishes, Indian cuisine incorporates vegetables and legumes, creating more complex, balanced meals rather than focusing solely on protein.

Salmon is everywhere thanks to Tasmania’s aquaculture industry.  Snapper, flathead, and whiting are the reliable local catches.

Bugs are absolutely a thing. Moreton Bay bugs and Balmain bugs are lobster-like crustaceans,  Australia’s answer to langostines or small lobsters. They’ve got that sweet, delicate meat and are a real treat.

Beyond bugs, Australia’s got this incredible range of crustaceans – mud crabs from Queensland, rock lobsters (what the rest of the world calls spiny lobsters), and tiny school prawns that are perfect for fritters or just eating by the handful.

Butter is sacred in the baking of lamingtons, Anzac biscuits, classic Australian cakes, and slices.

Cream gets its moment in pavlovas and in various pasta sauces.

Yogurt has become huge thanks to the health-conscious culture.

Indian desserts stand out globally for being milky and dense, sweet-forward, spiced, perfumed, and technically demanding, despite humble ingredients. Built around milk, sugar, ghee, and time, they are intensely sweet, especially traditional ones like jalebi, a crispy, chewy, and sticky confection; gulab jamun, deep-fried balls from milk solids; or boondi laddoo, deep-fried droplets of gram flour batter soaked in sugar syrup.

There’s rarely a contrast of tart or bitter to balance the sugar, unlike in Western or East Asian sweets. Cardamom, saffron, rosewater, nutmeg and kewra (fragrant extract from pandanus flower), are common.

Indian desserts avoid eggs almost entirely, fruits are rarely a star, with the exception of mango and banana halwa, and chocolate is rare.

You’ll find everything from elaborate brunch-style pancakes with berries and mascarpone to açai bowls, carrot cakes, banana bread, and various slices have become staples.

Seasonal fruit drives dessert culture – summer stone fruit tarts, berry pavlovas, and mango everything during the warmer months. Ice cream is almost a year-round obsession, with local brands like Golden Gaytime and Magnum becoming part of the cultural fabric, plus artisanal gelato shops in every trendy suburb.