The World of Cooking: India a Northern Menu

Duration: 10:00

Year Published: 1980

Creator: Screenscope inc.

Complete Record: Introductory few minutes introduces the diversity of India. There are color images of dancing, Indian ‘orchestra,’ snake charmer, elephant as conveyance, Indian reading newspaper, children playing, women walking amongst palms, plowing field with oxen (brahmas), bathing on the Ganges, urban street scene, carriage taxis, monkey as curbside attraction, and street market for selling food ingredients. Counter to the intended content and theme of this film, is the perception of Indian cooking commoditization for the Western traveler. The subject and its treatment can be construed as postcolonial cultural takeover with its upscale hotel interiors with packaged performances in music and dance for tourists. The street scenes are somewhat true to life, but presented with no real elements of the hard life on New Delhi streets. As film begins there is a market scene of a woman chaffing grain in a basket. Footage inside an Indian grocery store. Hotel Ashoka Palace, New Delhi, is considered one of India’s Grand Hotels. There is footage of Indian dancers in the hotel (tourist dancing?) as well as the buffet table that is loaded with artistically displayed food. There is shown the kitchen of this hotel and how the various chefs go about cooking the food. The head chef shows how to make Indian meatballs. He mixes his own spices to his own recipe. No one has a standardized recipe for the spices used. This is up to the chef. All food is prepared with the right hand only. Villagers are shown cooking chapati on open flame. Puri demonstrated in hotel. Due to India’s prohibition against eating animals -- called hinsha, India has a varied vegetable cuisine. Many shots of Indian markets. Demonstration of making angobi back at hotel. Demonstrates a gesture used in mixing meaning ‘mixing without breaking.’ Images of palaces of Moguls (descendants of Genghis Khan). First shot of palace through decorative screen. Moguls came from Persia and brought with them distinctive architecture. Taj Mahal, etc. Mughlai chicken is a favorite dish from this period, and it is prepared in the film in the hotel kitchen. Images: Plowing fields using oxen and plow. Women harvesting a green vegetable that is related to Mustard Greens. Women carrying big baskets of mustard greens on their heads. Mustard greens are prepared in the hotel kitchen. Chaat (or snacks) stands are shown on an urban street. Vendors are making and selling Puri, massala yoghurt, etc. The sweet most popular in India is jalebi. This is a sweet whose batter is trailed in a pattern on hot oil. The twisting pattern is an ancient and traditional symbol.