Woodlands Indian Vegetarian Cuisine

Woodlands Indian Vegetarian Cuisine has to be my favorite restaurant in Nashville. Each time that we have gone there we have ordered something different, although I usually do stick with a Dosa. If you have never been here or have never had a dosa, you really need to try one. Like me before I ever tried one, yo may be asking yourself, what is a dosa? Well, it is like a giant crepe only it has a slightly sourdough like taste and is made from rice flour or lentil flour. These are huge! And they come filled with a delicious blend of vegetables and spices all accompanied with wonderful dipping sauces. The flavors of the spices all blend together wonderfully and each taste revels a new layer of flavor. They are absolutely amazing! So are the many other items on the menu.

Indian food is one of my favorite cuisines. Although I think that the term 'Indian' food is very misleading. India is a huge country with many different regional cuisines and access to certain spices and vegetables, and has a rich culinary tradition. If you are as interested in food as I am, particularly the cultural influences that food has on society and vice versa, then I suggest Curry: A Tale of Cooks and Conquerors, by Lizzie Colllingham. In this book the author examines Indian cuisine and how it has both influenced and been influenced by different culinary traditions brought by conquerors and outside influences. It even contains a few recipes that relate to each chapter. This book is a great example of how to examine change in foodways and how culture and foods influence one another.

For more readings on Indian cuisine and culinary traditions see

Appadurai, Arjun
1981    Gastro-Politics in Hindu South Asia. American Ethnologist 8(3): 494-511.
Appadurai, Arjun
1988    How to Make a National Cuisine: Cookbooks in Contemporary India. Comparative Studies in Society and History 30(1): 3-24.