Indian cuisine is celebrated the world over.  What exactly is at the heart of Indian cooking?  We spoke with Goa native Sachindev Shenoy, an astronomer currently working at NASA’s Spitzer Science Center, about his thoughts on the essence of Indian cuisine.

How did you become interested in cooking?  

When I was growing up my dad and I cooked the Sunday meal. He would always find some new recipe (many of them non Indian) to try and I would help him cook. Thus started my interest in Gastronomy. 

Has your career as an astronomer influenced your cooking in any way?  

During grad school and then as a post-doc, I had the opportunity to meet people and make friends from different countries. This gave me an opportunity to try food from different cultures and teach my friends about the food of India.

If you could name 5 dishes that are the essence of Indian cooking, what would they be?

This is a tough question to answer because India is made up of 28 states and 7 territories. Each of these places are different from one another in terms of culture, tradition, beliefs, cuisine and language. Thus picking up 5 dishes that are the essence of Indian cooking is just not possible. Having said that the dishes that remind me of home (Goa) are:

1. Fish Curry
2. Sambhar/Dhal
3. Curried legumes
4. Dosas/Idli
5. Pickles   

What in your opinion are the top 5 ingredients/spices that make Indian cooking unique from other cuisines?  

Again a difficult question to answer, but here are my favorites:

1. Coriander seeds
2. Cumin seeds
3. Garam Masala
4. Ginger and garlic
5. Chillies    

What is your favorite recipe to cook?  

My favorite recipes to cook are seafood recipes. If I was to pick a meal that would be -- Fish Curry and Rice with some Fish Fry.   

If you could summarize the essence of Indian cuisine into one quote, what would it be?  

You don't have to see or taste Indian food, because it has a fragrance which is unique and unmistakable.

For more about Sachindev Shenoy, visit http://www.its.caltech.edu/~sshenoy