Why South Asian Food is Hard to Cook: The Art, Science, and Tradition in Each Bite!

Introduction

If you’ve ever attempted to cook an authentic South Asian dish at home, you’ve likely found yourself standing in the kitchen, surrounded by spices, chopping onions until your eyes burn, and wondering why your dish doesn’t taste quite like the one from your favorite restaurant or your grandmother’s kitchen.

It's because South Asian food isn't food—at least not the way Westerners imagine food. It's art, science, and tradition combined. It's very different from much of the world, where one can toss something together with a few simple ingredients.

South Asian food is an extremely complex process requiring patience, ability, and an intimate understanding of the way spices, heat, and time are at work.

There are others who would claim that French cuisine is the most complex. Others would mention the Japanese cuisine with its tedious knife cuts.

But ask a person who has tried to make a proper biryani or a decent balance curry, and they will be able to tell you—South Asian cuisine is probably the most difficult to master.

 Here's why.

 1. The Complexity of Balancing Spices

Most dishes employ a handful of basic seasonings—salt, pepper, maybe some herbs or a few spices. South Asian cooking, though, takes seasoning to a whole new level.
One dish might employ 10 to 20 different spices, each one having its own significant role in building up the flavors. And no, you can't just add them all at once—there is a particular order and method for each one.

2.Adding Spices At The Right Time

Adding cumin at the wrong time? It burns and becomes bitter. Adding garam masala prematurely? The aroma is lost before you ever sit down to eat.

Using a lot of  turmeric? You have a chalky, overpowering bitterness instead of mellow earthiness. Each spice has its function. Some need to be bloomed in hot oil so that the oils are released, some need to be added later for maximum aroma.

Mustard and cumin seeds – Need to crackle in oil to extract the full flavor.
Turmeric and coriander – Sauteed in the foundation to create depth.
Garam masala and saffron – Sprinkle them in towards the end of the cooking process to retain their flavor.

Mess up the order, and the final dish will not have the depth and richness of South Asian food.

 3.The Art of Heat Control

South Asian cooking is neither high heat nor low heat—it's a game of balance in between. Each dish must be cooked at exactly the right temperature, and doing it wrong makes all the difference between a masterpiece and a disaster.

• Too much heat? Onions are burnt, spices are bitter, and your dish is bitter.
• Too little heat? Flavors will not mix and leave you with a flat blander curry.

For example, caramelizing onions is a critical step in many dishes as they need to turn a deep golden brown to develop their signature sweetness. But if you’re impatient and turn up the heat, they’ll burn before they reach the perfect color.

Same goes for the cooking of a curry is the technique of when to boil and when to simmer. A slow, gentle simmer brings out the flavors, but too much heat too early renders the spices overwhelming and bitter.

This balance of heat and restraint is the reason why South Asian cooking is far more challenging than it looks.

4. The Time-Consuming Cooking Process

If you’ve ever wondered why your homemade curry doesn’t taste like the one from your favorite restaurant, the answer is simple: time.

South Asian food is not fast food it's slow, painstaking preparation that allows flavors to fully mature. Dishes involve hours of cooking, marinating or even overnight preparation.

Some Examples:
Biryani: Demands several layers of marinated meat, flavored rice, fried onions, and slow cooking to properly infuse flavors.
Daal (Lentils): Must be boiled for hours to get the proper creamy consistency.

Tandoori Chicken: Requires at least 12-24 hours of marination so that the spices penetrate into the meat.
With so much time-consuming work, it's no wonder that most people find it difficult to cook South Asian food at home on a daily basis.
 

5. The Challenge of Keeping Traditions Alive

Because of the time and complexity required, food from South Asia at home is tricky for many people—especially the young generations—to do.

What do they do?

1. They order restaurant food instead.
2. They take shortcuts and pre-sauce, which lacks depth.
3. They lose connection to their culinary heritage.

Anmol has got the Right Solution!

In order to overcome all those challenges we created our marinades.
We aim to make cooking good South Asian cuisine easier for people without sacrificing tradition or flavor.

Our expertly prepared marinades are made to:

1. Save time – No measurements of 15 spices. Everything in ONE bottle!
2. Streamline the process – Simply marinade and grill!
3. Preserve traditions – So that future generations can taste food from their history.

Conclusion: The Hardest Cuisine, Made Easier

South Asian food is arguably the most difficult food to learn—but that's also what makes it so great. Every dish is a labor of love, requiring:

• The perfect blend of spices.
• The perfect layering method.
• Perfect heat control.
• Fresh, quality ingredients.
• Patience and finesse.

But we don't want people to forget their heritage because the cooking process is challenging. That's why our marinades simplify it. So the next time you bite into a rich curry or savor a slow-cooked biryani, take a moment to enjoy the tradition and complexity in every bite. South Asian cooking is not easy, but it is not impossible if you opt the right choices.