Just got back from lunch, which I had at a really good Indian buffet-style restaurant. I mainly go for the naan, but I picked out a piece of tandoori chicken and had a bit of the lamb curry.
As I was eating, a thought struck me - I thought Hindus frowned on eating meat. However, almost every Indian restaurant I’ve been to serves meat dishes. Am I misunderstanding Hindu food prohibitions, are all Indian restaurants run by Indian Muslims, Sikhs, or other minorities, or what?
Sua
I thought Hinduism only forbade the eating of beef (sacred cow and all that…).
I thought that it was only the Buddhists that frowned on eating meat.
The Hindus frown on eating BEEF. Of course, in this country, a menu w/o beef is kind of a recipe for disaster.
I believe there are different types of Hindus, just as there are different types of Christians. Non-violence is a basic tenet, but different groups practice it in different ways. So, some Hindus are vegetarians and some are not. There is one group (the Jains?) who go to great lengths to avoid harming any animals, even insects.
Yep, there was a recent new program about the new Jain temple in Silicon Valley and how they had gone to great lengths to do it just right and not kill even insects in its construction.
Eating beef is the big no-no for other Hindus IIRC, but I have seen beef curry in an Indian Flavour restaurant in Toronto.
My favorite curry is goat 
Hindus are by far and large vegetarians however most of the Indian dishes that contain meat are from N. India (Kashmir and the like) or Pakistan where the population is primarily Muslim (a eat meat voraciously with the exception of pork)
Some of the names of the dishes show this. Naan for instance is the Persian word for bread that had been imported via Urdu.
The best part of Indian buffets is the fact that you can eat Dal and a nice lamb vindaloo.
Since my husband is Hindu, I think I can help.
Beef is right out. No way, no how. The cow is a sacred animal.
Pork is also frowned upon, as is buffalo, but not to the same extent. Lower caste Hindus will eat them.
Everything else seems to be a matter of personal taste and degree of religious devotion. Some feel that to be strictly vegetarian is more pure, and refrain from eating any meat fish or eggs.
I’ve never known a Hindu who was a vegan, but I haven’t met them all yet.
The American restraunts in Kathmandu suck. But so do the Chinese, Italian and Mexican ones. I don’t know why none of these restraunt owners seem to have thought abut consulting a cookbook to learn how to properly prepare what they serve, but there you have it.
On the other hand, the Indian and Thai food is excellent.
Hey!
That last one was supposed to go to an entirely different thread. Sorry, everyone. I’ve no idea how that happened.
One of the Indian restaurants here had beef and beer. I asked a Hindu I know and he said “They are probably Christians”.
Every Indian restaurant I’ve been to has had beer and wine, and most have had full bars as well. Is there some Hindu prohibition against drinking. (Or is it okay to sell alcohol, but not to use it yourself?)
I don’t believe there’s any Hindu prohibition against drinking. Moslems aren’t supposed to. (Once, when I was working there, GE invited some Egyptian engineers to the US and decided to welcome them with a wine and cheese party.)
WAG:
Beef -> not Hindus
Alcohol -> not Muslims
Ergo, must be Christians.
NOt a bad guess, but I just happened to go to a Halal Chinese restuarant yesterday, and they served beer. Is it OK to for Muslims to serve alcohol? I wouldn’t think so - maybe the restuarant was only Halal-style or something, but they had no pork, and definately salted their meat, so it seems pretty strict to me…
Please remember that sacred cows make the tastiest hamburgers.
And if we’re not supposed to eat animals, why do they make them out of meat?
Q: What’s the difference between fish and meat?
A: Beat your fish and you’ll kill it.
But seriously folks…
The central issue about meat consumption and the relative levels of spiritual purity in the Hindu relegion is because of the pervasive belief in reincarnation. Spirits are most often reborn as animals. The higher order animals are more likely repositories for once human spirits. Ergo, when you eat meat you might be consuming and old friend from a prior lifetime, yaddita yaddita. The alcohol thing is cross combining Islamic proscriptions inappropriately into this discussion and nothing more.
You heard about the swami that refused novocaine?
He wanted to transcend dental medication. (Bah Dum Bum)
PS: SWAG = Scientific Wild Ass Guess
There’s another, mush simpler reason why most Indians eat very little meat. It’s expensive. The majority of folks in India are below what we would consider the poverty line, and religious proscriptions aside, they can’t afford meat, except possibly for special occasions, or in very small amounts.
Avumede wrote:
There are degrees of strictness and adherence throughout most religions. I believe beer can be found in a number of moderate Islamic countries like Turkey or Egypt. Hard liqour would probably be frowned upon in most, if not all Islamic countries, however.
I once went to a Lebanese restaurant in Wellington, New Zealand with a Moslem friend. My friend had heard that they weren’t “good Moslems” so rather than risk eating non-Halal meat, he went for a vegetarian dish instead. (They served beer there too BTW.)
Some religious taboos are relaxed while others are vigorously enforced. Eg gambling was forbidden by the Prophet, but in Saudi Arabia, a number of high-ups own racehorses, and they even have a form of lottery - I don’t remember the details of it but I don’t think the winners receive any money
Correct, correct and correct.
Many Hindus, particularly those of high caste, do not consume alcohol. Or at least not when anyone is looking. I am not clear as to the specific religious prohibitions, but it is one of those things that the most devout don’t do. Same with Christians. There are some who feel that it is abusing one’s body to consume alcohol, and they can interpret certain verses in the Bible to support this, so they don’t drink. Just depends how dedicated you are.
And Chronos is right on the mark, as well. Meat is too expensive for most families in India or Nepal.
I’m with Lee on this, Goat is by far the best meat for most curries, it’s not even all that difficult to find here in London, ( the meat, not the curry ).
BTW, what, exactly, is Halal meat? Signs for it are in the Indo-Pakistani bodegas all over my neighborhood, but I’ve never inquired re: it.
Is it the Muslim version of Kosher? What are the requirements?