India , officially the Republic of India (in Hindi Bharat) is a country in southern Asia that occupies most of the Indian subcontinent . India is the second most populous country and the seventh largest country in the world. The coast Indian stretches over seven thousand kilometers .

India is the land of birth of four religions Major - Hinduism , Jainism , Buddhism and Sikhism - while Zoroastrianism, Christianity and Islam are implemented it during the first millennium . The Indian Constitution recognizes 23 official languages. Hindi is the official language and the main language of northernIndia. With its various dialects is spoken by 422 million Indians , or about 41% of the population.Indian cuisine covers a wide variety of regional cuisines of India. They are influenced by spices, herbs, fruits and vegetables that are found in every region of the country. The vegetarianism is widespread in Indian society. Spices are of great importance in Indian cuisine. Many stews are made basic masala, a spice mixture that characterizes each recipe and is often called curry (actually, the word curry comes from a Tamil word meaning "sauce accompaniment for rice "). Among the spices used:  turmeric, saffron, cardamom, fresh or powdered ginger, coriander in seed, or fresh powder, nutmeg and mace envelope, seed poppy, fenugreek, chilli, cumin seeds or powder, cinnamon powder or stick, cloves, whole or powdered pepper, mustard seeds, anise and star anise (or star anise), nigella or onion seeds, fennel seeds, leaves curry, bay leaf, asafoetida, tamarind, cashew, coconut, coconut milk, pistachios, garlic, onion, almonds, pomegranate dried seeds, mint, waterpink, sesame seeds.