Flag of the People’s Republic of China. Flag of the Republic of China. Chinese Indian food is generally characterised by its ingredients: Indian vegetables and spices are used, along with a heavy amount of pungent Chinese sauces, thickening agents, shan biryani masala oil. Chinese New Year celebration in Kolkata.
From these first early settlers, communities of Chinese influence sprung up throughout the area, neighborhoods of immigrants cooking and eating foods from their homeland. These Canton cuisines, known in China to be light and fresh in flavor, began to adapt and evolve into the new area. As Indian historian Pushpesh Pant once noted, Indian Chinese food is “the result of several isolated encounters. These encounters, in addition to the Kolkata story, include influences of the Silk Road, historical ties, and geography. Thai red curry: the red chilies give it color and spice.