Vegetarianism is one of the strong influences over Indian foods within the sections of India's Hindu and Jain communities. According to the estimation 31% of the total Indian population is vegetarian. Around 7000 BCE, sesame, eggplant, and humped cattle had been domesticated in the Indus Valley. By 3000 BCE, turmeric, cardamom, black pepper and mustard started harvesting in India.
Many recipes first emerged during the initial Vedic period, when India was still heavily forested and agriculture was complemented with game hunting and forest produce. In Vedic times, a normal diet consisted of fruit, vegetables, meat, grain, dairy products and honey.
In the later years invasions from Central Asia, Arabia, the Mughal empire, and Persia, and others casted a deep and fundamental effect on Indian cooking. Influence from traders such as the Arabs and Chinese, and invaders such as the Mongols, Turks, British and Portuguese diversified subcontinental tastes and meals. With the start of Islamic rule in India, rich gravies, pilafs and non-vegetarian foods such as kebabs and other Mughlai cuisines became popular. Fruits such as apricots, melons, peaches, and plums became integral part of the Indian cuisine.
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