This is such an amusing take. I upvoted just because I think this just falls within acceptable level of discourse on HN (not inflammatory etc.), and I bet there are quite a few folks out there who feel the same way as you do.
I think you're partly right - Indian food does not yet have the snobbery you would find in other cuisines - yet. But there a few chefs out there, like Gaggan Anand, who are working to make it more palatable in an "upscale" setting. But I wholly disagree with the idea Indian food uses spices to mask poor quality ingredients or preparations. Perhaps you haven't got a chance to try the more elaborate preparations, but there are well documented ways of cooking many dishes in the "right" way with the "right" mix of ingredients and spices, but most restaurants and households end up using their own judgement for convenience and/or novelty.
Completely agree. I don't think he should be ragged on for his opinion but he presented his opinion as objective truth, based on logic and reason (everyone else's palate is driven by their cultural guilt???), when it was anything but. This definitely rubbed many the wrong way.
Here's how I see this. I'm not Indian but my parents loved making curry. To them, the point about curry is not about complementing the flavor of the meat or the vegetables. The curry itself is the actual true dish, the flavor you want to consume. It is the primary ingredient. You can really have curry without anything else. Any addons were simply added nutrition, nothing to do with masking poor quality.
The simple fact is, some people appreciate the taste of meat, and some people appreciate the taste of spices. You can enjoy a lightly seasoned ribeye if you're looking for a pure beefy taste or have a good meal of curry, having either is not the end all be all of flavor.
I think you're partly right - Indian food does not yet have the snobbery you would find in other cuisines - yet. But there a few chefs out there, like Gaggan Anand, who are working to make it more palatable in an "upscale" setting. But I wholly disagree with the idea Indian food uses spices to mask poor quality ingredients or preparations. Perhaps you haven't got a chance to try the more elaborate preparations, but there are well documented ways of cooking many dishes in the "right" way with the "right" mix of ingredients and spices, but most restaurants and households end up using their own judgement for convenience and/or novelty.