The secret of Indian cuisine lies in its spices. Used lightly but in exciting combinations, they can leave the palate tingling for more, without actually taking a toll on one's digestion.
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As the story goes, the West had discovered and traded with pockets of the Indian subcontinent, primarily for its rich spices.
Although, the beneficial uses of spices have been recorded in ancient treatises, but the usage has known to vary from region to region. Apart from making food palatable, spices also have inherent 'cooling' and 'warming' properties. They are added to the food intended for pregnant women, for invalids, for the old of course for the very young, to aid recovery or to impart stamina.
The basic Indian spices along with salt, are jeera (cumin) to impart fragrance to food, haldi (turmeric) to give colour and laal mirch (red chilli) to spice up the food. Amchur (dry mango powder) adds piquancy and a mere pinch of heeng (asafetida) adds a unique taste and also aids digestion. Fresh coriander is the most common garnish and also adds a light fragrance.
Since fruits are seen as energy-giving, dried fruits are used extensively in India. Parts of fruits, berries or vegetables are dried and stored, as condiments. Several seeds too are used, each with a marked taste.
Saunf (funnel) is added to desserts and some vegetarian dishes to act as a flavouring agent. Methidana (fenugreek seeds) gives a touch of bitterness, kalonji (onion seeds) is used in 'heavier' cooking or for pickles. Raee (mustard seeds) adds sourness to food while khus-khus (poppy seeds) enhances the flavor of meat. Fresh imli (tamarind) imparts a sour taste and kesar (saffron), India's most expensive herb, impart a fine fragrance along with a rich yellow colour.
That Indian spices can be used almost in any fashion and enhance any taste, is obvious from the fact Indian tea too uses spices! Elaichi (cardamom) is added to tea for flavouring, while saffron and almonds are added to Kahwa (Kashmiri tea).
Indian cuisine involves the use of numerous herbs and spices. It differs slightly from one city to the other. It is reflected in the demographics of various ethnical Indian subcontinents. It is influenced by other cuisines in the world particularly those from the Southeast Asia.
The usual spices used are garlic, coriander, ginger, asafetida and fenugreek, turmeric as well as cumin, black mustard and chili pepper. Garam masala is a famous spice mixture of India. Goda masala, on the other hand, is the famous spice mixture of Maharasthra. Most of these are naturally grown around them.
The East Indian cuisine is popular for desserts, particularly for sweets like kheeri, gaja, chhena poda, rasabali and sandesh. Most of the sweet dishes are now famous in Northern India, primarily originating from Orissa and the Bengal regions. Aside from sweet dishes, East India cuisine also offers posta delights.
Bengali cuisine is also part of East Indian culture. The common ingredients of their curries are cumin seeds, mustard seeds and cumin paste as well as black cumin and chilies. Cashew paste, poppy seed paste, curd nuts and mustard paste are cooked in mustard oil.
South Indian cuisine is an ubiquity of rasam and sambar, also known as "rasa and saaru." Sambar is prepared in different ways. South Indian favorites are the bajji, bonda, vada, idli, poori and dosa. Western Indian cuisine has some main food groups such as the Goan, Maharashtrian and Gujarati.
Indian Cooking Recipes
Aloo Ki Puri
Ingredients:
2 teacups of maida
2 pinches of pepper powder
2 boiled potatoes
2 pinches of saffron
2 tablespoon of melted ghee
½ teacup of milk
½ teaspoon of salt
Ghee for deep frying
Directions:
Grate and peel the 2 boiled potatoes. Create fine paste. Mix the salt, ghee, indian sweet and spice pepper and flour properly. Place saffron in the milk and bind with flour or place a small amount of saffron color in the milk and dough. Knead it properly. Leave it for about an hour. After an hour, roll it into small purees and then deep fry it in hot ghee until it puffs up.
Subzi Ka Paratha
Ingredients for the dough:
1 ½ teacups of maida
1 ½ teacups of gehun ka atta
1 teaspoons of melted ghee or butter
½ teaspoon of salt and milk
Ingredients for the stuffing:
2 teacups of finely chopped boiled vegetables like capsicum, French beans, green peas, cauliflower and cabbage
1 chopped onion
2 mashed and boiled potatoes
2 chopped green chilies
2 tablespoons chopped coriander
2 tablespoons of ghee
Salt
Directions for the dough:
Combine butter, salt, gehun ka atta and maida in a large bowl. Put in the milk and create soft dough. Knead the soft dough properly. Keep the dough for about 15 minutes. Divide the soft dough into 15 or 20 equal portions. Apply enough flour and roll it into rounds. Cook it very lightly in the tava and keep it in a folded wet tissue or napkin.
Directions for the stuffing:
First, heat the ghee for about 3 to 5 minutes and then put in the chopped onion. Cook it until it becomes soft. Put the salt, chili powder, coriander, garam masala, green chilies, potatoes and vegetables in the heated ghee. Cook it for about 2 to 3 minutes.
Amla Pickle
Ingredients:
5 amla
4 green chilies
2 teaspoons of turmeric powder
1 teaspoon of mustard seed
3 teaspoons of oil
1 teaspoon of hing
Directions:
Cook the 5 amlas in the cooker with a small amount of water. Grind the green chilies with the cooked amla. In kadai heat oil, add tumeric powder, hing and mustard seeds. After adding all the ingredients, add the paste of green chilies and amla. Cook it for 3 to 5 minutes.