The migration of Indians - and the increasing influence it entails - has made Indian food one of the most popular in the world. In Great Britain, where a large population of Indians are located, a recent survey revealed that a good number of Britons loves eating curry and vindaloo.
Despite its reputation for complexity, Indian food can be surprisingly easy to make at home by learning just a few simple techniques. For example, a good first step is to assemble an Indian spice rack containing turmeric, curry, ginger, cardamom, red chili powder, coriander, carom seeds, cloves and nutmeg. If unsure about how to use these spices individually, another option is to buy some commercially prepared garam masala, a mixture of these spices that takes the guesswork out of how to blend them.
Indian cooks often toast their spices to intensify their flavors in a dish. Toasting spices is best done with a cast iron skillet. Place spices into a skillet over medium heat, and toast for about 2 minutes, stirring often to keep them from burning. They're ready when they give off a strong aroma and turn darker. (The aroma can be overwhelming to cooks who aren't used to toasting strong Indian spices, so be careful).
Next, learn a few basic recipes that focus on fresh vegetables, along with some dried fruits. Garlic, tomatoes and black raisins are very common to Indian cooking. Favorite vegetables include potatoes, eggplant, spinach, cauliflower, peas and beans, and they appear both as entrees and as side dishes. Most Indian dishes are vegetarian, or contain small amounts of poultry, lamb or fish near the coasts and rivers. Also, if the recipe calls for beef, you can be sure that it is an Indian Muslim dish, since Indian Hindus consider cows to be sacred and do not eat beef.
Indian cooks often fry vegetables and meat before mixing them into a dish, but stir-frying or sauting in small amounts of liquid also can be used to save calories. Plain yogurt sometimes is used to marinate vegetables and meats before cooking them, especially if they are to be cooked in the tandoori method. Tandoori is a clay oven used for baking. The yogurt coating gives a creamy texture to the dish and helps to balance the hot spices.
The Indian dining experience would not be complete if there is no serving of curry. Although ubiquitous, there is actually no single recipe that is uniformly followed. There are as many recipes of curry as there are Indian cooks, and you have to literally create your own through experimentation.
Many prefer to warm over dishes rather than serve them freshly-cooked. Many prepare them a day ahead and just heat them before serving. Their reasoning behind this practice is that spices need time to blend in with one another and that staying in the fridge or freezer gives them time to harmonize, so to speak. And with several spices being used in a typical dish, the last thing your stomach needs is for them to clash.
When's time to eat your homemade Indian meal, be sure to serve Indian breads like chapatti and naan. Finish off the meal with a sweet dessert such as puddings containing almonds, pistachio nuts and/or coconut.
Despite its reputation for complexity, Indian food can be surprisingly easy to make at home by learning just a few simple techniques. For example, a good first step is to assemble an Indian spice rack containing turmeric, curry, ginger, cardamom, red chili powder, coriander, carom seeds, cloves and nutmeg. If unsure about how to use these spices individually, another option is to buy some commercially prepared garam masala, a mixture of these spices that takes the guesswork out of how to blend them.
Indian cooks often toast their spices to intensify their flavors in a dish. Toasting spices is best done with a cast iron skillet. Place spices into a skillet over medium heat, and toast for about 2 minutes, stirring often to keep them from burning. They're ready when they give off a strong aroma and turn darker. (The aroma can be overwhelming to cooks who aren't used to toasting strong Indian spices, so be careful).
Next, learn a few basic recipes that focus on fresh vegetables, along with some dried fruits. Garlic, tomatoes and black raisins are very common to Indian cooking. Favorite vegetables include potatoes, eggplant, spinach, cauliflower, peas and beans, and they appear both as entrees and as side dishes. Most Indian dishes are vegetarian, or contain small amounts of poultry, lamb or fish near the coasts and rivers. Also, if the recipe calls for beef, you can be sure that it is an Indian Muslim dish, since Indian Hindus consider cows to be sacred and do not eat beef.
Indian cooks often fry vegetables and meat before mixing them into a dish, but stir-frying or sauting in small amounts of liquid also can be used to save calories. Plain yogurt sometimes is used to marinate vegetables and meats before cooking them, especially if they are to be cooked in the tandoori method. Tandoori is a clay oven used for baking. The yogurt coating gives a creamy texture to the dish and helps to balance the hot spices.
The Indian dining experience would not be complete if there is no serving of curry. Although ubiquitous, there is actually no single recipe that is uniformly followed. There are as many recipes of curry as there are Indian cooks, and you have to literally create your own through experimentation.
Many prefer to warm over dishes rather than serve them freshly-cooked. Many prepare them a day ahead and just heat them before serving. Their reasoning behind this practice is that spices need time to blend in with one another and that staying in the fridge or freezer gives them time to harmonize, so to speak. And with several spices being used in a typical dish, the last thing your stomach needs is for them to clash.
When's time to eat your homemade Indian meal, be sure to serve Indian breads like chapatti and naan. Finish off the meal with a sweet dessert such as puddings containing almonds, pistachio nuts and/or coconut.
About the Author:
Michelle is an experienced publisher whose specialty is writing about simple and easy, yet yummy, house cooking. Her content articles frequently stress the many benefits of crock pot meals including crockpot recipes, which is certainly one of her favorites.