Expert Advice On Cooking

Indian Food

By Andy Mehta

If you are new to cooking Indian food, then our five simple pointers will help you make a mean Indian meal that will win you accolades, rewards, and a resounding chorus of finger-licking noises that's bound to make you beam with pride! These tips are simple, and will turn any cook into an Indian chef.

Remember, patience is the key to good cooking. Ensure your pastes are smooth, onions are deep brown in color, and spices used are freshly ground. The five steps below are very general to Indian cuisine, but very important:

Flour is not used as a thickening agent in Indian cuisine. Rather pastes such as cashew nut paste or onion or coconut pastes are used as thickening agents. Flour should never be used to thicken sauces.

You must learn the art of toasting (Dry roasting) spices before grinding them into fine powder. Ensure that the spices are not burnt (acrid aroma) nor semi-cooked, this will cause bad flavors to come out. Properly roasted spices give out a full-bodied aroma that is hard to forget but difficult to master!

Remember, to get a smooth and lump less onion, ginger, garlic paste add a dash of water to the ingredients in the grinder and zip away.

To make low-calorie curries, substitute fresh cream for whipped Greek yogurt/Indian curds or crème fraîche and for cooking use groundnut oil instead of ghee.

If a smooth-textured dal has grabbed your fancy, then blend the plain-pressure cooked lentils in a blender before currying.


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