Indian Cooking
Created | Updated Jul 31, 2003
Still working on this.....
Warning: I am not a chef but cooking is my hobby (until I am forced to cook). This entry does not say a word about non vegetarian dishes as I am a pure vegetarian (I don't eat egg even) and subject of non vegetarian cooking is beyond my knowledge base.
Indians are basically food lovers and food holds special place in whatever they do, be it a festival or worshiping God. For some, we can say that they live to eat rather eat to live!
For most Indian house makers, cooking is rather a chore. Some of them have to cook almost four times a day, Breakfast, Lunch, evening snacks and finally dinner! Some (like me) stick to lunch and dinner. Now days working women prefer lots of readymade stuff.
Indian cooking is one of the most versatile cooing around! To me it is fun. According to me, there is no right or wrong way to do it(if you know the basics) There is no fix number of recipes even! It is some thing which is evolving every minute! Experiment is the word! But there are some traditional recipes which are unbeatable and loved worldwide!
India is land of verity which is evident in cooking as well. All regions have their own specialities. Here are some;
Popular North Indian dishes: Samosa, Kachori, Dahiwada, various types of chaats like Paani Puri, Dahi Puri, Papdi Chaat, aalu wada are some snacks.
Popular Punjabi food: Makke di Roti and Sarso ka sag ( bread made with corn flour and a dish made of mustard leaves) with a glass of Lussi ( Sweet/ salted yogurt drink), Chola(a spicy dish made with chick peas) Bhatura (deep fried bread)
Popular south Indian food: Idli, Dosa (rice dishes), dal wada, medu wada with sambar (curry dish)
Popular Gujrati food: Khaman, Dhokla, Undio (a mix veg), Khandvi, Handwa.
Popular Bengali Dishes: Alu Poshto (a potato dish), various sweet dishes made with paneer.
Popular Rajasthani/ Malwi (central India) food: Dall Baati Churma
Popular parsi dish: Dansak
Popular maharashtrian food: Pav bhaji, wada pav (also known as poor men’s food!)
Breads: Chapatis or roties (made with wheat/ Corn/ maize/ pearl millet flour), Parathas, Naan, Puris, Kulchha.
Deserts: Kheer( made with milk and rice), Rabdi ( concentrated milk and cream) , various Laddus( made using various flours), Barfies, Siwai (sweet noodles), Bengali Sweets (made with paneer), Halva( made with various flours) Kulfi (indigenous ice cream) etc.
Basic Ingredients:
Cooking oil (Peanut/ sunflower/ mustard/ corn/ Soya/ coconut oil/ Ghee (clarified butter), people in different region use different oil)
Spices: Cumin seeds, Mustard seeds, Red chilli powder, Coriander seed powder, Turmeric powder, Cloves, Black pepper, Cardamom, Asafoetida, Fennel, Carom, Dry mango powder, Cinnamon, Saffron, tamarind etc
Salt: normal and rock salts.
Special cookware: Pata ( a round wooden pastry board) to role chapaties/ puries/ parathas etc
Belan (Roler)
Tava: an iron flat pan to back chapaties/ parathas rest are same
Warning: I am not a chef but cooking is my hobby (until I am forced to cook). This entry does not say a word about non vegetarian dishes as I am a pure vegetarian (I don't eat egg even) and subject of non vegetarian cooking is beyond my knowledge base.
Indians are basically food lovers and food holds special place in whatever they do, be it a festival or worshiping God. For some, we can say that they live to eat rather eat to live!
For most Indian house makers, cooking is rather a chore. Some of them have to cook almost four times a day, Breakfast, Lunch, evening snacks and finally dinner! Some (like me) stick to lunch and dinner. Now days working women prefer lots of readymade stuff.
Indian cooking is one of the most versatile cooing around! To me it is fun. According to me, there is no right or wrong way to do it(if you know the basics) There is no fix number of recipes even! It is some thing which is evolving every minute! Experiment is the word! But there are some traditional recipes which are unbeatable and loved worldwide!
India is land of verity which is evident in cooking as well. All regions have their own specialities. Here are some;
Popular North Indian dishes: Samosa, Kachori, Dahiwada, various types of chaats like Paani Puri, Dahi Puri, Papdi Chaat, aalu wada are some snacks.
Popular Punjabi food: Makke di Roti and Sarso ka sag ( bread made with corn flour and a dish made of mustard leaves) with a glass of Lussi ( Sweet/ salted yogurt drink), Chola(a spicy dish made with chick peas) Bhatura (deep fried bread)
Popular south Indian food: Idli, Dosa (rice dishes), dal wada, medu wada with sambar (curry dish)
Popular Gujrati food: Khaman, Dhokla, Undio (a mix veg), Khandvi, Handwa.
Popular Bengali Dishes: Alu Poshto (a potato dish), various sweet dishes made with paneer.
Popular Rajasthani/ Malwi (central India) food: Dall Baati Churma
Popular parsi dish: Dansak
Popular maharashtrian food: Pav bhaji, wada pav (also known as poor men’s food!)
Breads: Chapatis or roties (made with wheat/ Corn/ maize/ pearl millet flour), Parathas, Naan, Puris, Kulchha.
Deserts: Kheer( made with milk and rice), Rabdi ( concentrated milk and cream) , various Laddus( made using various flours), Barfies, Siwai (sweet noodles), Bengali Sweets (made with paneer), Halva( made with various flours) Kulfi (indigenous ice cream) etc.
Basic Ingredients:
Cooking oil (Peanut/ sunflower/ mustard/ corn/ Soya/ coconut oil/ Ghee (clarified butter), people in different region use different oil)
Spices: Cumin seeds, Mustard seeds, Red chilli powder, Coriander seed powder, Turmeric powder, Cloves, Black pepper, Cardamom, Asafoetida, Fennel, Carom, Dry mango powder, Cinnamon, Saffron, tamarind etc
Salt: normal and rock salts.
Special cookware: Pata ( a round wooden pastry board) to role chapaties/ puries/ parathas etc
Belan (Roler)
Tava: an iron flat pan to back chapaties/ parathas rest are same
