Indian Culture and Cuisine
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India is a vast country with a total area of around 3.3 million square kilometres (1.3 million square miles) and a population in excess of 1billion. It is a land of striking contrasts, with huge variation, culture and customs. All of these factors have had a powerful influence on the country’s cuisine, which has emerged as one of the most rich and diverse in the world. In India, the word curry refers to a sauce or gravy used as an accompaniment to moisten grains of chawal (rice) or to make rotis (bread) more enjoyable. The rice or bread are considered the main dish of the meal. Vegetable curry usually consists of a selection of fresh vegetables cooked in a sauce, which can have thick or a thin consistency, depending on he style of cooking in the region. The sauces for meat, poultry and fish curries also vary in consistency, and are all designed to be served with rice or bread.
In south and eastern India, curries are always served with rice, which, as the region’s main crops, is the staple food of the area, and is eaten daily. Wheat grows abundantly in north India, and in most northern regions, breads such as nann, chapattis and parathas are eaten with curries and with dry, spiced vegetable and lentil dishes. Cumin Seed Bay Leaves For ideas on what you can share with your group perhaps there is an Indian restaurant in your neighborhood that has food like Dhal, chapattis and samosas. Another place to look for Indian food is in your local supermarket in the international foods section. They might have foods that you can try, like Bombay mix, a trail mix of a sort that is very popular in India. Rice is also very common and people eat rice with almost everything! Unlike what you might be used to, the food tends to be very spicy.
CHAPATI
Religion played an important role in the development of Indian cuisine. Many religions exist side by side. Hinduism prohibits the eating of beef: the cow is regarded as sacred because Hindu mythology depicts it as the companion of one of the most important Hindu gods, Lord Krishna. The Koran, on the other hand, prohibits the consumption of pork, so beef has become popular among people of the Muslim faith, and an excellent range of beef-based recipes is found across the country. Although pork is not generally eaten by Hindus, the Christians of Goa, on the west coast, and the warrior community in Coorg, in the South, have created variety of delicious recipes for pork.
What is a curry?
What to eat with a curry?
Spices and Aromatics
The key to successful Indian cooking lies in the art of blending spices and herbs, rather than sophisticated cooking techniques. The traditional Indian cook relies on instinct rather than written recipes when measuring and combining spices, and in this way unique and very personal tastes can be created. This is one reason why the same dish from one region can look and taste quite different, according to who has cooked it.
Herbs are added to a dish during the cooking time to add flavour and aroma, but spices, including those used mainly for taste or for aroma, perform a more complex role.
Spices can be divided into two main groups: those that are integrated into a dish by the end of the cooking process, and those that are removed. The spices in the first group add taste, texture and colour. Different combination are used, and no single spice is allowed to dominate the final flavour. Useful spices in this group include coriander, cumin, turmeric and garam masala, all in ground form.
The second group of spices add aroma to a dish. They remain identifiable at the end of cooking, as most of them are used whole. Once these spices have released their aroma, their function is complete and they are not eaten, but removed from dish before serving or simply left on one side of the plate. Examples of this type of spice are whole cloves, cardamom pods, cinnamon sticks and bay leaves.
They have an aromatic and sometimes fiery flavour and an intense fragrance, and are used to flavour many sweet and savoury dishes. Cloves are usually added whole to recipes. Their warm flavour complements all rich meats, and they need no preparation. Ground cloves are one of the ingredients added to spice mixtures.
Cinamon
Cinnamon has a highly aromatic, sweet, warm flavour. It is sold ready-ground and as sticks, which are quill-like shapes rolled from the bark of the cinnamon tree. Use cinnamon sticks whole or broken, as directed in individual recipes, and remove them from the food before serving. Ground cinnamon is a useful pantry staple.
There are two basic varieties of cumin, white and black. It is important to ensure that the temperature is high enough to make the seeds sputter and pop, otherwise the full flavour will not be released. Cumin seeds of both types are used in making garam masala. Whole black seeds are generally used in dishes such as pulav.
Tumeric
Fresh turmeric adds a warm and slightly musky flavour to food, but it has a strong, bitter flavour and should be used sparingly. This colourful yellow powder is used not only in cooking, but also in Hindu religious ceremonies.
Cardamom Seeds
Generally divided into two types, small and large. Small cardamoms are the most commonly used in home cooking. There are two varieries, the more strongly flavoured green cardamoms and the less strongly flavoured bleached white cardamoms. The large cardamoms have a stronger flavour, but are also slightly bitter. Being more economical, they are widely used in hotels and restaurants. Cardamomsare almost always an ingredient of garam masala. They are used in both spicy and sweet dishes.
Paprika
A mild, sweet red powder, paprika is often used in place of or alongside chillies in westernized Indian cooking to add colour to a dish.
Nutmeg
Whole nutmeg should be grated to release its sweet, nutty flavour. Grated nutmeg imparts a similar, though less intense, flavour, and makes a very useful pantry standby.
Peppercorns
Black peppercorns are native to India, and are an essential ingredient in garam masala. White peppercorns are less aromatic, and the pink variety is mildly toxic and should only be used in small amounts. Peppercorns can be used whole or ground.
Saffron
Saffron is the most expensive spice in the world. To produce 450g/1lb of saffron requires 60,000 stigmas. Fortunately, only a small quantity of saffron is needed to flavour and colour a dish. Saffron is sold as threads and as a powder. It has a beautiful flavour and aroma.
Curry Leaves
Bright green and shiny, curry leaves are similar in appearance to bay leaves, but they have a different flavour. The leaves of hardwood tree that is indigenous to India, they are widely used in Indian cooking, particularly in southern and western India and in Sri Lanka. Curry leaves have a warm fragrance with a subtle hint of sweet, green pepper or tangerine. They release their full flavour when bruised, and impart a highly distinctive flavour to curries. Curry leaves are sold dried and occasionally fresh in Indian food stores. Fresh leaves freeze well, but the dried leaves make a poor substitute, as they rapidly lose their fragrance.
Indian bay leaves come from the cassia tree, which is similar to the tree from which cinnamon is taken. Bay leaves sold in the West are taken from the laurel tree. When used fresh, bay leaves have a deliciously sweet flavour, but they keep well in dried form, if stored in a cool, dark place in an airtight jar. Bay leaves are used in meat and rice dishes.
Coriander
Coriander imparts a wonderful aroma and flavour and is used both as an ingredient in cooking, and sprinkled over dishes as a garnish. Chopped coriander can be frozen successfully; the frozen coriander does not need to be defrosted before use. Coriander seeds and ground coriander powder are used for flavouring. The seeds have a pungent, slightly lemony flavour, and are used coarsely ground in meat, fish and poultry dishes. Ground coriander, a brownish powder, is an important constituent of any curry spice mixture.
Coconut
Used in both sweet and savoury Indian dishes. Desiccated coconut, and coconut cream and creamed coconut, which are made from grated coconut, will all make acceptable substitutes in most recipes if fresh coconut is out of season. Coconut milk is used in Indian curries to thicken and enrich sauces.
What shall I do next?
RECIPES FROM SANGAM DISHES!
250 g wheat flour
2 tbsp oil
1/2 tsp salt
water for mixing
ghee
2 tbsp oil 1/2 tsp salt water for mixing ghee
Mix flour, oil and salt, using enough water to make a soft dough. Knead for 5 minutes.
Make a ball the size of a medium lime and flatten by hand, using some oil. Spread flour, then repeat. Use a little dry flour for rolling. If the chapati sticks to the work surface during rolling, lift carefully.
To cook chapati, preheat a tawa or non-stick pan to prevent chapati from becoming hard or brittle. Put chapati in the pan and dry roast until bubbles and brown spots appear on the surface. Turn occasionally. Put a little ghee on chapati. A well cooked chapati should be light and fluffy. Cooked chapatis can be stacked. Cover with a napkin.
RICE PULAV
200 g long grain rice
1 carrot, sliced
50 g beans, sliced lengthwise
1 onion, thinly sliced
3 tbsp ghee
400 ml boiling water
4-5 black peppers
4-5 cloves
4 cinnamon leaves
2-3 cinnamon sticks
5-6 cardamoms, slightly open
50 g cashew nuts
11/2 tsp salt
pinch of baking soda
Put rice into a sieve. Wash thoroughly under cold running water until water runs clear. Bring water to the boil. Boil carrots for 2-3 minutes. Boil beans with baking soda.
Heat ghee and fry onion for 2 minutes. Add cloves. cinnamon leaves, cinnamon sticks, cardamoms and black peppers, then rice and cashew nuts. Shallow fry. Add salt and stir for 2 minutes. Add water and turn heat low. Cover and simmer. After 5 minutes. remove lid and add boiled vegetables. Cook for 10 minutes. Serve hot.
VEGETABLE SAMOSA
Pastry
125g semolina
75g maida flour
3 tbsp oil
salt
water for mixing
Filling
2 boiled potatoes, chopped
50g green peas
100g cauliflower, chopped
1 onion, finely chopped
1 tbsp oil
½ tsp chilli powder
pinch of sugar
¼ tsp cumin powder
chopped fresh coriander
½ tsp lime juice
3 cloves of garlic
10g fresh ginger
250ml oil for frying
Mix semolina, flower and salt. Add hot oil and mix well. Add sufficient water to form a hard dough. Leave for 30 minutes.
Fry vegetables in hot oil. Mix in spices and cover for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool.
From pastry into a small ball, flatten and roll on to a floured surface. Make thin circles 6 inches in diameter. Cut in diameter. Cut in half. Make into a cone and seal with water. Fill with vegetable mixture. Wet open edges and press together. Deep fry until crisp and golden.
COCONUT BARFI
200g freshly grated coconut
125g sugar
100ml fresh cream
250ml milk
1tbsp ghee
1/4tsp cardamom powder
Combine coconut, milk and cream in a pot. Heat until the mixture thickens. Adjust heat. Add sugar and ghee. Stir on low heat until brown. Grease a plate and pour the mixture onto it. Spread mixture with aluminium foil to cover plate. After 5 minutes, cut into squares with knife. Can keep 10-12 days.
POTATO WADA
6 boiled medium potatoes, roughly mashed
2 onions, finely chopped
2 green chillies, without seeds
5 cloves of garlic
¼ tsp ginger paste
½ tsp cumin seeds
3 tsp finely chopped coriander
3 tsp freshly grated coconut
1 tsp salt
oil for deep frying
paste
200g besan flour
1 tsp salt
½ tsp chilli powder
¼ tsp baking soda
water for mixing
Fry onion in 1 tbspn oil until deep brown. Add cumin seeds ginger paste, garlic paste and chillies, then potato. Mix well. Add coconut, coriander and salt. Mix well. Roll into small balls.
Mix dry ingredients and make a thick paste with water. Heat oil. Dip balls in paste and deep fry in oil until brown.
COCONUT CHUTNEY
100 g freshly grated coconut
4 tbsp finely chopped fresh coriander
1/4 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp salt
1 fresh green chilli
1/4 tsp sugar
50 ml fresh yogurt
Mix coconut, coriander, cumin seeds, salt, chilli and sugar in a blender with a little water to make a smooth paste. Add yogurt and mix with a spoon. (Yogurt can be omitted.)
MUNG DAL
125 g mung dal
1 tomato, finely chopped
1 onion, finely chopped
4-5 cloves of garlic
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
pinch of hing
1 tsp oil
3 tbsp freshly grated coconut
3 tbsp finely chopped coriander
1 tbsp jaggery
1/4 tsp garam masala
1 tsp chilli powder
11/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/4 tsp mustard seeds
water
Wash dal thoroughly in several changes of water Place in a pot with 400 ml water. Add hing, 1 tsp oil and 1/4 tsp turmeric powder. Cook until soft. Add a little water to mixture and mix with an egg beater to make an even paste.
Heat 3 tbsp oil and add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, onion and tomato Stir for 2-3 minutes. Add garlic, a pinch of hing, chilli powder, salt and cooked dal. Add garam masala, jaggery, salt, coconut and coriander. Bring to the boil and simmer for 10 minutes on low heat.