Have you ever ended up doing rounds of grocery stores to pick up specific ingredients preparing to cook Indian curries? If yes, this post may help you be super prepared for every time you plan to cook Indian cuisine at home.
Cook Indian curries form an integral part of any meal today. It is a gravy-based dish cooked with spices to make a tasty accompaniment. Vegetables, lentils, chicken or boiled eggs may be added. It is usually served with Indian flatbreads as roti or naan but pairs well with steamed rice too. I love using the curries with pulao and biryani too.
Cook Curry in different kinds, some based with coconut and different spices. There is yet another kind with coconut milk. A few basic ingredients remain the same. Here is a list of ingredients one needs to store at home.
Tomato: Use fresh, red, firm tomatoes while cooking a curry… It is one of the essential ingredients in my cooking, more so in a curry. It gives a good base to the dish. Tomatoes are loaded with lycopene which helps to fight free radicals. It also contains Vitamin B and E.
Onion & garlic: They give good taste to the curry. Onion is made into a paste and sauteed in oil for some time until the raw smell is gone. Garlic and ginger paste is put to enhance the taste. Most people avoid using them during Hindu festivals.
Ginger: Fresh ginger has a pleasant aroma, it makes the curry taste awesome. The unique flavor and taste of ginger come from gingerol, a natural oil present in it.
Turmeric: Have you noticed the beautiful color of the curries? It is the color of turmeric powder added to the dish while cooking. It is used in curries to give a distinctive color to the dish. It also acts as an anti-inflammatory and antibacterial agent.
Cardamom: It is an important spice used in cooking curries. It has a mild tone and floral flavor. There are two kinds of cardamom, the small, green one and the large, black colored one. Green cardamom is usually used in cooking.
Clove: It has a strong and pungent flavor. It is commonly used in Asian spice blends. It is used in small quantities to give a distinctive aroma to the curry.
Cilantro/ Coriander: It is mainly used in garnishing, it lends a good aroma and flavor. It is also used as a blend of sauces and curries. It has a citrusy and mint-like flavor.
- Chilli powder/ chilli: Chilli powder is used to add spiciness to the dish. Green chili may also be used along with it in a small quantity.
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Indian cuisine has a wide range of curries. Each one is unique in taste and versatile to use. You are a good cook if you can make different kinds of dishes to suit the taste of every individual who visits your home. This is easily achieved by a small set of widely used ingredients. Cooking can be easily done with prior planning, some skill and some creativity.
How easy or difficult do you find Indian cooking? Which spice do you use regularly ? Do you prefer using chilli powder or fresh green chilli? Would love to know your thoughts. For more such posts, do join our mailing list.
