Flavours Of India

The invention of pressure cooker has brought about a revolution in kitchens the world over. An independent market research that has been conducted in more than 20,000 households all over India by the Indian market research bureau has established that most housewives find pressure cooking better in quality and easy than compared to any other method of cooking. The best materials used in their manufacturing enforce the strictest quality control at every sage of your cooking. Thus, providing you with several years of trouble free services. Such rewarding uses of pressure cooking are listed below:

Pressure cooking saves time

According to research, it has been proved that on an average pressure cooking takes 53% less time to prepare meals as compared to usual and traditional unbolt pot cooking. This takes into account the time required to bring the cooker to full pressure as well as the time during which the food is cooked under full pressure. The longer an item takes to cook, the greater is the time saved through pressure cooking. This benefit extends to all cereals, pulses, vegetables and meats as well. Substantial saving in such a way allows the housewife to devote more attention to the management of her household and pursue her other interests.

Pressure cooking saves money

As you prepare meals faster through this method, you always have a benefit of saving fuel as well as money. So it can be concluded that such a family bank on kerosene, electricity and LPG gas which they would had otherwise required, by utilizing pressure cooker for cooking daily meals. In today’s time when constantly fuel prices are rising high complemented with the erratic supply, such a saving is surely an advantage that one can’t afford to ignore.

Pressure cooking is healthy

Pressure cooking preserves nutritive elements of eatables in a better manner. This is a little known advantage that surely will glee today’s progressively more health and fitness conscious generation. By utilizing a pressure cooker, the family gains better health-as pressure cooking provides more nourishing and healthful food than the one’s we get from ordinary cooking. A survey of extant scientific literature shows that certain nutritive elements, particularly vitamins and proteins are preserved during pressure cooking. For a maddening figure conscious age group too, the pressure cooker seems to be the answer for their exploration as an only exclusive appliance which can avail them with delicately low calorie steamed foodstuffs.

The very mention of Indian cooking makes one think of rich aromatic foods that have been cooked with a variety of spices. However, the art of Indian cooking lies in the selection and combination of spices rather than their quantity. Spices are used in such a manner and quality as to bring out the characteristic flavors of a dish.

In north India, the most commonly used spices are the red chilli, coriander, cumin and turmeric powders. These spices impart both pungency and flavor to the dish. Garam masala powders are also used in selected dishes to enhance aroma and spiciness. In certain recipes whole spice like cumin seeds, cardamoms and cloves are used to impart their characteristic aromas.

Though all these spices are available commercially as packaged masalas and powders, but to ensure that the spices are fresh, it is preferable to use whole spices and grind them fresh each time in a blender or with a mortar and pestle.

How to prepare garam masala at home

Art of roasting spices:

Before grinding, the spices are sometimes roasted to bring out the characteristic aromas. To roast, place spices in a small heavy skillet on medium heat. Stir continuously until the spices darken by a few shades and give out their distinct aromas.

Below are recipes of garam masala both in north Indian as well as in eastern Indian style.

Garam masala-north Indian style

Ingredients:
20 gms peppercorns;10 gms cloves;20 gms cinnamon;15 gms brown cardamoms peeled;10 gms caraway or cumin seeds

Method:

Lightly roast all ingredients on a griddle. Grind to a powder and sieve.

Garam masala- eastern Indian style

Ingredients:
20gms cloves; 20gms cinnamon; 20gms green cardamoms peeled

Method:

Lightly roast all ingredients on a griddle. Grind to a powder and sieve.

Preparation of sambhar powder in south Indian style

One of the prime requisites of south Indian cooking is the sambhar powder. No south Indian home is without it and each region of south India in turn has its own interesting version of the sambhar powder.

Ingredients:
25 gms whole dry red chillies;25 gms coriander leaves;10 gms Bengal gram;1 tsp fenugreek seeds;2 ½ cm pieces turmeric;1 tsp peppercorns

Method:

Lightly roast all the ingredients on a griddle. Grind to a powder and sieve.