Flavours Of India

If you wish to feel the elate and richness of Indian food, you cannot afford to miss the Punjabi dishes of India. The Punjabi Cuisines are renowned throughout the world for their highly energetic food. The have some awesome cuisines which are very much indigenous to the land of Punjab and which are now eaten by people of all regions. They have brought about a revolution in the breakfast table with so many types of ‘Parathas’ for a heavy and perfect breakfast along with curd and other healthy items.

There are more than hundreds of original Punjabi dishes which you can prepare in your home and serve them. The great feeling of Punjabi food lies in the variety and versatility of their recipes. Here are few popular Punjabi dishes of India which are relished by people from all regions throughout India. They are simple to prepare and very tasty to gulp them down.

Alo-Gobi Recipe:

You need:

1 cauliflower, 4 potatoes, 1 tomato, ½ spoon turmeric powder, ½ spoon red chilly powder, 1 table spoon coriander powder, ½ table spoon sabji-masala, salt to taste, Ghee or oil. The ingredients mentioned here are for two-three people. You can increase the amount according to the servings you need.

Method:

Cut the potatoes (Alo) and cauliflower into pieces. Wash them properly. Now heat the oil or ghee in a cooking pan. Add some amount of chopped onion, paste of garlic and ginger. Fry the mixture till it is brownish in color. Now add the chopped cauliflower and potatoes. Cook in medium flame for 5 minutes. Now add chopped tomato, the turmeric powder, chilly powder, coriander and cook it for another 5-10 minutes. If you wish you can add little amount of water so that the stuff don’t stick to the pan. Serve hot with bread (rotis).

Roasted Baingan ka Barhta

You Need:

two eggplants, I large onion chopped, 1 tomato chopped, garlic cloves, chopped green chillies, ½ oil, fresh coriander leaves chopped, and salt for taste.

Method:

Roast the eggplants till they are soft. Peel the skin of the eggplants and mash them. Add the desired amount of salt on it and mix the mash with salt. Make a mixture of oil (preferably mustard oil), chillies, onion, garlic cloves and coriander leaves. Add the mixture to the mashed eggplant and mix the whole stuff properly. You can pour one tablespoon of lime juice over it for taste and little amount of butter. Serve it with rotis.

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.