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Indian Recipes
Indian cuisine has been around for at least 2500-3000 years and it has
changed much over the years. The use of many different herbs and
spices make each dish quite unique. Each different region in India is
known for it's wide selection of different recipes and Indian cooking
styles and tastes. Though about one third of the population is
strictly vegetarian, there are many different dishes that include
chicken, lamb and goat meat. In India though the cow is thought of as
a sacred animal therefore you will not find many recipes including
beef. Food is such an important part of Indian culture as in most
cultures, and plays an important role in the family life and in
festival celebrations. Most families in India still sit down together
to enjoy their meals with one another. There are a couple of main
courses and they are usually served along with different pickles,
chutneys and of course different types of Indian bread, which is
called "roti". There is also usually a dessert served as well.
changed much over the years. The use of many different herbs and
spices make each dish quite unique. Each different region in India is
known for it's wide selection of different recipes and Indian cooking
styles and tastes. Though about one third of the population is
strictly vegetarian, there are many different dishes that include
chicken, lamb and goat meat. In India though the cow is thought of as
a sacred animal therefore you will not find many recipes including
beef. Food is such an important part of Indian culture as in most
cultures, and plays an important role in the family life and in
festival celebrations. Most families in India still sit down together
to enjoy their meals with one another. There are a couple of main
courses and they are usually served along with different pickles,
chutneys and of course different types of Indian bread, which is
called "roti". There is also usually a dessert served as well.
Indian cooking has many different styles throughtout all of India. For
that matter, there is really not one accepted style of Indian cuisine
but rather many different styles. So if you travel to India you will
find that the food prepared by the people and restaurants in that area
will be different in each area. Of course there will be some
similarities but it will also be very different from place to place.
The Tasty World of Chocolate Brownies
Do you like chocolate brownies? I’m sure that you do, unless you were deprived of it during your childhood. These brownies are a timeless classic that have many different tasty variations. It’s a given that you love chocolate if you are fond of chocolate brownies. After all, chocolate is good for you. In fact, adolescents and women of all ages consider it as a major food group.
You can’t ever go wrong if you bring a plate of this delicious desert to any type of gathering. The chocolate brownies will surely be gone in no time. You can add nuts, cherries, raspberries, marshmallows, caramel, peanut butter, white chocolate, and mint flavoring to a basic brownie recipe. Some modified versions of the classic recipe including low fat brownies, and recipes that use sugar substitutes.
Let me give you some interesting facts about chocolate brownies to increase your knowledge about America’s favorite desert. This wonderful desert is also known as the Boston brownie. It was named after its brown color, which is sometimes glazed with fudge or other ingredients.
Chocolate brownies are most popular in America, but they are also known all over the world. The best way to serve a chocolate brownie is serving it fresh and hot with vanilla ice cream. Other toppings like hot fudge or fresh whipped cream are optional. It’s the most common desert item on the menus of country diners and fine dining establishments.
Do you like to cook? If you are an adventurous cook, then you can find recipes for chocolate brownies in cookbooks and on the World-Wide-Web. It’s not hard to find a delicious recipe since it is one of the most popular desert recipes of all time. You can also find many specialty sites that feature gourmet baked goods online.
In this day and age, brownie connoisseurs all over the globe can choose from twelve flavors that use fine Belgian chocolate on sites like www.brownies.com. You can now shop online for scrumptious chocolate brownies that can be gift boxed and sent anywhere in the world.
Italian Recipes
Italian Cooking
Italian cooking is famous the world over. Everyone has heard of spaghetti, pizza, macaroni and then there are Italian wines such as Chianti. Some of these foods (such as pizza) have become widespread through their popularity among Americans, but they all have one thing in common: they came originally from Italy.
Pasta is the most common Italian food. There are many different varieties served with many kinds of sauces. Pizza originated from Naples (or Napoli) although, with many non-Italian toppings now added to pizzas - including pineapple and bacon - most people now consider it to be an American dish, especially thanks to modern fast-food pizza chains.
Other Italian 'national' foods are grissini (breadsticks) from Piedmont, mortadella (salami) and tortellini (a kind of filled pasta) from Bologna, and il parmigiano (parmesan cheese) mainly from Parma.
The History of Italian Cuisine
Italian cuisine is one of the oldest in the world. It is derived from ancient Roman and Greek gastronomic traditions. Some of the dishes around today, such as polenta, are almost exact copies of meals prepared for Roman soldiers about 2000 years ago. Germanic invasions modified Roman meals and customs, and the Renaissance period introduced more refined tastes into the various regions of Italy. Marco Polo and other Italian travellers made journeys to the Far East and brought back new spices and exotic foods. Pasta, a staple food for most Italians, appears to be a wheat version of the rice noodles found across Asia, so perhaps this was also an idea brought back by the Italian merchants.
Tomatoes - pomodori or 'apples of gold' - were originally brought from the Americas by European explorers and initially grown in France. However, Italy's climate was found to be more suitable for growing them quickly and cheaply, so they became a common ingredient of everyday meals cooked by Italians. Salsa di pomodoro (tomato sauce) appeared, which is now a common base for Italian recipes.
Other staples of Italian cuisine - especially olio d'olivio (olive oil) and vino (wine) - are very Mediterranean. Olive groves and vineyards have been common in Italy and elsewhere in southern Europe for thousands of years.
Regional Differences
Italy is really a political union of many regional groups, each one with its own dialect, customs and typical cuisines.
Cooking in the northern provinces shows an Austrian and German influence; gnocchi alternate with strudel. Austrian dishes, such as schnitzel, are often found in an adapted form in the region of Venice and Trieste. Liguria's cuisine has some similarities with that of the south of France, with much oil and garlic (aglio) found in the dishes there. Indeed, garlic is particularly popular in much Italian cooking as it is easily grown and provides a strong flavour for many dishes.
Cooking in Lombardy and Piedmont is based on the use of butter. A small village near Milano produced the famous, strong-smelling Gorgonzola cheese. Emilia-Romagna, one of the richest areas in Italy, typically has lots of pasta and sausages. Bologna, the capital of the region, is particularly famous for its sauce of minced meat, tomato sauce and vegetables, called Bolognese sauce. The Romans, around Lazio, specialise in fried foods as well as pasta, and also produce the soft moist mozzarella cheese that is so important for pizzas.
Rice is more common in the north, where Arborio rice is grown in the rich and relatively wet valley of the River Po. The main rice dish, risotto, originated in Milano.
Pork is the most common meat in dishes from Umbria, Marche and Abruzzi. Towards the south, in Apulia Basilicata and Calabria, the cooking is rather plainer, based on pork, lamb, kid and pasta. However, dishes are often more highly spiced with pepper and chilli. Naples, in the region of Campania, is the original home of pizza and spaghetti, and the islands of Sicily and Sardinia have many well-known recipes using fish and other seafood.
Of course, seafood is popular as a result of Italy's long coastline and involvement in fishing. Clams (vongolo) are a very popular Italian seafood, commonly combined with others to make a pasta sauce (eg, spaghetti alle vongole). However, in the northern regions Italians like to savour their vongole by themselves, without other seafood or tomatoes.
Although all the pasta are wheat-based, some areas of Italy had more access to other starchy foods, such as corn or potatoes. In these regions pasta was less common than polenta (made from cornmeal and often fried) or gnocchi (soft potato dumplings, served with sauce).
The Many Courses of a Typical Italian Meal
Although breakfast is a minor meal in Italy, often consisting of nothing more than a bread roll and milky coffee (caffe latte), traditional lunches tend to have several courses, because there is plenty of time for lunch. Italian children don't go to school in the afternoon, and many small businesses close from midday until about 4pm because of the heat. This makes lunch the social meal of the day, with time to allow the luxury of many courses: the antipasto, the pasta, the main course, the wine and the dessert.
The Antipasto
Antipasto - antipasti in the plural - literally means 'before the pasta'. It consists of a varied combination of foods, and should be colourful and served cold.
Two of the most popular Italian ingredients of the antipasti are melon or tomatoes, accompanied by raw ham (prosciutto) that has been cut into very thin slices. Italian varieties of lettuce, such as the slightly bitter endives or rocket, or other green leaves, such as the aniseed-tasting fennel, are usually used as a garnish, placed around the edges of the serving dish. Salami, mortadella, coppa and zampone (meaning big leg) are manufactured meat products common in antipasti.
The look of food, as well as the taste, is important to Italians. For example, salami is reddish and provides a good contrast to the green lettuce. Fish may also be included, especially highly salted anchovies or sardines, served with slices of roasted red capsicum, sometimes in a cold sauce (pepperonata) or chopped garlic.
Some other seafoods may also be used in antipasti and, of course, olives (black, green or capsicum-stuffed) and artichokes are also common servings, as are mushrooms (funghi) seasoned with salt, pepper and lemon juice.
The Pasta
There are many types of pasta, each type usually named after its shape. Common types include spirali (spirals), farfalle (butterflies; sometimes described as 'bow-tie-shaped') and conchiglie (shells). Penne are hollow oblongs.
The different shapes are supposed to be better with different types of sauces. Spirali are two strips of pasta twirled around each other and are used with the heavier sauces, such as those containing minced meat and vegetables. Rigatoni are cylinders, or tubes, with a wide diameter and grooves (or lines) on the outside - riga means 'line' in Italian; the suffixes -oni or -one mean big. The idea of the grooves is to hold the sauce on to the pasta, meaning that this pasta is good with more runny sauces.
One group of pasta is made of long thin strands. This includes the most common type of pasta, spaghetti, which you must eat by coiling its long thin strands around a fork - quite a difficult thing to do neatly. It is interesting that, because spaghetti is a plural noun, in Italian it must take a plural verb. So, Italians say, 'Are the spaghetti cooked, and are they ready to eat?' (Gli spaghetti sono cotti e pronti di mangiare?).
Other long thin pastas are tagliatelle, fettucine and linguini (all varieties of flattened spaghetti - linguini means 'tongues'). Extremely thin strands of pasta are called vermicelli (meaning 'little worms'). Another group of pasta is made of flat sheets (lasagne) or tubes (cannelloni), which are either layered or stuffed with meat and cheese fillings.
Whatever the kind of pasta, and whether fresh or dried, it must be cooked in boiling water until al dente ('to the teeth', meaning still a tiny bit hard in the centre) and then served immediately in a bowl with sauce or cheese. There are as many different sauces as there are pastas. Spaghetti is often served bolognese, con parmigiano (the hard cheese from Parma), and 'spaghetti bolognese' is now a common dish in the West. There is even a popular canned version, although this is nothing like the home-cooked Italian meal.
There are some kinds of pasta that have been used to make 'pockets' to hold the sauce inside them instead of outside. Ravioli are soft sheets of pasta rolled around meat or cheese. Tortellini are similar pockets of filled pasta. They also originated from Bologna. The legend is that Venus and Zeus were staying in an inn near Bologna. The innkeeper spied on Venus while she was lying naked on her bed, and was so amazed by her beauty that he ran straight to the kitchen and created tortellini in the image of her navel!
The Main Course
The meats most commonly used in main courses are chicken, veal (calf) and pork, which are often pan-fried or casseroled. Beef is used as steaks (bistecca), while lamb (agnello) is roasted on special occasions, such as Easter and Christmas. Fish and other seafood are often used as main courses. Common vegetables are beans (greens and pulses), potatoes (often sautéed), carrots and salads. Many Italians like to grow their own vegetables.
The Dessert
Fruit is a common dessert, especially in summer, because grapes, peaches, apricots and citrus fruits are a major product of Italy's agricultural industry. Italians also produce many sweet desserts and 'sweet treats', all of which are very appealing. Amaretti (meaning little bitters) are almond-flavoured meringues, which Australians call macaroons. Panforte is a sweet semi-hard 'strong bread' based on nuts and containing dried fruit, which is a classic Christmas treat from Siena. Pannettone (derived from pane d'Antonio, meaning Tony's bread) is a very rich bread-cake and is another Christmas treat.
The Drinks
Of course, the most common drink associated with Italy is wine, as the wine industry has been important to Italy for centuries. Even in Roman times wine was produced throughout Italy. Until recently, and even now in the countryside, most Italians would make their own red or white vino di casa (house wine) after the grape harvest. This would be drunk at every lunch and dinner. Even children were given wine to drink, usually watered down with mineral water (acqua minerale). However, most children prefer fizzy drinks such as aranciata (fizzy orange) or limonata (fizzy lemon). Before dinner many Italians drink an amaro (bitter) to stimulate the digestive system, while after dinner they may drink sweet wines, such as marsala (from Sicily). Children may also be given marsala, beaten with a raw egg and sugar into zabaglione, to strengthen them!
Indian Spices
Ideally, whole spices are best - they may be used whole as a natural spice sachet and removed when having the meal. They may be ground them as you need them in a coffee grinder or in a mortar. Most spices quickly lose their flavor exceptions are chili powder, asafetida, turmeric, ginger powder and mango powder. Spices are best stored in airtight containers and kept in a cool dark place, preferably a wood cabinet.
Cooking with Indian Spices
Basic or essential Indian spices-
When doing Indian cooking there are the basic spices which go into most dishes - We take a pot - add ghee in it then we add cumin seeds or mustard seeds and asafetida till they sizzle, (at this time we may add some complementary basic spices given below) we then add red chili powder, coriander seeds and turmeric powder. We then add our vegetables and steam.
Cumin seeds (jeera, jeeragam, jilakara, black cumin, kala jeera, royal cumin, shah jeera)
- A basic Indian spice. Used mainly in
- One of the five spices in the Bengali panchporan (five spice) mixture
- They can be fried whole in oil, or ground, or roasted and ground, or ground and then roasted, all with different results.
Turmeric (haldi)
- A basic Indian spice.
- Used mainly for its medicinal properties, and lovely color that it gives to the dishes.
Coriander seeds (dhaniya)
- A basic Indian spice.
- Used mainly for its fresh, cooling and soothing taste
Chili Powder -
- Now a basic Indian spice.
- Used mainly for its pungent and fiery taste - one may use fresh green chilies instead.
Mustard seeds (black)
- A basic Indian spice.
- Used mainly in South and
- one of the five spices in the Bengali panchporan (five spice) mixture
Asafetida (hing, heeng), also spelled asafetida
- A basic Indian spice. Used as a digestive and for its flavor
- Used mainly for its strong sulfur taste on the lines of garlic.
Other Indian spices to complement the above - at the time we add cumin or mustard seeds as specified above we also could add fennel seeds, nigella seeds ( for root veggies we may add ajwain seeds). We may also flavor the dish with ginger after we add the turmeric and coriander powder as mentioned above.
Fennel seeds (sounf)
- A basic but not essential Indian spice. Used mainly in
- One of the five spices in the Bengali panchporan (five spice) mixture
- They can be fried whole in oil, or ground, or roasted and ground, or ground and then roasted, all with different results.
Fenugreek (methi)
- A basic but not essential Indian spice which is actually a lentil. Used throughout
- One of the five spices in the Bengali panchporan (five spice) mixture
- If it is burnt it gets very bitter and should be thrown away.
Dried Ginger (adrak, or sont)
- A basic but not essential Indian spice. Used mainly in
Nigella Seeds or Kalonji
- A basic but not essential Indian spice. Used mainly in
- One of the five spices in the Bengali panchporan (five spice) mixture
- often sprinkled on naan (bread)
Carom (ajowain)
- A basic but not essential Indian spice. Used mainly in
- One of the five spices in the Bengali panchporan (five spice) mixture
- Used to flavor breads and root vegetables.
Aromatic or Secondary Indian spices (also called garam masala) to enhance the above 2 sections - we may or may not add these to our dishes - we add them for tomato curries and thick onion curries.
To the above spices we would add chopped onions, tomatoes and herbs and any of the following secondary spices. Then add potatoes, meat, cauliflower or ingredient for your curry and steam with a bit of water.
Green cardamom pods (eliachi)
- A secondary and not essential Indian spice. Used throughout
- One of the spices in Garam masala
- It is best to grind small quantities at home using a coffee mill. Cardamom loses its natural oils quickly, it also loses its flavor. Cardamom is an expensive spice.
- Used to flavor curries, masala chai and certain vegetables and Indian desserts
Black cardamom (kala eliachi)
- A secondary and not essential Indian spice. Used in North Indian Cooking. Used for its mellow and warm flavor.
- This larger dark brown variety is used flavoring meat, poultry and rice dishes. The inner seeds are often used for making Garam masala.
Cinnamon (dalchini)
- A secondary and not essential Indian spice. Used throughout
- One of the spices in Garam masala
- Used to flavor curries, masala chai and certain vegetables and Indian desserts
Cloves (lavang or laung)
- A secondary and not essential Indian spice. Used throughout
- One of the spices in Garam masala
- It is best to grind small quantities at home using a coffee mill. It easily loses its flavor.
- Used to flavor curries, masala chai and certain vegetables
Nutmeg
- A secondary and not essential Indian spice. Used throughout
- One of the spices in Garam masala
- It is best to grind small quantities at home using a coffee mill. It easily loses its flavor.
- Used to flavor curries, masala chai, coffee and certain vegetables and Indian desserts
Mace (jaivitri)
- A secondary and not essential Indian spice. Used throughout
- One of the spices in Garam masala
- It is best to use the blades whole and remove them after cooking
- Used to flavor curries, masala chai and certain vegetables and Indian desserts
available whole or ground
Garam masala
- powdered blend of spices that may include cloves, cardamom, cinnamon, black peppercorns, nutmeg, mace.
- garam means "hot", but not chili hot, hot in the sense that these spices are said to increase body temperature. Interestingly, many of these spices are used in deserts in western cooking (i.e. cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, and mace)
- different regions use different mixtures (masalas) and proportions. Garam masala will also vary from household to household.
- powdered garam masala is often added at the end of cooking in small quantities
whole garam masala is used in north Indian cooking, especially meat dishes.
- A whole garam masala could include whole cinnamon sticks, bay leaves, cloves, cardamom (black or green), whole mace, and black peppercorns.
- Often these are fried in hot oil before other wet ingredients such as meat, onions, garlic, and/or ginger are added.
Cooking with these spices release a wonderful botanical odor that fills your house and neighborhood.
Other Flavorings used as per the region in India and depends on the dish that is being prepared - Many Indian dishes may go light on the secondary spices and heavy on fresh spices and seasonings. They are the following and are called wet spices as they are ground with some water and added to the dish
Coconuts
- important in South Indian curries
- available dried flakes, or as canned coconut milk
Garlic (lahsun)
- A basic Indian seasoning. Used in North and
- One of the essential seasoning in Indian wet masala or an herbal concoction added to curries
- Garlic is also believed to have many health benefits and first aid applications
Fresh or dry Mint leaves
- use fresh or dry
- easy to grow and dry
- used in North Indian cooking especially with eggplant and in Biryanis,
- has a fresh, cooling taste and is excellent with warming spices.
Dry - Fenugreek leaves
Fresh cilantro leaves
Indian Sweeteners in our Store for Indian cooking - we also may make our dish sweet especially vegetables like squash and zucchini and some lentil dishes.
Jaggery (palm sugar)
raw (unrefined) sugar
often sold in conical blocks
Gur - dried sugarcane juice
Indian ingredients to sour dishes for Indian cooking- we also make our dishes tart with the following.
Mango, dried (amchoor)
raw, dried, ground mango is tangy and sour, in a pinch, lemon can be substituted
Tamarind (imli)
We have tamarind pate in our store
Yogurt
yogurt is used a souring ingredient in many dishes and is often cooked in sauces.
Lime Juice
Other Indian spices and flavors in our Store for Indian cooking
Black peppercorns (kali mirchi)
Poppy seeds (khus khus)
Saffron (kesar or zafran)
very expensive because of the short harvest season (10 days per year!) and intensive labor needed for harvest some cooks soak the threads in hot milk for about 15 minutes before using to bring out the colored in fancy Mughal dishes, not usually in everyday cooking
Sesame seeds (til)very small seeds generally roasted and then ground. It has a very distinct nutty taste.
Black salt (kala namak) actually pinkish-brown used in pickles and Chat Masala (a northern Indian spice mix sprinkled over fresh fruit)
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