When it comes to cooking any type of cuisine, it takes years of
practice to become an expert in preparing Indian food. But this does
not mean that even a beginner cannot successfully cook an Indian dish.
Instead, the main difference between beginners and experts is that an
expert Indian chef will have better techniques for developing flavours.
So here are some top tips for cooking Indian food so that even a novice
can make an amazing meal.
Take your time. Allow yourself adequate time to prepare your dishes. Many ingredients in Indian dishes take time to develop their flavour; even something as simple as onions shouldn't be rushed. They can take up to 20 minutes to achieve the colour and flavour required for Indian dishes.
Choose your ingredients carefully. Simply put, better ingredients make better food. Choose full-fat options when yogurt is called for as fat-reduced yogurts are more likely to curdle, but also taste particularly bland. You should always cook with brown onions rather than milder red varieties. Also, follow recipes closely and choose ingredients as specified, and shop for fresh, high quality items.
Use fresh spices. You should acquire spices from a reputable specialty food store; but regardless of whether you get them at your local supermarket, you should replace them at least every 6 months to ensure they are fresh.
Measure carefully. Measure all your ingredients carefully using a good measuring spoon. This is particularly important when adding chili powder or other spicy ingredients as you don't want to cook dishes that are too spicy.
Other tips:
Take your time. Allow yourself adequate time to prepare your dishes. Many ingredients in Indian dishes take time to develop their flavour; even something as simple as onions shouldn't be rushed. They can take up to 20 minutes to achieve the colour and flavour required for Indian dishes.
Choose your ingredients carefully. Simply put, better ingredients make better food. Choose full-fat options when yogurt is called for as fat-reduced yogurts are more likely to curdle, but also taste particularly bland. You should always cook with brown onions rather than milder red varieties. Also, follow recipes closely and choose ingredients as specified, and shop for fresh, high quality items.
Use fresh spices. You should acquire spices from a reputable specialty food store; but regardless of whether you get them at your local supermarket, you should replace them at least every 6 months to ensure they are fresh.
Measure carefully. Measure all your ingredients carefully using a good measuring spoon. This is particularly important when adding chili powder or other spicy ingredients as you don't want to cook dishes that are too spicy.
Other tips:
- Some ingredients can be frozen for use in the future. Chilies and ginger are good examples; you can put unwashed chilies in a freezer safe container. When you remove them from the freezer, you can simply wash them and during this process they will thaw. You can freeze ginger, too; chop your ginger into 2-3cm pieces and freeze them (unwashed). Again, when you wash them after removing them from the freezer, your ginger pieces will thaw.
- For an easy way to skin tomatoes for your Indian recipes is to prick their skin and submerge them in boiling water for 5 or 10 minutes. Drain the water away and your tomatoes will skin easily.
- If you want to improve the flavour of your tomatoes, add a small amount of sugar. A half teaspoon will be plenty for most Indian dishes, whether you are using fresh or canned tomatoes.
