World Cuisine: Indian Food - Myth or Fact

Do you like Indian food? I do! Although must admit, had to acquire a taste for it. My first time trying a so-called authentic Indian dish was at one of those American mall-type food courts, where there are all kinds of restaurants for you to choose from. That probably wasn't the best place for me to get my first taste. Was taken aback by some sort of flavor or spice that my palette was clearly not expecting. It threw me off!

Later on, when cooking channels became so popular on television, started learning how to prepare Indian dishes. There was the one lady who referred to herself as a “spice goddess”.  Because really it comes to cooking, Indians do know their spices.  No argument.  Her recipes always seemed so simple, easy to prepare, and she explained the herbs and spices she used for flavoring and showed you how to incorporate them into the recipes.  Crush these seeds.  Warm this spice in the pan.  Sprinkle these herbs.  Decided to try Indian food again and was very pleased with the tasting tests.

Below is a link to a blog post that eliminates common myths about Indian food. Didn't know there were myths but good to know they can be ignored. What were some of the myths?

• All Indian food is spicy.
• All Indian food is vegetarian.
• All Indian food is overloaded with curry.

Discover the Truth behind the Indian Food Myths

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Content first published Mar 21, 2015 via Persona Paper

5 Things You Thought You Knew about Indian Food

5 Things You Thought You Knew about Indian Food

By Petrina Verma Sarkar Come on, be honest. What are the first things that come to your mind when you think of Indian food? Hot, spicy, oily, rich, fatty, bad for you, difficult and time-consuming to cook, curry powder....

15 Interesting Facts Related To Indian Food You Should Know

15 Interesting Facts Related To Indian Food You Should Know

Facts that will blow your taste buds

20 unbelievable facts about Indian food

20 unbelievable facts about Indian food

Before it turned into an art that involved culinary expertise, food in India was about rasas and doshas. Taste or rasa in Sanskrit guides the tongue and it is a balance or misbalance of these rasas that cause or correct the doashas in body.

Known and unknown facts about Indian cooking

Known and unknown facts about Indian cooking

It is about experimenting with different spices and ingredients and to come up with your own secret recipes. Then just go for it, Visit Masala Fry! Enjoy!

Indian ladies: glitter-graphics.com

Beyond Turmeric: 5 Indian Spices You Need in Your Pantry Now | One Green Planet (Reblog)

So happy to be learning more and more about world cuisine; especially Indian food and the spices used in various dishes. Found this blog post and have to reblog. Wouldn't be right to keep this cooking wisdom to myself.  😊

The best thing is that I love all of these spices and they can be easily be purchased via my online spice shop or probably at your local grocery store, depending on where you live.

Beyond Turmeric: 5 Indian Spices You Need in Your Pantry Now | One Green Planet

OGP specializes in vegan recipes.

 More from One Green Planet.

Tips and Tricks to Use Turmeric in the Kitchen

Turmeric is potent stuff, and it has made a recent bang on the "Let food by thy medicine" scene. It's no wonder really, as the bright orange spice has serious anti-inflammatory properties that have garnered it attention as a natural preventative and/or treatment for things like arthritis, assorted cancers and Alzheimer's, to name but a few.

Peach Jalebi: Indian Funnel Cake [Vegan] - Made with Saffron and Cardamon

1 cups sugar; 1/2 cup water; 1/2 cup peach juice; 4-5 saffron strands; 1 teaspoon ground cardamom; A pinch of orange food coloring (optional) ...

Spicing It Up with Cumin: Health Benefits, Tips, and Recipes

Cumin, an oblong seed with ridges and a yellow-brown color, has been used since ancient times in Mediterranean and Asian cuisine. It originated in Egypt and belongs to the same family as caraway, parsley, and dill.

Why Ginger-fication of our Food Is a Good Thing

Ginger is a wonderful thing. It's highly medicinal, known to combat stomach ailments of all kinds and has anti-inflammatory properties said to rival any non-steroidal drug in its treatment of muscle and joint pain.

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Holi Festival Recipes ~ Sweets

Several years ago I was active in an online community which had many members who hail from India.  Many of them celebrate a festival called Holi which usually occurs during the month of March (although I have seen some say April).  Although I am not Hindu, I do like the idea behind this holiday tradition as it is a celebration of love, happiness, and colors.  Who wouldn't want to celebrate that, regardless of our diverse religious beliefs? 

I read some of the members' posts and noted that one writer expressed great enthusiasm about the “sweets” they enjoyed during this holiday. So? So you guessed it! I went on a hunt for Holi recipes. No surprise that I was able to find plenty at popular food blogs that I already like and follow from time to time. 

Celebrate Holi, the Festival of Colors, With These 20 Vegan Recipes

Celebrate Holi, the Festival of Colors, With These 20 Vegan Recipes

Holi, also known as the " Festival of Colors " is a Hindu festival that marks the arrival of spring. For two or three days, there is a celebration of color, music, fertility, love, and the victory of good over evil. Holi is an ancient holiday celebrated all over the world but mostly in parts of India and Nepal.

Holi Recipes, Holi festival 2017 Sweets Recipes - Rachna's Kitchen

Holi Recipes, Holi festival 2017 Sweets Recipes - Rachna's Kitchen

When I hear word "HOLI" , first thing that comes to my mind is color. Holi is an important festival of Hindu culture. It is known as the festival of happiness, love and brotherhood. In my childhood, I remember that me and my brothers used to wake up early in ...

Holi Recipes - 80 Holi Special Recipes 2014 - Holi Sweets - Holi Snacks - Blend with Spices

Holi Recipes - 80 Holi Special Recipes 2014 - Holi Sweets - Holi Snacks - Blend with Spices

Holi Festival Special Recipes / Holi Sweets Recipes / Holi Snacks Recipes Holi Sweets Mawa Coconut Jaggery Laddu Doda Burfi Gulab Jamun Kova Kajjikayalu Mawa Til Ladoo Chocolate Mawa Burfi Gur Para Mohanthal Rooh Afza Lemon Sharbat 7 Cup Burfi Microwave Besan Laddu Khoya Besan Laddu Phool Makane Kheer Kakara Pitha Rajgira Burfi Aate Ke...

Aam Ka Panna Recipe | Raw Green Mango Drink - Sharmis Passions

Aam Ka Panna Recipe | Raw Green Mango Drink - Sharmis Passions

Aam Ka Panna,a refreshing summer juice made with raw green mangoes.This scorching summer makes me crave for juices often, I loved this idea of storing the preserve and making the juice as and when we want sure better than the store bought juice mixes / squashes with loads of preservatives.

NOTE:  Sharmis Passions has a treasure trove of Holi recipes, in addition to the mango drink shared above.

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World Cuisine : The India-Africa Cooking Connection

For me, a hearty stew has always been the ultimate family-style comfort food. Prepare a big pot, fill the bowls for family, friends, and honored guests, break bread, and chow down!! (Keep reading and you'll get the "bread" and "chow" references.)  Such a meal can unite family and friends, make strangers feel welcome, and dare I say ... connect countries?  Hey!  Nothing wrong with wishful thinking and dreams of world peace.

Indians love curry; in fact that's where it originated. Africans like peanuts; it was a food used to feed the slaves because it was an excellent source of protein. These tidbits of info gleaned from researching world cuisine, global flavors, and food history.  When the Indians and the Africans combined their food loves ... the "mix" was WOW!  Let the links shared below explain the impact.  They lead to recipes that introduce your palette to the blending of the cultures of  India and Africa in every delicious mouthful.  Not just dishes that use curry and peanuts but meals with other flavorful cultural ingredients.  It's family food, it's comfort food, it's "all kinds of deliciousness" food!! ☺

Let's Go to South Africa for Some Indian Food

Experience the flavors of Indian food in South Africa.

Indian cuisine South Africa style blends Indian and African foods

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African cuisine reflects the amalgamation of hundreds of different cultures and groups that inhabit the continent. The local culinary traditions are a fusion and it can be seen in the choice of ingredients, method of preparation and cooking techniques.

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Foodie Friday : Falooda, An Indian Dessert

Shining my foodie Friday spotlight on Falooda. 

It's an Indian dessert. Friends in a forum introduced me to this dessert. Ingredients (for the picture below): Mango, Jelly, Basil Seed, Vermicelli, Tapioca Pearls, Condensed Milk, Rose Syrup and Vanilla Ice Cream. There are, of course, recipe variations (see below). Most ingredients you can probably get from your local grocery stores like mango, jelly, condensed milk, and vanilla ice cream. But you may want to shop online for Tapioca Pearls, Basil Seed, and Rose Syrup.

Ever try this dessert?

By Kanchana Bose [CC BY-SA 4.0], from Wikimedia Commons

       

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More #FoodieFriday Posts Improve Boxed Mac-n-Cheese. Is that possible?  Little Things Shares Delightful Recipes and Cooking Tips  Raw Milk Cheese (Americans are Missing Out!)  Happy Holidays! Who Wants Egg Nog?  YACR ( Yet Another Chili Recipe )  Purple is the Color of Royalty and of Glorious Vegetables  Sampling Fast Food World Cuisine is a Fun Do!  Name Your Favorite Instant Noodle  YAPAS (Yet Another Post About Spinach)  Immune-boosting Smoothie ~ Order at Starbucks  Recipes | Desserts | Pineapple Stuffing and More!  Japan’s 10 weirdest ice cream flavors  The Right Blend of Spices for Cajun Food Lovers  Indian Food: Hot n Spicy Samosas (Reblog)  Candied Jalapeño Peppers  Chinese New Year Recipes and Dishes  Pesto Around the World  Experiencing the Joy of Salsa   Spice Spotlight: Cinnamon  It's Flipping Foodie Friday!  Raw Coconut Fig Slice (Reblog)  Winter Salad Binging  Banana Brownies - Back for Seconds

Food Blurb: Herbs and Spices: 6 Spices For Indian Cuisine

If you love Indian cuisine and want to learn how to cook Indian food then to get started you should have these 6 spices in your kitchen cabinet:

1. turmeric, 
2. saffron, 
3. ginger, 
4. cumin, 
5. coriander (seed or powder), and 
6. cardamon. 

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Beyond Turmeric: 5 Indian Spices You Need in Your Pantry Now @OneGreenPlanet ~ https://t.co/7ZvQIB61k0 ~ #Indiancuisine is so delicious because of the use of many #herbsandspices. In addition to turmeric, there are five other spices you will need to cook authentic #Indianfood. pic.twitter.com/28hAHs8IWZ

— EverydayExoticSpices (@EverydaySpices) January 26, 2019

Source: Virily.com

Food Blurb: Indian Food for Diabetics

Do you like Indian food? I watch a lot of cooking shows and videos. One thing I noticed about Indian cooking is that they really know how to blend herbs and spices and do amazing things to enhance the flavor of vegetables. Whether the vegiies are cooked or eaten raw in a salad, they are so tasty. 

Methi Sprouts Salad Recipe - Delicious Diabetic Snack by Archana's Kitchen

FOLLOW THIS FOOD BLOG FOR MORE GREAT RECIPES:

Indian Food Cooking Basics: Indian Tempering

Respected food writer, Monica Bhide has written for well-known publications such as Food and Wine and Cooking Light. In her article, “The Crackling Spices Of Indian Tempering”, she writes about a cooking method common to Indian cuisine called “tempering”.

EXCERPT: ” … Tadka translates as “tempering.” It is a method widely used in Indian cuisine, in which whole or ground spices are heated in hot oil or ghee and the mixture is added to a dish. Hot fat has an amazing ability to extract and retain the essence, aroma and flavor of spices and herbs and then carry this essence with it when it is added to a dish. …”

Now before you frown and turn away because of the mention of two little words – “Hot fat” – it might interest you to know that tempering has nutritional benefits, as it helps the spices unlock their healing properties.

Typical Indian Buffet

The Crackling Spices Of Indian Tempering | Special Series: Kitchen Window | NPR

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Do you have a particular Indian dish you really enjoy? (It can be a dessert.)

Best Indian Dessert Recipes

Source: Webnuggetz.com

World Cuisine: Easy Dessert Recipe: Malpua

Do you love experimenting and tasting the food of other countries? Especially the desserts. Yum!

I'm sure I'm not the only foodie out there who loves global flavors. So I'll share this delightful recipe. It's a sweet treat popular in India, Nepal, and Bangladesh. Malpua is often served at holidays or festivals like Holi and Diwali.

You can find lots of variations of this recipe online. There is malpua served with rose and saffron syrup. There’s Bengali style. There’s banana malpua. There’s Mawa Malpua. (Image below.)

Cooking video: How To Make Malpua - Dessert Recipes



Related Link: How to make mawa - 5 ways of making mawa.

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If You Like This You Might Also Like:

• Sampling Fast Food World Cuisine is a Fun Do!
• Can You Name 5 British Desserts? (NO Googling!)
• Recipe for a Refreshing Summer Drink Made With Mango and Chia Seeds

Foodie Friday : Indian Food: Hot n Spicy Samosas (Reblog)

My foodie Friday topic is "samosas". Here is a link to a fun post published at one of my other blogs. It's sort of a Bollywood movie pick with an introduction to a fun food that the people of India love to eat: Hot n Spicy Samosas. To this link, I'm adding some more fun links below.

How many samosas can you wolf down!?

Image below: Scene from the movie Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi

Stars:  Actors: Shahrukh Khan, Anushka Sharma

A delightful romantic comedy.  Enjoyable to watch

but you may find yourself craving samosas. 

How to make Crispy Vegetable Samosa Indian Style Snacks Recipe

Crispy Vegetable Samosa is a good starter or snacks recipe to cook. Recipe is almost prepared across all states of India, though there might be little difference in the way they make it. ...

A Star in the Frozen Food Aisle: Kitchens of India Crispy Samosas filled with Potatoes & Green Peas

I've tried a lot of Indian convenience foods lately and some of the best Indian food of this type has come from Kitchens of India. Of all their products, my favorite is their Samosas. Filled with steaming, spiced potatoes and green peas, the crust is the best part of Samosas.

How to Make Samosas

A samosa is a popular snack in India, Pakistan, Nepal, and Bangladesh. To make your own samosas, start by making the dough. Let the dough rest for 30 minutes. Prepare the filling in a large saucepan. Allow the filling to cool. Divide the...

10 Best Samosa Recipes

steaming chai or coffee, munch on those deep-fried tidbits and let the pitter-patter transport you to another world.For those who think it's not the time for crispy fried bhajjis, pakoras or onion rings, we've got one of the most loved snacks of the nation that needs no introduction and certainly no special occasion to be served on to your plates - the samosa.

Baked veggie samosas | Jamie Oliver

JamieOliver.com is your one stop shop for everything Jamie Oliver including delicious and healthy recipes inspired from all over the world, helpful food tube videos and much more.

A sampling of other #FoodieFriday posts? Candied Jalapeño Peppers  Chinese New Year Recipes and Dishes  Pesto Around the World  Experiencing the Joy of Salsa   Spice Spotlight: Cinnamon  It's Flipping Foodie Friday!  Raw Coconut Fig Slice (Reblog)  Winter Salad Binging  Banana Brownies - Back for Seconds  Cool Foodies and Food Lovers Celebrating Their “Firsts” on Twitter