You've probably read the previous article on breads from North India. This article focuses on northern Indian cuisine, which includes the cooking style, the spices used, the terminology and some common foods.
The cuisine of northern India is almost always quite spicy and uses a large amount of spices in a particular dish. The terms used for various dishes are usually descriptive of the food itself, like Jeera Aloo, for example, which literally translates to "potatoes with cumin seeds".
Like most cultures, there are also misleading names such as `` butter chicken '', which is actually marinated chicken cooked in a tandoor and served in a sweet tomato sauce and does not contain butter. There are also terms that are not related to the food in question, such as Pulao, which is rice cooked with spices and vegetables.
The term sabzi (subzee) is used quite generously to describe almost all pulses. The same goes for the term dal, which is used for most types of glasses. The term tari (tuh-ree) designates the sauce and suffixes the name of a dish when it has sauce.
In these days of fusion cuisine, it is difficult to identify a set of spices that a given region can claim. However, traditionally, the cuisine of North India uses the following spices and herbs:
- Cumin seed (Jeera)
- Ajowan or (Ajwain)
- Red Chili Powder I - Colored aroma (Lal Mirch)
- Red Chili Powder II - Color in flavor (Degi Mirch or Kashmiri Mirch)
- Turmeric powder (Haldi)
- Dry mango powder (Aamchur)
- Coriander seeds (Sabat Dhania)
- Coriander powder (Dhania)
- Fresh coriander leaves (Hara Dhania)
- Green cardamom (Choti Elaichi)
- Black cardamom (Badi Elaichi)
- Cinnamon (Dalchini)
- Garam Masala: a defined mixture of spices: roasted cumin, cinnamon, cloves, caraway seeds, nutmeg (and / or mace) and green cardamom seeds or black cardamom pods. The composition of Garam - Masala varies from region to region.
- Dried fenugreek leaves (Kasuri Methi)
- Black mustard seeds (Rai)
This list is by no means complete (more and more spices are used in North Indian cuisine every day), however, the purpose of this article is to give an idea of the cuisine of North India.
Different spices are used in different situations in different ways. The flavor and characteristics of the spices change if you dry them, fry them, add them before simmering or after cooking.
Our first foray into traditional North Indian cuisine could start with a simple vegetable preparation, which we could call Aloo Ki Sabzi (`` Potato Vegetable Preparation '') or Jeera Aloo (flavored potatoes ) with cumin seeds).
Cumin seeds / Jeera Aloo
Ingredients
- 3 large baking potatoes
-A finely chopped onion
-1 teaspoon of cumin seeds
-1 teaspoon of turmeric powder
-1 teaspoon chili powder
-1 teaspoon of coriander powder
-1 teaspoon dried mango powder
-Salt to taste
- Fresh chopped cilantro to garnish
- Frying oil
Method
First peel the potatoes, dice them and then boil in lightly salted water. Then drain and let cool. Heat the oil in your pan and add the cumin seeds. After 2 to 3 seconds of crackling, add the onions and fry, stirring slightly for about a minute over low heat.
Now add all the spices except the dried mango powder and mix well. Discard the potatoes, which should already be fine and firm, and mix well, so that the mixture of onions and spices covers the potatoes everywhere. Simmer for about 5 to 7 minutes. Finally, add the dried mango powder and mix the potatoes over high heat, until a thick and spicy mud sticks to the potatoes. Garnish with chopped fresh cilantro before serving.
These can be served with Rotis, garnished with grilled sandwiches or simply eaten as an aperitif.
As you can see, this daily dish uses 5 different spices and one herb. There are traditional dishes that use up to 30 different spices! These belong (largely) to the past and are only cooked on very special occasions.
For example, let's say we'd like to try cooking a simple North Indian dish without a recipe, just by following the style. Obviously we will need spices from northern India, the most common are Jeera (cumin seeds), Haldi (turmeric powder), Namak (salt) and Mirch (chili powder).
The first step, in almost all dishes, is to fry onions because it is a staple in North Indian cuisine. When they are pink / transparent, we add some spices and fry them even more. This gives us a thick sauce to which we can add water if we wish. This sauce will cover the vegetables or meat that we will add later. Here is a simple example.
Sabzi Onions and Tomatoes / Pyaaz Tamatar ki Sabzi
Ingredients
- 3 large tomatoes, cut into large pieces
- Two onions cut into large pieces
- 2 large cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
- 1 teaspoon of cumin seeds
- 1 teaspoon of turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon dried mango powder
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- Salt to taste
- Frying oil
Method
The process is really very simple: we heat oil, add the onions, fry a little, add the garlic and continue to fry until the onions are pink or translucent. Then we add the rest of the spices, with the exception of the dried mango powder, mix well and finally mix the tomatoes. The dried mango powder is coming to an end.
An important feature of Indian cuisine is that vegetables are rarely crisp or crunchy. They are almost always cooked until they are very soft. It is not very good for the nutritional content of the vegetables and I would recommend cooking them until they are freshly cooked and there is still a little bite.
The pan will continue to boil for 5 to 10 minutes, until the tomatoes are cooked through. Finally, we incorporate the dried mango powder and it's ready to eat! This dish is generally eaten with Rotis.
As you can see, the scheme is similar: frying onions (if you use them), spices, mixing vegetables, using nuclear weapons (or not) and serving. Now that we have an idea of the basics, let's get to the secrets!
Cooking methods (by Naheed)
Secret 1: Bhuno good.
This is an extremely important process which involves frying spices to extract most of its flavor. Remember not to overheat the oil (unless it is mustard oil, which must be heated until it emits smoke and does not foam when something is put on it )).
If dry masala powder is used, the oil should not be hot as the dried spices will burn. You should add a certain amount of water if you think the spices can burn. When preparing the masala, use onion paste with ginger and garlic to which you will add other spices as needed.
For meat, however, the method is quite different. It is the last process of cooking meat in many cases, or the process just before adding water to make the sauce. It is believed that the true taste of meat only develops if you spend more than 10 minutes on this process.
The meat releases some of its own fat which mixes with the spices, then the oil cooks the meat and helps the meat absorb the mixed flavors of the spices. How long to do it is a question that has no fixed answer.
As a guide, stop when the meat is too tender or the sauce dries completely, or your guests start to stir a lot. You will also notice that the meat and sauce tend to stick to the bowl if they do not stir constantly. If they do, scratch it; and if the sauce dries too much, add yogurt or water.
Secret 2: Bagharn
It is a simple process called Chaukna in Hindi. Here, the dried spices are added to the hot oil and this mixture is added to a plate (for example, Dal). Although it is a simple process, do not burn the spices. In fact, it is recommended that you remove the bowl from the heat once you have added the spices.
Secret 3: Dum Kitchen
It is the art of slow cooking. Let the individual flavors mix properly. It is also the method used during the last minutes when cooking rice or biryani.
In the past, when food was cooked over charcoal or wood, the only way was to increase the distance between the flame and the container, or to place the container on the dying embers, to seal the lid of the pan with flour and put some charcoal on top of the lid In dum cooking, it is essential that the heat is low and that therefore the food takes a little time before cooking.
Rest assured that your patience will be greatly rewarded. Fortunately, modern cooking presents us with new methods and one of the simplest is to put the whole container in the oven. If you don't have one, place a hot plate (tawa) on the flame, then place the bowl on it.
Also keep in mind that cooking the meat so that the ingredients (meat, vegetables) release moisture or water inside. A word of caution here: try not to use a pressure cooker or the meat will not turn right.
Secret 5:Fry
You would say simple. Well, yeah. However, there are two types of fried foods. One to fry and the other to brown. For frying it is essential that there is enough oil to cover the item. For sea bream, the oil may be lower but must be at low temperature.
Secret 5: using the dishes
Earthenware is not only cheap in India, but it is also the first form of disposable tableware. Most desserts in India are traditionally served on banana leaves or terracotta dishes. Some of India's most famous five-star restaurants still use earthenware. If you have noticed, tea at Indian stations is always served in terracotta glasses. Not only is it organic, but a special earthy flavor permeates the tea, which no cooking method can simulate.
Secret 6: Kewda Water
Kewda is the derivative of a desert plant with very fragrant leaves. The essential oil of this one is strongly diluted in water which is used as a perfuming agent for food. It is generally used in Firni and Zarda among other desserts and has no parallel.
Ingredients
Secret 1: Dahi or yogurt
It is an incredible ingredient. The yogurt gives the creation a slight buttery taste and a light creamy consistency. For example, it is the basis of certain dishes like Rizala, where the original flavor of yogurt is completely transformed.
The yogurt, once cooked, becomes a slightly acidic flavor and gives the sauce a creamy texture. In general, it is an essential element. In some dishes, it can be replaced with tomato puree, but the end result will be slightly different.
Did you know that vegetables cooked in yogurt keep their shape? In fact, in Dumpukth Fish, it is the yogurt that preserves the shape of the fish. In addition, sometimes, if you added extra salt by mistake, add a touch of yogurt and cook for a while.
Secret 2: Onions
It is an essential ingredient in many dishes and is commonly used for salads. A useful tip for handling onions is to remove the dry outer skin, cut it in half and wash it thoroughly to prevent tears from filling the eyes. Onions give a sweet taste when cooked and are a common base for masala. However, once fried and then mixed, the taste is completely different. So when the recipe says "fry onions", it's best to fry them.
Secret 3: Cumin
There are two types of cumin seeds. Low-cost white cumin seeds are mainly used in vegetarian dishes. They are often fried to enhance their flavor. Sometimes, like in a raita, they are dry roasted on a tawa and then ground. However, the more expensive black cumin seeds or Shah Jeera, as they are commonly called, are very different in taste and flavor. The two are rarely replaced. Most restaurants replace them in rice preparations, but what you get is something completely different.
Final recipe
Now that we have a pretty good idea of what the cuisine of North India involves, a slightly complex recipe may be needed: Nihari. It is certainly not one of the dishes on the menu of five-star restaurants. It is one of the dishes that we eat with great passion.
Indeed, to have Nihari you must have the enthusiasm to get up before dawn because it is a very hot meal and in most places where it is served, the service ends at 9:00. It is a delicious beef broth, cooked over low heat, mainly during the night and consumed early in the morning with a roast tandoori and a variety of fresh herbs accompanied by lots of lemon.
The meat is satisfactory and the broth is served as a refreshing and fairly hot soup. The other reason why we take it for breakfast and this also only in winter is because it is very thirsty and it is quite hot. Don't tell me I didn't warn you.
Nihari
Ingredients
- 1 kg Nihari meat (or any other available meat)
- 250 grams of onion, sliced
- 3/4 cup ghee
- 2 tablespoons ginger paste
- 2 tablespoons garlic paste
- 2 tablespoons dried roasted chickpea flour
- 1/2 - 1 teaspoon 1 teaspoon powdered red pepper
- 1 teaspoon of coriander powder
- 1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
- Salt to taste
Spice blend
Grind the following: 1/4 tsp. dried ginger, 1/4 tsp. mace, 1/2 teaspoon fennel, 1/2 teaspoon white cumin seeds, 2 large cardamoms, 4 small cardamoms, 4 cloves, 6 black pepper seeds
Preparation
Preparation time 30 minutes | Cooking time 2-3 hours
Add 2/3 of the onions to the moderately hot oil and when the onion softens, add the ginger and garlic paste with the ground coriander and the turmeric powder and fry for about 3-4 minutes or until the oil is on top again
Add the meat and simmer. The meat will let out its own water.
When it is half-cooked, add the chickpea flour to 2 cups of water and cook the broth over very low heat for at least 45 minutes.
The slower you cook, the more flavor you will get.
Keep the pot covered but without pressure cookers, please.
When the meat is as tender as possible, add the spice blend with the remaining onions.
On a farewell note, although the cooking methods remain largely consistent and typical, knowing that the spices will help you immensely. Then, during cooking, add this pinch of black mustard seeds to the hot oil and watch how they curl or throw curry leaves and enjoy the change of flavor!
How to Cook Indian Foods, North India, Cook Indian Foods, Indian Foods, Indian, Foods,
The cuisine of northern India is almost always quite spicy and uses a large amount of spices in a particular dish. The terms used for various dishes are usually descriptive of the food itself, like Jeera Aloo, for example, which literally translates to "potatoes with cumin seeds".
Like most cultures, there are also misleading names such as `` butter chicken '', which is actually marinated chicken cooked in a tandoor and served in a sweet tomato sauce and does not contain butter. There are also terms that are not related to the food in question, such as Pulao, which is rice cooked with spices and vegetables.
The term sabzi (subzee) is used quite generously to describe almost all pulses. The same goes for the term dal, which is used for most types of glasses. The term tari (tuh-ree) designates the sauce and suffixes the name of a dish when it has sauce.
In these days of fusion cuisine, it is difficult to identify a set of spices that a given region can claim. However, traditionally, the cuisine of North India uses the following spices and herbs:
- Cumin seed (Jeera)
- Ajowan or (Ajwain)
- Red Chili Powder I - Colored aroma (Lal Mirch)
- Red Chili Powder II - Color in flavor (Degi Mirch or Kashmiri Mirch)
- Turmeric powder (Haldi)
- Dry mango powder (Aamchur)
- Coriander seeds (Sabat Dhania)
- Coriander powder (Dhania)
- Fresh coriander leaves (Hara Dhania)
- Green cardamom (Choti Elaichi)
- Black cardamom (Badi Elaichi)
- Cinnamon (Dalchini)
- Garam Masala: a defined mixture of spices: roasted cumin, cinnamon, cloves, caraway seeds, nutmeg (and / or mace) and green cardamom seeds or black cardamom pods. The composition of Garam - Masala varies from region to region.
- Dried fenugreek leaves (Kasuri Methi)
- Black mustard seeds (Rai)
This list is by no means complete (more and more spices are used in North Indian cuisine every day), however, the purpose of this article is to give an idea of the cuisine of North India.
Different spices are used in different situations in different ways. The flavor and characteristics of the spices change if you dry them, fry them, add them before simmering or after cooking.
Our first foray into traditional North Indian cuisine could start with a simple vegetable preparation, which we could call Aloo Ki Sabzi (`` Potato Vegetable Preparation '') or Jeera Aloo (flavored potatoes ) with cumin seeds).
Cumin seeds / Jeera Aloo
Ingredients
- 3 large baking potatoes
-A finely chopped onion
-1 teaspoon of cumin seeds
-1 teaspoon of turmeric powder
-1 teaspoon chili powder
-1 teaspoon of coriander powder
-1 teaspoon dried mango powder
-Salt to taste
- Fresh chopped cilantro to garnish
- Frying oil
Method
First peel the potatoes, dice them and then boil in lightly salted water. Then drain and let cool. Heat the oil in your pan and add the cumin seeds. After 2 to 3 seconds of crackling, add the onions and fry, stirring slightly for about a minute over low heat.
Now add all the spices except the dried mango powder and mix well. Discard the potatoes, which should already be fine and firm, and mix well, so that the mixture of onions and spices covers the potatoes everywhere. Simmer for about 5 to 7 minutes. Finally, add the dried mango powder and mix the potatoes over high heat, until a thick and spicy mud sticks to the potatoes. Garnish with chopped fresh cilantro before serving.
These can be served with Rotis, garnished with grilled sandwiches or simply eaten as an aperitif.
As you can see, this daily dish uses 5 different spices and one herb. There are traditional dishes that use up to 30 different spices! These belong (largely) to the past and are only cooked on very special occasions.
For example, let's say we'd like to try cooking a simple North Indian dish without a recipe, just by following the style. Obviously we will need spices from northern India, the most common are Jeera (cumin seeds), Haldi (turmeric powder), Namak (salt) and Mirch (chili powder).
The first step, in almost all dishes, is to fry onions because it is a staple in North Indian cuisine. When they are pink / transparent, we add some spices and fry them even more. This gives us a thick sauce to which we can add water if we wish. This sauce will cover the vegetables or meat that we will add later. Here is a simple example.
Sabzi Onions and Tomatoes / Pyaaz Tamatar ki Sabzi
Ingredients
- 3 large tomatoes, cut into large pieces
- Two onions cut into large pieces
- 2 large cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
- 1 teaspoon of cumin seeds
- 1 teaspoon of turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon dried mango powder
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- Salt to taste
- Frying oil
Method
The process is really very simple: we heat oil, add the onions, fry a little, add the garlic and continue to fry until the onions are pink or translucent. Then we add the rest of the spices, with the exception of the dried mango powder, mix well and finally mix the tomatoes. The dried mango powder is coming to an end.
An important feature of Indian cuisine is that vegetables are rarely crisp or crunchy. They are almost always cooked until they are very soft. It is not very good for the nutritional content of the vegetables and I would recommend cooking them until they are freshly cooked and there is still a little bite.
The pan will continue to boil for 5 to 10 minutes, until the tomatoes are cooked through. Finally, we incorporate the dried mango powder and it's ready to eat! This dish is generally eaten with Rotis.
As you can see, the scheme is similar: frying onions (if you use them), spices, mixing vegetables, using nuclear weapons (or not) and serving. Now that we have an idea of the basics, let's get to the secrets!
Cooking methods (by Naheed)
Secret 1: Bhuno good.
This is an extremely important process which involves frying spices to extract most of its flavor. Remember not to overheat the oil (unless it is mustard oil, which must be heated until it emits smoke and does not foam when something is put on it )).
If dry masala powder is used, the oil should not be hot as the dried spices will burn. You should add a certain amount of water if you think the spices can burn. When preparing the masala, use onion paste with ginger and garlic to which you will add other spices as needed.
For meat, however, the method is quite different. It is the last process of cooking meat in many cases, or the process just before adding water to make the sauce. It is believed that the true taste of meat only develops if you spend more than 10 minutes on this process.
The meat releases some of its own fat which mixes with the spices, then the oil cooks the meat and helps the meat absorb the mixed flavors of the spices. How long to do it is a question that has no fixed answer.
As a guide, stop when the meat is too tender or the sauce dries completely, or your guests start to stir a lot. You will also notice that the meat and sauce tend to stick to the bowl if they do not stir constantly. If they do, scratch it; and if the sauce dries too much, add yogurt or water.
Secret 2: Bagharn
It is a simple process called Chaukna in Hindi. Here, the dried spices are added to the hot oil and this mixture is added to a plate (for example, Dal). Although it is a simple process, do not burn the spices. In fact, it is recommended that you remove the bowl from the heat once you have added the spices.
Secret 3: Dum Kitchen
It is the art of slow cooking. Let the individual flavors mix properly. It is also the method used during the last minutes when cooking rice or biryani.
In the past, when food was cooked over charcoal or wood, the only way was to increase the distance between the flame and the container, or to place the container on the dying embers, to seal the lid of the pan with flour and put some charcoal on top of the lid In dum cooking, it is essential that the heat is low and that therefore the food takes a little time before cooking.
Rest assured that your patience will be greatly rewarded. Fortunately, modern cooking presents us with new methods and one of the simplest is to put the whole container in the oven. If you don't have one, place a hot plate (tawa) on the flame, then place the bowl on it.
Also keep in mind that cooking the meat so that the ingredients (meat, vegetables) release moisture or water inside. A word of caution here: try not to use a pressure cooker or the meat will not turn right.
Secret 5:Fry
You would say simple. Well, yeah. However, there are two types of fried foods. One to fry and the other to brown. For frying it is essential that there is enough oil to cover the item. For sea bream, the oil may be lower but must be at low temperature.
Secret 5: using the dishes
Earthenware is not only cheap in India, but it is also the first form of disposable tableware. Most desserts in India are traditionally served on banana leaves or terracotta dishes. Some of India's most famous five-star restaurants still use earthenware. If you have noticed, tea at Indian stations is always served in terracotta glasses. Not only is it organic, but a special earthy flavor permeates the tea, which no cooking method can simulate.
Secret 6: Kewda Water
Kewda is the derivative of a desert plant with very fragrant leaves. The essential oil of this one is strongly diluted in water which is used as a perfuming agent for food. It is generally used in Firni and Zarda among other desserts and has no parallel.
Ingredients
Secret 1: Dahi or yogurt
It is an incredible ingredient. The yogurt gives the creation a slight buttery taste and a light creamy consistency. For example, it is the basis of certain dishes like Rizala, where the original flavor of yogurt is completely transformed.
The yogurt, once cooked, becomes a slightly acidic flavor and gives the sauce a creamy texture. In general, it is an essential element. In some dishes, it can be replaced with tomato puree, but the end result will be slightly different.
Did you know that vegetables cooked in yogurt keep their shape? In fact, in Dumpukth Fish, it is the yogurt that preserves the shape of the fish. In addition, sometimes, if you added extra salt by mistake, add a touch of yogurt and cook for a while.
Secret 2: Onions
It is an essential ingredient in many dishes and is commonly used for salads. A useful tip for handling onions is to remove the dry outer skin, cut it in half and wash it thoroughly to prevent tears from filling the eyes. Onions give a sweet taste when cooked and are a common base for masala. However, once fried and then mixed, the taste is completely different. So when the recipe says "fry onions", it's best to fry them.
Secret 3: Cumin
There are two types of cumin seeds. Low-cost white cumin seeds are mainly used in vegetarian dishes. They are often fried to enhance their flavor. Sometimes, like in a raita, they are dry roasted on a tawa and then ground. However, the more expensive black cumin seeds or Shah Jeera, as they are commonly called, are very different in taste and flavor. The two are rarely replaced. Most restaurants replace them in rice preparations, but what you get is something completely different.
Final recipe
Now that we have a pretty good idea of what the cuisine of North India involves, a slightly complex recipe may be needed: Nihari. It is certainly not one of the dishes on the menu of five-star restaurants. It is one of the dishes that we eat with great passion.
Indeed, to have Nihari you must have the enthusiasm to get up before dawn because it is a very hot meal and in most places where it is served, the service ends at 9:00. It is a delicious beef broth, cooked over low heat, mainly during the night and consumed early in the morning with a roast tandoori and a variety of fresh herbs accompanied by lots of lemon.
The meat is satisfactory and the broth is served as a refreshing and fairly hot soup. The other reason why we take it for breakfast and this also only in winter is because it is very thirsty and it is quite hot. Don't tell me I didn't warn you.
Nihari
Ingredients
- 1 kg Nihari meat (or any other available meat)
- 250 grams of onion, sliced
- 3/4 cup ghee
- 2 tablespoons ginger paste
- 2 tablespoons garlic paste
- 2 tablespoons dried roasted chickpea flour
- 1/2 - 1 teaspoon 1 teaspoon powdered red pepper
- 1 teaspoon of coriander powder
- 1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
- Salt to taste
Spice blend
Grind the following: 1/4 tsp. dried ginger, 1/4 tsp. mace, 1/2 teaspoon fennel, 1/2 teaspoon white cumin seeds, 2 large cardamoms, 4 small cardamoms, 4 cloves, 6 black pepper seeds
Preparation
Preparation time 30 minutes | Cooking time 2-3 hours
Add 2/3 of the onions to the moderately hot oil and when the onion softens, add the ginger and garlic paste with the ground coriander and the turmeric powder and fry for about 3-4 minutes or until the oil is on top again
Add the meat and simmer. The meat will let out its own water.
When it is half-cooked, add the chickpea flour to 2 cups of water and cook the broth over very low heat for at least 45 minutes.
The slower you cook, the more flavor you will get.
Keep the pot covered but without pressure cookers, please.
When the meat is as tender as possible, add the spice blend with the remaining onions.
On a farewell note, although the cooking methods remain largely consistent and typical, knowing that the spices will help you immensely. Then, during cooking, add this pinch of black mustard seeds to the hot oil and watch how they curl or throw curry leaves and enjoy the change of flavor!
How to Cook Indian Foods, North India, Cook Indian Foods, Indian Foods, Indian, Foods,
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