Unleash your inner chef with these 10 cooking fundas! Upgrade your skills from 'thik-thak' to 'wah wah!' Read on to nail these essential techniques
So, you fancy yourself a bit of a MasterChef in your own
kitchen, eh? You love whipping up delicious dishes for your family and friends, experimenting with new recipes, and generally feeling like a culinary superstar.
But even the most enthusiastic home chef can benefit from mastering a few essential cooking techniques. Think of it as upgrading your kitchen arsenal – these skills will not only make your food taste better but also make your time in the kitchen more efficient and enjoyable.
Forget complicated gourmet jargon, we're talking about simple, practical techniques that will elevate your everyday cooking from ‘thik-thak’ to ‘wah wah!’ Let's dive into the 10 must-know cooking fundas that every Indian home chef should absolutely nail.
Get ready to impress everyone with your newfound culinary prowess!
Master the art of sautéing for flavorful Indian dishes
First up, let's talk about mastering the art of sautéing. This is a cornerstone of Indian cooking, the base for countless curries, sabzis, and dals. Sautéing involves cooking ingredients quickly in a hot pan with a little oil, stirring frequently to ensure even cooking and prevent burning.
The key here is to use the right amount of oil. Not too little that your food sticks and burns, but not so much that it becomes greasy.
The perfect sauté achieves that beautiful golden-brown color and brings out the natural sweetness of vegetables like onions, garlic, and ginger – the holy trinity of Indian cuisine. Remember to preheat your pan properly before adding the oil and ingredients.
A hot pan ensures that the food sears quickly, creating a lovely flavor and texture. Always use a high-heat oil like vegetable oil or sunflower oil for sautéing, as they can withstand the high temperatures without smoking or breaking down.
Understanding the magic of tempering or 'tadka' in Indian cuisine
Next in line is understanding the magic of tempering, or ‘tadka’ as we affectionately call it. Tadka is the soul of many Indian dishes, a flavor bomb that adds depth and complexity to simple preparations.
It involves heating oil or ghee (clarified butter) in a separate pan or ladle and then adding spices like mustard seeds, cumin seeds, dried red chilies, and curry leaves.
Once the spices start to splutter and release their aroma, the hot, flavorful oil is poured over the main dish, infusing it with a burst of flavor. The sound of the tadka sizzling and the aroma that fills the air is enough to make anyone's mouth water.
A well-executed tadka can transform a bland dish into a culinary masterpiece. Experiment with different combinations of spices to find your signature tadka blend – the possibilities are endless! You can add hing in you tadka
Roasting vegetables enhances flavor without added liquid
Then there's the art of roasting, a technique that's perfect for cooking vegetables to perfection and bringing out their natural sweetness. Roasting involves cooking food in a hot oven without adding any extra liquid.
The dry heat caramelizes the sugars in the vegetables, creating a delicious, slightly crispy exterior and a tender, flavorful interior. Think of perfectly roasted potatoes, cauliflower, or bell peppers – they're a far cry from the soggy, boiled vegetables of our childhood.
When roasting vegetables, it’s important to toss them with a little oil and seasonings before placing them in the oven. This helps them to cook evenly and develop a beautiful color. Don't overcrowd the baking sheet, as this will steam the vegetables instead of roasting them.
Give them enough space so that the hot air can circulate properly.
Master boiling for perfectly cooked lentils, beans, and potatoes
Boiling might seem like the simplest cooking technique, but mastering it is essential for achieving perfectly cooked lentils, beans, and potatoes. Overcooked or undercooked lentils can ruin a perfectly good dal, and nobody likes a lumpy, unevenly cooked potato salad.
The key to successful boiling is to use the right amount of water and to monitor the cooking time carefully. For lentils and beans, it's often helpful to soak them in water for a few hours before boiling, as this helps to soften them and reduce the cooking time.
Adding a pinch of salt to the boiling water also helps to season the food from the inside out. And always remember to check the doneness of the food regularly by piercing it with a fork or knife.
Don't be afraid to take it off the heat just before it's fully cooked, as it will continue to cook slightly even after it's removed from the heat.
Steaming food for health, flavor, and ease of cooking
Next it comes is steam cooking. Steaming is a technique of cooking food by using heat generated from steam. One can preserve the nutrients, textures, and flavors extremely well by this. It is a very healthy option also. The method can be very well applied for cooking vegetable dishes and dumplings.
As steaming requires no oil, it helps to keep the food lighter and healthier. You can use a steamer basket over a pot of boiling water, or you can invest in a dedicated steamer appliance for cooking.
This will create an easy method for cooking multiple items together, saving time and creating a lot of nutritious recipes. The method is widely accepted for creating evening healthy snacks.
Traditional spice grinding enhances Indian cooking experience
Last but surely not the least is the method of grinding spices with mortar and pestle. It is a traditional method for obtaining fresh aroma and flavors from the spices. This method may be tiresome but gives a superior quality to the flavour of spices.
This is a very basic technique but ensures the best taste and a great step towards culinary excellence. Some spices which takes lot of time to grind using electronic devices are also easily manageable using pestle. The overall experience of Indian cooking is enhanced by this method of grinding.
