Famous shows `Indian Cooking is Not Rocket Science’ and `Indian Cooking Made Easy’ makes one wonder – is cooking Indian food all that tough. The people in India love their home cooked cuisine. So, where is the problem? There is none at all. It is all in the name, as they say. Here are some simple techniques on how to cook the best Indian fare easily. Try these out and you will be amazed as to how uncomplicated and fun it is.

  • Get your utensils right as these help you cook faster and tastier. A kadai or an Indian wok is a must have tool. Invest in a few pieces of varying sizes.
  • Invest in a pressure cooker as it offers the best in less time. Whistle away the cooking worries as this device in hand saves time as well as energy.
  • Keep the masalas right and fresh. Basic ingredients are available in all Indian stores. For the bride-to-be, lazy bachelor or simply those who hate cooking, store turmeric (haldi), red chilli powder, coriander (dhaniya), fennel (saunf) and aniseeds (jeera) in their whole or powdered form. Your Indian kitchen is now ready to perform.
  • Use fresh vegetables. Chop the veggies right and get the flavor out. From browning onions to sautéing tomatoes, a finely cut vegetable cooks evenly and quickly.
  • Stock up on lentils. Just pressure cook with adequate water, a pinch of turmeric, salt and a few garlic pods. Temper it with sautéed onions and tomatoes. A source of protein, a dhal (lentils gravy) is a good accompaniment with rice or chapathis/rotis. A complete meal with effortless preparation.
  • Do not forget the blessed spices. As whole pieces or blended garam masalas, spices are an integral part of Indian cooking. Add a few cinnamon sticks and cloves to your kitchen inventory to make it Indian-cooking-ready. Garlic and ginger add to the curry taste. So, make a combined paste of equal proportions and refrigerate to use when required.

Invest in cookbook recipes available in all Indian counters. Names like Nita Mehta, Sanjeev Kapoor, Tarla Dalal, Rakesh Sethi, Anjum Anand, and Madhur Jaffrey are renowned contributions. Check out some great other blogs like Nisha Madhulika, Padhus Kitchen, Fine Cooking, Aayi’s Recipes, Amuthi’s Kitchen and many other websites to get to know the cuisine better. Indian cooking is definitely easy. Try cooking!

What are the other cooking and recipe blogs that you check often?