Masala Cook:: Indian Food, Indian Cooking, Indian Recipes & More

What is Raita in Indian Cuisine?

Raita is a yoghurt-based accompaniment to Indian meals, versatile and easy to make. Its cool and refreshing qualities offset the spices present in main dishes. Raita typically consists of lightly beaten yoghurt to which is added a small quantity of finely chopped vegetable (top favorites: onion, tomato, cucumber). The mixture is lightly salted, tempered with cumin and garnished with cilantro or mint.

Raitas make for a great kebab dip.  A raita made of ground mint leaves mixed into yoghurt is deliciously cooling in summer. A pineapple raita teases the palate with its sweet notes.

What is Vindaloo in Indian Food?

Originally, a Portuguese dish (“Carne de Vinha d’Alhos”) consisting of pork stewed with wine, garlic and red chili peppers,  Vindaloo took on distinct Indian hues after arriving on the shores of the southwestern state of Goa. This extremely spicy stew is a hot favorite on Indian menus – pun intended! Contemporary versions of Vindaloo feature chicken, lamb and the occasional addition of potatoes. Pictured above is Chicken Vindaloo.

What is pulao in Indian Food?

Pulao, an aromatic rice dish, originated in Persia and came to India with the Mughals. Over the centuries, pulao has blended in with Indian culinary traditions and is now widely eaten across the country. Pulao is traditionally cooked with meat and spices, though in predominantly vegetarian India, vegetables, paneer, chick-peas or cumin seeds are also used. The delicate, long grains of Basmati rice are ideal for making a pulao.

What is dal in Indian Cooking?

This is a generic term describing the large variety of pulses eaten across India. It is the vegetarian’s primary source of protein. Inexpensive, filling and nourishing, it is often referred to as the poor man’s meat.  Khichdi (mung and rice cooked together) is a baby’s first solid, and a plate of dal-rice is comfort food for most Indians.  In the north, dal is scooped up with a piece of roti (flatbread) and eaten. Rice is the cereal of choice in the south, often accompanied by sambar, an aromatic dal-and-tamarind gravy with vegetables. Channa (chick-pea) dal has a meaty flavor; in north India’s cold winters, a helping of steaming Dal Makhni, (whole black lentil, laced generously with butter) with crisp rotis is to die for.

In many parts of India, dal is often cooked with vegetables.  It also finds its way into rice-based south Indian breakfast foods.

What is Chaat in Indian Cooking?

Mouth-watering street food (warning: highly addictive!). The term includes a range of bite-sized snack foods, highly popular among Indians for their tongue-tingling flavors. Papdi chaat consists of a small, fried, wheat flour disk piled with potato or chickpeas, tamarind sauce, mint sauce and yoghurt.  Bhelpuri is puffed rice to which onions, green chilies, herbs and various sauces are added. Tiny puris (fried and puffed wheat bread) filled with an eye-watering cumin-mint-rock salt solution are golgappas, downed in alarmingly rapid succession by its aficionados. Once confined to the street, chaat now features on 5-star hotel menus as well!

What is pakora in Indian Cooking?

 
Pakoras are a versatile snack, rather like fritters. A lightly spiced batter of chickpea flour is prepared, into which one may dip and deep fry a variety of vegetables like thinly sliced potato, onion, eggplant, okra or cauliflower florets.  The crisp and crunchy pakora tastes wonderful with mint chutney or tomato ketchup.

What is papad in Indian Food?

Roasted, deep-fried or microwaved, the crisp n’ crackly papad adds a new texture to the main meal. It’s known by several names according to region, papad in north India, appalam or papadum in the south.

Flour made of lentils, rice, chick pea or black gram is the common base for papads.  Historically, papads were rolled out in home kitchens and sun-dried on terraces. Today, most home-makers buy commercially manufactured papads. One of India’s largest brands is Lijjat Papad, made by an all-women’s co-operative, begun to provide employment to economically underprivileged women.

At Indian restaurants, crispy roasted version of papad are usually served in a basket as soon as the guests are seated. Try these with the assortments of condiments on the table.

What is "Samosa" in Indian Cooking?

 

Central Asian traders introduced the samosa to India in the 16th century. Today, it’s a pan-Indian snack food that comes in both vegetarian and non-vegetarian avatars.

The tetrahedron-shaped shell, made of flour, has a pastry-like texture, into which goes a filling of potato, minced lamb or chicken. The samosa is then deep-fried and served with tamarind sauce or mint chutney.  Cocktail samosas are a great party snack!