Beginners Guide to Indian Food
3. Tandoori
One of the best methods of Indian cooking, ‘Tandoori’ food is made using a clay oven. Most popular tandoori dishes include ‘Chicken Tikka’, ‘Paneer Tikka’, and ‘Seekh Kebab’. Meat, cottage cheese or vegetables are marinated before hand before being put on a skewer and baked in the oven. The tandoori marinade is made of ‘Hung yogurt’, turmeric, coriander, cumin, dry mango powder, permitted food color and seasoning. Most meats are left in the marinade overnight to make it tender and succulent. The results are mouth watering ‘kebabs’ and ‘tandoori meats’. Vegetarians need not fret as they too have innumerable options to choose from, including potatoes, cottage cheese, mix vegetables etc. You name it and it’s on a skewer and in your plate. Tandoori is also used to make Indian breads called rotis ranging from the humble ‘tandoori atta roti’ to the rich ‘laccha Paratha’. A number of stuffing and topping options are also available today. You can choose from garlic, cheese, mint, coriander, mixed herbs etc. Coated with butter, tandoori dishes are like food for the soul.
4. Biryani
If you want a real taste of India, then it is a must that you try the ‘Biryani’. A native of the Middle East and Persian cuisine, the ‘Biryani’ was a legacy passed on to Indians through the royal cooks from Lucknow and Hyderabad. Mostly made from chicken or mutton, some pockets of India also use beef. The two most famous styles of Biryani include the ‘Hyderabadi’ and the ‘Lucknowi Biryani’ – the cooking method, the spices used and the flavors of each of these are quite different from the other. The ‘Lucknowi’ style of cooking is the ‘dum’ method, wherein the meat and rice are cooked separately and layered and slow cooked later. The ‘Hyderabadi Biryani’ is divided into two broad types the ‘kacchi’ (raw) and the ‘pakki’ (cooked). In the former, the meat is marinated overnight and then cooked along with the rice whereas in the latter, the meat is precooked and then mixed along with the rice. Both the Biryanis have a huge fan following, each being delectable in its own way.
