Intro to Indian Basics
Indian cooking is complex . The country has over 23 official national languages. If that wasn’t diverse enough, virtually every one of India’s 29 states has their own culture , their own cuisine, climate, ingredients, and flavour profiles.
With that being said there are some basic principals that do occur throughout the country and make Indian cooking much easier to accomplish once understood.
Tarka | ਤੜਕਾ
Is the Punjabi term for “tempering” of spices + aromatics. This can happen in the beginning and end of many recipes. Fresh aromatics such as ginger, garlic , chili are heated with oil and then have masalas or whole spices added to this. It is a critical and common concept to understand when mastering Indian cooking. It’s important to keep in mind what spices and masalas can burn easily. Powders + smaller spices have a short burn point , while larger whole spices can take some heat. The key is to not burn or those aromatics can quickly become bitter.
Bhuno भूनो”
The process of making a “Wet” Masala “ is called “ bhuna “ which means to cook / reduce + make in the pan. These “Wet” masalas are usually done after the “tarka | ਤੜਕਾ” in a recipe. “Wet” masalas are made by cooking down ratios of tomatoes and onions. Different recipes call for different quantities and spices. Some masalas are cooked longer and some are lightly cooked. Water is than added to these mixtures and the quantity of this depends on the desired result
Masalas | मसाला
Dry masalas are most commonly reffered to as spice mixtures added towards the beginning and end of cooking . Masalas can also be reffered to as “wet masalas” or marinades or any kind of mixture used in a cooking process.
Curry|Sabjee|Dal|
करी | सब्जी | दल
There are many kinds of finished Indian dishes , not just “curry”. Curries can range in consistency ; Some Currys are more soupy, some thicker and some with almost no sauce at all. It all depends on the region, ingredients you’re cooking and the desired result. Some famous Indian curries are ; Chicken Curry, Butter Chicken, Lamb Roganjosh, Aloo Matar.
Indian cooking also has “sabzis” which are like stir - frys. Essentially dishes that have little to no sauce and are mainly made of vegetables are called Sabzis. These are the more traditional and more often dishes consumed in an Indian house like ; Aloo Gobhi, Palak Paneer, and Baingan are common Indian Sabjees.
Dal is translated as “lentils. These dishes refer to our soupy lentil + pulse dishes. There are a large variety of Lentils + Pulses used in Indian cooking and it is customary in an Indian house to have atleast one Dal made at all times. Popular dal dishes include : Dal Makhani, Chana Masala, Rajma & Dal Tarka.