Indian Cooking Terms Demystified

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Indian Cooking Terms Demystified - Terms to Remember, While Making Indian Food Recipes!

Do you want to cook an Indian food recipe but you just can't seem to start because of trouble with the terms? Or do you just want to know some Indian cooking terms? Well, you've come to the right page. In this article, different terms used in an Indian food recipe will be explained but before that, let's talk about the Indian cuisine first.

The Indian cuisine is further divided into four based on geographical regions, the North, South, East, and West Indian cuisines. These cuisines, though they may have differences in some methods and ingredients, still have that same delicious and flavor rich dishes that many would love. In preparing any dish, you can expect three features to be present in each Indian food recipe. These are the herbs and spices, oil, and condiments. It is very important that you are familiarized with the use of these ingredients so that you would be able to follow a recipe smoothly and be able to prepare a delicious feast. It is therefore important that you understand the terms that you are going to find in an Indian food recipe so listed below are some of the common ones you'll find:

• Bhunao. This means to stir fry or to sauté. Usual ingredients fried in oil are onions, garlic, tomatoes, ginger, and green chilies. When you sauté, remember to cook evenly and not let the ingredients stick on the pan.
• Dum. It is a method of steaming food in a tightly sealed pot.
• Sekhna. This is to pan roasting nuts and breads.
• Talna. It is to fry, deep or shallow frying.
• Masala. This is a combination of grounded or pounded spices, herbs, and other seasonings. If added with liquids such as water or vinegar, it will be called a wet masala.
• Baghar. This is tempering done by carefully adding herbs and spices on hot oil. It may be done either at the start or at the last part of cooking.
• Basmati rice. This is a very common type of rice used in Indian cuisines. It has a unique nutty flavor.
• Boti kabab. These are cubes of meat that are marinated and then cooked in a tandoor.
• Tandoor. It is a clay oven or pot that is common for cooking meats, breads, etc.
• Tandoori. This is the term used to indicate that a food is cooked using a Tandoor.
• Saag. This is another term for spinach or for other green leafy vegetables.
• Ghee. It a clarified of butter used to cook most dishes.
• Balchao. This is when vegetables or seafood are pickled in a mixture of spices, vinegar, and sugar.

So there you have it. Basic terms that you would find in Indian food recipe have been introduced. Remember, understanding these terms will greatly help in your following of Indian recipes.