Food & health living made easy 04 09 2015

Cooking Made Easy ‘Instant’ & ‘Ready-To-Cook’ Indian Foods If you like to eat Indian Cuisine but dont know the recipe or don’t know incredients or just don’t want to spend time on cooking then here are Instant/Ready-to-eat/Ready-toCook Foods for you!

There are many companies which provide vast range of Ready-toCook and Ready-to-Eat products which are Easy to Use – Preparation time has reduced to 10 mins! Easy to Cook – Just put it boiling water or microwave. Ready literally Instantly. Easily Available in India

26. food&health . August 2015

and Overseas And gives taste of homemade-restaurant quality food… Out of the several brands, I have used GITS and MTR which are well known brands in India and are famous for their Ready-to-Eat and Ready-to-Cook dishes which include both Sweet and Savory. They offer all types of food – breakfast, lunch and dinner.

1) GITS was established in 1963 and has been very popular for its instant sweet mixes. As a kid, I remember homemade Gulab Jamun (indian sweet dish) meant Gits! These days they also offer ready-to-eat food

which are extremely liked. They have a wide network all over the world and have partnered with many stores such as Tesco, Walmart, Carrefour to name a few. For more details on their range of products, visit comapny website Watch clips of GITS ready-to-cook dishes here – Medu Vada, Rava Dosa, Upma, Uttapam, Rasam, Sambar, Pakora/Pakoda, Dahi Vada, Basundi, Kulfi, Jilebi, Rasmalai, Kheer, Kalakand. Also they have a range of ready-to-eat vegetable curries, daal (lentlis) and rice/Pulao/Biryani.

Homemaking is a mainly Indian term for the management of a home, otherwise known as housework, housekeeping, or household management. It is the act of overseeing the organizational, dayto-day operations of a house or estate, and the managing of other domestic concerns. A person in charge of the homemaking, who isn't employed outside the homemaker, a gender-neutral term for a housewife or a househusband. The term "homemaker", however, may also refer to a social worker who manages a household during the incapacity of the housewife or househusband.

Housework is not always a lifetime commitment; many, for economic or personal reasons, return to the workplace. In previous decades, there were many mandatory courses for the young to learn the skills of homemaking. In high school, courses included cooking, nutrition, home economics, family and consumer science (FACS), and food and cooking hygiene. This last one may underlie the tradition that a homemaker is portrayed wearing an apron. More recently, most of these courses have been abolished, and many youths in high school and college would be more likely to study child development and the management of children's behavior.

The Indian Essentials

Kitchen:

Equipment

What are the basic tools everyone who cooks Indian food regularly needs? There are as many answers to that question as there are cooks, but a few basic items will easily get you through the vast majority of Indian recipes. If you have a big passion for the kitchen and all things shiny, it can be easy to convince yourself that you need that gleaming specialty pot, which makes only one specific item that is made on only one special day of the year. But for a city dweller with a small kitchen, I’ve got to keep things pared down to just the essentials.

If you are trying Indian cooking for the first time, you probably already have most of the equipment you

.

food&health August 2015

. 27

A Cutting Board Again, another basic you probably already have. I’ve seen a surprising amount of cooks cut directly on their kitchen counters and nothing will dull your knife faster than cutting items without a cutting board. A versatile sized cutting board is at least 12 by 18 inches. This will be large enough for you to prep all the foundational ingredients in one place. will need. Here are the basics I recommend. Let’s start with a few tools you probably already own and if not, can be found easily in most American stores.

A Sharp Knife With all the chopping of onions and garlic and prepping of vegetables, every cook, Indian or otherwise, should have a nice sharp knife in their kitchen. Surprisingly, a lot of us don’t. For a long time all I had was my cheap seven dollar, six inch chef’s knife which had long ago lost it’s edge. I kept thinking I’ll get myself a nice high quality knife and it will make me a much better cook.

Then I realized I could take my seven dollar knife and get it professionally sharpened for seven more dollars. I now have a wonderfully sharp knife for less than fifteen dollars.

A great all purpose knife is a chef’s knife. They come in various lengths of 6-inches, 8-inches, 10 and even 12-inches. The length you need depends on what is most comfortable for you. Even the most expensive knife is worth nothing if it doesn’t feel comfortable in your

28. food&health . August 2015

hand. Think about how you use your knife. If you cut lots of longer, thicker items, a longer blade might be useful to you so you don’t have to saw back and forth. I cut mostly onions, garlic and small bunches of herbs so a six-inch knife works great for me. I also have smaller hands, so wielding a larger knife feels awkward. I spent a day in the kitchen with my uncle, an avid cook who has a kitchen full of gadgets and a drawer full of knifes. He told me he has both a six-inch and an eightinch chef’s knife. However, he

hardly ever uses the 8-inch because his favorite cutting board is quite small. These are the practical things to consider when buying a knife.

Keep your knife sharp by using a honing steel before every use. The blade takes some wear and tear, especially from daily cooking so you need to realign the blade and keep the edge maintained with three to five swipes across the honing steel before each use. Once a year, I take my knife to be professionally sharped.

Many Indian recipes use a base of onions, garlic, ginger, chilies, and tomatoes. You can prep all of these on one board, making it easy to add them quickly as needed. It will also be large enough to use for rolling out pie doughs, pizza doughs or cookies.

Hardwood cutting boards and plastic cutting boards are both great. If you get plastic, make sure it’s made of polypropylene, which is nonporous and therefore will resist dirt and bacteria growth.

It’s also dishwasher safe, an added plus. Hardwood is also a great option. Keep it away from heat and sanitize them every month or two by washing it in a solution of 2 cups water mixed with a 1/2 teaspoon of bleach. Rinse well, then let it air dry.

Designate one cutting board for non-veg items such as poultry, meat and fish and a separate cutting board for vegetables and fruits.

This will ensure you do not have cross contamination of food-borne bacteria.

If all your cutting boards look alike, just label the sides with a permanent marker.

Pans I find the sauté pan to be a great allpurpose pan. A sauté pan looks very similar to a frying pan except the sides of the sauté pan are completely straight, whereas the sides of a frying pan are curved. I prefer a sauté pan because the straight sides keep food from flying out of the pan when stirring and it’s much easy to flip and toss the food around when the sides of the pan are straight.

It’s handy to have both a nonstick pan and an aluminum pan. Nonstick pans are great for quicker cleanup and allow you to stir less frequently.

For dishes which don’t use browning and also need longer cooking times (especially dishes which need you to cover the pan and cook for longer periods of time, nonstick is a good choice.

and garlic in stages, use aluminum.

I wouldn’t recommend stainless steel cookware because food seem to stick to it easier. Stainless steel and aluminum look almost identical so be sure to look at what the pan is made of before you buy.

However, if you need to brown onions or garlic, an aluminum pan will do it in half the time. So for making a dish that involves browning onions

This is the pan you will use for making tadka. Tadka an Indian cooking technique of heating up spices and aromatics such as onions

A Small Saucepan

.

food&health August 2015

. 29

are going to be trying a lot of Indian recipes. It’s so easy to quickly grind whole spices before adding them to a dish. Store bought pre-ground spices can never have the flavor of freshly ground spices.

Using a simple coffee grinder works best. You get a very fine powder in about ten seconds. I recommend using a seperate coffee grinder for your spices. Don’t use the same one you use for your coffee. The flavors do not blend well.

and garlic to make a delicious concentration of flavor which is then added to a dish. Tadka is a great tool for refreshing leftovers. Hubby claims that leftovers are his favorite because the tadka adds more flavor than when it was first made. A small rounded pan, such as a small saucier pan is best for faster cooking.

Cooking Utensils You only need a few basics. Have on hand at least two wooden mixing spoons. Find ones with long handles so you don’t burn your hand from the steam coming out of the pan.

30. food&health . August 2015

I also have tongs available, which serve an extension of your hands when needing to handle hot objects or easily turn a mushroom or fish out an ear of corn from boiling water. A mesh wire spoon or a slotted spoon is perfect for scooping out deep fried foods from hot oil. I have a long handled metal spoon which is great for stirring and also handy for scooping up dals and curries into serving dishes.

A Spice Grinder (aka a coffee grinder) This is a must have in an Indian kitchen, especially if you know you

use too much pressure on the dough which can make it stick.

I also like to use my small chapatti board as a cutting board for smaller items. It’s smaller size makes it easier to handle.

Western substitute: any rolling pin and board, just make sure to maintain a round shape as you roll the dough and do not press too hard with the heavier and larger rolling pins.

A Food Processor

Chapatti Griddle

While a good knife can accomplish all the same things as a food processor, this kitchen tool is a great time saver. Mince garlic and green chilies in seconds, create a quick onion paste or make a wonderfully smooth curry sauce without any elbow grease.

These small griddles made out of iron are used in India specifically for chapatis and other flat-breads.

They come both curved and flat. I use a flat version as I have an electric stove and curved cookware doesn’t sit well on flat electric coils. If you have a gas stove you can use either.

The curved version is more popular in India.

The next few items can be found at an Indian market, but can be easily substituted with western equivalents.

Chapatti Rolling Pin & Board If you are going to make chappatis on a reqular basis, I recommend getting the authentic rolling pin and board. The small round shape is a great guide for keeping the dough looking round as you roll it out and the tiny rolling pin is easy to handle and light enough so that you don’t

enough for seven different spices.

I like to grind up enough spices to fill these little compartments, which usually last me about a week.

Western Substitute: Use your own favorite spice storage system.

The best ones make it easy to find, easy to reach and quick to get into.

Pressure Cooker I cannot praise these enough. If you are making rice or cooking lentils, this wonderful pot will cut your cooking time in half. There are two basic types.

An Indian Spice Box

One is a whistle release, which release the pressure in short, sharp whistles. Another version release the pressure in a steady stream of steam.

I prefer the whistle release version as I’ve had many Indian cooks give me cooking times in terms of whistles “let it cook for five whistles”.

Pressure cookers also come in different locking styles, one where the top fits inside the pot and latches on to the handle, the other where the top fits on the outside of the pot and twists on securely.

Keep all your daily spices within one easy reach by storing them in an Indian style spice box. These are usually made out of stainless steel but also come in plastic. They have little individual compartments, usually

The version you see above is the style where the top fits inside the pot. These are the typical style used in Indian home kitchens and can be purchased at an Indian grocery store.

Western substitute: Any flat cookware at least 8-inches wide.

Anything you would use to make pancakes on will work fine.

.

food&health August 2015

. 31

blend that gives you an experience which is unforgettable.

Ready-to-eat (RTE) branded meals that require you to do little more than empty the contents from a vacuum sealed plastic pack and heat, have already become a mainstay in most urban kitchens.

More women are out at work, everyone's spending longer hours in the office and refrigerators come in jumbo sizes. No surprises then that the RTE market in India.

Kellogg’s: From cereals to snacks, Kellogg’s is one of India’s oldest instant food brands that began with the humble Cornflakes in 1994, a meal that most of us have had once in our lifetime for sure. Today, Kellogg’s sells a variety of healthy and tasty breakfast cereal varieties in a number of exciting flavors, oats, muesli, instant snacks and is doing a great job at it too!

MTR: Established in 1924 as a restaurant in Bangalore, it was the founding family, the Maiya’s that decided to

expand the business and out came the instant mixes, pickles, papads, ready-to-eat curries and gravies, milk beverages, spices and more and has today left footprints of its success all across the globe.

McCain: Fairly new to the Indian market, McCain foods is a subsidiary of its Canadian counterpart and has been involved in agricultural R&D since 1998 in India.

Today, McCain provides a range of delicious ready-to-eat frozen food like McCain French fries, Aloo Tikki, Smilies, Cheesy bites, and other delectable snack items that all you need to do is unfreeze, and fry!

ITC India (Kitchens of India): With brands such as Kitchens of India that sell ready-to-cook curries, rice dishes you just have to heat and serve, pickles and the likes, it’s indeed an easy-peasy foray into the gourmet world and really not that difficult to ask for delicious goodies almost every day, sans the trouble of cooking them.

Meal On the Board Ready to eat Taste the combined benefits of convenience, health and variety range of delicious North Indian and South Indian recipes, to give you a taste of food which taste just like fresh home cooked food. It is your ready help in kitchen for authentic taste, variety of choices in different Indian cuisines and high on convenience. Our range currently

32. food&health . August 2015

comprises of Soups, Vegetable curries, Paneer gravies and various rice items.

Each item on our Ready-To-Eat menu is natural, preservativefree and 100% vegetarian. Our technology also ensures that each item delivers that 'just-cooked' freshness straight on your plate!

Eating a healthy diet is a way of living a healthy lifestyle. it is all

the more enjoyable is some of the tempting delicacies are made in such a way that they become a part os a healthy diet. A reason why kohinoor rice treat brings you some of the selected indian rice dishes that are not only truly authentic in taste, but also contribute to your health as they are cooked in such a way that they have a very have a very low content of cholesterol and almost no trans fat. with a perfect

.

food&health August 2015

. 33

Indian Hotel Culture Etiquette of Indian dining

depend upon the situation.

As in many cultures, proper habits of eating and drinking are very important. Dining etiquette is widely respected in parts of Indian culture, local customs, traditions, and religions. Proper table manners vary from culture to culture, although there are always a few basic rules that are important to follow. Etiquette should be observed when dining in any Indian household or restaurant, though the acceptable standards

The traditional food of India has been widely appreciated for its fabulous use of herbs and spices.

Indian cuisine is known for its large assortment of dishes. The cooking style varies from region to region and is largely divided into South Indian & North Indian cuisine. India is quite famous for its diverse multi cuisine available in a large number of restaurants and hotel resorts, which is reminiscent of unity in

34. food&health . August 2015

diversity. The staple food in India includes wheat, rice and pulses with chana (Bengal Gram) being the most important one. In modern times Indian pallete has undergone a lot of change. In the last decade, as a result of globalisation, a lot of Indians have travelled to different parts of the world and vice versa there has been a massive influx of people of different nationalities in India.

This has resulted in Indianisation of various international cuisines.

Nowadays, in big metro cities one

can find specialised food joints of international cuisines. To know more about the Indian traditional food, read on.

seed, cumin seed, aniseed, and black cumin seed. The specialty of Bengali food lies in the perfect blend of sweet and spicy flavors.

The traditional food of India has been widely appreciated for its fabulous use of herbs and spices.

Indian cuisine is known for its large assortment of dishes. The cooking style varies from region to region and is largely divided into South Indian & North Indian cuisine. India is quite famous for its diverse multi cuisine available in a large number of restaurants and hotel resorts, which is reminiscent of unity in diversity. The staple food in India includes wheat, rice and pulses with chana (Bengal Gram) being the most important one. In modern times Indian pallete has undergone a lot of change. In the last decade, as a result of globalisation, a lot of Indians have travelled to different parts of the world and vice versa there has been a massive influx of people of different nationalities in India.

This has resulted in Indianisation of various international cuisines.

Nowadays, in big metro cities one can find specialised food joints of international cuisines. To know more about the Indian traditional food, read on.

Gujarati Food

adopted in Central Asia, Persia and Afghanistan.

Mughlai Cuisine

The traditional Gujarati food is primarily vegetarian and has a high nutritional value. The typical Gujarati thali consists of varied kinds of lip smacking dishes.

Gujarati cuisine has so much to offer and each dish has an absolutely different cooking style.

Mughlai cuisine is one of the most popular cuisines, whose origin can be traced back to the times of Mughal Empire. Mughlai cuisine consists of the dishes that were prepared in the kitchens of the royal Mughal Emperors. Indian cuisine is predominantly influenced by the cooking style practiced during the Mughal era.

Kashmiri Food

Punjabi Food

Kashmiri food that we have today in the restaurants has evolved over the years. Highly influenced by the traditional food of the Kashmiri pundits, it has now taken some of the features of the cooking style

The cuisine of Punjab has an enormous variety of mouthwatering vegetarian as well as non vegetarian dishes. The spice content ranges from minimal to pleasant to high. Punjabi food is usually relished

Bengali Food Bengali cuisine is appreciated for its fabulous use of panchphoron, a term used to refer to the five essential spices, namely mustard, fenugreek

.

food&health August 2015

. 35

spring onion, garlic and pepper," said Peter.

On the other hand Four Points

by Sheraton offers flavours of the country through the festival that is on till August 22. "Through our festival we celebrate the diverse cultures of the country with food indigenous and quintessential to each region," said Saibal Sen, general manager of the hotel. Each day the hotel will choose a geographical region with the Best of India' menu planned for the Independence Day. "So with assorted menu from Kashmir, Himachal, Punjab, the festival would also have Macher Jhol,' Chettinad and Malabari food.

And for the dessert, you'll find the best from each state," said Sen.

South Indian Cuisine

17. Udaipur (5)

The cuisine of South India is known for its light, low calorie appetizing dishes. The traditional food of South India is mainly rice based. The cuisine is famous for its wonderful mixing of rice and lentils to prepare yummy lip smacking dosas, vadas, idlis and uttapams.

JAIPUR: Just when it was thought that the hospitality sector in the city was going through a lull, most city hotels have tossed up their platter with food festivals to celebrate the sprit of monsoon and Independence Day.

The 101 Best Luxury Hotels in India 1.

Agra (2)

2. Bangalore (14) 3. Chennai (6) 4. Dehradun (1) 5. Delhi (25) 6. Goa (4) by people of all communities. In Punjab, home cooking differs from the restaurant cooking style.

7. Hyderabad (4)

Rajasthani Food

9. Khajuraho (1)

The cuisine of Rajasthan is primarily vegetarian and offers a fabulous variety of mouthwatering dishes.

The spice content is quite high in comparison to other Indian cuisines, but the food is absolutely scrumptious. Rajasthanis use ghee for cooking most of the dishes.

Rajasthani food is well known for its spicy curries and delicious sweets.

10. Kolkata (5)

36. food&health . August 2015

8. Jaipur (7)

11. Kovalam (2) 12. Mumbai (12) 13. Pune (4) 14. Rajasthan (3) 15. Simla (3) 16. Srinagar (3)

The Wallstreet, however, is looking at fusion food and is offering 30% discount to senior citizens on the Independence Day and 15% to Indians. "I had done this in the USA where there is a lot of respect for the elderly. Here I just want to honour the elderly by making this day special for eating out," said Kasiraman Ramadass, general manager, The Wallstreet.

If the Sheraton Rajputana Hotel has especially flown in the master chef Peter Dominic Chou from the Sheraton New Delhi for a Chinese culinary festival, the Park Prime is celebrating monsoon with the Sawan Utsav'. And Four Points by Sheraton is celebrating the 63rd year of Independence with select cuisines from all over India, Foods of India'. So set your weighing scales aside and bon appetite.

"Whenever you have Chinese, each region in the country likes to localise the flavour. If down south the palate is more approving of a spicy meal, in Punjab the Chinese you have would certainly have a very distinct flavour, but on my first trip to Jaipur I've come with Chinese from the Szechuan region," said chef Peter.

The 10-day festival would only be on for dinner. "The Szechuan cuisine is pungently flavoured. Like Rajasthan we also add a lot of dry red chillies,

.

food&health August 2015

. 37