I have
imbibed many techniques you will be reading about in my site here from my
mother. She is the
Martha Stewart of our immediate and extended families, and
the ultimate expert on South Indian cooking. The discriminating
tastes and techniques I now have are due to her. Her passion for cooking the
traditional foods the authentic way is unsurpassed. Relatives
and friends visit our homes with the expectation of binging
on her
cooking. I don't think they
have ever left disappointed.
Technique
is key to tasty Indian food. It encompasses a number of things. Such as,
South Indian preparations in general use spices
like coriander, cumin, ginger, black pepper, mustard, turmeric,
curry leaves, tamarind, and red chillies. They are sautéed
dry in a heavy-bottomed wok and powdered to a fine consistency.
This blend of spices is stored for several months and added
to certain preparations. To get a good balance in taste, each
family follows its own technique. Depending on taste preference,
a variety of spices are
added to or eliminated from
the mixture. Another technique is the
wet kind, where spices are fresh and are added during the
preparation.
A heavy, round-bottomed iron wok (considerably
smaller than a Chinese wok) is a necessity in our kitchens.
Most families own a few of them -- one for frying, one for sautéing, one
for cooking small quantities, and a larger one for large quantities. The shape
of the utensil helps with even cooking, keeping food from burning or sticking
to the sides. It also helps to use of a flat spoon for sautéing.
The woks are long lasting and are usually passed down the generations. Traditional
south Indian foods at our homes are all cooked using utensils that have been
in our family for generations.
Indian cooking is mostly on the stove top. However, our basic cooking covers other types such as baking, broiling, sautéing, grilling, deep frying, steaming, stir frying, and roasting. Same vegetables with same ingredients taste completely different from one method to another. My recipes will touch on all of these methods depending on the dish. Substitute ingredients can be used without sacrificing taste.