Make dishes extra-special

V.K. SANTOSH KUMAR

Indian food is tasty, healthy and always contains the nicest spices.

While each dish varies by region, the typical Indian dish contains around seven different ingredients and an infinite array of fresh spices, each bringing its own unique flavor to the table.

Saurabh Udinia (right), one of India's most exciting young chefs, shares tips that can help make your cooking of Indian dishes extra-special.

The 34-year-old, who made Indian brands such as Masala Library and Farzi Cafe globally famous, lives in Singapore.

He is the executive chef and partner at the avant-garde Indian restaurant Revolver (a name that depicts fiery dishes) on Tras Street, where he curated an exciting menu that focuses on fire-cooking and features signature dishes such as Wagyu Scotch Eggs, Kulchettes and Lobster Manchurian.

Trick to using curry leaves

Add curry leaves in two stages when cooking a stew: Add half directly to the hot oil while it is tempering and the remaining chopped leaves five minutes before finishing the recipe.

This gives the dish a better and more rounded flavour.

Elevate powdered spices

Powdered spices like red chilli, turmeric, cumin and other blends burn and lose their aroma, colour and flavour when added directly to hot oil.

To prevent that, mix the spices with an equal quantity of water before adding it to your dish. The finish will be more balanced.

Be sustainable with vegetables

Apart from bitter vegetables like bittergourd and tubers, most vegetables can be cooked and eaten with the skin on.

Using whole vegetables saves time and makes a dish more nutritious, and most importantly, sustainable.

Use seasonal fruits and vegetables

Make the most of your home cooking by opting for seasonal fruits and vegetables.

Not only does this diversify your recipes but it's also much more environment-friendly, tastes better and costs less.

Add pulses

Optimise the flavours in your dish by adding pulses (dried beans, lentils, split peas or chickpeas). They are among the most sustainable foods as they can adapt to climate change and isolate carbon in the soil, thus decreasing methane emissions.

Furthermore, pulses are rich in fibre, nutrients and plant protein. Make the most of grilling

A very hot grill prevents food from sticking to it during cooking.

Sear the meat on the grill and remove it for a few minutes before putting it back on for a couple more minutes.

Letting the meat rest is important for even cooking and allows for a juicier, more tender final dish.

X

அதற்குள்ளாகவா? இந்தச் செய்திகளையும் படிக்கலாமே!

அதற்குள்ளாகவா?
இந்தச் செய்திகளையும் படிக்கலாமே!