Wednesday, October 17, 2012

Food Recipes: Cooking Healthy in the Indian Kitchen



In India, people love their food. Most even love the making part of it. It is not uncommon to find Indian women slaving in the kitchen for the whole day just so that their families can enjoy a great dinner. Indian mothers are famous for the food they cook and most people swear by their ''mother's cooking''. Indian girls are taught from a young age how to cook. Nowadays men too are not shy of the kitchen and you will find lots of husbands toiling away making something nice for their wives and kids. A lot of men are what you can call ''weekend chefs'' when they are found rustling up great food! Yes, food is a huge deal in the country. If you are an Indian or want to make Indian food, here are some tips you could follow to cook healthy.
1. Indians are known to love their butter and ''ghee'', but that does not mean that you have to use them in every meal. Indian restaurant food too contains a lot of oil but when cooking at home, health is important. So it is always a good idea to use less oil while cooking. It is really not that difficult. Unless you are making something deep-fried, like ''puris'' or ''mattris'', use little oil and let the pan get really heated up before putting on the vegetables or meats. Also, you can sprinkle a little water in the pan to prevent the curry from sticking to it. This reduces the amount of oil needed and gets you a better taste.
2. Use the pressure cooker liberally. In Indian cooking, a lot of lentils are used. Boiling them normally takes a lot of time and the nutrients too are prone to disappear. So it is a good idea to use the pressure cooker to cook lentils and even vegetables and meat. In fact, red meat is almost always cooked in the pressure cooker. Not only are the flavors absorbed in the food, but the nutrients too are optimal.
3. The use of masalas in India is extremely common. In fact you cannot cook food without the required masalas. Spices like turmeric, cumin, ginger, garlic, coriander, cloves, cardamoms, etc. promote good health and using them regularly is a very good idea. But don't go overboard as too much masalas in dishes may result in constipation or even ulcer. Use masalas but don't let it overpower the vegetables or meat it is being put into.
4. Indians love their tea and everyone has a favorite tea shop in their neighborhood. Drinking tea promotes good health as it contains antioxidants. Make tea with ginger, basil leaves or any spice you fancy for a perfect Indian cuppa! Make ''Indian Chai'' your favorite beverage!
As you can see, cooking healthy in the Indian kitchen is definitely not that hard if you know what to do. Obviously as you keep on cooking and experimenting, you may find more exciting ways of making healthy food everyday. If yes, do spread the word!
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