INTRODUCTION FROM A COLLECTION OF SIMPLE ANGLO-INDIAN RECIPES - by Bridget White
A FEW TIPS ON
HOW TO GET THE AUTHENTIC TASTE OF ANGLO-INDIAN DISHES COOKED BY GRANDMA
“The Joy of
cooking begins with using the right ingredients”
In
order to get the authentic and well remembered taste of Grandma’s Anglo-Indian Curries and Side
dishes, it is always advisable to use only the right ingredients that are
called for in the recipe.
The
secret of good, tasty cooking is the right proportion of ingredients that are
to be used in cooking a particular dish. While preparing any dish, a perfectly
balanced mix of the various ingredients should be maintained since adding even
a little more or less can ruin it. Another important aspect is to extract the
correct strength of a spice and never overstate it.
It
is always advisable, to use good quality condiments and spices. Anglo-Indian
Cooking specifically makes use of these commonly available ingredients: namely
chillies, cumin, pepper, turmeric, coriander (either whole or in powder form)
and whole spices. So ensure that the expiry date has not lapsed while shopping
for these ingredients.
As
far as possible use ginger and
garlic paste that is ground at home in a blender using fresh root ginger and
garlic. The readymade ginger and garlic paste available in stores around the
world contain vinegar / acetic acid and other preservatives. These detract from
the original taste of the Curry giving it a completely different flavour.
If
fresh homemade ginger and garlic paste is not available, then Garlic Powder
could be used instead of fresh garlic. One teaspoon of garlic powder is equal
to a whole garlic, so half a teaspoon would suffice. Ginger powder too can be
substituted for fresh ginger. One teaspoon of dry ginger powder mixed with ¼
cup of water is equal to 2 teaspoons of fresh ginger paste, so half a teaspoon
of ginger powder would be equal to 1 teaspoon of fresh ginger paste.
A
good curry depends on the right ingredients and the time taken to fry the
onions and other ingredients which give it depth and body. The onions should be
chopped or diced finely. This will ensure that the onions will fry evenly and
create a base for the curry by combining the flavours of all the other
ingredients. Take care however, not to burn the onions and garlic while frying
or the curry would taste unpleasant.
While
using dry spice powders, always mix them together with a little water before
adding them to fried onions. This spice mixture should be fried on low heat for
at least 3 or 4 minutes, to eliminate their raw taste. The delightful aroma
will let you know when the spices are fried enough. If the spice mix looks dry
and starts to burn, add a little more water or chopped tomatoes if the recipe
calls for it. When the oil starts to separate from the mixture you could add
the meat and fry it in this spice mix for five to ten minutes. This helps seal
the meat slightly and retain its moisture.
Care
should be taken to cook fresh and tender meat whenever possible. If the meat is marinated or mixed with the
curry stuff or curry powder for some time before cooking, it not only locks in
the flavours and juices but also helps to tenderize the meat so that cooking
time is reduced considerably.
Any good cooking oil could be used in the
preparation of Anglo-Indian dishes such as Sun flower Oil, groundnut Oil or
even Olive Oil depending on one’s preference. Use only White Non-Fruit Vinegar
or Malt Vinegar in the dishes calling for Vinegar as fruit based vinegars could
change the taste of the dish.
Avoid
random garnishing of every dish with chopped coriander / cilantro / celery as
these ingredients change the flavour and taste of a dish. Garnish only if the
recipe says to do so.
Timing
is also very important. A dish should never be under or over cooked or else it
loses its flavours and nutrients
Finally,
follow the recipe for each dish scrupulously. Don’t experiment by adding or
changing ingredients as the dish wouldn’t taste the way it should have. Each
dish calls for certain ingredients and the spices and condiments should be used
judiciously in each dish, so as to bring out the flavour and strength of each
spice or ingredient. Therein lies the secret of ANGLO-INDIAN CUISINE
To
conclude in the words of Wolfgang Puck “Cooking is like Painting a Picture or
Writing a Song. Just like there are only so many Colours or Notes, there are
only so many flavours - It’s how you combine them that sets you apart”
