[Guest Post] How to cook Mouthwatering Indian Food Direct from Mumbai from Michelle Rebecca

How to Cook Mouthwatering Indian Food Direct from Mumbai

Cooking authentic Indian food is actually much easier than people realize. Indian buffets at restaurants are hit or miss, and nothing beats home cooking no matter what country it originates from. Utilizing spices, having the right kitchen gadgets, and a sense of adventure are all you need to create mouthwatering delicacies. Mumbai is the hub of India, where an influx of different regions, communities and recipes merge.

Unlike western recipes, most Indian cuisine is created to taste. That means it can be as spicy and strong as you prefer. Just like choosing the right 1987 Mustang parts, it can take a little trial and error. Start building your spice rack today and experiment until the recipes are right for you. Follow these tips that came straight from a Gujarati housewife in Mumbai.

Kitchen Must-Haves

Most Indian kitchens don’t have an oven. All traditional Indian food can be prepared on a stove top, and many dishes require a pressure cooker and frying pan. A pressure cooker is a must to prepare one of India’s best vegetarian dishes, dahl.

Moong Dahl

Fill the pressure cooker halfway with water and pre-soak one cup of split Moong dahl for at least two hours. Begin preparing the additional ingredients in a frying pan while the dahl softens (usually five whistles). Heat vegetable oil in a pan until sizzling and add 1 tsp. cumin seeds until they are brown but not burned. Shred a handful of red chilies (remove seeds to avoid spice), and dice and add two green chilies, 10 curry leaves and ¼ cup of grated fresh ginger root to the pan.

Add ¼ teaspoon of turmeric powder to taste, one full diced yellow or red onion, depending on preference, and one pinch of asafoetida. Stir the mixture in the pan and add to the dahl in the pressure cooker. Add freshly squeezed lemon juice right before serving. This is a traditional recipe that’s meant to be a bit bland, so add salt to taste.

A Delicious Dessert

Halwa or sheera is a typical, delicious Indian dessert that’s very easy to make. Melt ½ cup of ghee (Indian butter) in a pot and add four pods of cardamom, four sticks of cloves and two sticks of cinnamon. Add ½ cup of cashew pieces and ¼ cup of raisins to the pot and stir until cashews are golden brown. Add one cup of semolina and stir until there are no dry spots left.

Add two cups of water, mix well and cover the pot for two minutes. Finally, add one cup of sugar, stir again, and cover the pot for one full minute. Halwa is served warm like a pudding. Although it’s called different names throughout India, it’s a favorite dessert in every community.

Byline: Michelle is an aspiring writer with a passion for blogging. She enjoys writing about a vast variety of topics and loves that blogging gives her the opportunity to publicly voice her thoughts and share advice with an unlimited audience.