Mango Lassi

Mango lassi garnished with almonds and cashewnuts

Lassi is a cold, yoghurt-based drink of the Indian subcontinent. It is very nourishing and refreshing and is favoured by everyone especially during hot summer afternoons.

Here is a recipe for one of the drink variations- Mango Lassi. You can’t really go wrong with mango lassi. It’s very easy and quick to make.

Ingredients:

-½ can of Kesar mango pulp

-½ cup of plain yoghurt

-2 or 3 Tbsp of sugar (depends on how sweet you like it)

-Milk (or non-diary alternative)

Place all the ingredients in the blender and blend until smooth. Pour lassi into tall glasses.

You can garnish it with strands of saffron or chopped nut or almonds. It can also be decorated with a spoon of whipped cream.

 Indian Lassiwallah

Make the mango lassi to your taste. Everyone has different taste so ingredients ratio will vary for everyone. You can also add more ingredients to enhance the flavour of your lassi.

Other common options:

-          Like mango flavour? Add more mango pulp or blend the fresh mango instead and garnish your drink with small fruit chops.

-          If you want more drink-like add some water of put a few ice cubes in- let them dilute your lassi. For thick and creamy consistence add more yoghurt. Wanna make a dessert out of it- add a scoop of ice cream.

-          To add a ‘spicy kick’ to your lassi use some ground ginger or cardamom powder or even a pinch of medium hot chilli powder.

-          For a tangy and thirst quenching taste add some lime or lemon juice. (But remember you’ll have to add less yoghurt then!)

-          Replace sugar with honey. Or you can also add salt instead of sugar if you prefer.

-          Try it with a hint of rose water. Just add a few drops to enjoy the distinctive flavour.

-          Bored of mango already? Try different fruit like strawberries, bananas, etc. Be   brave and mix a few flavours together. 

No strict rules with this recipe. You can alternate it to your preferences. Play with it and create your own perfect recipe. And don’t forget to share it with us in your comments!!!

Masala Chai- Indian Spiced Tea

It's high time to start with our recipes. Here is something very easy to prepare for the beginning and very typical for South Asian Cuisine- Masala Chai (Spiced Tea).

India runs on chai. This unique and addictive brew is often consumed by Indians up to 4-5 times a day.

Milky, sweet drink is brewed up for a while and it's a perfect antidote to the heat and stress of Indian travel. It will awaken your senses, give you an energy boost and make you feel alive.

Chai Wallahs are everywhere- from busy street corners, train platforms, to pilgrimage sites in the middle of nowhere. When you need a cup of tea, the chai wallah is always near!

Wherever you go in India, on nearly every corner you can find a Chai Wallah- street vendor specializing in making tea all day long.  It's incredibly popular and incredibly cheap- for a steaming glass of tea you'll pay only about 5 rupees (approx. £0.06).

There is no fixed recipe and preparation method for perfect chai and many families and shops have they own unique versions of tea. 

I'm gonna show you the way I make it at home-  following traditional recipe, which is used by hundreds of thousands of Indian housewives.

First of all you'll need the basic ingredients: 

-Strong black teabags (of your choice)

-Water

- Milk (full fat is the best, but semi-skimmed will also do the job)

-Sugar

- Green Cardamom pods

-Cloves

-Cinnamon sticks

-Fresh Ginger 

-Black pepper

Ingredients should be fresh for the best results, but things like cinnamon or ginger can be substituted by their powder versions.

Traditionally cardamom is a dominant note, supplemented by other spices.

Star anise and fennel seeds are also commonly used. Other possible ingredients include nutmeg, coriander, rose flavouring or liquorice root. Also a small amount of cumin, considered a "warm" spice can be used as it's known for medicinal values. 

The Kashmiri version of chai is brewed with green tea instead of black tea and has a more subtle blend of flavourings: almonds, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, and sometimes saffron. 

You can use more than one teabag, depends on how strong you want your tea to be and how many people you are making it for. (One teabag definitely won't be enough for a big pot of chai).

Simply pour some water to the pot and place in the teabag and spices.

(Spices can be crushed before adding them)

Bring to boil.

Some people add milk to the mixture at the beginning, but I personally prefer to check first that the tea gets dark and strong enough so the spices and sweeteners do not overpower its taste.

When you're happy with the strength of the tea, add milk and cook for another few minutes.

Keep stirring continuously. 

Add sugar to taste.

The standard water and milk ratio is 1:1 (1 cup of milk+ 1 cup of water to make a cup of tea). This provides smooth taste of chai. However it depends on personal preference.

You can add a bit more water if you don't like it too thick and milky. And also don't forget some water will evaporate in the process.

Now your chai can be strained and is ready to serve. 

Whatever you do remember good Indian food, is never cooked in hurry. The longer you brew your chai the more delicious it gets. Chai making can be fun and it's time well spent.

Culinary tour round India.

As I mentioned in previous post Indian cuisine is more complex than many of us would assume. The dishes and ingredients used vary remarkably from region to region. But really it shouldn’t be so surprising in you think of a large country spreading form alpine tundra climate and glaciers in the north, through desert to tropical rainforest and monsoon climates. One thing that different regional cuisines definitely have in common is generous use of spices. Every single spice used in Indian dishes carries some or the other nutritional as well as medicinal properties.

As far as food is concerned, every state in India has its own specialities and unique food however we can very roughly divide India into four regions.

If you plan a culinary trip round India, this might come in handy.  Must try!

NORTH INDIAN CUISINE:

North India has extreme climates – summers are hot and winters are cold. There is an abundance of fresh seasonal fruit and vegetable to be had. Its geographical position results in strong Central Asian influence (especially Persian and Arab) both in the culture and its food. The Mughal influence can be spotted in meat-eating habits among many North Indians.

Due to drastic weather changes throughout the year and the life style of population residing in North India (hard-working, hale and hearty people i.e. Punjabi farmers) the food is nutritious, rich and heavy.  

North Indian curries are thick, moderately spicy and creamy gravies. Thanks to the wide range of fruit and vegetable is available at all times of the year, the region can pride itself on dazzling selection of vegetarian dishes. Dried fruit and nuts are also commonly used. Dairy products like milk, cream, cottage cheese, ghee (clarified butter) and yoghurt play an important role in the cooking of both savory and sweet dishes. Other speciality of the region is rich variety of flat breads, which North Indians prefer over rice. The region is home to the tandoori roti and naans (made in a clay tandoor oven), stuffed parathas (flaky Indian bread with different kinds of vegetarian and non-vegetarian fillings) and kulchas (bread made from fermented dough). Rice may not be so popular but it’s usually turned into elaborate biryanis and pulaos (pilafs).

North Indian and Punjabi Cuisine is the one widespread in most of British takeaways and Asian restaurants and is mistakenly referred to as traditional Indian Cuisine.

Making chapattis

Traditional tandoori oven, commonly used for preparation of North Indian dishes

SOUTH INDIAN CUISINE:

South India has hot, humid climate and all its states are coastal.

Southern Indians generally speaking, have been more orthodox in their tastes, probably because eating meat when it is hot all year round can be difficult. Therefore the cuisine is largely vegetarian. Due to advantageous weather, the supply of fresh fruit, vegetables and rice is abundant. South Indian meal is complete without rice or rice-based dishes.

Rice is combined with Sambaar (a soup-like lentil dish tempered with whole spices and chillies) and rasam (a hot-sour soup like lentil dish), dry and curried vegetables and meat dishes and a host of coconut-based chutneys and poppadoms (deep-fried crispy lentil pancakes). The southern states make great use of spices. South Indian cuisine is perhaps the hottest of all Indian food. Curries are mainly dry and fiery.  Thanks to the location fish and seafood is highly popular in the coastal areas. Coconut and tamarind are also commonly used.

South Indians are great lovers of filtered coffee. This very sweet and milky drink is often equivalent for masala chai.

South Indian thali, served on banana leaf

Hottest chillies in the world have their origin in South India

EAST INDIAN CUISINE:

Home to beaches and mountains and regions with the highest rainfall in the world, Eastern India grows a lot of rice. Green vegetables and fruit are also grown widely. The geographical location means the food bears the strong influence of Chinese and Mongolian cuisine, which is shown by using some unusual ingredients like bamboo shoots.

Simple is the key word for food of this region in India. Preparation and ingredients are usually not elaborate. Steaming and frying are popular methods of cooking. Food items are spiced in a delicate manner.

Same as in South India rice is a staple. As people are a balanced mix of vegetarian and non-vegetarian fish is often a food of choice (especially in the costal state of West Bengal). Further inland, pork wins the popularity contest. Some of India’s most popular and world-renowned sweets come from here. Especially milk-based like Rasogullas', 'Sandesh', 'Cham-cham' are adored by local people.

Eastern Cuisine famous for rice and fish specialities

WEST INDIAN CUISINE:

This region probably has the most diverse styles of food in India. The food is usually categorized within different states.

Rajasthani food is spicy and largely vegetarian but also includes many delicious meat dishes like Laal Maas (red meat curry). In its hot and dry climate vegetables are often preserved as pickles and chutneys. Also immense variety of daals substitutes the relative lack of fresh vegetables in the area. 

Gujarati cuisine is known for its slight sweet touch (at least a pinch of sugar is added to most dishes!) and is traditionally entirely vegetarian.

Thaali (a large plate) is the Gujarati style of eating and a meal can consist of as many as 10 different vegetable dishes, rice, chapatti (Indian bread) and sweets! The Gujaratis love snacks (known as Farsan) and cook a huge variety of them.

In Maharashtra, coastal areas are famous for Malvani cuisine (fresh coconut-based hot and sour curries with fish and seafood) while the interiors have the more frugal, Vidharba cuisine which uses a lot of dry coconut. The food is a happy combination of north and south. Both rice and wheat are included in their diets. A lot of fish and seafood is available along the long coastline.

Goan food is rich, piquant and strongly flavoured by coconut, red chillies and vinegar. Its also dominated by seafood.

One can notice Portuguese influence in the cooking style as well as in the dishes. Some of the major dishes of this region are the sweet and sour Vindaloo, duck baffad, sorpotel and egg molie. As most Goans are Catholic, this is the only state in India where you can eat beef. As they also enjoy a drink, you may be tempted to try Kingfisher- India's most recognized and widely available beer. Very popular in Goa!

Vegetables & fruit market in Rajasthan

Fresh seafood to try- Goa

Flavours of the subcontinent...

So let’s start from the beginning. First stop on our journey is South Asia with its diverse, rich and fragrant dishes. So before we start cooking let’s find out something about the cuisine that conquers the hearts all over the world. I’ll try my best to retrieve all the information Tom introduced in His presentation and summarize it J

South Asian cuisine also known as Desi cuisine consists of thousands of regional cuisines which date back thousands of years. It’s as diverse as Desi culture and has been strongly influenced by food from neighbouring regions and cultures, particularly from Muslim cultures of the Middle East and Central Asia, such as Persia, the Turkic and Arab countries and also European Colonialists like British or Portuguese. 

Most known and remarkable families of South Asian cookery are: Indian (North Indian, South Indian, etc.), Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Sri Lankan, Nepalese, Buthanese cuisines

They vary from region to region, offering a wide assortment of dishes and cooking techniques. I think the most important reason for this diversity is religion. On Indian subcontinent many religions mixed and existed together for ages influencing the cuisine. Majority of India is Hindu, followed by Muslims, Sikhs, Christians, Buddhists and Jain.

HINDU

Major paths of Hinduism hold vegetarianism as an ideal, therefore most of Hindus are vegetarians. They used a wide range of legumes for proteins. They perfectly cooked countless vegetable recipes and 95% of Hindus consumes dairy products Brahmins of East India, Pundits in Kashmir and untouchables are allowed to eat some meat (usually slaughter as Jhatka) and fish. Hindus do not eat Beef. They respect the cow as a matriarchal figure for her gentle qualities and providing nurturing milk and its products for a largely vegetarian diet. The animal is often considered as sacred. In India, sale of beef is illegal except for the state of Goa.

MUSLIM

As the second largest religion in India Muslim tradition is most evident in the cooking of meats. Muslims do not eat Pork and are not allowed to consume alcohol. The meat must be ritually slaughtered as Halal for Muslims. Beef is also avoided to respect the traditions of both cultures. The Muslim culture added exotic Mughlai cuisine to Indian culinary culture. Rice pulaos of India with the mixture of meat became biryani and meat roasts like lamb kebabs were flavoured with Indian herbs, spices and seasonings. Due to this influence, Indian dishes became garnished with almonds, pistachios, cashews and raisins.

Muslims also introduced leavened breads and tandoor style of cooking. Meats were now marinated in yogurt and spices and also cooked in tandoors. Apart from the idea of concluding a meal with sweetmeats, the Muslim culture also introduced the idea of community dinning and lavish and extravagant banquets in India along with serving dishes in jade, silver and Chinese porcelain.

Just by looking at the menu of surrounding street kitchens you can easily recognise when you enter Muslim area.

JAIN

Jains are lacto vegetarians who do not eat Food which contains even small particles of the bodies of dead animals or eggs.  The Jain diet has grains like wheat, rice, lentils or pulses and beans, oil-seeds as they fall under the category of non-injurious food.  Fruits and vegetables which become ripe on the plants or trees are used for food. root vegetables, figs, honey and alcohol are rather unacceptable. Some Jains support veganism and even avoid dairy products.

SIKH

Most of Sikhs are vegetarians but they are not bound to be meat free. However only vegetarian food is served in the Gurdwaras (Sikh temples). The meat must be slaughtered as Jhatka for Sikhs and they are prohibited from eating other ritually-slaughtered food (Halal, Kosher, etc.)

Sikh devotees prepare food at Gurdwara

CHRISTIAN

Christians are non-vegetarians. They have no preference how the animal is slaughtered. Christians incorporated grilled pork chops after they were marinated in spices and chillies. Soups and salads were introduced. Whisky was brought to India and spicy tea came into existence. Many new recipes and dishes were influenced by Christians such as cutlets, croquettes, sausages, cakes, puddings, jams, and biscuits.

It’s often categorised within geographical regions because of certain type of ingredients available and also nutrition and diet fitted to lifestyle of residents of particular region. I will try to cover these differences in my next post. 

"The discovery of a new dish does more for the happiness of mankind than the discovery of a star." Anthelme Brillat-Savarin

Cooking is a noble and creative art of preparing food, using various techniques and ingredients that reflect unique traditions. 
Our passion for cooking lead us to join International Cookery course at Kirklees College. On this course we want to develop knowledge about food preparation, improve our cooking skills and explore various culinary traditions from all over the world. 


The Cooks International is a weblog about cooking, recipes, food, and the kitchen.  We will be updating news from the course, completed with pictures, recipes, useful links and comments. You will be able to follow our progress and hopefully find some interesting ideas here. 
So please join us in our journey around the world. Let's cook!