After a meal of tandoori chicken, freshly cooked naan or any other wonderful Indian dish, you might hunger for more Indian flair in the meals you cook at home. However, if you are not of Indian descent and have only had Indian food in local restaurants, you may not know how to start creating various Indian meals other than to start by looking up recipes. Here are overall tips that may make Indian food more accessible for you so you can start making delicious meals throughout the week.
Avoid Curry Powder
After eating a particularly tasty chicken or lamb curry from your favorite Indian restaurant franchise, you may want to try your hand at creating such a dish. It's likely that you'll first reach for the curry powder that's located in the spice aisle of your supermarket. However, it's vital to understand that the powder labeled "curry powder" is not really an Indian-based spice or blend; instead, it was formulated in western countries to approximate the curry taste and contains spices that are typically not included in real Indian fare. If you want to be truly authentic, instead reach for a garam masala blend of spices; the masala blend, based on tomatoes and onions, is more closely related to what traditional Indian cooks use when creating their own curries.
Use Fresh Spices
If you're like many people who want to start cooking traditional Indian dishes, you might be heartened by the fact that the spice section of your supermarket has many plants and powders for you to select. You may opt for powders because you think you'll be able to use various spices over time and they won't go bad as quickly. What you've got to realize, however, is that the flavors of fresh herbs and spices are much more lively than those in powders. You may decide that certain dishes don't taste as good as those you experience in Indian restaurants, and the difference could be as simple as fresh ingredients versus powders.
Eat Out Regularly
It may seem strange to recommend eating out when you're hoping to start cooking your own Indian meals, but eating out can provide enormous inspiration. You can get used to the various flavor profiles used in different dishes, and you can ask the waitstaff about what ingredients are used to produce different tastes and different textures. By sampling as many foods as you can, you can get a feel for what you like and what dishes you want to recreate.
With these tips, creating delectable Indian-inspired meals is likely to seem more possible. Visit local Indian restaurant franchises to try different kinds of foods and to get ideas about what you might start making at your own house. To learn more, contact a company like Deccan Spice.