Tag: indian

Mukhwas, the Indian digestive to eat after a meal – Italian Cuisine

Colorful, refreshing, crackling. Mukhwas is the Indian digestive to be eaten at the end of the meal: this is what it is and how to prepare it at home

We are used to ending our meals, especially the more demanding ones, with a nice round of bitters and spirits of all kinds. But drinking alcohol is not the only way to digest.
At the end of a dinner at the Indian restaurant, I couldn't help being surprised when an assortment of was offered at the end of the meal seeds colored, to fill the palm of your hand and to nibble on as a snack. Is called Mukhwas: mukh means mouth, while vas it means smell. It is indeed a digestive edible that doubles as refreshing is deodorant for the mouth, to be consumed at the end of the meal.

Mukhwas is composed of different seeds and spices: the most common are the seeds of fennel, the seeds of anise, the seeds of cumin, the seeds of sesame, the coconut, the cardamom green, the cinnamon and the dhania dal, the heart of the seed of coriander. Seeds are often colored with the use of dyes and enriched with essential oils, such as peppermint, and with it grain sugar, which gives sweetness and allows you to transform this digestive into a healthier substitute for dessert.

The properties of the Mukhwas

In addition to the already famous digestive properties of anise and cumin, the power of fennel seeds plays a fundamental role: in addition to stimulating and promote circulation and purify the body, the properties of fennel also allow to regulate water retention and reduce the sense of swelling. Coriander also does its part, being rich in anti-inflammatory properties, anti-bacterial and sedative, ideal before bedtime.

How to prepare Mukhwas

In India there is not only one recipe to prepare the Mukhwas. The possibilities are endless and it is advisable to make some attempts to understand which flavors you prefer, thus creating your own personal combination.
The easiest way to prepare it at home is to toast the seeds in a hot pan for a few minutes, so that they release their aroma at best. This operation can be carried out dry or after letting the seeds soak in lemon juice for about an hour. After having cooled the seeds, the other selected ingredients are added: the Mukhwas is ready to be served or stored in an airtight container.

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Guide to the most famous Indian sauces, chutney and raita – Italian Cuisine

Guide to the two most famous varieties of Indian sauces, chutney and raita, among more or less spicy, sour, spicy, fruity and refreshing recipes

In Indian cuisine, although characterized by a great variety of dishes that differ in geographical areas and local culinary traditions, one of the common and strongly rooted elements is the use of spices and condiments and the preference for the stratifications of different and often contrasting flavors . In fact, there is no regional Indian cuisine that does not have a wide choice of sauces, often used as an accompaniment to snacks and appetizers, as a condiment for first or second courses or as a dish in which to dip the delicious Indian leavened bread called naan. So let's find out the two main categories of Indian sauces, or the chutney and raita, and their most popular and most popular varieties.

Chutney, the exotic sweet and sour and spicy Indian sauce

The chutney it is a sauce spread in various parts of the world, but originally from India, mainly made with a combination of vinegar and sugar an addition of herbs, spices, fruit or vegetables. Depending on the ingredients used, this sweet and sour based sauce can be more or less sweet, sour or spicy and its density and creaminess also change from time to time. One of the most popular chutneys is the hari chutney, a fresh and intense green dressing prepared with mint and coriander and consumed mainly with chaat, or the typical mixed Indian appetizer that includes the famous samosas but also various types of snacks. A type of chutney with a decidedly more intense flavor isimli chutneyor rather a sweet and sour tamarind sauce with a reddish brown color, also perfect to combine with chaat. The sweetest and most delicate is the tomato chutney, called timander; the main ingredient is precisely tomatoes, of which only the pulp is sometimes used, to which are added sugar, onion, garlic, ginger, salt, vinegar and various spices. This cream with an intense red color can be eaten fresh or bottled and preserved and is a perfect match for vada, fried and salted Indian donuts made with potatoes or legumes, or for the local version of the crepes, called dosas. The particular is also much loved gole ki chutney, made from ground coconut pulp, green peppers and coriander and a delicate but slightly bitter taste. They also deserve to be mentioned other varieties of Indian chutney, less common but equally appetizing, including the garlic one made generally with fresh garlic, dry or fresh coconut, peanuts and green or red peppers, the sour and spicy one with unripe green mango and finally the more summery one prepared with raw limes, coriander, onion and mint.

Raita, the Indian version of the tzatziki

In India the raita it is commonly considered a sauce but given its creaminess and the ingredients used it can sometimes act as a real side dish, like a salad. The basic raita recipe consists of a mix of Indian yoghurt (dahi) and raw or cooked vegetables, to which they can be added various herbs and spices including toasted cumin seeds, coriander, mint, chaat masala and cayenne pepper. The resulting cream, with a light color and a pleasant and refreshing taste, is perfect for giving relief to the palate after eating spicy dishes. The most famous raita is the kheera raita, with cucumber, simple to prepare and perfect for summer, for which fresh cucumbers, yogurt, green chillies and coriander are sufficient. Much denser and richer in flavor is the aloo ka raita, or the variant with potatoes, cooked with boiled potatoes, chopped onions and tomatoes; it can still be eaten alone or mixed with other sauces. There palak raita, with spinach, is the one with the strongest, pungent and decisive flavor; to the cooked spinach is in fact added a mix of herbs and spices with a pungent flavor, prepared with mustard seeds, fried cumin seeds and asafetida, also known as fetid fennel, an herb with interesting beneficial properties but with an unpleasant smell.
For raita, as for chutney, there is a wide and appetizing choice of variants, including the one with carrots, bottle gourd, beetroot, aubergine, mint and peanuts and melon.

Photo: Indian sauces raita goblinbox.jpg

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How to cook the perfect curry chicken: the advice of the Indian – Italian Cuisine

How to dose the spices, cook in the right way and do not miss the combinations – because the vegetables do not go there, but the rice does. And a nice bottle of the right wine

According to a recent survey Doxa Advice / Unaitalia is the curry chicken (35.1% of preferences) the most loved ethnic dish by Italians.

To reveal all the secrets is Thomas Myladoor, owner de The Guru, historic Indian restaurant, for 25 years in the capital. If there are many versions of the recipe that circulate and the variations that are made to the dish, the original version, which you could also find in India, is this one – collected by the blog www.vivailpollo.it – the platform that the association of reference of the poultry sector dedicated to chicken lovers.

Masala yes, chili too

What should a beginner in Indian cuisine pay attention to? "Certainly the balance in the use of spices – explains Thomas Myladoor – for this advice I use the masala, a mix that includes a dozen different spices, ranging from chilli to cinnamon, from cumin to black pepper to cloves, wisely dosed and with the right proportion. The only spice that can be used at will is the chili pepper, from you can add according to your tastes. "

Don't burn the spices

Another recommendation is on the cooking of the ingredients: "the tomato must be cooked very well, as if to make a sauce, while the spices are only delicately roasted: if they burn they lose their unmistakable aroma and in that case … I recommend starting over ! "

The rice to combine, the vegetables not to put

The classic rice to be used is basmathi: “it is the tastiest – adds Myladoor – it is important, however, not to let it overcook and pay close attention to cooking. Better to use so much water and then drain it, without trying to put the right water in the pot and then wait for it to be absorbed. "Several recipes combine the chicken curry with vegetables, but according to the expert it is a mistake:" vegetables alter the taste of chicken, should be served separately. "

The wine

To enjoy a perfect curry chicken, you just need to uncork a bottle of Gewurztraminer or Muller Thurgau, aromatic wines that go well with Indian cuisine, very spicy.

Curry chicken: the recipe

Ingredients for 4 people

Chicken bust of about 800 g, peeled and cut into pieces
1 and a half tablespoons of chicken masala (chicken masala)
1 teaspoon of garam masala
3 fresh and ripe diced tomatoes
2 sliced onions
blend together 3 slices of garlic + 2 cm of fresh ginger root
half a glass of coconut milk
100 ml of sunflower oil

Method

Brown the onion and add the chicken masala. After 1 minute add the previously prepared mixture of garlic and ginger; after 2 minutes add the tomatoes and cook over medium heat until a mixed sauce is obtained. Add chicken and salt. Cook with lid at the beginning for 10 minutes and then continue cooking uncovered. While finishing cooking add garam masala and coconut milk. Mix everything and continue cooking for another 5 minutes.