If you love Indian cuisine and want to surprise your family and friends this holiday season with exotic flavours other than the traditional stuffed cabbage, read these tips for success!
Plan your meal!
Plan what you want to cook a week or two in advance. If possible, use seasonal ingredients as they are the tastiest. If you’re not familiar with okra or plantains (cooking bananas), don’t jump in now! Make as many dishes as you can fit into your time, don’t overdo it. Pay attention to food pairing. In a small menu, you can have dhal, rice, sabji, savoury, chutney, sweets. If you are more experienced, you can expand this, but for those new to Indian cuisine and these flavours, 6 dishes are plenty for one meal.
Cook tried and tested recipes!
If you want to be sure, plan dishes that you’ve already made before. If you like a new recipe, try it out before the party. It’s important to make cooking a fun experience for you, not a stressful one.
Follow the traditional path!
Vedic tradition tells us that the right food will satisfy both body and soul. If you want to surprise your friends with a dinner like this, make an authentic recipe, don’t make up ‘Indian-flavoured’ dishes. Traditional Indian cuisine is based on Ayurveda, and dishes prepared in this way are easy to digest and will truly satisfy your guests. If you prepare dinner like this, your friends will talk about it for a long time!
Be adventurous with your spices!
Spices are your friends! Their job is to season your food whilst aiding digestion. Use them with confidence, they help you serve the perfect meal. No one likes under-seasoned, tasteless food, and you need the right amount to make your guests feel good at the end of the meal. It’s fine to go easy on the chilli, use it to your party’s taste, but make sure you include enough of everything else.
Take your time!
Plan your workflow and leave yourself plenty of time. If you are short of time, see if there are any meals you can cook or prepare the day before. If you use paneer (homemade cheese), make it the day before. You can also cook the chatni ahead of time, as well as most sweets. You can cook the dhal and then boil it with the seasoning at the end of cooking. Be creative!
Do your best to create a great atmosphere!
If you’re serving an Indian dinner, you can also lighten the mood in the same spirit. Before your guests arrive, light some good quality Indian incense and have some nice Indian music playing in the background. You can decorate the living room with Indian textiles, and if you’re feeling fancy, you can even wear a sari. It’s important that you have fun too!
Happy holidays!
Hémangi
Tags: recipe, spices, indian cuisine