Popular Restaurent Gravies
by Tarla Dalal
Indian cuisine has been shaped over the centuries by many forces. And, the many components of this rich cuisine, which range from Indian breads to gravies, from rice to pickles, each boasts of a host of traditional recipes.
Gravies add body to Indian recipes. Just as rotis and rice form the staple diet in Indian cuisine, the gravy plays an indispensable role as an accompaniment for these. I was initially very eager to know how people make so many varieties of gravy with a single vegetable. Then, I realised that it is easy to make any kind of dish if the basic technique of making the gravy is known. Thus, I started learning about the numerous forms of basic gravies including onion-tomato, only tomato, green masala, curd, cashewnut, coconut, poppy seeds, etc., and innovated by blending various ideas! Cooking a vegetable curry might seem like a mammoth task, but it can be done in a jiffy if you have the masala paste ready on hand. One can make a masala paste in bulk and keep it in the fridge for use in small quantities whenever required. I often prepare the paste a few days before, if I know I will be expecting guests or if I am too busy with other things that do not allow me enough time in the kitchen on weekdays.
In this book, we look at the basic recipes from various regions such as Malvani, Nawabi, Goan, Chettinad, etc, and dishes based on those, such as Malwani Vatana Usal, Nawabi Kesar Koftas, Chettinad Curry, and Potatoes in Goanese Gravy.
About the Author:
Mrs. Tarla Dalal is India's best - selling cookery author since over 2 decades. She has written a total of 100titles, several of which have been translated in various languages like Hindi, Gujarati, Marathi, Bengali and even Dutch and Russian! The total sales of her cookery books exceed 3million copies. Her first book ‘The Pleasures of Vegetarian Cooking', which was published in 1974, was an instant success with indian housewives. The book, which is considered a classic in cookery books, has sold a record 1,50,000 copies.
Lately there has been a new addition to the list called the TOTAL HEALTH SERIES. These are health related cookbooks with recipes and information on various subjects like The Pregnancy Cookbook, Baby and Toddler food, Delicious Diabetic Recipes, Fast foods made Healthy, Healthy Breakfast, Healthy Soups and Salads, Cooking with 1 Teaspoon of Oil, Healthy Soups and Salads, Healthy Breakfast and Calcium Rich Recipes has been her best selling book recently.
Cooking & More...a bimonthly magazine is a natural extension of Tarla Dalal to reach out to millions of her fans. Cooking & more provides information and inspiration…not just kitchen related, but pertaining to other areas of our lives as well. It talks about decorating your house, laying out a table, grooming yourself, and entertaining your guests and a whole lot of other things.
Her cookery show "Cook it Up with Tarla Dalal" is aired weekly on Sony Entertainment Television. The show broadcast all over South East Asia, India, the Gulf, UK and even the US. For more details you can e-mail: kanchan@kanchankabra.com.
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