The Art of Cooking Indian Food: Tips and Tricks

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Have you ever wondered how Indian restaurants serve the most authentic Indian food and why your homemade Indian recipes could not keep up to that? The reason is simple, they are doing it with some tips that are unavoidable in Indian cooking. Those cooking tips are never a secret anymore.

Cooking is an art, and cooking Indian food is definitely one. The Indian recipes seem to be complex and difficult for a beginner. But with some smart cooking tips, you can crack the code and become an expert in cooking Indian food. If you are a foodie who loves Indian cuisine and wants to make it at home, you must know the cooking tips followed at Indian restaurants to serve the best authentic Indian food. Here we have the best tips for you to make your cooking easier.

Top 7 Tips to Cook Indian Food

The following cooking tips apply to any cuisine, but these tips are magic in Indian recipes. Here we have listed some general cooking tips that you should master for sure to become an expert in Indian recipes.

1. Slow Cooking Technique for Perfectly Cooked Indian Food

2. A Pinch of Sugar to Balance the Spice

3. Potato Trick to Balance the Salt

4. Cook Until the Oil Separates

5. The Stock Water Tip for Taste and Health

6. Wash the Rice to Avoid Sticking

7. Onion Hack to Get Rid of Teary Eyes  

I know you must need a quick, detailed explanation for this, because you are craving for some authentic Indian food, just like the one you bought from your favorite Indian restaurant. Here you go, check the smart Indian food cooking tips.

1. Slow Cooking Technique for Perfectly Cooked Indian Food 

Indian cuisine is mainly focused on the flavors of various spices. The perfect blend of spices with the core ingredient is crucial while cooking an Indian recipe. Indian food needs a lot of time to cook, unlike other cuisines. Whether it be curry, rice, or desserts, most of the Indian dishes can be perfected with slow cooking. 

If you are trying an Indian recipe, try to slow cook it to perfectly blend all the aroma, flavor into the soul of the dish. Put your burner on the simmer flame and cook each dish for a specific time period until the oil gets separated and the ingredients get cooked well. 

2. A Pinch of Sugar to Balance the Spice

As you all know, Indian food is spicy, sometimes too hot and spicy to handle. Spice is the soul of Indian food, but your taste buds may have some other plans. Your taste buds may not tolerate the spicy flavors of Indian cuisine. But there is a simple yet great hack to solve this issue. It must be a go-to cooking tip if you are spice intolerant.

What did you do when your Indian recipe’s spice level was high? A pinch of sugar can solve this easily and quickly. You can add a little bit of sugar to your curry, which can lower the spiciness of your food. Suggest this tip to your friends who have low spice tolerance

3. Potato Trick to Balance the Salt

Salty and spicy is the trademark of Indian cuisine. As a beginner in trying Indian recipes, the first thing you must learn is how to add the accurate amount of salt. Adding salt must be precise; otherwise, the whole dish will be ruined. 

And what if you made a mistake, add a bit more salt? It's okay, that can happen, especially if you are new to Indian recipes. There is a smart tip to solve the extra saltiness of your dish. Add a big piece of potato to your curry! Yes, this can make the magic happen, as the potato can absorb the extra salt and balance the taste. 

4. Cook Until the Oil Separates

The use of oil is crucial in most of the Indian recipes, especially curry. Spices are the major ingredients in Indian food. Cooking the spices and other ingredients and blending their flavors perfectly with the dish can be made easy by adding oil. 

When you are cooking any curry, you should cook it on a simmer flame until the oil separates from the dish. This ensures that all the ingredients blend well in the dish. And doing this also enhances the flavor and taste of the dish. 

5. The Stock Water Tip for Taste and Health

Using stock water is unique in cooking Indian recipes. Indian food has a lot of varieties of spicy dishes like curry, rice varieties, and parathas, and sweet dishes like payasam, kheer, etc. The use of stock water is applicable in all of these. 

The vegetable stock you used to cook your veggie can be used to mix your Paratha dough smoothly. The meat or veggie stock you have can be used to loosen your curry, which is an inevitable part of Indian cuisine. The rice or grain stock you have can be used to loosen the payasam or kheer you are preparing. Adding stock water like this in your recipes can add more flavor, taste, and aroma to your dish. You can even absorb the soul of your main ingredient into the Indian recipe you are trying. Apart from all this, using vegetable or meat stock is also a healthier option. 

6. Wash the Rice to Avoid Sticking

How can we not recommend a tip on cooking rice when we are talking about Indian food? Because rice varieties are the core part of the main course in Indian cuisine, it is also considered a comfort food. Cooking rice seems very easy, as it does not involve a lot of ingredients. But it is the trickiest part you are going to face once you start cooking Indian recipes. 

The rice varieties of India are unique in their texture, particularly. The rice is not as sticky as it is in other cuisines of the world. The rice dish of India is so soft and non-sticky that you can even separate each tiny rice grain. To get this texture, you must wash your cooked rice 2-3 times to get rid of the sticky starch parts. Bring comfort to your taste buds with a perfectly cooked rice that goes with any curry you love. 

7. Onion Hack to Get Rid of Teary Eyes

Onions are the major ingredients in any curry or any dish in Indian cuisine. You can cook various dishes using onions that are chopped or sliced. Whatever the way you want, cutting onions can be the most difficult task due to the teary eyes you get. 

To avoid your teary eyes while cutting onions, Indians have a great tip. First of all, you just have to cut your onion in half and soak it in a bowl of water for just 5 minutes. The water can absorb the acid in the onion that causes tears, and you can easily cut it without getting tears. This 5-minute onion Hack can be a lifesaver for you if you love Indian curry and biryani so much.

Wrapping Up

If you are craving some Indian food, you can make it easier at home with the tips we have discussed above. With the smart cooking tips and techniques, you can satisfy your taste buds with Indian flavors.

Start cooking your favorite Indian recipes like a master chef.