Simple 5 Step Method: How to Use Spices in Indian Food
How to Use Spices in Indian Food
So let’s wrap this up into a simple step-by-step process:
For a specific technique and detailed instructions, here are 5 steps on how to cook an Indian curry-style entrée.
- Marinating in Indian Cuisine
Marinating usually requires yogurt and/or other acidic ingredients like lemon juice, lime juice, or vinegar, along with the required spices. For example, Tandoori Chicken, Vindaloo, Butter Chicken, Tikkas, and many of the mainstream dishes may require marinating the meat before barbequing or incorporating it into the main curry. A mixture of ground spices such as turmeric, garam masala, cardamom, coriander, cumin, and chili powder is common for this step.
- Frying Spices in Oil
When frying Indian spices in oil/butter, you can slow fry on low heat for 10–15 minutes or sauté in a pan for 10–30 seconds at high heat, being careful not to overcook, as burnt spices do not taste good, especially at the start of the dish. This is the first step in infusing oil with flavours, and it is a critical step.
- Frying Onions and Other Vegetables
Once the flavour of these aromatic spices have been infused with the oil, your chopped onions are dropped into the pan, on a low to medium heat, until they turn golden brown. You now add ginger, garlic, chilies, and any other ground spices that are required for the dish.
- Spicing a Sauce in Indian Cooking
Finally, add the meat to the above mixture and sauté for a while until the meat has absorbed some of the flavours from the spice. Now you add the required sauce ingredients to the dish, like cream, chopped tomato, tomato sauce/paste, coconut milk, etc. You can also add more spices if you’d prefer, like paprika, Indian red chili powder, and garam masala, to balance the flavours.
- Set and Forget
From here on, you’re on cruise control. Wait for the meat to cook, taste for salt, and adjust the spice heat levels accordingly. You’re all done.
CONGRATULATIONS!!
