First list of Recipes' Compilation

As promised in my previous post I am starting to list down the updates that I would be making on this blog. This update would not have the recent updates, for the reason that I need to list all the past updates on this post and the forthcoming ones. World Cuisines would be a blog that will try to live up to the title of the blog - Enlisting the cuisines of the world
I would quickly start listing all the dishes and their recipes along with a small write up as to what the dish is about. I am trying to do justice to the tradition with which these recipes are prepared. Please provide me with your feedback for me to develop this blog in a better fashion, so as to enable effective usage by all of you.
First few of the very many South Indian Dishes are listed as below

• Karunai Kilangu Masiyal : It is a dish prepared in the chettinadu region in Tamil Nadu. This dish is a preparation using Elephant Foot Yam (Suran in Hindi). The yam is mashed while preparation and is used as an accompaniment for the main course which is usually steamed rice with sambar or rasam. Click here for its recipe
• Muttaigos Mutati Podimas : This is a dish from the Kongunadu Region in Tamil Nadu. This dish uses cabbage and egg as main ingredients and is consumed as an accompaniment for the main course. Click here for its recipe
• Hyderabadi Kheema : This is a dish from a famous region in South India, Hyderabad. The cuisines has moghul influence, the dish is prepared using minced lamb as its basic ingredient. Kheema is used as an accompaniment to roti and is prepared using a clay oven. Click here for its recipe
• Telengana Rasam : Telengana a region in Andhra Pradesh and the cuisine has variety. This is a dish prepared to compliment steamed rice, it is just a light soupy dish. Click here for its recipe
• Coconut Appam : A mangalorean delicacy from the the state Karnataka in South India. Kannadigas relish this dish primarily for breakfast. This is a light fluffy pancake which can be served with coconut milk or some gravy. Click here for its recipe
• Upma : Famous in south India, originated from Udupi a region in Karnataka. The basic ingredient is Rava (Semolina) and is prepared like how a porridge is prepared. The difference ofcourse is the other ingredients used in its preparation. Click here for its recipe
• Beef Ularthiyathu : A Kerala speciality especially from the Travancore region. Ularthiyathu mean dried, so the name suggests the preparation method. Click here for its recipe
• Masala Lobster : A typical malabar preparation, malabar is a region in Kerala state and the cuisine is quite famous. The name lets us know the dish and its basic ingredient. Click here for its recipe

I will soon come out with the site map which will further ease maneuvering through this blog.

Back to Blogging

It is after a long hibernation have I come back to post some additional recipes on this blog. For very many reasons I was unable to attend to this blog and that has resulted in the delay in updating this website.

I have also come across certain details through the reports that get generated on this blog and they are

1. People find it difficult to know about the various pages within the blog
- To this I am currently working on a Site map sort of a detailing and will be launched pretty soon. The site map or the link to the site map will be placed on the main page for easier maneuverability for the visitors

2. People are unaware of the various updates on the blog
- This can certainly be avoided if the visitors subscribe for the posts in a reader. Click here to subscribe for my pages - SUBSCRIBE TO WORLD CUISINES
- Another option is to subscribe for email updates by clicking here - SUBSCRIBE TO WORLD CUISINES BY E-MAIL
- For people who do not want to subscribe I would request them to atleast mark this blog in their favourites and keep visiting. I am confident about the fact that I would be updating the blog atleast four times in a week
- I would also have another post on the main page to link to the various articles and recipes that are getting added on a day to day basis on this blog. I would call this "Recently Added Stuff" and this would be dated as well.

I sincerely want to make this blog user friendly with lot of navigations and informative for people visiting this blog to take advantage of. I may for many reasons not be aware of certain hurdles and unfriendly links. Please let me know of the same so that I can correct them for you.

The motive of this blog is to let all of you to know what an art cooking is and more so consuming the food being prepared.

The Egg Handling Handbook

Why is egg safety a concern?

Eggs can be part of a healthy diet. However, they are perishable, just like raw meat,poultry and fish. To be safe, they must be properly refrigerated and cooked. Also todaysome unbroken shell eggs may contain bacteria that can make you sick unless the eggsare carefully handled. This bacteria is Salmonella enteritidis. While the number of eggsaffected is less than one in ten thousand, there have been scattered outbreaks in the lastfew years. Currently the government, the egg industry and the scientific community areworking together to solve the problem.

What part of the egg carries the bacteria?

Researchers say the salmonella bacteria are usually in the yolk or yellow. But theycan't rule out its presence in egg whites. So everyone is advised against eating raw orundercooked egg yolks, whites or products containing them.

Who should be extra-careful?

People with health problems, the very young, the elderly and pregnant women ( therisk is to the unborn child) are particularly vulnerable to Salmonella enteritidisinfections. Health problems could be a chronic illness or any condition which weakensthe immune system.

What can you do at home?

Proper refrigeration, cooking and handling should solve most "egg" problems. Youcan continue to enjoy eggs and egg-rich foods if you follow these safe handling guidelines.

To be egg-safe:

1. Avoid eating raw eggs or foods that contain them. This includes "health food" milkshakes and raw eggs. Caesar salad, Hollandaise sauce, and any other food likehomemade mayonnaise, ice cream, or eggnog made from recipes in which the raw eggingredients are not cooked.

2. At the store, choose Grade A or AA eggs with clean, uncracked shells. Make sure theyhave been refrigerated in the store. Any bacteria present in an egg can grow quickly atroom temperature.

3. Refrigerating eggs - Take eggs straight home to the refrigerator. A home refrigeratorshould be running at 40 degrees Fahrenheit. Store them in the grocery carton in thecoolest part of the refrigerator, not in the door. Don't wash eggs. You'll remove aprotective coating applied at the packing plant.

4. How long will eggs keep in the refrigerator? Use raw shell eggs within 3 to 5 weeks.Hard-cooked eggs will keep 1 week. Use leftover yolks and whites within 4 days.

5. How long will eggs keep frozen? About 6 months. You can freeze white separately.For whole eggs, beat yolks and whites together.If eggs freeze accidentally in their shells,keep them frozen until needed. Defrost in the refrigerator. Discard any with crackedshells.

6. Handling eggs- Wash hands, utensils, equipment and work areas with hot, soapywater before and after contact with eggs and egg-rich foods. Avoid keeping eggs out ofthe refrigerator over two hours. Serve cooked eggs and egg-rich foods immediately aftercooking, or refrigerate at once for later use. Use within 3-4 days.

7. Leftovers - Divide large amounts of egg-rich foods into small containers for quickcooling.

8. Cooking times-Fried eggs- 2 to 3 minutes on each side; 4 minutes in a covered pan.Scrambled eggs- should be cooked until firm throughout.Poached eggs- Cook 5 minutes over boiling waterSoft-cooked eggs- Cook in the shell 7 minutes.

9. Safer egg recipes- Update recipes for Caesar salad, Hollandaise sauce, homemademayonnaise, salad dressing and other uncooked egg-based sauces by using commercialpasteurized eggs or egg substitutes. Egg mixtures are safe if they reach 160 degreesFahrenheit, so you can make eggnog, ice cream and soft custards from fresh eggs if youstart with a cooked base. Use a thermometer or heat gently until the mixture coats ametal spoon.

10. Easter eggs- Cooking removes the eggshell's natural protective coating, so hardcooked eggs are more susceptible to bacteria than fresh shell eggs. Refrigerate Easter eggsimmediately after cooking and drying. Do not leave them off refrigeration for over twohours during the hunt either. After your "bunnies" have found their eggs, refrigeratethe eggs again. They should keep for about a week.

Food Guide (Food Pyramid)

The USDA( United states Department of Agriculture ) published a guide in the year 1992 and is considered as a ready reckoner and a bible for any dietician or nutrtionist. The food guide pyramid suggested optimal nutrition guidelines for each food category, per day, using a pyramid with horizontal dividing lines, to represent suggested percentages of the daily diet for each food group.

Bread, Cereal, Rice & hoe Group

Grain products include foods derived from cereal crops. Cereals, breads, pastas, crackers, and rice all fall under this categorization. Grains supply food energy in the form of starch, and are also a source of protein. Whole grains contain dietary fiber, essential fatty acids, and other important nutrients. Milled grains, though more palatable, have many nutrients removed in the milling process and thus are not as highly recommended as whole grains. Whole grains can be found especially in oatmeal, brown rice, grits, corn tortillas and whole wheat bread. 6-11 servings of grain products are recommended per day.

Vegetable Group

A vegetable is a part of a plant consumed by humans that is generally savory (not sweet) and not considered grain, fruit, nut, spice, or herb. For example, the stem, root, flower, etc. may be eaten as vegetables. Vegetables contain many vitamins and minerals; however, different vegetables contain different spreads, so it is important to eat a wide variety of types. For example, green vegetables typically contain vitamin C, dark orange and dark green vegetables contain vitamin A,and bushy vegetables like broccoli and related plants contain iron and calcium. Vegetables are very low in fats and calories, but cooking can often add these 3-5 servings of vegetables in a day. They may be fresh, frozen, canned, or made into juices.

Fruit Group

In terms of food (rather than botany), fruits are the sweet-tasting seed-bearing parts of plants, or occasionally sweet parts of plants which do not bear seeds.
These include apples, oranges, plums, berries, and grapes, etc. Fruits are low in calories and fat and are a source of natural sugars, fibre and vitamins. Processing fruits when canning or making into juices unfortunately often adds sugars and removes nutrients; therefore fresh fruit or canned fruit packed in juice rather than syrup is recommended. The fruit food group is sometimes combined with the vegetable food group. It is best to consume 8-10 servings of fruit in a day. They may be fresh, frozen, canned, dried, or made into juice.
Note that many foods that are considered fruits in botany because they bear seeds are not considered fruits in cuisine because they lack the characteristic sweet taste.

Milk, Yogurt & Cheese Group

Dairy products are produced from the milk of mammals, most usually but not exclusively cattle. They include milk and yogurt and cheese. They are the best source for the mineral calcium, but also provide protein, phosphorus, vitamin A, and in fortified milk, vitamin D. However, many dairy products are high in fat, which is why skimmed products are available as an alternative. For adults, 2-3 servings of dairy products are recommended per day.

Meat, Poultry, Fish, Dry Beans, Eggs & Nuts Group

Meat is the tissue - usually muscle - of an animal consumed by humans. Since most parts of many types of animals are edible, there is a vast variety of meats. Meat is a major source of protein, as well as iron, zinc, and vitamin B. Meats include beef, chicken, pork, salmon, tuna, and shrimp, etc.
However, since many of the same nutrients found in meat can also be found in foods like eggs, dry beans, and nuts, such foods are typically placed in the same category as meats, as meat alternatives. These include tofu, products that resemble meat or fish but are made with soy, eggs, and cheese.
Although meats provide energy and nutrients, they are often high in fat and cholesterol, and can be high in sodium. Simply trimming off fatty tissue can go a long way towards reducing this negative effect. 2-3 servings per day of meat or alternatives are recommended. For those who are ethically opposed to consuming meat or animal products (People who are vegetarians), meat analogues such as tofu are available to fill this nutritional niche.

Fats, Oils, and Sweets

Fats, Oils, and Sweets are at the top of the food pyramid because it is the smallest section, indicating that, while they do have nutritional value, they should be used sparingly.

By using this pyramid and including these in our daily diet we can lead a healthy life.

Proteins, Fats, Carbohydrates and Minerals

Protein is the big nutrient — the primary element in the growth and repair of body tissue (such as collagen fibres, which are one of the principal components of skin, muscle, bones and cartilage, among a host of other body parts). For this reason, children who are still growing need more protein per kilogram of body weight than adults. Anyone with an infectious disease, though, will also need increased protein, as will someone on an extreme diet, since the body may burn through accumulated fat and carbohydrate reserves and begin to pillage protein resources.
The problem with that is that proteins supply some 20 amino acids, about half of which are needed for normal growth and tissue renewal, and if energy - yielding nutrients are in short supply, amino acids may be used as energy sources. This can lead to what's known as protein-calorie malnutrition, a condition apparent in the stunted growth of Third World children, who may subsist almost entirely on starchy foodstuffs derived from cereal and root staples.
Foods high in protein — most meats, fish, eggs, dairy products — are the expensive foods of the comparatively rich. Surprisingly, though, most human diets around the world only vary from about 10 to 15 per cent protein content. The big difference is in the quantity of fats and carbohydrates — as high as 90 per cent carbohydrates in poor diets and as low as 40 per cent in better diets. The remainder, if any, of the diet is made up of fats, perhaps as much as 45 per cent among wealthy eaters.

Fats and carbohydrates, though low in amino acids, are our best energy source. Fats, such as oils and especially butter, have an extremely high energy content (that is, calories) but consumed in excess they can build up as hard deposits known as plaque in the arteries, as in artherosclerosis, one of the major causes of heart attacks. Because most fats are scarce in vitamins, they're called empty calories: They've generally been considered the chief contributor to body fat, an excess of which can be a real problem for people with osteoarthritis, though recent studies have questioned — with some justification — whether in fact fats are the real culprits in excess weight.
The other main source of body energy is the carbohydrate family — sugars and starches. Most of them are loaded with energy but contain relatively little protein. Thus, a high carbohydrate diet will be short on growth potential and leave the body ill-equipped to fight infections. Some starchy foods, such as potatoes, do have protein content (though less than whole-grain cereals) and vitamins, especially C and A. Before the terrible Potato Famine in 19th-century Ireland and Scotland, many crofters survived on little else.

Foods also contain a wide array of minerals useful to normal metabolic processes. You may have two or three pounds of calcium in your body — mostly in the skeletal system — as well as magnesium, which shares some of calcium's functions. Iron, an essential component of hemoglobin in the blood and myoglobin in muscles, is of special importance to menstruating, pregnant or lactating women; it's aided in its work by copper, while cobalt helps form red blood cells. The body is a veritable mineshaft of other exotic minerals, such as zinc, manganese, selenium and molybdenum, whose functions are varied but sometimes interrelated; all are important and require the appropriate food sources.

Excerpts from - http://www.dietitians.ca.

Effects of Cooking

The food we prepare contains a mix of nutrients and minerals and the effects of cooking on these are as below



Proteins
Edible animal material, including muscle, offal, milk and egg white, contains substantial amounts of protein. Almost all vegetable matter (in particular legumes and seeds) also includes proteins, although generally in smaller amounts. These may also be a source of essential amino acids. When proteins are heated they become de-natured and change texture. In many cases, this causes the structure of the material to become softer or more friable - meat becomes cooked. In some cases, proteins can form more rigid structures, such as the coagulation of albumen in egg whites. The formation of a relatively rigid but flexible matrix from egg white provides an important component of much cake cookery, and also underpins many desserts based on meringue.

Liquids
Cooking often involves water which is often present as other liquids, both added in order to immerse the substances being cooked (typically water, stock or wine), and released from the foods themselves. Liquids are so important to cooking that the name of the cooking method used may be based on how the liquid is combined with the food, as in steaming, simmering, boiling, braising and blanching. Heating liquid in an open container results in rapidly increased evaporation, which concentrates the remaining flavour and ingredients - this is a critical component of both stewing and sauce making.



Fat
Fats and oils come from both animal and plant sources. In cooking, fats provide tastes and textures. When used as the principal cooking medium (rather than water), they also allow the cook access to a wide range of cooking temperatures. Common oil-cooking techniques include sauteing, stir-frying, and deep-frying. Commonly used fats and oils include butter, olive oil, sunflower oil, lard, beef fat (both dripping and tallow), rapeseed oil or Canola, and peanut oil. The inclusion of fats tends to add flavour to cooked food, even though the taste of the oil on its own is often unpleasant. This fact has encouraged the popularity of high fat foods, many of which are classified as junk food.

Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates used in cooking include simple sugars such as glucose (from table sugar) and fructose(from fruit), and starches from sources such as cereal flour, rice, arrowroot, potato. The interaction of heat and carbohydrate is complex.
Long-chain sugars such as starch tend to break down into more simple sugars when cooked, while simple sugars can form syrups. If sugars are heated so that all water of crystallisation is driven off, then caramelisation starts, with the sugar undergoing thermal decomposition with the formation of carbon, and other breakdown products producing caramel. Similarly, the heating of sugars and proteins elicits the Maillard reaction, a basic flavor-enhancing technique.
An emulsion of starch with fat or water can, when gently heated, provide thickening to the dish being cooked. In European cooking, a mixture of butter and flour called a roux is used to thicken liquids to make stews or sauces. In Asian cooking, a similar effect is obtained from a mixture of rice or corn starch and water. These techniques rely on the properties of starches to create simpler mucilaginous saccharides during cooking, which causes the familiar thickening of sauces. This thickening will break down, however, under additional heat

Improvements you can find!!!

In my previous post I had mentioned about updating people on various cuisines of the world, their popular dishes and the recipes with ingredients needed and cooking instructions for that recipe
It suddenly struck me that understaning how to cook and what ingredients to use would not be enough. I thought, to create wonderful dishes for our friends and family to consume we need to have greater in depth knowledge about
- The concepts of cooking,
- Dietery requirements of people,
- The food pyramid and its importance,
- The ingredients required, regionwise
- The cooking utensils you would require

Although the basic need of the blog would be fulfilled we would have these additional information for the benefit of all humanity!!! We would have a list to help cover the essentials involved in cooking, certain tips and tricks to create masterpieces in cooking.
You can always choose to click on the above links to get that cuisine's popular dishes and recipes.
Please leave a comment to help improve the blog and to contibute recipes you may know!!

Mediterranean Cuisine

COMING SOON WITH POPULAR DISHES AND THEIR RECIPES

English Cuisine

COMING SOON WITH THE POPULAR DISHES AND THEIR RECIPES

American Cuisine

COMING SOON WITH THE POPULAR DISHES AND THEIR RECIPES

Lebanese Cuisine

COMING SOON WITH THE POPULAR DISHES AND THEIR RECIPES

Korean Cuisine

COMING SOON WITH THE POPULAR DISHES AND THEIR RECIPES

Japanese Cuisine

COMING SOON WITH THE POPULAR DISHES AND THEIR RECIPES

French Cuisine

COMING SOON WITH THE POPULAR DISHES AND THEIR RECIPES

Mexican Cuisine

COMING SOON WITH THE POPULAR DISHES AND THEIR RECIPES

Italian Cuisine

COMING SOON WITH THE POPULAR DISHES AND THEIR RECIPES

Chinese Cuisine

COMING SOON WITH THE POPULAR DISHES AND THEIR RECIPES

Punjab and Haryanan Cuisine

Punjabi cuisine (from the Punjab region of Northern India and Eastern Pakistan). Punjabi cuisine can be non-vegetarian or completely vegetarian. It is widely popular however there is some ignorance in Western Cultures that Punjabi is cuisine is completely curry based. The level of spices can vary from minimal to very prevalent. One of the main features of Punjabi cuisine is its diverse range of dishes. Home cooked and restaurant Punjabi cuisine can vary significantly, with restaurant style using large amounts of clarified butter, known locally as desi ghee, with liberal amounts of butter and cream with home cooked concentrating on mainly upon wheat masalas (spice) flavourings. Though wheat varieties form their staple food, Punjabis do cook rice on special occasions. During winter a delicacy, Roh Di Kheer, is cooked using rice. Rice is cooked for a long time in sugar cane juice.
Within the state itself, there are different preferences. People in the area of Amritsar prefer stuffed parathas and milk products. In fact, the area is well known for quality of its milk products. There are certain dishes which are exclusive to Punjab, such as Mah Di Dal and Saron Da Saag (Sarson Ka Saag).
The food is tailor-made for the Punjabi lifestyle in which most of the rural folk burn up a lot of calories while working in the fields. The main masala in a Punjabi dish consists of onion, garlic and ginger. Tandoori food is a Punjabi speciality especially for non-veg dishes.

Tandoori Cuisine

Jammu and Kashmir Cuisine

The state of Jammu and Kashmir features as a top most state in the map of India. This state is considered as a paradise for some inspite of the fact that this state is swarmed with anti indian terrorists. The state is not just a paradise for the tourists for its scenic beauty but a paradise also for food lovers. The state offers a variety of exotic recipes bearing a distinct seal of the state. Secret behind the mind-blowing cuisine of the state lies in the books of history which speaks of the invasion of Kashmir by Timur in the 15 th century AD. This resulted in the migration of hundreds of skilled cooks from Samarkand to cater to the royal tongue.


The descendants of these cooks gifted the state the unsurpassable tradition of Wazwan, the delectable aromatic banquet of Kashmir. Wazwan consists of 36 course meal, essentially, meat based prepared by wazas (cooks) under the supervision of Vasta Waza, the master chef. Kashmir excels in the preparation of non-vegetarian cuisine and more so in the meat based dishes with lamb being preferred over others. People of the state are liberal in the use of spices, condiments and curd. The medium of cooking is chiefly mustard oil. Another chararacteristic of Kashmir cuisine is the liberal dose of the expensive saffron or kesar, which is produced in the state. Rice forms the staple food of Kashmir. Three different styles of cooking prevail in the state as Kashmiri Pandits, Muslims and Rajput follow their own traditions and proscriptions in cooking. Kashmiri Pandits refrain from the use of onions and garlic, while Muslims avoid the use of asafoetida (hing) and curds. Variations in recipes can also be observed in the different regions of the state. Cooking pattern as seen in Ladakh differs to that Hindu Dogras. This is also due to change in locally produced crops.



Kashmiri Pundit Cuisine

Kashmiri Wazwan Cuisine

North Indian Cuisines

The ultimate destination of foodies is the North Zone of India. There is absolutely no dearth of variety for a creative gourmet in this part of the country. The zone is fortunate to be the hub of some of the most exotic styles of cooking. Many of which are renowned all over the world and regarded as the most developed and refined of all culinary arts.
Most famous of all is the Mughal Cuisine. National, capital, Delhi is the place to enjoy this style in its best form. Known for their love for life and lavish styles, Mughals treated their gastronomic requirement with a lot of seriousness. They added a touch of royalty to the food and produced mouth watering taste with the generous use of spices, sausages, dry-fruits and butter. Roasted in tandoors, the meat dishes taste out of this world. Also important are kashmiri, thanks for their wazwans, the awadh cooking style,
Northern Indian cuisine has the following main schools of cooking:
Kashmiri
Punjabi
Rajasthani
Marwari
Gharwal and Pahari
UP
Awadh or Luchnawi

The main few states that stand out because of their wonderful additions to the world cuisines are
Jammu and Kashmir - Kashmiri Pundits Cuisine, Wazwan Cuisine
Punjab and Haryana - Punjabi Cuisine
Uttaranchal - Garhwal Cuisine and Kumouni Cuisine
Delhi - Mughalai Cuisine
Uttar Pradesh - Awadh or Lucknowi Cuisine
Rajasthan - Rajasthani and Marwari Cuisine