Recipes for Cooking - Mangalorean Cuisine

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Mangalore or Mangalooru (Recently rechristened) is a city and region in the state of Karnataka. One of the popular south indian cuisines the mangalorean cuisine has variety in its dishes and the ingredients used to prepare those dishes. Udupi cuisine which also hails from the state of Karnataka, the other being mangalorean cuisine is a vegtarian cuisine. Mangalorean cuisine is a non vegetarian cuisine as well. Find below a few of the popular dishes of mangalorean cuisine

- Kori Rotti is a chicken preparation prepared with coconut and is served with roti. Click here for its recipe

- Fish Ambot Theek Curry, a fish preparation which is sour and spicy as the name suggests can be served with coconut appam or rice. Click here for its recipe

- Kidyo is a deep fried snack prepared using flour. Click here for its recipe

- Pork Sorpotel is a gravy prepared with pork as a main ingredient. Served with rice or appam. Click here for its recipe

- Coconut Appam is a pancake made with rice batter and coconut milk. Served as breakfast usually. Click here for its recipe

To view all the popular dishes and recipes of the mangalorean cuisine, click here
Alternatively you can choose to visit the blog for mangalorean cuisine at http://mangaloreanfood.blogspot.com/

Popular Coffee options explained

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There have been many a times when we have been to the coffee shops and coffee pubs and gotten stumbled with the names given to the coffee. This is to throw some light on the coffee options available in the market and for us to decipher them effectively.

The definition list of some of the most popular coffee drinks available at most upscale cafes and coffee shops are as below to help us not to faulter on the names and types of coffee available.


Espresso
Though the term "Espresso" can also refer to the roasting method, an espresso is typically a highly concentrated shot of dark, rich, black coffee. It's usually made in an espresso machine and is extracted by shooting hot water through a densely compacted scoop of very fine coffee grinds.
Latte
A latte is made by pouring one to two shots of espresso into a mug full of steamed milk. Typically a latte is topped with foamed milk, but this isn't a necessity.
Americano
An americano is a shot or two of espresso in a cup filled with hot water. While diluted and not as strong as a straight espresso, it still won't taste like a typical American coffee.
Drip Coffee
A drip coffee is your standard, basic coffee. It's called a drip because it drips out of the percolator or coffee machine. If you're looking for a simple, American coffee - this is it.
Cappuccino
A cappuccino is like a latte, but with less milk and more foam. It's also much smaller and typically served in a 5-6 ounce porcelain cup.
Cafe Au Lait
A cafe au lait is typically made with standard drip coffee and two thirds of hot and foamy or steamed milk
Cafe Frappuccino
A frappuccino is actually a drink made by Starbucks - it's a blended mix of coffee, ice, water, milk and flavored syrups. It is often sold at other coffee establishments as an iced coffee, coffee smoothie or blended coffee.
Cafe Mocha
A cafe mocha is made from a single shot of espresso, 5 to 8 ounces of steamed milk and chocolate syrup. It's often topped with whipped cream and chocolate shavings. Basically, the mocha is like a latte, but with a splash of chocolate added.


The last but not the least "The Filter Coffee". A typical name in southern Indian homes especially the ones in the state of Tamil Nadu. In south Indian homes the coffee does not have these many names or varieties. A simple coffee would be "Decoction", prepared by extracting coffee concentrate from the ground beans, with sugar and milk in right proportions.

How to prepare the South Indian Filter Coffee? That would be in another post...

Recipes for Cooking - Travancore Cuisine

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Travancore a region in Kerala also known as Thiruvithaamkoor in malayalam. This region forms the southern part of Kerala, the god's own country. Find below the list of dishes dished out from this region.

- Beef Ularthiyathu : A dry spicy preparation with Beef usually served as an accompaniment with Appam. Click here for its recipe
- Kerala Moru Curry : Moru is a preparation using Curd and spices. This is similar to sambar when it comes to purpose in a meal. This is usually mixed with boiled rice and consumed. Click Here for its recipe
- Karimeen Pollichathu : Karimeen is a type of fish (Pearl spot fish). The fish is prepared by covering the marinated fish with plantain leaves and shallow fried and finished with coconut milk. Click here for its recipe
- Vellappam : A rice pancake prepared using Coconut milk, something similar to dosa. Served for breakfast. Click here for its recipe
- Travancore Sambar : Sambar prepared in Travancore style. Served as an accompaniment to boiled rice. Click here for its recipe

To view all the popular dishes and recipes you can visit by clicking here
Alternatively you can choose to visit the blog - http://travancorefood.blogspot.com/

In the next post to follow or the post after next, I will write about Mangalorean Cuisine.

Effective way to Hard Boil eggs

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This is the second time I slipped into hibernation, my apologies. I hold a decent job (Decent in the eyes of the society) and for this reason am I not in a position to dedicate time to this blog. Anyways, coming back from hibernation I would like to talk about something that sounds too simple yet we most often make a mess out of it.
Cooking Eggs!!!, in this post I would talk about Hard Boiled eggs. Although the name suggests hard boiled, it is not hard but soft and tender. Sometime back I had written a post on Egg Handling, please refer to the same to efficiently handle eggs.
Ok now, how do we positilvely boil an egg to perfection? This is how, to make a perfect hard boiled egg one can cook the egg at 65 degree Celcius for about six hours to achieve a tender white and a semi solid yolk or follow a fool proof method as below

- Place the eggs gently in an empty pot. Some sources recommend making a shallow hole with a pin at the flatter end so that it'll let the expanding air escape thus reducing the chance of cracking but studies have shown this isn't a reliable technique.Adding salt or vinegar to the water, however, may help the proteins in the white coagulate faster so any cracks in the shell quickly get plugged.
- Fill the pot with enough cold tap water to completely cover eggs with about 1 inch or 3 cm of water over them. If the water is cold, the eggs will take longer to cook. If the water is hot, though, you may risk the water getting too hot and overcooking the eggs. Put on a lid.
- Bring the water to a roiling boil over high heat, then immediately remove from heat. As soon as the water reaches the boiling point, remove the pot from the heat. Don't remove the lid so that the water doesn't cool off too quickly. You want it to hover at a temperature close to but below boiling. Leave the eggs in the hot water for ten minutes. It is important you do not time the ten minutes until the water started boiling. If you set the timer before that, you will end up with soft-boiled eggs. And if you set it too late or let the eggs linger at boiling temperature, the yolks will turn a slight greenish color and begin to smell like sulfur.
- Stop the cooking process. Chill the eggs by placing them under cold running water or in a bowl of ice water. Let them sit for a few minutes until the egg is completely cooled.
- Peel the eggs when they're cool enough to handle. Source : www.wikihow.com

There you go, you'll have a perfect hard boiled egg if you are to follow the steps judiciously. Also, you'd be interested in knowing an sure shot effective way to peel a boiled egg. I had mentioned in my previous post that I would list the Travancore Cuisine's popular dishes and recipes. I would do that in my next post.

Recipes for Cooking - Telengana/telangana Cuisine

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A simple spelling wont make much of a difference to the region in Andhra Pradesh, some people spell it telangana and some spell it telengana. Keeping that aside, Telangana cuisine has its origin from a region called the telengana region in Andhra Pradesh a state in south India. This is a dry regon and the food prepared is a lot spicy compared to the other regions in South India. Find below five of the popular dishes from the telengana cuisine.
  • Chapala Pulusu : Pulusu is a gravied preparation and chapala is fish. It is a fish gravy and is usually served as an accompaniment with steamed rice. Click here for its recipe
  • Kodi Koora : Another gravied preparation this time using chicken instead of fish. Kodi is chicken in telugu language, the language spoken in the state of Andhra Pradesh. Click here for its recipe
  • Telengana Rasam : It is a soupy preparation which is served as an accompaniment to steamed rice. Soup is usually drunk seperately, a rasam is a deviation from soups by having more spices. Click here for its recipe
  • Billavakka : A deep fried snack prepared using rice flour. Click here for its recipe
  • Saboodana Vada : Saboodana is otherwise called sao in hindi and javvarisi in tamil. A batter of saboodana is deep fried and called vada. This is served as a snack with accompaniments like chutney. Click here for its recipe

To view all the popular dishes and recipes you can visit by clicking here

Alternatively you can choose to visit the blog - http://telenganafood.blogspot.com

Next blog we will see dishes from the travancore cuisine...

Recipes for Cooking - Malabar Cuisine

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The malabar region falls in the state of Kerala, the people called malayalees (they speak the language called Malayalam). This state in India is know for its scenic locations and it lush green locales. The state of Kerala is also know as "Gods own country" for the simple reason that it has abundance of beauty any where your eyes can look.
Malabar cuisine has its food influenced by the foreigners who have visited this region for centuries for trading in spices that care cultivated in the state of Kerala. The cuisine is mildly spiced and is very tasty. Find below a few of the popular dishes from the malabar cuisine
  • Malabar Fish Curry : A fish preparation which is gravy based and is prepared over slow fire to absorb all the spices' flavours. Served usually with steamed rice or Appam. Click here for its recipe
  • Appam : It is a light food prepared with rice batter. It is in simpler layman's term pancakes prepared by pouring the batter into a vessel which forms its shape which is like a bowl. Click here for its recipe
  • Ada Prathaman : Ada is a pasta type sheets which are then cut into smaller squares. Ada prathaman is a sweet dish prepared by using ada, it is sweetened using jaggery (Brown Sugar). Click here for its recipe
  • Pazhampori : Usually served as snacks with the evening chai, this is a dish prepared by batter frying sliced fruits. The primary fruit used for this is plantain, a variety available in Kerala called the Naendaram pazham. Click here for its recipe
  • Coconut prawn Gravy : Coconut is one of the primary ingredients in food preparation in Kerala. Coconut is used in some form or the other. This dish is prepared with prawns. Click here for its recipe

You can also visit other popular dishes and recipes in malabar cuisine by clicking here

Alternatively you can visit the malabar cuisine's blog at http://malabar-food.blogspot.com/

The next post will be on Telengana cuisine, till then chao...

Recipes for Cooking - Hyderabadi Cuisine

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Hyderabad is a capital city for the state of Andhra Pradesh, one of the primary cuisines in South India. Hyderabadi Cuisine is influenced by the mughalai style of cooking and is a rich experience consuming the hyderabadi food. Find below five of the many popular dishes from the hyderabadi cuisine.
  • Hyderabadi Biryani : Spelt Biryani or Biriyani is a rice preparation using, again reiterating it being influenced by Mughalai Cuisine. Highly flavoured and rich preparation of rice which leaves your toungue craving for more. Click here for its recipe
  • Haleem : Is a very important dish prepared using minced meat. No meal in Hyderabad or mughalai cuisine lays lesser importance to this dish, every mean features this dish. Click here for its recipe
  • Mirchi ka Salan : Considered an accompaniment to any rice preparation, this dish features as a pre-requisite to a meal. Prepared using chillies (Ofcourse milder ones) and is a gravy. Click here for its recipe
  • Hyderabadi Fish : A fish preparation hyderbad(mughalai) style. Click here for its recipe
  • Chicken Korma : A gravy prepared with chicken as its main ingredient. Also served as an accompaniment to breads and rice preparations. Click here for its recipe

You can also view all of the popular dishes and recipes of the hyderabadi cuisine by clicking here

You can alternatively visit the blog at http://hyderabadi-food.blogspot.com/

Next post we will visit the land of the gods, "Gods own country". We will see a few dishes of the malabar cuisine.

Recipes for Cooking - Udupi Cuisine

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Udupi Region falls in the state of Karnataka in South India. The recipes are world renowned, the cuisine is primarily vegetarian and has been an integral part in founding certain original lip smacking dishes. Dosa, upma, kichdi are some of the dishes that originated from the town Udupi. Let's see a few dishes of the udupi cuisine and its recipes as below

  • Bele Saru : Saru is a name given for a soupy liquid that is served with rice, saru can also be consumed as an appetizer. It is a concoction of various spices and lentils. This can be prepared in jiffy once we have all its ingredients in place. One such requirement is the Saarina Pudi. It is nothing but ground spices for the saru. Click here for it's recipe
  • Green Beans Gojju : Gojju is a preparation to be served as an accompaniment to the main course food. Click here for its recipe
  • Udupi Upma : A preparation served usually for breakfast, prepared using
    semolina
    (Sooji/Rava) and certain other ingredients. Click here for its recipe
  • Dosa : Dosa is an integral part of any south indian household. It is served as break fast, snack, even at times lunch or dinner. In simple terms it is rice pancake, served with chutney. Click here for its recipe
  • Payasa : A sweet dish, served as a dessert. Click here for its recipe

You can also choose to view all of Udupi Cuisines' popular dishes and recipes by clicking here

Alternatively you can also visit http://udupifood.blogspot.com/ for more recipes.


My next post would be on Hyderabadi Cuisine, so until next post....

Recipes for Cooking - Kongunadu Cuisine (Kongu Cuisine)

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Another cuisine from the state of Tamil Nadu, this cuisine if from the kongu region which contains more than 50 cities from the state of Tamil Nadu. This is a feature rich cuisine with variety unlike the Chettinadu Cuisine which if from a place called Karaikudi. Find below the kongu cuisine's popular dishes and a link that will lead you to the recipe.
  • Muttaigos muttai podimas : A dish prepared using cabbage and eggs, in simple language its a mixture of eggs and cabbage. This dish is served as an accompaniment. Click here for its recipe
  • Kathirikkai Masal : A preparation using aubergines (Egg plant/Brinjals). This is also an accompaniment to rice or dosa/idly. It is a gravy or like how people call it, its a masala. Click here for its recipe
  • Sandavai : Its a preparation using rice flour and is served as breakfast in the state of Tamil Nadu. In some regions other than the kongu region it is a little different in terms of preparation and is called idiyappam. Click here for its recipe
  • Paruppu Urundai Kozhambhu : Kozhambu, also spelt kolambu/kulambu is a gravy or curry with more liquid than usual and is served along with rice to be mixed together and had. It is also served as an accompaniment to dosa. Click here for its recipe
  • Mochai paruppu Pasi paruppu Kootu : In literal terms kootu in Tamil (Language) means 'Sum'. So this dish is a sum of many ingredients. A semi solid gravy served as an accompaniment to the main course. Click here for its recipe

You can also choose to view all of Kongu Cuisines' popular dishes and recipes by clicking here

Alternatively you can visit the site for Kongunadu Cuisine as well at http://kongufood.blogspot.com/.

My Next post would be on Udupi Cuisine and a few of its popular dishes.

Recipes for Cooking - Chettinadu Cuisine

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If you noticed the previous two posts on recipe compilation had segregation with regard to cuisines namely North Indian and South Indian Cuisine. After much thought and suggestion from my wife, I understand that it is a tedious process not only to write a post but also to navigate.
So here I am again with a new approach to navigation of the recipes and dishes in this blog. From now on I am going to be writing posts on a particular cuisine in a region and not the entire region, to explain more clearly I would write a post on chettinadu cuisine in particular, the post dedicated to Chettinadu Cuisine and not the Tamil Nadu Cuisines. The post will have 5 dishes from that cuisine.
So following the above example I would start this new approach with the chettiandu or chettinad cuisine. So, find below the cuisine's popular dishes and a link to lead you to its recipe.
  • Pal Paniyaram : It is a sweet dish prepared by frying lentil dumpling and soaking the same in milk. Click here for its recipe
  • Karuveppilai Kozhambu : It is a curry or gravy served as an accompaniment with steamed rice usually and is prepared with Curry Leaves. A variant of Sambar. Click here for its recipe
  • Keerai Masiyal : A green leafy preparation served as an accompaniment. A masiyal is a mashed preparation of the edible leaves of plants. Click here for its recipe
  • Chicken Chettinadu : Is a very popular dish which is spicy and is served with steamed rice or dosa. Reason for its spice is usage of pepper corns and the spice can be adjusted either by increasing or reducing the number of peppercorns. Click here for its recipe
  • Carrot thayir pachadi : It is a preparation to go along with spicy food. Using yoghurt/curd the preparation is mild without much spice to ease the spice of any main dish. Click here for its recipe

You can also choose to visit all its popular dishes and recipes by clicking here

Alternatively you can visit the blogsite for Chettinadu Cuisine at http://chettinadufood.blogspot.com/.

My next post would be on another Tamil Nadu Cuisine, the Kongu Cuisine.

Vegetarian Food Guide (Vegan Food Pyramid)

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Vegetarianism is a very healthy option, but it is very important to ensure that your food intake is well-balanced. A varied vegetarian diet supplies all the essential nutrients you need to be fit and healthy. A typical vegetarian diet closely matches dietary recommendations for healthy eating, being low in saturated fat and high in fiber, complex carbohydrates, and fresh fruit and vegetables. As a general rule, as long as you eat a variety of foods including grains, fruit, vegetables, beans, pulses, nuts or seeds, a small amount of fat, with or without the dairy products, your diet should be healthy and you will be getting all the nutrients you need.
This simple nutrition pyramid shows what types of food a vegetarian should eat and roughly in what quantity and proportion. Oils, butter and fats are at the top because we only need relatively small amounts. Bread, cereal, rice and pasta are at the bottom because we should eat these foods the most.
What You Should Eat Every Day on a Vegetarian Diet.
3 or 4 servings of cereals/grains or potatoes4 or 5 servings of fruit and vegetables2 or 3 servings of pulses, nuts & seeds2 servings of milk, cheese, eggs or soy productsA small amount of vegetable oil and margarine or butter.Some yeast extract fortified with vitamin B12.

Sources of Protein, Vitamins and Minerals for Vegetarians:
Protein Women need about 45g of protein a day -- more if pregnant, lactating or very active. Men need about 55g -- again more if very active.
Vegetarians obtain protein from: Nuts -- Hazels, brazils, almonds, cashews, walnuts, pine kernels.Seeds -- Sesame, pumpkin, sunflower, linseeds.Pulses -- Peas, beans, lentils, peanuts.Grains and Cereals -- Wheat (in bread, flour, pasta), barley, rye, oats, millet, corn, rice.Soya products -- Tofu, veggie burgers, soy milk.Dairy products -- Milk, cheese, yogurt.
Vitamins Vitamins are nutrients that the body cannot synthesize, either at all or in sufficient quantities. Only small quantities are needed in the diet. The main vegetarian sources are listed as follows:
Vitamin ARed, orange or yellow vegetables like carrots and tomatoes, leafy green vegetables and fruits like peaches. It is added to most margarine.
Vitamin BsThis group of vitamins includes B1 (thiamin), B2 (riboflavin), B3 (niacin), B6 (pyridoxine), B12 (cyanocobalamin), folate, pantothenic acid and biotin.
All the B vitamins except B12 occur in yeasts and whole cereals (especially wheat germ), nuts, pulses, seeds and green vegetables. Vitamin B12 is the only one which might cause some difficulty as it is not present in plant foods. Only very tiny amounts of B12 are in fact required and vegetarians usually get this from dairy produce and eggs. It is sensible for vegans and vegetarians who consume few animal foods to incorporate some B12 fortified foods in their diet. Vitamin B12 is added to some yeast extracts, soy milks, veggie burgers, bread and some breakfast cereals.
Vitamin CFresh fruit salad vegetables, all leafy green vegetables and potatoes.
Vitamin DThis vitamin is not found in plant foods, but humans can make their own when their skin is exposed to sunlight. It is also added to most margarine and is present in milk, cheese and butter. These sources are usually adequate for healthy adults. The very young, the very old and anyone confined indoors can compensate with a vitamin D supplement especially if they do not consume dairy products.
Vitamin EVegetable oil, wholegrain cereals and eggs.
Vitamin KFresh vegetables and cereals.
MineralsMinerals perform a variety of functions in the body. Some of the most important minerals are listed below.
CalciumImportant for healthy bones and teeth, with teenagers tending to need slightly more intake than adults. Found in dairy produce, leafy green vegetables, bread, tap water in hard water areas, nuts and seeds (especially sesame seeds), dried fruits, cheese, vitamin D helps calcium be absorbed.
IronIt is particularly important for teenage girls to ensure an adequate intake of iron. Iron is needed for the production of red blood cells. Found in leafy green vegetables, whole-meal bread, molasses, eggs, dried fruits, lentils and pulses. A good intake of vitamin C will enhance absorption of vegetable sources of iron.
ZincPlays a major role in many enzyme reactions and the immune system. Found in green vegetables, cheese, sesame and pumpkin seeds, lentils and wholegrain cereals.
This article is from - Cresentlife

North Indian recipes' compilation

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This is a second compilation and there are more to come in this blog, North Inidan cuisine as a cuisine is having varied dishes which are popular the world over. Find here a few popular dishes and recipes and a small write up as to what these dishes are about.

Chamani Qaliya : This is a paneer (Cottage Cheese) gravy from Kashmir. It is prepared and served with roti or rice. It is a dish from the kashmiri cuisine. Click here for it's recipe
Rogan Josh : Another popular dish from the Kashmir, this one is from the Wazwan Cuisine. A typical kashmiri preparation of lamb. The preparation renders the lamb supple and well flavoured. One of my favourite dishes listed in World Cuisines. Click here for it's recipe
Punjabi Kadhi : As the name suggests the dish is from punjab. It is a gravy prepared from gram flour and has lentil/vegetable dumplings in them. Usually served with rice. Click here for it's recipe
Chicken Tikka : World over the Indian restaurants have this dish featuring in their menu. Very popular for its flavour, taste and preparation methods. Chicken tikka is from the punjabi cuisine as well. The preparation is using tandoor (Clay oven). Click here for it's recipe
Garhwal ka Fannah : From the garhwal region and part of the north indian cuisine is a lentil preparation. The speciality is the lentil used and is served with indian breads (rotis) as an accompaniment. Click here for it's recipe
Kandalee ka Saag : From the Kumaon region is a green leafy preparation. Served with rotis
Click here for it's recipe
Chicken Hazaarvi : Another dish being prepared in Tandoor and from the mughalai cuisine, forms the delhi region's food. Click here for it's recipe
Kakori Kabab : From the Uttar Pradesh region and from the awadh cuisine, this dish is a preparation with minced meat. Click here for it's recipe
Khaste Mathura Aloo : A potato gravy preparation from Lucknowi cuisine, the dish is usually served with rotis. Click here for it's recipe
Aloo ka Bhartha : It is an Indian style salad from the rajasthan cuisine. Prepared using potatoes as primary ingredient. Click here for it's recipe
Dal Bati : A lentil preparation from Rajasthan and from the marwari cuisine. This bati which is puffed balls of lentils is served with dal gravy. Click here for it's recipe

First list of Recipes' Compilation

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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

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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

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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)

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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

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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

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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!!!

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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

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COMING SOON WITH POPULAR DISHES AND THEIR RECIPES

Few other interesting recipes

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