The
average Briton spends a whopping ?30,000 on Indian food during their lifetime,
according to the 2013 Cobra Good Curry Guide, with the majority coming from
eating out at the 9,000 Indian restaurants in the UK.
However,
a large amount of people still wouldn't know where to start when making their
own Indian dishes from scratch.
At
School of Wok, our Indian cookery classes give customers a well-rounded
introduction to the cuisine, spreading our knowledge of an overwhelming array
of exotic spices to simplify south Asian food, meaning that you'll never need a
takeaway ever again!
After
learning about the essential ingredients, we'll teach you to replicate your
favourite Indian curries in the comfort of your own home - you'll wonder why
you ever spent so much money on takeout food.
RICE
It goes
without saying: rice is a key component and a staple of Indian cuisine. Over
120 million tonnes of rice were produced in India in 2010, making the country
the second-largest producer in the world after China. It is an essential
ingredient of any India kitchen, being a fundamental part of nearly every meal,
being the perfect accompaniment to any curry or spicy dish. After remembering
just a few simple cooking steps, you'll be able to cook perfect, fluffy rice every
time.
GHEE
Ghee is
a type of clarified butter and widely used as a cooking fat in Indian cuisine.
It differs from normal clarified butter as it is heated for longer until the
milk solids begin to brown, producing a stronger, nuttier, more fragrant flavour
with a higher burning point, adding richness to curries.
TURMERIC
Turmeric
is an essential ingredient in a vast amount of Indian curries. Referred to
commonly as 'Indian saffron', it is what gives dishes their bright yellow
colour, as well as an earthy, slightly bitter and peppery flavour. Turmeric is
also celebrated for its medicinal benefits, used for its anti-inflammatory,
antiseptic and pain-killing properties.
CUMIN
Cumin is
an oblong, stripey, dried seed of the cuminum cyminum plant (member of the
parsley family) and used in both its whole and ground form. It has a
distinctive, strong, earthy flavour and used in most curries, being a common
ingredient of the garam masala blend of spices. Rich in vitamins A and C,
calcium and iron.
CORIANDER:
Coriander,
one of the most common ingredients in Indian food is used in the seed, ground
and leaf form. The seeds are light brown and have a slight lemony fragrance and
flavour when crushed and are used in the garam masala blend of spices. It is a
good source of dietary fibre and contains vitamin C, calcium and iron.
If this
has sparked your appetite and tickled your taste buds, why not book yourself
into an Indian cookery class at School of Wok to learn the basics of Indian
cuisine.
