A side dish, as the name suggests, is the smaller portion of a meal as a side constitute.
Pappads: This is a thin crispy and crunchy fried food that is made from black gram flour. They are usually sold in stores in their raw form which is then cooked in oil.
Raita: Raita is particularly used as a side dish in rice meals like vegetable pulao and Biryani. It is basically yogurt mixed with grated veggies like cucumber, carrot and beetroot. There are no spices as such except for cumin powder. Known for its cooling properties, Raita is like the Indian twist on salad.
Chutney: Chutney is used in chaats and meals like dosa, idli and uttapam. There are hundreds of chutney recipes made from ingredients like coconut, tomato, mint leaves, groundnut etc. which is blended with coconut, lentils and spices.
Pickle: This can be spicy, tangy, pungent, and sweet. It’s a strong burst of flavor in the mouth, something that can enliven your meals.
Indian cooking equipment: In ancient days, the cooking equipment was mostly powered by manual effort but today, machines have effectively replaced that. For instance, Rotimatic is a fully automated machine that can cook rotis in seconds. From the rotimatic reviews online, it seems apparent that its a booming success.
The tawa pan is a flat skillet that is used in the frying of rotis.
Tandoori ovens are old fashioned cylindrical clay ovens that were and are still being used in the cooking of naans and kulcha akin to leavened breads.
Examples of splendid Indian foods
* Aloo gobi: A delightful combination of crisp and deep fried cauliflower and potatoes. The dhaba version is dry and immensely flavorful.
* Channa masala: A stew made with chickpeas, tomatoes and onion.
* Palak paneer: Gravy made from spinach and cooked along with cottage cheese.
* Panner butter masala: This involves the implementation of the standard Mughlai gravy, tomatoes, onion, spices, cashew nuts and fresh cream.
* Naan: Leavened Indian flatbread
* Papadums: A thin, crispy bread that is made from black gram flour.
* Fish curry: This is traditionally made in South India, particularly Goa where fishing is the main occupation of the locals.
* Dhal makhani: A stew that can be made with yellow or black lentils.
* Pakora: Basically vegetables that are dipped in basin batter and deep fried. Typically uses veggies like cauliflower, cabbage, onion etc.
* Lamb vindaloo: This is meat made from the flesh of duck. Its a recipe borrowed by the Portuguese.
* Kofta: Kofta are fried balls of veggies or meat that is cooked in stew until it absorbs the flavor and turns soft.
* Korma: Down South, it is a stew that is primarily made from coconut but up North, korma utilizes cream and yogurt.
* Biryani: Basmati rice cooked with veggies, spices, saffron and meat.
* Kebab: This is more or less like a Barbecue dish. It could be meat or veggies that is roasted or grilled after marinating them in a spicy dip.
