Indian cuisine is one of the most vibrant and popular cuisines in the world. Its distinct flavour, incredible taste and wide variety have got a vast fan following around the globe. It does not only taste delicious, but it also has great health benefits. It’s a perfect blend of age-old traditions, culture and taste. Each region has its own cuisine as per its age-old traditions, but the flavours, aroma and taste remain incredibly superb.
The flawless use of grains, legumes, local and seasonal vegetables, a variety of spices, ghee and cooking oils, is what makes traditional Indian food super healthy. This perfect balance of flavour and health goodness is one of the reasons Indian food is so famous across the globe. In fact, Indian food is one of the most celebrated and loved cuisines of the UK.
The people of the United Kingdom love to eat the spicy and flavourful Indian dishes. According to eftours, Chicken Tikka Masala, Butter Chicken, Rogan Josh, Palak paneer, chole, chaat are some of the most popular Indian dishes in the UK. The perfect balance of spices and flavours makes these dishes toothsome.
Today we, the best Indian Online Grocery Store of UK brings to you the secret ingredients used in preparing these lip-smacking Indian dishes, which you always order in restaurants and wonder how come it can taste so amazing. The right ingredients are the heart of any authentic flavourful dish as it enhances the taste and aroma of the dish. Therefore it is very important to choose the right, good quality, fresh and authentic ingredients. As discussed earlier, today we are going to reveal the secret ingredients used in the preparation of authentic Indian dishes. The secret ingredient is one that ingredient which completely changes the taste and flavour of a dish. Without the use of these ingredients, the dish feels incomplete and you end up feeling something was missing in the dish. So without any further delay, let’s dwell into the secret ingredients used in preparing some of the most famous and authentic Indian dishes across the world.
Secret Ingredients for preparing Authentic Indian Food at home
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Paneer Tikka Masala
Paneer Tikka Masala is a popular Indian dish that is extremely flavourful and delicious. It is made with marinated grilled cottage cheese in creamy onion-tomato yoghurt based gravy.
The Secret Ingredients Kasoori Methi
The secret to preparing perfect and delicious paneer tikka masala is to add crushed Kasuri methi (dry fenugreek leaves) once the gravy is cooked. Also always use fresh cottage cheese and yoghurt. The taste of fresh cottage cheese intensifies the taste and freshness of the dish. You can refer to paneer tikka masala recipe here. Paneer tikka masala is usually served with Indian bread like naan, paratha or tandoori rotis. The same way you can also prepare chicken tikka masala.
Link to Buy: Kasoori Methi
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Dal Tadka
Dals (lentils) is one of the most essential parts of Indian meals. Variety of dals are prepared in Indian cuisine, out of which dal tadka is one of the most popular dishes. Dal tadka is a flavourful lentil preparation from North of India. It is prepared by mixing several types of dals like Toor dal, masoor dal and moong dal. It is served with either plain or jeera rice. This recipe is not only tasty and delicious it is healthy too; as it is rich in protein and fibres.
The Secret Ingredients: Kasoori Methi, Pure Desi Ghee and Dry Red Chillies
The secret ingredient to prepare authentic Punjabi dal tadka is Ghee (clarified butter) and Kasoori methi. Prepare the tadka (tempering) for dal with pure desi ghee. The pure ghee tadka does the real magic to the dish. It will completely enhance the taste and aroma of dal. Also,add a pinch of crushed Kasoori methi once the dal is boiling. So next time when you crave for dal tadka, prepare it at home and temper it with pure desi ghee and see the magic. Here is the reference recipe for dal tadka.
Link to Buy: Kasoori Methi , Pure Ghee, Dry Red Chillies
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Biryani
Briyani needs no introduction. It is the most popular rice dish from the Indian subcontinent. It’s a perfect one-pot meal prepared by combining Basmati Rice with veggies, paneer or chicken or mutton or prawns. Some of the well-known biryani are Hyderabadi dum biryani, Lucknowi biryani, Kolkata biryani, Mughlai mutton biryani, Paneer biryani.
The Secret Ingredients: Authentic Basmati Rice, Biryani Masala Powder, Fried Onion (Birista), Full Fat Curd.
The secret for preparing the perfect biryani is best quality authentic basmati rice, saffron milk, pure desi ghee, fried onion (Birista), biryani masala and thick creamy curd. When you prepare biryani at home, do not compromise with any of these ingredients as they are key to super tasty biryani. Basmati rice is the main ingredient of the dish, it needs to be long grain, fluffy and non-sticky. Any biryani is incomplete with saffron milk and ghee, use original authentic saffron and pure ghee. Roast paneer/chicken/mutton in ghee and also add ghee on the top layer of rice. Curd gives unique richness to the biryani, do not use low-fat curd, instead, use full-fat creamy curd, it will give perfect texture to the biryani. One another main ingredient of any biryani is fried onions. The onions should be nicely caramelized and should be golden brown in colour. if it’s a little bit darker in colour it will taste bitter, so the trick here is to switch off the flame as soon as the onions are light brown in colour because it will get a bit darker due to heat of the oil. Always add best quality biryani masala as this masala gives nice flavour and spiciness to the biryani. You can refer to this Indian chicken biryani recipe for preparing biryani at home.
Link to Buy: Biryani Masala Powder, Basmati Rice, Fried Onion (Birista)
Also read: Eid Without Biryani is Like Diwali Without Sweets!
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Idli Sambar
Idli sambar is the most famous South Indian Delicacies. It is super tasty yet a very healthy dish. Basically idli is a steamed rice cake made from fermented rice and urad dal. Idli is served with sambar, a delicious lentils preparation. Sambar is made with lentils, mixed vegetables, tamarind, herbs, spices & a special spice powder known as sambar powder. Idli sambar is a perfect combination of protein, fibre and carbohydrates. It is a complete meal in itself. You can have it for dinner, lunch as well as for breakfast.
The Secret Ingredients: Parboiled Rice, Sambar Powder, Gingelly oil
To prepare authentic tasty idli at home, you need to focus on the ingredients you use. For the perfect texture and softness of idli, rice you use plays a crucial role. The secret here is to use short-grain parboiled rice also called doppio rice. You can use a variety of parboiled rice like parboiled sona masoori or ponni rice. Also it is recommended not to use basmati rice for idli preparation. There is a wide variety of sambar prepared in south India, among which Udupi sambar is the most famous variety. The secret for preparing authentic south Indian sambar is the sambar powder and gingelly oil. Nowadays you can easily get ready to use sambar powder. You can use this ready to use sambar powder to prepare sambar at home. Use best quality sambar powder, fresh vegetables, tamarind and another key ingredient that is gingelly oil to cook delicious authentic south Indian sambar at home. And yes don't forget to add drumstick and fresh curry leaves in sambar. Drumstick and fresh curry leaves give a unique flavour to sambar. Here is the perfect idli sambar recipe for your reference.
Link to Buy: Parboiled Rice, Sambar Powder, Gingelly Oil
Also read: Different Types of Rice You Can Buy from JustHaat for Everyday Cooking
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Rogan Josh
Rogan Josh is a popular Indian lamb curry. It’s the most ordered dish in restaurants. The combination of intense spices, lamb, onions, and yoghurt gives it a richness and flavours to the dish. Rogan josh is usually enjoyed with plain basmati rice or naan.The Secret Ingredients: Garam Masala Powder, Full Fat Cream, Lamb Shoulder. Pure Ghee
The secret to cooking flavourful rogan josh is to use lamb shoulder, as it’s well marbled with fat and becomes ultra-tender and juicy when cooked on slow flame. Other key ingredients used to prepare tasty rogan josh are ghee, garam masala and fresh full fat cream. The onions when sauteed in pure desi ghee, gives nice caramelized flavour to the dish. The fresh full fat cream intensifies its richness, making the dish heavenly tasteful and flavoursome. Here is a step by step recipe for your reference.
Link to Buy: Garam Masala Powder, Pure Ghee
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Rajma Chawal
(Image Credits: Simmer to Slimmer)
Rajma Chawal is one of the most famous North Indian Delicacies. It is made with red kidney beans commonly known as Rajma. Soaked rajma are boiled and cooked with onions, tomatoes and spices. It is usually enjoyed with steamed rice (Chawal), but it goes very well with tandoori roti, paratha and naan too.
The Secret Ingredients: Fresh ginger, Black cardamom, Pure ghee, Authentic Basmati Rice
The secret for preparing lip-smacking Rajma at home is the black cardamom, fresh ginger juliennes and pure desi ghee. When preparing rajma do not forget to add black cardamom in oil along with other whole spices like bay leaf, cloves, star anise cinnamon, black pepper. Black cardamom gives a completely unique flavour to your rajma. Also, add one to two spoonfuls of pure desi ghee into the oil and then add whole spices. Ghee intensifies the richness and taste of the dish. Once the Rajma is cooked add fresh ginger juliennes to it. Fresh ginger not only enhances the taste but also helps in the digestion process. You can also add two to three tablespoon of the whole masoor in rajma while soaking it. Masoor will give nice texture and thickness to the gravy. And yes, for preparing rice always use good quality long grain basmati rice. Hot steamed basmati rice goes perfect with rajma. Here is a Rajma Chawal recipe for your reference.
Link to Buy: Fresh ginger, Black cardamom, Pure ghee, Basmati Rice
Also read: Health Benefits of Desi Ghee - The Soul of Indian Kitchen
You can buy all types of spices, oil, vegetables, grocery and much more from our store. We assure the quality and authenticity of our products. So without any further delay place your order now and avail special discounts. We hope that you will enjoy preparing these tempting Indian delicacies at home with our secret ingredients. Do share your secrets with us in the comments section.
Until next time Happy Cooking!
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