Types of Sauces> Worcestershire Sauce

Text by: Tanya Munshi

Worcestershire Sauce

Ø It is a fermented flavouring ingredient mainly used for steamed, roasted or grilled food items.

Ø Also known as the Worcester sauce, it can be used to flavour the popular drink Bloody Mary.

Ø This sauce is used to marinade and flavour meats as well.

Ø As per the original recipe of the Lea and Perrins, Midland Road, Worcester, England, its main ingredients are malt vinegar, spirit vinegar, tamarind extract, sugar, salt, anchovies (tiny Mediterranean fish), molasses, onions, garlic etc.

Ø But there are variations to this sauce recipe, where black current and raisins are also used.

Food & Culture> Gastronomics of Kerala Cuisine

Image1: Boatman at Kumarakom

Image2: View from the houseboat
Image by: Tanya Munshi
Image copyright: Tanya Munshi

Text by: Tanya Munshi
Kerela, better known as 'God's own country', is rated as one of the Top 10 destinations in India by National Geographic Traveller. And we've already told you that for us it's a paradise of mouth-watering food. There are many factors that have gone into shaping the lip-smacking cuisine of Kerela - geography and demographics are two such factors that play a vital role.


Here is a low down on how these two factors influenced the cuisine of Kerala.


Religion and food:
While the Christian, Muslim and some of the Hindu populace consume non-vegetarian, the highest caste the Nambudiris are known to be staunch vegetarians. Every religion here offers its own style of cuisine to the state. While the appams and stew are a famous combination, chicken roast, fish moilee, fish fry are also famous amongst the Christians. The Malabari Biryani and the Pathri is a delicious contribution from the Muslims and the pure vegetarian Hindu cuisine has a range of veggies on the platter such as – rasam, sambar, olan, kalan, pachadi, thoran, avial etc.
Though there are Hindus who consume fish and chicken, beef and pork preferred by Christians, while mutton and fish are preferred by the Muslims. Not to forget, tapioca is also very popular dish in Kerala which deliciously blends with hot and spicy red fish curry.


Syrian Christian Cuisine - Kerala Syrian Christians owe their origin to St. Thomas, one of the twelve apostles of Jesus Christ, who is believed to have set up seven churches on his visit to Kerala to spread Christianity.
Why this needs a special mention is because of the delicious cuisine that this religion has to offer. Their famous dish is the stew which is a tasty blend of chicken and potatoes cooked in a creamy white sauce in coconut milk base. This gravy is further seasoned with cinnamon, black pepper, green chilies, lime juice, shallots and cloves. In fact, this stew can also be prepared with chicken, lamb, mutton or duck. But obvious, beef and lamb is a predominant meat item, apart from fish and chicken. Also, wine is a popular drink amongst the Syrian Christians.

The Mappilas or the Muslims Cuisine - in Kerala came into existence and influenced by the Arab traders since the 7th Century AD. There was an obvious impact on the cuisine as well. Apart from Pathri, a thin rice flour pancake, the Alsa a wheat and a meat dish popular amongst the Muslims, came into existence. This type of cuisine is quite popular amongst the Keyis, who are the nobles amongst the Mappilas of the Malabar community.

Sadya – A traditional meal amongst the Hindus Sadya, in Malayalam means ‘the big feast’, is a predominant meal amongst the Hindus. A trend started from the time of the maharajas, sadya is a traditional vegetarian meal that is usually served on a banana leaf. In fact, there is a particular style in which a Sadya is served. As per the tradition, the narrow part of the leaf always faces the left side. All the servings are made from the bottom left half of the leaf. It first begins with –

• A banana
• Jaggery coated banana chips
• Papads – this concludes the bottom left portion of the leaf.

Now the next section of serving begins from the top left part of the leaf –

• Lime curry
• Mango pickle
• Injupuli (thick tamarind and mango curry)
• Lime pickle
• Thoran (dry mixed veggies with coconut)
• Vegetable stew
• Olan (gourd)
• Aviyal (a mixed vegetable in coconut gravy)
• Pachadi (raw mango with curd)
• Khicdi

The person usually starts to eat, when all these items (usually in small quantities) are served. Once this is done the next round begins. It consists of –

• Rice
• Sambar
• Kalan (yam and curd pepper curry) – both these are poured onto the rice, which takes the centre part of the banana leaf.

Once this meal is over, the sweet dish is served. This consists of – Pradaman (made of rice flour, coconut milk and jaggery) orPal payasam (sweetened condensed milk with rice)Finally, a glass of rasam (pepper water) and curd is served to help the person digest his/ her meal.

Interestingly, this process of serving helps a person to know what next to serve to a guest. Normally, in traditional sadya, onions and garlic are not used. Sadyas are known to be prepared a night before and are complete before 10 am in the morning.

But it is important to remember, that there maybe a difference in the style of the food served in a sadya. For instance, in Southern Kerala, the food has a lot of garlic in it, where as in Northern Kerala, garlic is generally avoided in sadya and most vegetarian dishes. Overall, traditional food items in a sadya will be almost the same.

Travel & Culture> Walled Cities of Europe

Image: A view of Girona from the City Wall

Image by: Malouette





Text by: Tanya Munshi

Planning a theme for your Europe trip? Maybe you could plan a trip to the famous European walled cities. Here are some of the best European walled cities that travel guides recommend.

The Walled City of Catalonia, Girona, Spain – Girona is worth a visit. This city is interesting with a confluence of several cultures of Christians, Jews and Arabs. Originally a Roman empire, Girona gradually evolved as a medieval centre in the later years. Girona is known for its amazing architecture and gems.

The Walls of Girona had been destroyed and re-constructed in the 19th century. The passeig de la Muralla or the Walled Walk is open between 8:00 am to 10:00 pm daily. The Passeig Arqueologic, is another wall walk on the outside of the town walls, that gives you a view of the old city lined with flowers and cypress trees.

It only takes about an hour to reach Girona and is situated to the north of Barcelona, in the Catalonia region. With limited options for boarding and lodging, it is advisable that you visit Girona with prior bookings.
1

The Walled City of Rhodes, Greece – The city of Rome, is draped by medieval walls of seven gates, a moat and castle. Also known as Rodos, this is a walled city situated on the coast of the island of Rhodes. The Knights of Saint John had taken shelter inside the Rhodes Walls in 1309 when they were exiled from the Holy Land.
2
Carcassonne France Walled City – Probably the only place, where you can find 6th, 7th and 8th century walls. A beautiful medieval hilltop town, Caracassonne is situated near the canal du midi that has been entered in the UNESCO’s World Heritage List. A small town, Carcassonne is situated south of Paris bordering Cathar County. A river, castle ruins, and the lit up La Cite at night makes this a memorable experience.
3
Avila - Walled City in Castile-Leon, Spain – A day trip from Madrid to Avila is enough to visit one of the best persevered walled cities in Spain. The Walls of Avila date back to the 11th century and has been declared as a World Heritage Site. Here, apart from the Walls of Avila, you can also visit the Cathedral and Museum and the Monastery of Santo Tamas de Avila. You can hop on to a train that runs 24 hours from Chamartin Station in Madrid to Avila.
4
The Walled City of Luca, Italy – Luca is a cozy town enveloped by 16th century walls that you can walk around. In the town of Luca, you can also cycle or walk along the three mile stretch of these historic walls.

Travel & Culture> Magic of the Moors

Image: La Giralda de Sevilla

Image by: Cayetano

Text by: Tanya Munshi
When you visit Spain, you will find an indelible mark of the Moors, right from well planned cities, architecture, food (especially the lamb stew), gardens, walkways and squares all over the cities.

The Moors had spent a lot of effort in planning the city; mainly irrigation that kept the vineyards, gardens and orchards alive. You can still see the horticultural expanse in the Patio de los Naranjos or the Court of Oranges, in the city and at Medina Azarhara.

There was an amazing amalgamation of Spain’s Muslim and Christian cultures. Beginning from the 9th century, within a short span of time there evolved an ever so elegant form of architecture. Even now you will find pavilions with Gothic and Arabic inscriptions.

The Great Mosque: The ‘La Mezquita’ or the Great Mosque in Cordoba was known to be the largest mosque in the world, after the Kaaba in Mecca. It has now been converted into a cathedral after the Christian Reconquest in 1236. After all these years, it has stilled regained its grandeur with the Baroque style of architecture.

La Giralda: Seville too has the reminiscence of the Moorish architecture, especially the La Giralda. A 92 meters or 320 feet high minaret that was built around 50 years before the Christian Reconquest, is now used as a tower for the cathedral.

Gate of Justice: One of the finest Islamic architectures in Granada, is the baronial Gate of Justice. The entrance is surrounded by thick woods that were planted by the Duke of Wellington during the Peninsular Wars.

Royal Palace: Or the Casa Real in Granada is built entirely on wood and stucco, adorned with fine and intricate designs, patterns and calligraphic inscriptions from the Holy Koran. This architecture is a perfect example of symmetry, order and principal themes of fountains and pools that offered a perfect respite from the heat and dust.

Albaicin: A settlement found in Granada, Albaicin was set up by the Moors who were driven from Baeza in the 1200s. Their signature styles of horseshoe arches are still present on the city gates and the western wall of the old Moorish bastion.

Food & Culture> History of Kerala Cuisine

Image1: The floating hotel - houseboats of Kumarakom

Image2: A delicious Kerala quick meal - Tapioca, Fish Curry & Toddy

Image3: Paradise on earth

Images by: Tanya Munshi

Image Copyright: Tanya Munshi

Text by: Tanya Munshi

National Geographic Traveller has rated Kerala as one of the Top 10 Destinations of the Paradise Found Category. At Cooking Goddess we say, it is a paradise for seafood and non-vegetarian lovers. With lots of spices, condiments, rich in colour, flavour and aroma, Keralite cuisine is one of the most popular cuisines all over.

Known for its vast expanse of greenery, tender coconut, Ayurveda, the sea, beaches and beautiful churches, Kerala is a one stop destination for all. But let us take you on a tour on the history of Keralite cuisine.

Kerala has been one of the hotspots of the country since time immemorial. It is therefore, important to begin with the history of this state as believe it or not, history can influence eating habits, just as it influences people.

1

History

Kerala is known to have several mythical as well as historical facts about its origin. In fact, the earliest written records are dated as back as the 2nd and the 4th century BC. Its strategic location at the southern tip of India, nestled very close to the Malabar Coast, has attracted several explorers to Kerala. One such explorer whose is remembered in the cosy Fort Kochi area in Kerala is Vasco Da Gama. In fact, Fort Kochi itself dates back to the 15th century that coincides with the advent of the Portuguese. Soon Fort Kochi evolved as one of the prime ports of that time, attracting the Dutch to the final arrival of the British. Kerala is a confluence of Christian, Hindu and Muslim population that leaves it tinge in the cuisines as well. Apart from this, the Portuguese, Dutch and European influences have also left an indelible mark on Keralite cuisine.

2

Cooking food/ meal - Pachakam

The very act or preparing or cooking a meal is known as pachakam in Malayalam, the local language of Kerala. The food items have a distinct flavour of spices and of course, the coconut!

3
Spices

Spices play a pivotal role in Keralite cuisine. From small onions or shallots, to cocumstar, red chillies and red chilli powder, cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, cloves, garlic, coriander and cumin makes their cuisine spicy, tangy and lip smacking.

4
Food

Sea food is a staple diet, along with beef, pork, poultry and mutton in the non-vegetarian sections. Karimeen or the pearl spotted fish is a rare and expensive fish here. Its delicious and tastes fantastic as a fry or a curry form. Seer fish, nanga, cuttle fish, king fish etc are other popular favourites here.

Rice, coconut and curry leaves are omnipresent in almost every Keralite dish. The rice consumed in traditional Keralite homes is the unpolished rice. It’s considered healthier, as its original fibres are retained.

In fact, the rice here is used in several styles and tastes amazing. For example, rice string hoppers, known as Idiappams, pounded rice, known as Puttu are some of the popular rice dishes, along with the usual favourites dosa and idli. Usually, a breakfast in a traditional Keralite home would consist of puttu, idli, sambar, dosa and chutney. The Kerala Porota is a popular favourite here. It tastes delicious with mutton fry, chicken fry or chicken roast.

5
Drink

There is a popular drink amongst one and all, and truly outsiders have to develop a taste for the same. It’s Toddy – a fermented coconut drink that does justice to a tapioca and fish curry meal. Another popular drink is the Arrack which is highly intoxicating and usually had with spicy pickles and boiled eggs. Other popular drinks are kanji (rice congee) and payaru (moong bean).

Indian Spice & Herb Dictionary - P - T

Text by: Tanya Munshi

N
Nutmeg – Hindi – Jaiphal. Nutmeg has a presence almost everywhere. From sweet meats, baked goods, meat, sauces, confectionaries and seasoning veggies, etc.

P
Pepper – Hindi – Kaali Mirch. Indian cooking is incomplete without a dash of black pepper in it. Added to flavour stews, meat or chicken curries, black pepper is an essential spice. Like the world prefers sprinkling black pepper powder on egg and toast, black pepper in Indian cuisines is mostly used for seasoning a curry. Pepper is known for its medicinal properties – it is anti-microbial, anti-oxidant and an analgesic.

Pomegranate – Hindi – Anardana. The dried seed pulp of pomegranate is mainly used to spice some dishes and make a refreshing drink. Its medicinal properties are known to soothe stomach ailments.

Poppy – Hindi – Khus khus. Poppy seeds in India are primarily used for seasoning and flavouring meat dishes. Soaked poppy seeds, ground to a fine paste tastes delicious with mustard oil, chopped green chilies, a dash of salt mixed with steamed rice in West Bengal.

S
Saffron – Hindi – Zaffran. One of the most expensive spices in the world is added in minimal quantities to flavour milk, meat, biryani, sweet meats etc. Saffron is used in medicines to cure enlarged spleen and liver.

Star Anise – Hindi – Anasphal. This spice resembles a flower or a star and is known for its beautiful aromatic woody flavour. Add it to a stew, biryani and also in baked products, jams and preserves. Star Anise is an anti-bacterial and is known to cure stomach ailments.

T
Tamarind – Hindi – Imli. Tamarind pulp is quite popular in the southern and the Konkan belt of India. But its tangy flavour has many takers all over the country. It is used to make sambar, rasam, chutneys and pickles. Tamarind has medicinal properties that are known to cure fluorosis, used as a laxative as well as for healing.

Turmeric – Hindi – Haldi. A predominant yellow spice used in Indian cooking, turmeric is used for both flavouring and giving colour to the dishes. Turmeric is omnipresent in most Indian cooking, be it vegetarian or non-vegetarian cuisines. Turmeric has medicinal properties known to be a blood purifier and an antiseptic.

Indian Spice & Herb Dictionary - K to N

Text by: Tanya Munshi

K
Kokam – Hindi – Kokam. Predominantly found in southern India, Kokam is used to garnish and flavour various types of curries. It has cooling properties and you get cool refreshing kokam syrup for a drink. Kokum has nutritive as well as antiseptic properties.

M
Mint – Hindi – Pudina. Mint is popular all over the world. In India, we mostly enjoy it as mint chutney. Mint leaves are used to flavour meat and fish. It is also added in soups, sauces and cool drinks like ice tea. Mint has amazing medicinal properties, from – curing rheumatism, stomach ailments, headache, anti-septic, mouth freshener and the list goes on.

Mustard – Hindi – Rai, Sarson. Mustard seeds are essentially used for tempering dal, sambar and rasam. The seeds are also ground to a paste and the extracted water is used to add in curries. More popular is the mustard fish curry amongst the Bengalis, where mustard seeds add a pungent and woody flavour to the fish and curry. Mustard oil is also a popular type of oil, which takes pride in being one of the healthiest oils to cook your meals in.

N
Nutmeg – Hindi – Jaiphal. Nutmeg has a presence almost everywhere. From sweet meats, baked goods, meat, sauces, confectionaries and seasoning veggies, etc.

Indian Spice & Herb Dictionary> D to G

Text by: Tanya Munshi

D
Dill – Hindi – Sowa. Dill is often used to flavour meats, soups, salads and its stem and blossom heads are used for preparing dill pickles.

F
Fenugreek – Hindi – Methi. Fenugreek leaves are widely used in India to make vegetable dishes like methi-aloo, methi-paneer and methi-parantha. Its leaves offer a slight woody and bitter taste but are perfectly enjoyed as a staple diet in India. Fenugreek seeds are used for seasoning and flavouring curries as well. Fenugreek is known to have cooling properties. Soak a teaspoon of fenugreek seeds overnight in a glass of drinking water. Next morning, strain this water and drink it on an empty stomach.

Fennel – Hindi – Saunf. Fennel seeds are used for flavouring meat, soups, confectionary, sherbet and sauces. Its leaves are used in salads and garnishing dishes.

G
Ginger – Hindi – Adrak. Ginger in any form – whether dry, powder or fresh ginger adds a distinctive woody and spicy flavour to your dish. Predominantly used in non-vegetarian cuisines, ginger is also used in pickles, sauces and sherbets. Ginger tea is known to provide relief from cold and cough during winters and monsoons.

Garlic – Hindi – Lehsun. Garlic the wonder herb has several medicinal as well as culinary properties. Garlic is used widely in non-vegetarian and vegetarian cuisines. It is also used to flavour breads, sauces, powders and pickles. With regard to medicinal properties it is known to be a health booster due to its nutritive properties. Like they say – a garlic clove a day, keeps the doctor away.

Indian Spice & Herb Dictionary - C

C
Text by: Tanya Munshi
Cambodge – popularly known as – Malabar Tamarind. This fruit’s rinds are used for flavouring curries. Cambodge is widely used in Sri Lankan and Malaysian cooking as well.

Cinnamon Cassia– Hindi – Kashash. The dried form of the cassia bark is used as a spice. It is also known to have medicinal properties curing joint pains and fever.

Cinnamon – Hindi – Dalchini, Darchini. This is a popular spice known all across India. It is mainly used in small proportions to flavour meat or chicken dishes, kheer, chocolates, dried fruits and baked products. It offers a lovely bitter, sweet and woody flavour and smell to the food item. It has medicinal properties such as – cinnamon oil has anti-fungal properties and this spice is known to help diabetic patients digest sugar with ease.

Cardamom – Hindi – Elaichi. Cardamom is also a very popular spice across India. It is used to flavour curries, kheer, masala tea and cardamom milk. A single pod of cardamom can be chewed to cleanse the palate as an after mint and for fresh breath. Cardamom tea is known be soothing for a person suffering from cold and cough.

Celery – Hindi – Randhuni, Shalari, Ajmud. Celery leaves and stalks are used in soups, vegetable broths, salads, ice creams and baked products. It has medicinal properties to treat liver disorders and in controlling asthma.

Chilli – Hindi – Mirchi. Chilli as in red chilli in powdered form is used extensively in India to add a spicy flavour and a red colour to the curries. Dry red chillies are also fried in ghee, butter or oil and added to dal for tempering or tadka. Kashmiri red chillies are famous as they are known to enhance flavour and colour to Indian cuisines. This spice is omnipresent in almost all dishes in varying amounts – be it vegetarian or a non-vegetarian dish. Interestingly, chillies are a good source of Vitamin C. In certain parts of India, such as West Bengal it is customary to have a raw green chilli along with your meal.

Clove – Hindi – Laung. Did your grand mom ever place a clove in your mouth whenever you had a tooth ache or a swollen gum? Well, that’s clove for you. Again, clove is used to flavour curries, especially meat dishes, added to kheer and sweet meats in India. It has medicinal properties such as helping diabetic patients in absorbing sugar with ease and in relieving toothaches.

Coriander – Hindi – Dhaniya. Coriander powder is used as a spice to flavour curries. The powder looks grainy and kind of smells a little woody. On the other hand, fresh coriander leaves are a treat. They not only offer a beautiful aroma to the cuisine, but also enhance the look of any dish if used as garnishing. Rajma (red kidney beans), chicken, mutton or fish curry look appetizing with garnished with chopped fresh green coriander leaves. It has medicinal properties as well, where it is used to cure nausea, fever and stomach disorders.

Cumin – Hindi – Jeera. Cumin seeds are used to flavour a curry, by simply adding a teaspoon or two into the hot oil in which the curry will be cooked. Cumin seeds offer a beautiful aromatic flavour to the entire curry. Cumin seeds are also used to season baked products as well. This ingredient is known to have medicinal properties such as curing stomach disorders.

Curry Leaf – Hindi – Curry Patta. This leaf is predominantly used in the Western Ghats, Konkan and the southern belt of India. Curry leaves form a predominant role in flavouring vegetarian and non-vegetarian cuisines across Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra and the Konkan regions of India. It offers a strong aromatic flavour and can get the hunger pangs running overdrive. Curry leaves are used to temper dal, sambar, rasam and tastes delicious with chicken and meat. Today, due to cross cultural cuisines spreading across India, curry leaves are used by other cultures as well.