i want to make authentic indian food?

i love indian food but when i try and cook it, it never ever tastes the same as from the take away. any good tips?

Vegetable Koftas
Submitted by: princess_Delkie

"This is a very authentic Indian recipe found on Indian menus the world over. It is served during formal dinners, festivals and weddings. Generally it is made with cream or ‘malai’ as it is called, but I have given a low calorie version which is equally tempting. Making it may sound tedious, but let me tell you it’s worth the effort! Get ready to impress your loved ones, with this recipe you just can’t go wrong!"

Prep Time:50 Minutes
Cook Time:40 Minutes
Ready In:1 Hour 30 Minutes
Servings:4

INGREDIENTS:
For the Koftas
1 1/2 cups frozen mixed vegetables, thawed
2 slices bread
1 1/4 cups mashed potatoes
1 serrano pepper, finely chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
1 teaspoon salt
vegetable oil, for deep-fat frying

For the Gravy
2 tablespoons butter
2 medium onions, chopped
1 teaspoon minced ginger
2 tablespoons minced garlic
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/2 teaspoon garam masala
1/2 cup tomato paste
3/4 cup milk
salt to taste
1/4 cup cream (optional)
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped cashews

DIRECTIONS:
Boil the mixed vegetables till soft. Drain, and allow to cool to room temperature. When cool, chop fine and set aside.
Moisten the slices of bread with a little water and squeeze out the excess. Stir together the vegetables, bread, mashed potatoes, serrano, onion, ginger, cilantro, and salt. Form into 8 balls.
Heat oil in deep-fryer to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
Fry the koftas in the hot oil until golden brown. Drain on paper towels, and allow to cool to room temperature.
Make the gravy by melting the butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir in the onions, ginger, garlic, ground coriander, turmeric, and garam masala; cook until the onions have softened. Mix in the tomato paste and cook for 5 minutes. Pour in the milk and season with salt; cook for 10 to 15 minutes more, stirring occasionally.
To serve, reheat the koftas in the gravy. Garnish with the cream and chopped cashews

Chicken Curry (Murgh Masala)

A Punjabi specialty from North India, this chicken curry is fragrant with cumin and cilantro. It is this distinctive aroma that is often associated with Indian food and that has captured the hearts and palates of people around the globe. This curry can also be made with other birds. Serve it with a rice dish or bread.

Ingredients:

1 3-pound chicken, cut into 8 to 10 pieces and skinned with skin
1-1/2 cups finely chopped onion
2 tablespoons grated or crushed fresh ginger
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper
1-1/2 pounds ripe tomatoes, puréed
Coarse salt
1 cup water
2 teaspoons ground toasted cumin seeds or Garam Masala
1/2 cup finely chopped cilantro leaves and tender stems

Instructions:

Heat a large heavy nonstick sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the chicken pieces and sauté, turning until they lose their pink color and are seared, about 5 minutes. Add the onion, ginger, and garlic. Sauté, stirring, until the onion is lightly browned, about 8 minutes. It will brown unevenly, which is as it should be for the complex flavoring of the finished sauce. Add the paprika, red pepper, tomatoes, and salt to taste.

Pour the water over the chicken and bring to a boil. Decrease the heat and simmer, covered, until the chicken is very tender, about 30 minutes. If the sauce is too thin, increase the heat and boil rapidly, uncovered, until it reduces to the desired consistency (like a pasta sauce). Stir in the cumin and half of the cilantro and transfer to a warm serving dish.

Sprinkle with the remaining cilantro and serve.

Yield: Serves 4

23 Responses to “i want to make authentic indian food?”

  1. hire a packy
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  2. Go to the local take away….
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  3. madhur jaffries book is good but just use a little bit more oil than the recips and use loads of extra onions!
    References :
    http://groups.msn.com/MARKLIFE

  4. if i go to india and cook fish and chips, is it still indian food cos i cooked it in india?

    sorry about that but i was just wondering? all i know is that i hate indian takeaways, but like it home cooked, i think maybe it is because i find the takeaways to be so oil laden, and it really puts me off.
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  5. Make sure the onions are cooked really well golden coloured before you add any other ingredients
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  6. check ur spices. see if its the right amount… btw use recepies… heres a website
    References :
    http://asiarecipe.com/pakistan.html
    http://indiancukin.com.html

  7. follow the directions of the recipe to the T.

    http://www.numkitchen.com/
    References :

  8. be sure to add curry and hot peppers . it should be nice and spicy!
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  9. you use good Indian spices
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  10. TRY THIS LINK IT WILL DIRECT U TO ANITHER LINK

    http://www.bawarchi.com

    Hope that helps u :)
    References :

  11. The key to make delicious indian food is spices. You need to use right quantity and quality. There are some very good websites to make delicious indian food.

    Here are few I normally use.

    http://recipes.indiaserver.com/
    http://www.tarladalal.com/
    http://www.sanjeevkapoor.com/

    The last web site has become paid but it still has some free recipes and some with very very less oil.

    Let me know if it helps..

    Enjoy cooking…
    References :

  12. catherinemeganwhite on November 7th, 2009 at 3:39 pm

    Chicken Tikka

    Ingredients:
    1 1/2 lb Chicken breast; boned & -skinned
    Salt; to taste
    1 ts Chile powder
    1 ts Coriander seeds, ground
    2 T Lime juice
    2 Garlic cloves
    crushed Ginger, fresh; grated
    2 T Oil
    2/3 c Yogurt
    plain Lime slices; to garnish

    Rinse chicken, pat dry with paper towels and cut into 3/4-ich cubes. Thread onto short skewers.

    Put skewered chicken into a shallow non-metal dish. In a small bowl, mix together yogurt, gingerroot, garlic, chile powder, coriander, salt, lime juice and oil. Pour over skewered chicken and turn to coat completely in marinade. Cover and refrigerate 6 hours or overnight to allow chicken to absorb flavors.

    Heat grill. Place skewered chicken on grill rack and cook 5 to 7 minutes, turning skewers and basting occasionally with any remaining marinade. Serve hot, garnished with lime slices.
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  13. Find an Indian friend and go to their house and watch them cook and learn how to cook any dish from them. Seriously. This is the best way to learn authentic cooking from any country.
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  14. it won’t taste the same coz in restaurants and for take-aways they use strong spices n food colourings to change the actual product… you’ll find home-made food tastes better anyway :)
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  15. learn the indian cooking for many indian grocery stores which offer courses. in that way they will teach in all methods possible to do a single dish and you can learn faster and try at home.
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  16. go get chicken tikka massala
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  17. Spices are the things that make a curry.

    Have agood supply of fresh spices, keep them in an airtight container in the dark.

    Not all spices release their flavour at the rate so use them in the correct order.

    Leave the curry for a day and reheat it, this will enhance the flavour.
    References :
    Brian’s curry hotline

  18. where are you from? If you are from Worthing- west sussex, then may be you can come to my cooking class. Interested?

    Ritu.
    angle9973106@yahoo.com
    References :

  19. Indian restaurant food is prepared with highly seasoned and flavoured. Indian home cooking is never like that in the Indian house hold. People who work in the restaurant don’t eat, what they serve to the costumers, They cook separate curry called staff curry not so strong in flavour. I cook at home and it never is the same as the restaurants
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  20. go to the take away – a good one near me is Poppa Dom’s.
    References :

  21. Vegetable Koftas
    Submitted by: princess_Delkie

    "This is a very authentic Indian recipe found on Indian menus the world over. It is served during formal dinners, festivals and weddings. Generally it is made with cream or ‘malai’ as it is called, but I have given a low calorie version which is equally tempting. Making it may sound tedious, but let me tell you it’s worth the effort! Get ready to impress your loved ones, with this recipe you just can’t go wrong!"

    Prep Time:50 Minutes
    Cook Time:40 Minutes
    Ready In:1 Hour 30 Minutes
    Servings:4

    INGREDIENTS:
    For the Koftas
    1 1/2 cups frozen mixed vegetables, thawed
    2 slices bread
    1 1/4 cups mashed potatoes
    1 serrano pepper, finely chopped
    1 onion, chopped
    1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
    1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
    1 teaspoon salt
    vegetable oil, for deep-fat frying

    For the Gravy
    2 tablespoons butter
    2 medium onions, chopped
    1 teaspoon minced ginger
    2 tablespoons minced garlic
    2 teaspoons ground coriander
    1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
    1/2 teaspoon garam masala
    1/2 cup tomato paste
    3/4 cup milk
    salt to taste
    1/4 cup cream (optional)
    2 tablespoons coarsely chopped cashews

    DIRECTIONS:
    Boil the mixed vegetables till soft. Drain, and allow to cool to room temperature. When cool, chop fine and set aside.
    Moisten the slices of bread with a little water and squeeze out the excess. Stir together the vegetables, bread, mashed potatoes, serrano, onion, ginger, cilantro, and salt. Form into 8 balls.
    Heat oil in deep-fryer to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
    Fry the koftas in the hot oil until golden brown. Drain on paper towels, and allow to cool to room temperature.
    Make the gravy by melting the butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir in the onions, ginger, garlic, ground coriander, turmeric, and garam masala; cook until the onions have softened. Mix in the tomato paste and cook for 5 minutes. Pour in the milk and season with salt; cook for 10 to 15 minutes more, stirring occasionally.
    To serve, reheat the koftas in the gravy. Garnish with the cream and chopped cashews

    Chicken Curry (Murgh Masala)

    A Punjabi specialty from North India, this chicken curry is fragrant with cumin and cilantro. It is this distinctive aroma that is often associated with Indian food and that has captured the hearts and palates of people around the globe. This curry can also be made with other birds. Serve it with a rice dish or bread.

    Ingredients:

    1 3-pound chicken, cut into 8 to 10 pieces and skinned with skin
    1-1/2 cups finely chopped onion
    2 tablespoons grated or crushed fresh ginger
    1 tablespoon minced garlic
    1 tablespoon paprika
    1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper
    1-1/2 pounds ripe tomatoes, puréed
    Coarse salt
    1 cup water
    2 teaspoons ground toasted cumin seeds or Garam Masala
    1/2 cup finely chopped cilantro leaves and tender stems

    Instructions:

    Heat a large heavy nonstick sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the chicken pieces and sauté, turning until they lose their pink color and are seared, about 5 minutes. Add the onion, ginger, and garlic. Sauté, stirring, until the onion is lightly browned, about 8 minutes. It will brown unevenly, which is as it should be for the complex flavoring of the finished sauce. Add the paprika, red pepper, tomatoes, and salt to taste.

    Pour the water over the chicken and bring to a boil. Decrease the heat and simmer, covered, until the chicken is very tender, about 30 minutes. If the sauce is too thin, increase the heat and boil rapidly, uncovered, until it reduces to the desired consistency (like a pasta sauce). Stir in the cumin and half of the cilantro and transfer to a warm serving dish.

    Sprinkle with the remaining cilantro and serve.

    Yield: Serves 4
    References :
    Ochef.com
    allrecipes.com

  22. If you use the correct spices and prepare the recipes as indicated, you should be able create some authentic-tasting food.

    Here are some links to sites with a lot of good recipes:

    http://www.food-india.com/ ( I have made dozens of recipes from this site)

    http://www.syvum.com/recipes/incindex.html
    http://www.syvum.com/recipes/infindex.html
    http://www.syvum.com/recipes/ivrindex.html

    http://www.sanjeevkapoor.com/

    http://www.cuisinecuisine.com/IndianRecipeBox.htm

    http://www.indiaexpress.com/cooking/

    Good luck!
    References :

  23. Are you in UK? I like to make my own Indian, but its never the same as the take-away. The best one i’ve made is a recipie for Butter Chicken, and its on the back of a jar Sainsburys spice mix. Its near all the spices and has a purple lid! They also do a Madras mix which is good. I normally add a few extra chillis to the recipie though – as i like them hot.
    References :

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