Cooking Techniques are applied to bring out the flavors of food.
…… Dry Roasting: In this process, heat is applied evenly to bring out the full flavor of spices, lentils, cream of wheat or rice. The ingredients are heated in a thick bottom frying pan or skillet and stirred frequently to distribute the heat. Dry roasting lasts for 2-3 minutes.
…il…: Sizzling in oil (Tadka dena/ Porichu kottal) It is a three-stage finishing process. This technique is used to release flavor from whole spices at the end of cooking a dish. First, a special small frying pan is used to heat oil or butter. Next mustard seeds/ whole cumin/ lentils are added; the pan is covered with a lid & heated to a smoking point when the mustard seeds splutter. At last chopped curry/ fenugreek leaves and asafetida powder are added to emit the aroma of spices. The hot concoction is poured over cooked lentils or sauces. Constant monitoring is necessary as overheating in stage 2 can burn the ingredients. Oil seasoning takes only a minute or two.
……: Sauteeing: In this 3 step technique, first oil is heated in a skillet or frying pan first. Next mustard/cumin seeds are added and heated to the smoke point until they splutter. Last chopped vegetables are added and stir-fried at medium heat to cook in their own moisture content.
