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Get to know your Ingredients

Spices and herbs are in abundant use in Indian cooking; familiarise yourself with some of the common spices that may be mentioned in our recipes.

Desserts

Dessert is a course that typically comes at the end of a meal, usually consisting of sweet food.

Drinks

A Drink is a liquid which is specifically prepared for human consumption. The right drink with the correct meal can make the different to a good or bad meal.

Main Course

A main course is the featured or primary dish in a meal consisting of several courses.

Sauces

There are so many varieties of chutney which can be consumed as a dip or sauce with various types of Indian food. Chutneys are in different forms - wet, dry, sweet, sour or spicy hot.

Starters

A starter is served at the beginning of a meal, usually at lunch or Dinner. They usually come in the form of bite size portions.

Sweets

Indian sweets come in a variety of colours, textures and shapes. Each sweet has its own identity; collectively these are called Mithai which is derived from the word mitha (sweet).

  1. Cooking should only occur after ritually bathing oneself and after performing puja (prayers) every morning (Shikshapatri, Verse 31)
  2. No consumption and no usage of any animal product or animal-derived products (such as glycerin, binders, lecithin, coloring agents, etc.) in any form (Shikshapatri, Verse 15).
  3. No consumption and no usage of onion and garlic in any form (Shikshapatri, Verse 186).
  4. No consumption and no usage of asafoetida in production in any form (Satsangi Jivan).
  5. No consumption and no usage of alcohol in any form (Shikshapatri, Verse 18).
  6. Utensils have never been touched by meat or alcohol in any form (Shikshapatri, Verse 15).
  7. Using only garlelu water and milk for cooking (water and milk that has been purified). (Shikshapatri, Verse 30)
  8. Eating food products made by those people whose conduct and beliefs are known to you (either directly or indirectly) (Shikshapatri, Verse 31).
  9. Food must be offered to God prior to consumption in an offering known as Thaal (Shikshapatri, Verse 60). This food now becomes known as prasad and takes on a wholly spiritual component. Eating such food is an act of devotion in itself.