Like ginger, garlic also has a long association with Indian cuisine and has long been considered a herbal “wonder drug”, with a reputation in folklore for preventing everything from the common cold and flu to the Plague! Some of the usage of garlic ranges from treating mild acne to managing high cholesterol level and even to repel the ever nasty mosquitoes in Indian houses and locality. Modern science, through its studies, has shown us that garlic is a strong antibiotic in general ways and its benefits continue over a period of time.

As a matter of fact, the stronger the character of garlic, the higher the sulphur content will be, which entails greater health benefits. Off late, people have turned towards using the organically grown garlic which not only tastes better but also devoid of harmful chemical pesticides and fertilizers. Some people have even gone to the extent of taking the garlic supplements to avoid bad breath and pungent taste.

Relevance of Garlic in Indian cuisine

Garlic, otherwise known as Lahsun or lassan, is considered hot by some perspective and does not find favour with people eating “Jain/Aesthetic” food but most of the Indian curries or preparations are not complete without it. It is staple in ginger-garlic paste which is the most widely used paste in the Indian kitchen.

Besides garlic bulb, it’s also popular as dehydrated, powdered or oil form and is exported to many parts of the world.

Garlic chutney

• 6 garlic cloves, peeled
• Half a bunch of coriander leaves, cleaned and chopped coarsely
• 1 green tomato, chopped
• 2 green chilli, chopped
• 2 tbsp mustard oil
• Salt to taste

Method:
Place garlic, coriander leaves, tomato, green chili and adequate water in a blender. Blend, first on low speed and then on high speed until the mixture is smooth and paste consistency. Add mustard oil and salt and stir well. Rest in the refrigerator for 30minutes. Eat with bread, pakodas (Indian fritters) or samosas.

- Kuntal

Tags: palak, kulfi, lentil, idli, chicken, roti, dosa, dal, bhatura, sambhar

Some of the herbs and spices are almost synonymous with Indian cuisine and ginger is one of them and much so for the medicinal properties it exhibits. There has been a long tradition to the use of ginger which is well amplified by the practitioners of Ayurveda where it was used as a mild cure for flatulence, nausea and vomiting. Ayurvedic “trikatu” powder where dried ginger is used to strengthen the digestive tract.

Right from the eponymous curries to morning non caffeine tea, ginger is in vogue everywhere either in young, mature or dry form. Ginger and garlic paste finds its way into most of the North Indian curries and so is the chopped and julienned ginger. Ginger lemon and honey drink is a very good morning refresher and supposed to fight diabetes if taken early morning besides fighting cold and flu symptoms. Secondly it also helps getting rid of the empty stomach bed tea habit which is damaging to the intestinal lining.

Read more »

Tags: lentil, vindaloo, chana, curries, idli, kebab, naan, desi, bhatura, paneer

Quick Tip: Keeping garlic fresh for a longer period of time: Peel and mince a full garlic clove, then place it in a small jar and cover with olive oil. You can refrigerate it for about one week, and to your great surprise, it will remain fresh and will give you the same garlic flavor.

Pakwan Buzzword: Degchi/Pateela/Handi/Deg
These all belong to the same family of pots and are traditionally made of brass or copper. Nowadays, the use of stainless steel and aluminium is also widely used. The shape of the vessel may vary. The pateela has straight sides and the bottom is slightly rounded. The handi, on the other hand, has a neck that is more
narrow than the base. A deg is a bigger version of the handi.