I listened to the rhythmic slap of clothing being washed by hand, on the one side and on the other, the loud hiss of a pressure cooker, as food for the day was being prepared in the house next door. These sounds are as much a part of the morning, as the 'barrow boy', from the vegetable market, calling out, to advertise his produce. The pressure cooker is a very important part of every Indian household and some kitchens have as many as six ! In fact most Indian homes don't have an oven, because baking is simply not a part of the routine.
During a recent cooking demonstration by a local baker, who prides herself on providing such Western treats as muffins, scones and chocolate brownies, she began by explaining to her audience of young Indian women, that she would be demonstrating the making of 'pastry'. With great emphasis on keeping everything very cold, from hands to utensils, her dough was finally ready, and passed round so everyone could feel its plasticity - she went on to explain that you pricked the pastry before baking and then baked it 'blind' - much to the incredulity of the young women in the audience, who had never ever made pastry. Looking at it through their eyes, it did seem very complicated.
Other culinary challenges in India, are cooking without eggs, trying to beat thin cream into stiff peaks, cooking with sugar whose crystals are far too large and chocolate, which has a high wax content to stop it from melting in the hot Indian climate ! Of course gelatin, made from animal hoof, is also banned, which means that jellies don't set ! 'When in Rome......' I concluded that it was much easier to just buy a pressure cooker and become vegetarian !
During a recent cooking demonstration by a local baker, who prides herself on providing such Western treats as muffins, scones and chocolate brownies, she began by explaining to her audience of young Indian women, that she would be demonstrating the making of 'pastry'. With great emphasis on keeping everything very cold, from hands to utensils, her dough was finally ready, and passed round so everyone could feel its plasticity - she went on to explain that you pricked the pastry before baking and then baked it 'blind' - much to the incredulity of the young women in the audience, who had never ever made pastry. Looking at it through their eyes, it did seem very complicated.
Other culinary challenges in India, are cooking without eggs, trying to beat thin cream into stiff peaks, cooking with sugar whose crystals are far too large and chocolate, which has a high wax content to stop it from melting in the hot Indian climate ! Of course gelatin, made from animal hoof, is also banned, which means that jellies don't set ! 'When in Rome......' I concluded that it was much easier to just buy a pressure cooker and become vegetarian !
