Title: Indian Cooking — LearnCoachAssist

Q: What is Indian cuisine?
A: Diverse regional cooking from across the Indian subcontinent.

Q: What is the foundation of Indian cooking?
A: Spices, dals (lentils), rice, wheat, vegetables, dairy.

Q: What are the main regional cuisines?
A: North Indian, South Indian, East Indian, West Indian, plus many sub-regions.

Q: What is the difference between North and South Indian?
A: North: wheat, dairy, rich gravies; South: rice, coconut, lighter sauces.

Q: What is Bengali cuisine?
A: East Indian, with fish, mustard oil, and sweet-sour balance.

Q: What is Gujarati cuisine?
A: West Indian, predominantly vegetarian, sweet-sour-salty balance.

Q: What is Punjabi cuisine?
A: North Indian, hearty with dairy, wheat, lots of ghee.

Q: What is Tamil cuisine?
A: South Indian, rice and lentils dominant, coconut, tamarind.

Q: What is Keralan cuisine?
A: South Indian coastal, coconut milk, seafood, curry leaves.

Q: What is Goan cuisine?
A: Portuguese-influenced, fish, vinegar, vindaloo.

Q: What is masala?
A: A spice mixture, fresh or dry.

Q: What is garam masala?
A: "Warm spice mix"; classic blend with cumin, coriander, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves.

Q: What is the typical garam masala?
A: Varies by family; often 5-12 spices.

Q: What is when to add garam masala?
A: Often at the end for fresh aroma.

Q: What is curry?
A: A general term outside India; in India, individual dishes have specific names.

Q: What is the term "curry" in India?
A: Used by some, but most dishes have unique names; "tarkari," "sabzi," etc.

Q: What is curry powder origin?
A: British colonial blend; not authentic to Indian cooking.

Q: What is tadka (tempering)?
A: Heating spices in hot oil/ghee at start or end of cooking.

Q: What is the role of tempering?
A: Releases oil-soluble flavors from spices.

Q: What is the typical tempering spices?
A: Mustard seeds, cumin seeds, curry leaves, dried chili, asafoetida.

Q: What is asafoetida (hing)?
A: Pungent resin spice used in small amounts.

Q: What is jeera?
A: Cumin seed; one of the most-used Indian spices.

Q: What is dhania?
A: Coriander; seeds and fresh leaves both used.

Q: What is haldi?
A: Turmeric; bright yellow root.

Q: What is mirchi?
A: Chili.

Q: What is the role of turmeric?
A: Color, earthy flavor, anti-inflammatory properties.

Q: What is the role of cumin?
A: Earthy, warm flavor base.

Q: What is the role of coriander seeds?
A: Citrusy, slightly sweet, balancing.

Q: What is the role of mustard seeds?
A: Pungent, used in tempering.

Q: What is methi?
A: Fenugreek; seeds and leaves both used.

Q: What is kasoori methi?
A: Dried fenugreek leaves; finishing aroma.

Q: What is curry leaves?
A: Aromatic leaves used in South Indian tempering.

Q: What is the difference between curry leaves and bay leaves?
A: Curry leaves are smaller, more pungent; bay leaves are different species.

Q: What is cardamom types?
A: Green (sweet, fragrant) and black (smoky).

Q: What is the role of green cardamom?
A: Sweet aromatic in desserts, chai, rice dishes.

Q: What is the role of black cardamom?
A: Smoky in savory dishes like biryani.

Q: What is cinnamon (Indian)?
A: Ceylon (true) cinnamon and cassia; cassia more common in India.

Q: What is cloves?
A: Strong floral spice used sparingly.

Q: What is bay leaf (tejpatta)?
A: Indian bay leaf is from cassia tree, different from Mediterranean.

Q: What is nigella seed (kalonji)?
A: Tiny black seeds for breads and pickles.

Q: What is fennel seed (saunf)?
A: Sweet, used in seasoning and as after-meal digestive.

Q: What is fenugreek seeds?
A: Slightly bitter; tempering and pickles.

Q: What is the role of ginger?
A: Fresh aromatic in many dishes; often paired with garlic.

Q: What is ginger-garlic paste?
A: A standard prep; pureed equal parts.

Q: What is the typical Indian cooking fat?
A: Ghee (clarified butter) or vegetable oil.

Q: What is ghee?
A: Clarified butter; nutty flavor, high smoke point.

Q: What is the making of ghee?
A: Simmer butter until milk solids separate; strain.

Q: What is the role of mustard oil?
A: Used in Bengali and other regional cooking; pungent.

Q: What is the rule to heat mustard oil?
A: Smoke point reached before adding food, reducing pungency.

Q: What is coconut oil?
A: Common in South Indian cooking.

Q: What is dal (daal)?
A: Lentils or split legumes; also dishes made from them.

Q: What are common dal varieties?
A: Toor (split pigeon pea), chana (split chickpea), masoor (red lentil), moong (mung), urad (black gram).

Q: What is the typical dal preparation?
A: Cooked lentils, tempered with spices in oil/ghee at the end.

Q: What is the typical Indian rice?
A: Basmati for North Indian; various short and medium grains for South.

Q: What is basmati?
A: Long-grain aromatic rice from India and Pakistan.

Q: What is the rule for cooking basmati?
A: Soak 30 min, rinse well, use 1:1.5 to 1:1.75 water ratio.

Q: What is biryani?
A: Layered rice and meat (or vegetables) dish, slow-cooked.

Q: What is the difference between biryani and pulao?
A: Biryani is more complex with marinated meat and slow dum cooking; pulao is simpler.

Q: What is pulao (pilaf)?
A: Rice cooked with spices and vegetables/meat in one pot.

Q: What is the typical biryani spices?
A: Saffron, cardamom, cloves, bay, cinnamon, mace.

Q: What is dum cooking?
A: Slow steaming with sealed lid for absorbing flavors.

Q: What is the rule of sealing dum?
A: Dough seal around the lid traps steam.

Q: What is naan?
A: Leavened flatbread baked in tandoor.

Q: What is tandoor?
A: Cylindrical clay oven reaching very high temperatures.

Q: What is roti (chapati)?
A: Unleavened whole wheat flatbread cooked on tava.

Q: What is paratha?
A: Layered or stuffed flatbread.

Q: What is the typical paratha cooking?
A: Cook on hot tava with ghee or oil.

Q: What is puri?
A: Deep-fried puffy bread.

Q: What is bhatura?
A: Larger, leavened deep-fried bread, often with chole.

Q: What is the typical Punjabi bread?
A: Naan, roti, paratha.

Q: What is the typical South Indian bread?
A: Dosa, idli, uttapam.

Q: What is dosa?
A: A thin fermented crepe of rice and lentils.

Q: What is the dosa batter?
A: Soaked, ground, and fermented rice and urad dal.

Q: What is the fermentation time for dosa batter?
A: 8-12 hours at warm temperature.

Q: What is masala dosa?
A: Dosa filled with spiced potato.

Q: What is idli?
A: Steamed cake of fermented rice and lentil batter.

Q: What is uttapam?
A: Thicker pancake of dosa batter with toppings.

Q: What is sambar?
A: South Indian lentil and vegetable stew with tamarind.

Q: What is the typical sambar spices?
A: Sambar masala with coriander, cumin, fenugreek, lentils.

Q: What is tamarind?
A: Tart fruit pulp used for sour flavor.

Q: What is the typical South Indian sour?
A: Tamarind, lime, kokum, raw mango.

Q: What is kokum?
A: A dark sour fruit; alternative to tamarind in coastal cuisine.

Q: What is rasam?
A: Thin, peppery South Indian soup; eaten with rice.

Q: What is the typical rasam ingredients?
A: Tamarind, tomato, peppercorn, garlic, cumin.

Q: What is chutney?
A: A condiment of fresh or cooked ingredients; many varieties.

Q: What is coconut chutney?
A: South Indian classic accompaniment to dosa and idli.

Q: What is mint-coriander chutney?
A: Fresh green chutney common across India.

Q: What is tamarind chutney (imli)?
A: Sweet-sour brown chutney.

Q: What is achaar (pickle)?
A: Spicy oil-based pickles, eaten in small amounts.

Q: What is the typical mango achaar?
A: Raw mango with salt, chili, mustard oil, spices.

Q: What is raita?
A: Yogurt-based side dish with vegetables or fruit.

Q: What is the typical cucumber raita?
A: Yogurt with grated cucumber and toasted cumin.

Q: What is the role of yogurt in Indian cooking?
A: Acidity, cooling, base for marinades and sauces.

Q: What is paneer?
A: Fresh non-melting cheese made from curdled milk.

Q: What is the making of paneer?
A: Heat milk, add acid (lemon, vinegar), strain, press.

Q: What is palak paneer?
A: Spinach gravy with paneer cubes.

Q: What is paneer tikka?
A: Marinated grilled paneer.

Q: What is the typical tikka marinade?
A: Yogurt, ginger-garlic, lemon, garam masala, chili.

Q: What is tikka masala?
A: Tomato-cream sauce with grilled meat or paneer.

Q: What is butter chicken (murgh makhani)?
A: Grilled chicken in tomato-butter-cream sauce.

Q: What is the difference between tikka masala and butter chicken?
A: Similar; tikka masala often has more spice and tomato emphasis.

Q: What is rogan josh?
A: Kashmiri lamb curry with red chili and yogurt.

Q: What is chicken curry?
A: Generic term; thousands of regional variations.

Q: What is biryani vs khichdi?
A: Biryani is festive layered; khichdi is comfort rice-lentil one-pot.

Q: What is khichdi?
A: Rice and dal cooked together; simple comfort food.

Q: What is the role of khichdi for health?
A: Often eaten when ill; nourishing, easy to digest.

Q: What is the typical North Indian thali?
A: Rice + roti + dal + sabzi + raita + chutney + sweet.

Q: What is thali?
A: A platter with multiple small dishes representing a complete meal.

Q: What is the role of sweets?
A: Often at end of meal or for celebrations.

Q: What is the typical Indian dessert base?
A: Milk, sugar, ghee, nuts.

Q: What is gulab jamun?
A: Deep-fried milk solid balls in syrup.

Q: What is jalebi?
A: Pretzel-shaped fried sweet soaked in syrup.

Q: What is rasgulla?
A: Spongy cheese balls in syrup.

Q: What is rasmalai?
A: Cheese discs in saffron-cardamom milk.

Q: What is barfi?
A: Fudge-like sweet of milk solids and sugar.

Q: What is laddu?
A: Round sweet balls; many varieties.

Q: What is besan laddu?
A: Roasted gram flour laddu.

Q: What is kheer?
A: Rice pudding with milk and cardamom.

Q: What is gajar ka halwa?
A: Carrot pudding cooked down in milk.

Q: What is the role of cardamom in sweets?
A: Defining aromatic.

Q: What is the role of saffron?
A: Premium flavoring for special dishes.

Q: What is the typical Indian beverage?
A: Chai (spiced tea), lassi (yogurt drink), nimbu pani (lemonade).

Q: What is masala chai?
A: Tea brewed with milk, sugar, and spices.

Q: What is the typical chai spices?
A: Ginger, cardamom, cinnamon, clove, black pepper.

Q: What is lassi?
A: Yogurt blended with water; sweet or salty.

Q: What is mango lassi?
A: Sweet lassi with mango pulp.

Q: What is the typical Indian meal beverage?
A: Water or buttermilk; tea before/after.

Q: What is the role of vegetables?
A: Central across regions; many vegetarian Indians.

Q: What is the typical vegetable percentage?
A: Indian cuisine is highly plant-forward.

Q: What is the role of legumes?
A: Daily protein source: dal, chickpeas, kidney beans.

Q: What is chana masala?
A: Chickpea curry, popular across North India.

Q: What is rajma?
A: Kidney bean stew, North Indian comfort food.

Q: What is the typical Punjabi meal?
A: Chole, rajma, dal makhani, roti.

Q: What is dal makhani?
A: Slow-cooked black lentils with cream and butter.

Q: What is the typical dal makhani cook time?
A: 8+ hours of low simmering.

Q: What is sabzi?
A: A vegetable dish.

Q: What is dry vs wet curry?
A: Dry has minimal sauce; wet has substantial gravy.

Q: What is bhindi masala?
A: Spiced okra; usually dry.

Q: What is the rule for cooking okra?
A: Dry well; mucilage subsides with proper cooking.

Q: What is aloo gobi?
A: Potato and cauliflower dry curry.

Q: What is baingan bharta?
A: Smoked, mashed eggplant.

Q: What is the typical eggplant prep (baingan bharta)?
A: Char over flame for smoky flavor.

Q: What is matar paneer?
A: Peas and paneer in tomato sauce.

Q: What is the typical onion-tomato gravy base?
A: Onions caramelized, then tomato, spices, paste — a master sauce.

Q: What is bhuna?
A: Indian cooking technique of frying spices and onion until oil separates.

Q: What is the rule "oil should separate"?
A: Sign of properly cooked masala base.

Q: What is the role of dahi (yogurt) in marinades?
A: Tenderizes meat and adds tang.

Q: What is the typical chicken marinade time?
A: Ideally several hours to overnight.

Q: What is the typical tandoori chicken color?
A: Red from spices (chili, paprika) or kasoori methi; food coloring often added commercially.

Q: What is the role of pre-cooked spices?
A: Whole spices toasted then ground for fresh flavor.

Q: What is the role of whole vs ground spices?
A: Whole keep longer; toast and grind for max flavor.

Q: What is the role of a spice grinder?
A: Dedicated grinder; coffee mill works for small batches.

Q: What is the role of pressure cooker?
A: Common in Indian kitchens for fast lentils, rice, meat.

Q: What is the rule "whistle count"?
A: Pressure cooker timing via number of whistles.

Q: What is the typical kadhai?
A: A round-bottomed deep cooking pan, like a wok.

Q: What is the role of cast iron tava?
A: Heavy flat pan for bread cooking.

Q: What is the role of stainless steel?
A: Common for pots and serving vessels.

Q: What is the role of brass and copper?
A: Traditional cookware in some regions.

Q: What is the typical knife?
A: Many Indian cooks use a boti, a vertical curved blade.

Q: What is the typical chopping board surface?
A: Often a marble slab or stone.

Q: What is the role of pestle and mortar?
A: For fresh ginger-garlic, spice grinding.

Q: What is the role of street food in India?
A: Vast tradition: chaat, samosa, vada, pani puri, kathi rolls.

Q: What is chaat?
A: Snack category of savory street food.

Q: What is pani puri (golgappa)?
A: Crisp hollow shells filled with spiced water and fillings.

Q: What is samosa?
A: Triangular pastry with spiced filling.

Q: What is the typical samosa filling?
A: Spiced potato and peas.

Q: What is dosa as street food?
A: Vendor making fresh dosas on griddle.

Q: What is vada pav?
A: Mumbai bun with spiced potato fritter.

Q: What is kathi roll?
A: Wrap with grilled meat or paneer in paratha.

Q: What is the safety rule for street food?
A: Eat at busy stalls; cooked-to-order; freshly fried items safer.

Q: What is the role of restaurant Indian vs home Indian?
A: Restaurant uses more cream, butter, oil for richness; home is lighter.

Q: What is the typical home cooking style?
A: Less rich, more vegetable-focused, regional emphasis.

Q: What is the importance of fresh ingredients?
A: Fresh herbs, ginger, garlic make a huge difference.

Q: What is the role of dried spices freshness?
A: Spices lose potency; replace every 6-12 months.

Q: What is the role of buying whole spices?
A: Longer shelf life; ground fresh as needed.

Q: What is the typical Indian pantry?
A: Lentils, rice, atta (flour), spices, dried chilies, ghee.

Q: What is atta?
A: Whole wheat flour for chapati; finely milled.

Q: What is the difference between maida and atta?
A: Maida is refined white flour; atta is whole wheat.

Q: What is the rule for chapati dough?
A: Soft, slightly sticky; rest before rolling.

Q: What is the rest time for chapati dough?
A: 30+ minutes for relaxation.

Q: What is the role of curry leaves freshness?
A: Fresh is dramatically better than dried.

Q: What is the role of cilantro garnish?
A: Almost universal final touch.

Q: What is the role of lemon at the end?
A: Brightens flavors before serving.

Q: What is the role of ghee at the end?
A: Drizzle on dal or rice for richness.

Q: What is the typical Indian eating method?
A: With right hand, using bread to scoop or hand-mixing rice.

Q: What is the rule of right hand only?
A: Left hand is considered unclean for eating in traditional culture.

Q: What is the role of sharing?
A: Indian meals are often communal with shared dishes.

Q: What is the typical course progression?
A: Often all at once on a thali; not staged Western-style.

Q: What is the role of pickle as digestif?
A: Tiny amount; aids digestion and flavor.

Q: What is the role of fennel after meal?
A: Mukhwas: fennel seed mixture for breath and digestion.

Q: What is paan?
A: Betel leaf wrapped with various ingredients, traditional after-meal.

Q: What is the role of regional festivals?
A: Drive special foods: Diwali sweets, Holi gujiya, Eid biryani.

Q: What is the influence of religion?
A: Hindu vegetarianism, Muslim and Christian meat traditions, Jain strict vegetarianism.

Q: What is Jain food?
A: No root vegetables, garlic, onion; very strict vegetarianism.

Q: What is the role of vegetarianism in India?
A: Largest vegetarian population in the world.

Q: What is the role of milk in religion?
A: Sacred in Hindu tradition; central to many dishes.

Q: What is the role of festivals?
A: Drive food traditions and special preparations.

Q: What is the typical Diwali sweet?
A: Various sweets; ladoo and barfi are common.

Q: What is the typical Holi color food?
A: Sweets like gujiya; thandai drink.

Q: What is thandai?
A: A festive milk drink with nuts, seeds, spices.

Q: What is the impact of global Indian diaspora?
A: Modified Indian cuisines worldwide (British curry, US Indo-Chinese, etc.).

Q: What is "Indian Chinese" (Indo-Chinese)?
A: Fusion popular in India and abroad with manchurian, hakka noodles.

Q: What is "British Indian" curry?
A: Adaptations like balti, chicken tikka masala, vindaloo (modified).

Q: What is the typical Indian cooking philosophy?
A: Balance of spices, textures, temperatures, flavors in every meal.

Q: What is the role of "the six tastes"?
A: Ayurveda concept; sweet, sour, salty, bitter, pungent, astringent.

Q: What is Ayurveda?
A: Traditional Indian medicine including dietary principles.

Q: What is the rule of balance?
A: Each meal should ideally have multiple tastes.

Q: What is the role of patience in Indian cooking?
A: Many dishes simmer long; flavors develop with time.

Q: What is the role of layering flavors?
A: Building base, adding spices in order, finishing with garnish.

Q: What is "bhuna" technique?
A: Frying onion-tomato until oil separates; concentrates flavor.

Q: What is the role of slow caramelization?
A: Onion base for many dishes needs patience.

Q: What is the typical onion cook time for gravy?
A: 15-30 minutes for deep brown caramelization.

Q: What is the takeaway of Indian cooking?
A: Spices are tools — learn them, layer them, and you unlock one of the world's richest cuisines.