Culinary Inspiration by Otao Kitchen

A mortar and pestle is one of the simplest tools in any culinary arsenal, it’s just better at what it does than anything else. Whether you're getting hardcore about making a curry paste or simply mushing up some herbs to spread over a roast chicken, a mortar and pestle just improves the quality of your meal. It does the work better than your sharpest knife, fastest blender, or heavy-duty food processor. Here’s why we think you need this old-school tool.

"How To Balance Flavour": The art of achieving flavor balance relies on training, intuition, and accumulated experience. The good news is that mastering this technique doesn't require attending culinary school!

Sweet, salty, sour, bitter and umami are five taste elements that build our overall perception of flavour. When each part is perfectly balanced, our eating experiences are lifted above and beyond. Understanding how flavours become balanced starts with knowing the basic rules behind preparing each component. Remember that adding salt to a dish does more than just making it salty - it enhances or counteracts other flavours within the dish.

Slow cooking is an economical way to turn a basic cut of meat or poultry into something memorable and delicious! By following the principle of ‘low and slow’, you can create meltingly tender curries, braises, stews, roasts and soups. Cooking the right cuts of meat at low temperature for an extended period of time can be the key to turning something good into something great.

Indonesian cuisine is one of the most exotic and colourful in the world, full of intense and vibrant flavours. There are many different food regions in Indonesia, sixteen in total! Some include Jakarta, Java, Madura, Bali, Aceh, Sumatra, Sulawesi, Nusa Tenggara, Maluku and Papua. 

One popular spice mix is garam masala, a powdered blend that typically has five or more dried spices. These can include cardamom, black pepper, coriander, cumin, cinnamon, nutmeg and clove. Each culinary region (even household) has a distinctive garam masala blend and individual chefs will also have their own. This spice blend has so many uses.

Chaat Masala is sprinkled on top of Indian snacks for a real flavour kick!

Pressure cooking is the process of cooking food at high pressure, by using a liquid (usually water, stock, wine or a combination) in a specialty cooking pot called a pressure cooker. Just about any ingredient that can be steamed or has the ability to be cooked with liquids, can be pressure cooked.

One popular spice mix is garam masala, a powdered blend that typically has five or more dried spices. These can include cardamom, black pepper, coriander, cumin, cinnamon, nutmeg and clove. Each culinary region (even household) has a distinctive garam masala blend and individual chefs will also have their own. This spice blend has so many uses.

Chaat Masala is used in cooking and sprinkled on top of Indian snacks for a real flavour kick!

Flatbreads are one of the simplest forms of bread to make at home. They make an all-purpose accompaniment to any meal, which is why most cultures around the world have their own version. Their uses range from sandwiches and wraps, to mopping up stews, soups, curries and sauces. Here are our 4 favourite varieties of flatbread from the Indian subcontinent!