Culinary Inspiration by Otao Kitchen

To know how to best store your herbs, fist you have to determine if they are classed as tender or hard. Tender (or soft) herbs have soft stems and leaves found in herbs like coriander, parsley, basil, mint and tarragon. Hard (aka firm, hardy or woody) herbs have a woody stem such as rosemary, sage, thyme and oregano.

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!

Generally, legumes and pulses refer to the same group of foods, but there are a few minor differences. The word ‘pulse’ describes crops harvested for their dry grains, such as lentils or chickpeas. Pulses are part of the legume family, but the name ‘pulse’ refers only to the dried inner seed. The term ‘legume’ includes those dry grains, as well as fresh peas, beans and crops such as soya beans and peanuts. Think of legumes as the plants whose fruit is enclosed in a pod.

Cooking Oils

• Coconut oil
• Vegetable oil
• Mustard oil

Peanut, sunflower, rice bran, grape seed or canola oil can be used in your kitchen as alternatives.

Ayurveda is a system of medicine with historical roots in the Indian subcontinent. Modernised practices derived from this ancient tradition are considered a type of alternative medicine. In Ayurveda, the emphasis is on a Sattvic diet for healthy living, particularly for keeping minds clear, happy and at peace. The original Sattvic diet was devised for the development of higher consciousness.

What Is Tofu?

Tofu is made from soybean milk; not from fuzzy green edamame pods but from mature, white soybeans. They are boiled, curdled, and pressed in a similar fashion to dairy cheese. The soybeans are soaked and ground with warm water and strained to become soy milk. This milk is combined with a coagulant (traditionally nigari) and simmered until curds and whey form. The curds are then placed into cloth-lined moulds and pressed until the whey drains out. The longer it's pressed, the more whey is released and the firmer the finished product will become.