17
Glossary (Meanings and Methods)
Beat:
To mix with an instrument using
a regular, rapid, rhythmic movement.
‘Cornflour’ (cornstarch):
The starch
of corn very finely ground; used as a
thickener. Available in grocery shops in
plastic packets.
Corn Meal (
Makai ka Atta
):
Flour
made from pure maize (corn) which has
been ground fine.
Dough:
A mixture of flour and a liquid
such as milk or water which is stiff
enough to knead or roll.
Floured Board:
A flat smooth piece of
rigid material (such as wood or marble)
used for rolling or shaping the dough,
also known as
chackla
, dusted lightly with
flour to prevent dough sticking.
Ghee:
Clarified butter.
Grate (
Kasna
):
To reduce food to fine
particles by rubbing it against the surface
of an abrasive implement with sharp
edged slits and perforations.
Knead:
To work dough with hands by
pushing into the dough, folding it over
and pushing again until dough is
resilient, smooth and satiny.
Muslin:
A thin, plain-weaved cotton
cloth.
Patty:
A small oval or round flattened
cake of chopped or minced food.
Refined Flour (
Maida
):
A white flour
made from wheat which has had the
bran and germ removed before grinding.
Roti
:
A general term for Indian breads.
Sarson ka Saag
:
Mustard leaves.
Sift:
To pass dry ingredients through a
sieve.
Translations to Hindi:
Bengal gram
Channa dal
Cardamoms (green)
Choti elaichi
Cauliflower
Phulgobi
Coriander leaves
Hara dhania ke
patte
Coriander powder
Pissa sukha
dhania
Cumin seeds
Jeera
Curd
Dahi
Ginger
Adrak
Green chillies
Hari mirch
Jaggery
Gur
Lemon juice
Nimbu ka rus
Mint leaves
Pudina
Nutmeg
Jaiphal
Pepper
Pissi kali mirch
Pomegranate seeds
Anardana
Raisins
Kishmish
Red chilli powder
Pissi lal mirch
Turmeric
Haldi
Wheat Flour (
Gehun ka Atta
):
Flour
made from whole wheat (usually a
variety low in gluten), very finely ground
for making Indian bread. Outside India,
this flour is called ‘
chapatti
flour’ and is
available in East Indian food stores. A
fairly close substitute is whole wheat
pastry flour. Regular whole wheat flour
gives heavier results and is stiffer and
more difficult to work with than ‘
chapatti
flour’.
If regular whole wheat flour
must be used, sift it several times
through a very fine sieve (to get a fine
flour and to remove bran) and substitute
refined flour for half the whole wheat
flour in a recipe. Once adept at handling
the dough, you may decrease the quantity
of refined flour to suit your taste.
