TYPES OF GRAVIES IN THE INDIAN KITCHEN
Gravies as we are aware generally lend a body to the dish, along with increasing the moisture content and the nutritive value of the dish the role of gravies is also about enhancing the appearance of the dish. Now we need to understand the difference between a sauce and gravy and a jus, Gravy is something that is along with the dish, the sauce is always an accompaniment whereas jus is merely an extract.
A very popular food expert who has been studying Indian food in Penrith explains this with the help of an example “ When we say gravy let us take a dish chicken tikka masala which is also the national dish of Britain, now in chicken tikka masala we cannot serve the pieces of meat and the onion tomato gravy separately, because it is the onion tomato gravy that lends the required level of pungency and flavor to the meat, whereas if we talk of sauces they can be served along just the way tomato sauces are served with burgers and fries, whereas jus is the mere liquid the bone marrow from the bones of the meat that is along with the deposits of fat.
When we talk of Indian cuisine one thing that is lovely about Indian Restaurant is the wide range of ingredients that differ across the states as one travel and keenly observes. Now as per the availability of the ingredients we need to understand that the gravies and the composition of gravies also change along, but the same intrinsic nutrition of the dish remains the same.
Let us take another example when Paneer makhani a traditional dish of north India is prepared in Punjab, the base thickening ingredients are cashew nuts, melon seeds, and ginger whereas when you travel south the thickening agent is mostly curd and coconut along with shallots.
THE BASIC GRAVIES OF INDIAN CUISINE AND THE POPULAR DISHES MADE USING THEM
-
GREEN GRAVY: The green gravy gets its green color largely due to the presence of spinach to lend a refreshing flavor to the dish, along with green chilies and poppy seeds, the major dishes that are prepared with the help of these dishes are corn palak, Palak paneer, and even a few mixed veg curries.
-
MAKHNI GRAVY: The makni gravy gets its name from the richness that comes out of the thickening agents that are added to the gravies, the main agents are tomatoes, poppy seeds, cloves, and butter along with cream this particular dish is silky which is why it has been given the name makhani gravy.” Explained a very popular restaurateur who owns a very popular Indian restaurant in Penrith.
-
SHAHI GRAVY: Shahi gravy consists of all the ingredients which are difficult to procure on Indian soil this gravy has its roots in the Mughal empire and was a major component of all the Mughlai royal dishes which is why it is known as the gravy of the royal kitchen. The major component of this gravy is cashew nuts, almonds, raisins, poppy seeds, cream, and green chilies.
-
ONION TOMATO GRAVY: Onion tomato gravy is the basic gravy that is very common in every household kitchen. The ratio of onion-tomato gravy is 2:1, onion is used for its spiciness while tomato for its pungency, though onion-tomato gravy is very simple it is the base of world-famous dishes like chicken tikka Masala that have placed Indian cuisine on a global map.