The Illustrated Masala Lab The Science of Indian Cooking

Krish Ashok is not a chef but cooks daily. He is not a scientist, but he can explain science with easy-to-understand clarity. He trained to be an electronic engineer but is now a software engineer. He learned to cook from the women in his family, who can make perfectly fluffy idli without lecturing people on lactobacilli and pH levels. He likes the scientific method not because it offers him the ability to bully people with knowledge, but because it confidently lets him say, 'I don't know, let me test it for myself.'

Contents

Introduction xiii

1. Zero-Pressure Cooking 1
What Is Cooking? 1
Basic Physics of Cooking 3
Basic Chemistry of Cooking 9
Cooking Techniques 12
Materials 19
Heat Sources 25
The Magic of Water 27
Pressure-Cooking 32
Science of Rice 37
Science of Lentils 42
Science of Wheat 45
Science of Vegetables 48
Science of Meat 51
Science of Eggs 54
Science of Fat 56

2. Science of Spice and Flavour 63
Taste and Flavour Perception 64
Taste 65
Aroma 70
Mouthfeel 73
Sound and Sight 74
Science of Salt 74
Science of Sugar 78
Science of Heat 80
Origins of Flavour 86
Extracting Flavour 92
Combining Flavours 98

3. Brown, Baby, Brown 105
Ogres Have Layers 105
Science of Garlic 120
Cabbage and Potatoes 124
Maillard Reaction 126
Caramelization 129
Science of Frying 130
4. Dropping Acid 133
Introduction to Sourness 134
What Is an Acid? 137
Science of Yoghurt 140
Science of Tamarind 142
Science of Mango 144
Science of Citrus Juices 145
Science of Vinegar 146
Science of Tomatoes 147
Other Culinary Acids 149
The Acid Cheat Sheet 152

5. Umami, Soda, Rum 155
The Fifth Taste 158
The Magic of Baking Soda 159
The Magic of Alcohol 163

6. Taking It to the Next Level 169
Science of Microwaves 169
Dehydrators 175
Electronic Pressure Cookers 176
Modernist Ingredients 178
Smoking 181
Sous Vide 182

7. Burn the Recipe 189
Special Theory of Indian Cooking
(Conditions Apply) 192
Prepping for Productivity and Maximizing Flavour 194
Vegetables 195
Meat and Seafood 200
Legumes 201
Rice 202
Eggs 202
The Rice Dish Algorithm 203
Steamed Rice 204
Flavoured Rice 206
Rice + Lentils 206
Pulao 207
The Indian Bread Algorithm 209
Gluten Breads 210
General Dough Tips 212
Non-Gluten Breads 213
The Indian Gravy Algorithm 216
Base Gravies 221
Base Gravy Tips 225
Spice Mixes 226
Tempering Templates and Infused Oils 227
The Gravy Algorithm 228
The Chutney and Raita Generator 235
Chutney and Raita Rules 237
The Salad Generator 238

8. The Biryani 243
The Rice Layer 245
The Biryani Rice Algorithm 246
The Protein Layer 247
Layering and Dum Cooking 250
The Rice Track 251
The Biryani Masala Track 251
The Protein Track 252
The Onion Track 253
The Masala Milk Track 253
The Herbs and Other Accoutrements Track 253
The Dum Track 254
Regional Variations 255

Methodology 259
References 265
Bibliography 269
Internet Recommendations 271
Acknowledgements 273
Index 275