Kitchen Vastu

LOCATION OF A KITCHEN:

• First Preference: South-East corner.
  
• Second Preference: An alternative choice is the North-West corner.
• Avoid: North-East is not preferred in most parts in India.
  

DOOR POSITION TO THE KITCHEN:

• Preference: In the North, East or in the North-East corner of the Kitchen.
• The door should open in a clockwise direction.

WINDOW LOCATION IN A KITCHEN:

• The ventilators and larger Kitchen windows should be in the East direction.
• The smaller windows can be in the South.
• There should be adequate provision for cross ventilation.

COOKING STOVE POSITION:

• The cooking stove is best placed in the South East.
• One should cook facing East as much as possible.
• The stove should not be visible from the outside.

KITCHEN SINK POSITION:

• The ideal position for the location of the Kitchen sink is in the North East.
• The cooking gas and the washing sink should be kept away from each other.
• Water taps should not be in the corner.
• There should be no leaking taps in the kitchen.

WATER FILTER LOCATION:

• The water filter and drinking water should be stored in the North East corner. 

ELECTRIC APPLIANCES LOCATIONS:

• The Refrigerator can be placed in the North-West or the South-West.
• Electrical appliances like microwave can be put in the South-East corner.
• Exhaust fans in the eastern walls in the South-East corner. 

KITCHEN STORAGE:

• No overhead storage cupboards, or shelves above the the cooking stove.
• It is useful to have overhead storage in the rest of the areas.

EATING IN THE KITCHEN:

• According to Vastu, the Kitchen is the best place to have the daily meals.
• If there is a dining table in the kitchen, it can be in the North West corner.
• Avoid a dining table in the center of the room.

COLORS IN THE KITCHEN:

• It is good to have a lot of green color in the kitchen. For example green granite for flooring or green pictures, as this helps improve the appetite of the family members.
• Other suitable colours are soft pink and orange.

POSITION OF THE KITCHEN:

DIRECTION	POINTS
SOUTH-EAST	10
NORTH-WEST	9
EAST	8
WEST	7
SOUTH	6
NORTH	5
NORTH-EAST	4
SOUTH-WEST	3

Chettinad Mushroom Masala

Ingredients  
Mushroom - 2 cups (chopped)
Tomato - 1
Turmeric powder - a pinch
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Curry leaves - 1 strand
Oil - 2 tblsp
Cilantro - for garnish
 
Spice Mixture
  Peppercorns- 1 tsp
Dry red chillies - 2
  Coriander seeds - 1 tblsp
Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
Fennel seeds - 1/2 tsp
Shallot onions - 2-3
Garlic cloves - 2

Method
1. Roast all the ingredients under 'spice mixture' separately till a nice aroma is released. If you do not have time roast everything together.
2. Once it cools, grind it to a coarse powder and keep aside.
3. Clean the mushroom using a paper towel and chop it lengthwise.
4. Heat oil in a pan, splutter the mustard seeds and curry leaves.
5. Add the chopped mushrooms to this and saute for 5 minutes till the mushrooms get a
nice color. Do not add water. The water from the mushroom is sufficient.
6. Add the tomatoes  required salt and turmeric powder. Cover and let it cook for a few minutes.
7. Add the spice mixture and mix everything for a minute.
8. Garnish with chopped cilantro. Serve as a side-dish for rice or roti or use as a stuffing for mushroom puffs or masala dosa.

Tips
   - A tblsp of grated coconut can also be added along with the spice mixture for added flavor.

Papad Sabji

 

 

Ingredients:

2-3 medium sized papads

1 tbsp curds
1/2 tsp chilli powder
1-2 pinches turmeric
1-2 pinches asafoetida
1/4 tsp cumin
1/4 mustard seeds
1 tbsp ghee
1 tsp chopped coriander
Salt To Taste
1 cup water

Preparation:

• Break the papads into 1 inch squares.
• Heat ghee in a saucepan, add seeds.
• Add asafoetida. Add chilli powder and curds simultaneously. Stir till curds brown
• Add turmeric, water and salt. Boil.
• Add papads and coriander.
• Boil for 3-4 minutes.
• Serve papad ki sabzi hot with chappatis.

Coconut Cookies

Ingredients:4 cups all purpose flour (I used unbleached all purpose flour)
1 and 1/2 cups desiccated coconut
2 cups sugar
1 tea spn baking soda
2 cups butter
1 tea spn cardamom powder
Few raisins

Method:Preheat the oven at 275F for 10mins.
Melt the butter. Add it to all other ingredients(except raisins) and mix.
Line the cookie sheet with silver foil (for easy clean up). Make small balls of the dough and keep it on the sheet. Leave around 2 inches space between two cookies.
Keep a raisin on top of each ball and slightly push it in the dough.
Bake for about 20mins or till done.
Makes about 80 cookies

Cooking with Curry

Many people who eat curry for the first time in an Indian restaurant find it difficult to understand why curry is so popular. They are a bit overwhelmed by trying a dish that is new to them but spiced for a person who already knows and loves the flavor of Indian food. The key is to start at home by adding small amounts of curry powder to foods you already know and like. Sprinkle on chicken or chops before cooking, scramble a bit with eggs, sauté with vegetables. Soon the whole family will love the flavors, and you can move on to authentic, but not too spicy, dishes like Balti, Tandoori, Saté and Rogan Josh. Finding new, quick ways to prepare the same food for the family dinner isn't always easy, and Indian cooking is some of the most delicious in the world.




Give it a try...

Spices

Regardless of region, spices are key ingredients in Indian cooking. The Indians are also mindful of the healing properties of spices in their cooking. These are derived from plant's roots, buds, seeds, fruits and dried bark which produce the exotic aroma. It is released when the spices are heated up. All these spices are all readily available in supermarkets.


Spices can be grouped into five basic categories : sweet, pungent, tangy, hot, and amalgamating. The way these are used and the amounts used in cooking are governed by these characteristics. Examples of the different types of spices are:


Amalgamating: Coriander seed, fennel seed
Sweet : Cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, vanilla
Pungent : Cloves, star anise, cardamom
Tangy : Ginger, tamarind, sumach, kokam
Hot : pepper, chilli, mustard, horseradish

Removing Turmeric Stain

If you cook Indian food, you are bound to get turmeric stains on your clothes at one time or another. The good news is they're really easy to take out. Wash the stained clothes/kitchen linen immediately in cool water and soap. Dry in the sun and the stain will fade to a very pale pink. Wash the article again and the stain will be gone.