5 Must Have Indian Supplements At Home.
Lists of side/supplements to have at home which will help enhance any meal anytime. Typically found in maximum Indian homes, these are a blessing for lazy homes, bachelor’s pad or hostelers and some are easy to make as well.
1. Chutneys
From Vada Pavs to Dosas and Idlis, chutney is something every Indian is familiar with. If you are a lazy cook, you can just have anything and everything with chutneys.
You can spread a variant of chutney on your morning bread, or have it along with your vegetable at lunch/dinner.
It’s a healthier option than pickle as low oil and masala yet tasty and mouth-watering. Supermarkets have a lot of varieties of these but following is a simple way to make one at home.
Let’s try making-
The easiest one to make is the peanut/groundnut chutney found largely in Maharashtra. All you need is groundnuts, garlic, red chillies, coconut, and some salt to taste. Make a fine powder of all this in your grinder and its ready to be eaten with almost anything!
2. Sauces
Sauces can be paired with your noodles, rice, sometimes dosas and even bread. It can be found in any small to a big supermarket.
A perk of sauces is that it's available to your taste, so if you don't like spicy food add tomato sauce and have it. If you are fond of spicy, one can get red, green chilli sauces too. Also, schezwan sauce is quite famous. This is largely given along with the Indian variant of Chinese noodles on streets. It's also isn't that difficult to make.
Let’s try making-
Ginger, garlic, green chilli grind fine in proportion. This mixture cooked with red chilli, green chilli sauces with a tad mix of soya and tomato sauce will give something similar to the schezwan sauce one finds at streets!
3. Papads
Papads are well known and loved supplements enjoyed with any meal around the country. Unlike the above, it's a crunchy variant and adds a different flavour to the food. Rice papads, flattened rice (poha) papad or the famous so-called South papads made of dals are some varieties.
Black lentil papads (urad papad) are the most well-known ones and are almost a must haves with every meal at many homes around Maharashtra. If you consider papads to be oily yet wish to relish one then black lentil papads are best for you as it can be enjoyed by a just a few seconds of roasting. Any kind of papad can be a tedious job to make.
So, here is a little dish which can be made with any papad within a few minutes and with minimal ingredients.
Let’s try making-
Masala Papad- One must have heard this as a starter in the many restaurant menus. It's definitely the simplest thing to make. All you need is tomatoes, onions, red chilli powder and salt. Roast any papad preferably black lentil papad and place vegetables on it, sprinkle red chilli and salt and it's ready to relish.
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4. Pickles
Pickles have existed as sides in many menus for years together. It's one of the most common favourite supplements to any food. The general idea of pickle is that it's oily and spicy and totally a no-no.
But well, variants of pickles like murabba which are made of awlas and also lemons are very healthy and also help in digestion. It's a difficult find in supermarkets but easily available in many homes in Maharashtra.
A little pickle with lunch/dinner is not all unhealthy, only that the proportion should stay little. Anything in excess is always harmful, especially with food.
How can I make?
The basic recipe of a raw mango pickle is simple, it's the practice of making it that makes all the difference. Still as beginners, one can start with chopping raw mangoes into small pieces. Then adding salt and turmeric to it and keeping it aside for few weeks. Red chilli powder, imli powder and fenugreek(methi) seed powder fried on a gas and then to be mixed with the raw mangoes. Adding oil at the end and mixing it all, this again should be kept for weeks only after which one should serve it. If made in large quantity, the oil should be added again after a few months.
5. Some mixes
The above are the irresistible sides/supplements of food. Sometimes, one has the urge to have something different than the usual and that is why these are few mixes which can be eaten with rice/roti for a change when one is bored with usual food.
MTR Puliogare mixture is one such item. This mixture can be eaten with rice and it's the MTR version of the famous Telegu dish pulivara. If one has had pulivara before, this doesn't do justice but can be still be relished as a tangy tasty change.
The Everest Garlic and Onion powder is another such mix. It can be teamed up with any sauce or chutney or pickle before adding to rice or roti and it will make you lick your fingers.
These were some sides/supplements one can have at home to make meals more interesting at home. Each adds a different flavour to make your usual food irresistible.
Almost all are easily available in supermarkets, few are simple to make as well. So what are you waiting for?
Tell us, if you try some or maybe add some to this list, in the comments below!