Interesting Facts You Never Knew About Your Favourite Pizzas
Pizzas
What is flat, round, topped usually with cheese and tomato sauce and can be custom-made to suit each and every palate, be it vegetarian or non-vegetarian? No points for guessing; it’s a pizza! In the present society, where pizza rightfully claims (and actually does) get to your house before even the police can, there is an ever-increasing war of sorts between all the so-called ‘big’ pizza delivery chains in any city.
For instance, in Mumbai itself, there are more than a dozen Pizza Hut Mumbai outlets to choose from! After all, a pizza is like the entire food pyramid rolled into one! And with more and more people warming up to this Italian delicacy, the types and varieties of pizzas available today is truly mind-boggling. That first delectable whiff of your pizza baking in the oven, the scalding of your tongue as you bite into your pizza slice sooner than you should have, the way your mozzarella leaves a trail leading from your mouth to the slice even as you try to pull away and let go, the burst of flavours on your tongue which leaves your taste buds tingling – truly speaking, eating a pizza is an all-encompassing culinary experience in its own right. And the best part of all, a pizza can be prepared in an infinite number of ways, with a different topping or combination of toppings each time.
Interesting Facts About Pizzas:
More than 5 billion pizzas are sold worldwide each year.
The first restaurant which exclusively sold pizzas came up in Naples in the year 1830.
The world record for the fastest pizza making currently stands at 14 pizzas in 2 minutes and 35 seconds.
There’s actually an entire month dedicated to pizzas in the United States since the year 1987 – October is the ‘National Pizza Month’.
The record for the world’s largest circular pizza was set at Norwood Hypermarket in South Africa in 1990 – 122 feet and 8 inches across, weighing 26883 pounds, containing 9920 pounds of flour, 3968 pounds of cheese and 1984 pounds of sauce.
Cheese and tomatoes (considered to be essential components of all pizzas) weren’t added to the early versions of pizzas right upto the late 1800s.
Is Pizza Actually Healthy?
Contrary to popular belief, yes – pizzas are a healthy eating option. Though very often classified under the ‘junk food’ banner, a pizza can be a very wholesome meal, provided you choose the right toppings to go with it. Lycopene, an anti-oxidant found in the skin of tomatoes, is known to fight the destruction of healthy body cells. Studies indicate that it even has the ability to obstruct the growth of cancerous tissues. Also an excellent source of Vitamin C, the tomato sauce on your pizza is extremely good for your health.
Nothing tastes better than a cheese-burst pizza, with dollops of cheese loaded onto and into the crust, right? Wrong. Though it may taste good, but too much of cheese may be more harmful than you think. Okay, we’re not telling you to eat your pizza without cheese (no way), but then, the cheese on top of your pizza crust is more than enough for your body’s calcium requirements at any given time. Also, a thin crust pizza is the healthiest option, as thick crust means nothing except some extra flour and bread, which ultimately adds up to needless calories and hardly any vitamins and minerals.
Heard about paper blotting? Catch hold of a paper napkin and pat the very obvious oil from the top of your slice before biting into it. It’s hard to believe but this method alone is estimated to cut upto 30 calories. And if you love to sprinkle oregano all over your Pizza Corner pizza to give it that extra zing, go ahead by all means – your oregano is a good source of Vitamin K, fibre and manganese. So, as you can pretty much make out by now, there is no reason whatsoever to compromise with your taste when it comes to your favourite pizzas, as long as you don’t go overboard in the choices you make.
On a lighter note:
So then, what would be the best time or occasion to order in a pizza? Well, let’s see if we can make out. Woken up on a lazy Sunday morning and it’s almost noon? Don’t get down to cook, just order in a pizza. When your friends suddenly decide to jam at your place without prior notice, you have no option but to get pizza home delivered. And yes, a different flavour for everyone. If you’re almost out of cash and can’t afford a seven-course meal, the best and most-filling option that you have is a pizza. Down in the dumps at any random time of the day, weekday or weekend? It’s pizza time. Simply put, you’ll feel good by the time you finish your meal.
Paneer Curry Recipe Paneer is nothing but Cottage Cheese. A Paneer curry is just another curry where curry means sauce in Tamil, a language in South India. Combination of masalas with other ingredients is a curry. Paneer curry is very popular in North India. Ingredients: Paneer – 200 gms. Tomato puree – 2 nos. Cumin Seeds – ½ tsp. Garlic- Ginger paste -1 tsp. Turmeric powder – ½ tsp. Chilli powder- ½ tsp. Cumin Powder- ½ tsp. Garam masala powder – ½ tsp. Coriander powder – ½ tsp. Cashew nuts: 10-12 nos (ground to a paste). Salt as required. Methodology: Cut paneer into small cubes and keep aside. Add oil in a heavy bottomed pot, when hot enough add cumin seeds. Once they splutter add the ginger garlic paste. Do not let it stick to the bottom of the vessel. Keep adding little water. Now take little water add all the masalas in it and mix well. Add this to the pot and fry the masalas well till oil separates. Add tomato puree and sauté till oil separate. Add the cashew nut paste and then the cubed pieces of Paneer. In case the gravy is too dry add little water accordingly. Let the gravy boil a little and then serve hot.
Haryana is one of the wealthiest states in India with kindhearted people. The occupation of the majority of the people is agriculture and dairy. Predominantly, Haryanvi diet is a vegetarian one and they consume a lot of milk and ghee. Haryana is also referred to as ‘The Land of Rotis”. Alsi ki Pinni is prepared with alsi (flaxseed), whole wheat flour, sugar, ghee, nuts and cardamom powder. This sweet is not only delicious but also very healthy. Alsi is high in fiber, omega 3, iron and potassium among others. Bajra Aloo Roti is prepared with a mix of bajra flour, mashed potatoes, ginger garlic paste, coriander leaves, garam masala. It is served hot with white butter with raita as accompaniments. It tastes heavenly and just melts in the mouth. Hara Dhania Cholia is a mix of green chickpeas and variety of vegetables. It is prepared with onion, tomato, red chili powder, cumin seeds, coriander leaves and turmeric amongst others. It is a rare and unique combination that is popular in Haryana and is eaten with chapatis or paranthas. Meethe Chawal or sweet rice are prepared using basmati rice, ghee, and sugar along with some cardamom and saffron. Basmati rice grown in Haryana is the best. The dish is very famous and is served during Basant Panchami festival.Every individual must try it at least once.
How to cook Kachori We Indians love our snacks. There cannot be a better snack than the humble Kachori. This snack is made and eaten at street stalls around the country. However the best part is that it can be made and eaten at home. Ingredients Urad dal- (½ Cup). Asafoetida– (5 pinches). Ginger and green chillies paste (3 tbsps.) Red chilli powder- (1/2 tsp.). Pepper powder- (1/2 tsp.). Salt- (1/2 tsp.). Oil (8 tbsps.). Maida (3 cups). Oil for frying. Method For stuffing In a vessel, first soak urad dal overnight, then semi grind it with little water In non stick pan heat 2 tsp. of oil and add the Asafoetida. Add green chilli and ginger paste. Put the dal when the oil separates. Stir it nicely and do not allow the dal to stick at the bottom. Add pepper, salt, chilli and mix it well. Continue the stirring procedure till the dal starts to thicken For kachori: Prepare dough with a combination of Maida, oil and salt. Make small balls with this dough. Add the stuffing to the balls and flatten them. Roll them again in rounds and deep fry them Serve them for snacks or breakfast.
Indian Food Recipe: Butter Chicken With its rich, velvety sauce and succulent tandoori chicken, this butter chicken recipe promises to satisfy your cravings for authentic flavours. Recreating the traditional smokiness of tandoor-cooked chicken, we opt for roasting followed by a quick broil in the oven. Serve this aromatic dish alongside salad, rice, or naan for a complete culinary experience. Yield: 4 to 6 servings Ingredients: For the Marinade: 2.25 lb/1 kg chicken thighs, skinless, bone-in, or 2 lb/910 g chicken thighs, skinless and boneless, cut into 1 in/2.5 cm cubes ½ cup/120 g plain unsweetened Greek yogurt 2 Tbsp fresh lemon or lime juice 1 Tbsp grated garlic 1 Tbsp grated ginger 1 Tbsp garam masala (homemade or store-bought) 1 tsp ground Kashmiri chilli powder 1 tsp kasoori methi (optional) ½ tsp ground turmeric ½ tsp fine sea salt For the Butter Chicken Sauce: ½ stick/55 g unsalted butter 1 Tbsp vegetable oil 1 Tbsp Kashmiri chilli powder 2 tsp ground toasted cumin 1 Tbsp grated garlic 1 Tbsp grated ginger 1 tsp garam masala (homemade or store-bought) 1 green chilli (such as jalapeno, serrano, or Bird’s eye) ¾ cup/180 g tomato paste 1 cup/240 ml heavy cream 1 Tbsp fresh lemon or lime juice Fine sea salt, to taste 2 Tbsp chopped cilantro, tender stems and leaves 1 Tbsp salted butter for garnish (optional) Instructions: If using bone-in chicken thighs, make 2 to 3 deep gashes in the chicken. Skip this step if using boneless pieces. In a medium bowl or ziptop bag, combine all marinade ingredients until smooth. Add chicken and ensure it is thoroughly coated. Refrigerate covered for at least 1 hour, preferably overnight. Preheat the oven to 400F/200C. Arrange marinated chicken pieces on a baking dish or roasting pan. Roast until internal temperature reaches 164F/74C, approximately 30 to 45 minutes (20 minutes for boneless chicken), rotating the dish halfway through cooking. Transfer to the upper rack of the oven and broil on high for 2 to 4 minutes until charred in spots. Remove from oven. Meanwhile, in a medium Dutch oven or saucepan over low heat, melt butter. Once foamy, stir in oil. Add Kashmiri chilli powder, toasted cumin, garlic, ginger, garam masala, and green chilli. Sauté until fragrant, about 30 to 45 seconds. Add tomato paste and cook until lightly browned, around 5 to 6 minutes. Pour in heavy cream and add chicken along with any liquids from the baking dish. Coat well. Stir in lemon juice, taste, and season with salt. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat until fat separates from the sauce. Remove from heat. Garnish with cilantro and optional salted butter. Serve hot with rice or naan. Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
How to cook Chicken Biryani Biryani has been originated in Turkey or Persia. The Muslim travelers have brought this to India and other places on the map closer to Persia. You can make a vegetable, mutton, chicken, prawn, fish biryani. The famous and most consumed is the Chicken Biryani. Traditionally earthen pots are used to make biryani to bring out the best aroma from the best quality ingredients used in the dish. Ingredients:- 1 kg – chicken, cut into medium size pieces. ½ kg basmati rice. 1.5 glasses of water. 1 tsp. – Ginger paste. 1 tsp. – Garlic Paste. 3- Large onions finely sliced. 3 – Green chillies, chopped. 1 cup – chopped fresh mint leaves. 1 cup – chopped fresh coriander leaves. 1 tsp – red chilli powder. 10 strands of saffron. ½ cup – milk. 2 cups – yoghurt. 2-3 tbsp. – lemon juice. 7- Cloves. 2 – Bay leaves. 5 – Green cardamoms. 1 – Inch piece cinnamon. 2 tbsp. – ghee. ¾ cup – oil. Salt to taste. Grind to paste – 7 cloves, 4 cardamoms, ½ tsp – whole pepper, ½ inch piece – cinnamon. How to cook: Soak saffron in milk and keep aside. Fry the sliced onions till crispy golden brown in color. Set aside to cool. When cool, grind to a coarse texture and set aside Rub ginger and garlic paste all over the chicken Add red chilli powder, half of the mint and coriander, lemon juice, green chilles, the ground spices ,crushed onions, yoghurt and the oil in which the onions were fried .Marinate for 2 hours In a heavy-bottomed pan, put the chicken along with the marinade and cook on medium heat until the gravy is not fully fried. Boil 1.5 glasses of water, when hot enough add some whole cloves, bay leaves, cardamoms and cinnamon then add salt and the rice. Parboil the Rice Drain the water and keep the rice side To layer the biryani add ghee in an earthen pot and layer rice then chicken gravy then rice and add the saffron milk to it Put the remaining ghee , coriander, mint leaves to garnish Seal the biryani and cook till rice is fully cooked Serve hot with raita.
Manipur has been dubbed “The Jewelled Land” due to its natural beauty. The food of Manipur is considered to be very healthy as they use a fresh vegetables a lot. The preparations are simple yet, tasty. Manipuri food is spicy and contains less oil. Chakhao Kheer is a delicious kheer. It has a pleasing shade of purple and is prepared using milk, black sticky rice, and cardamom powder. It’s typically fancy with dried fruits like raisins,cashews or different nuts. It is usually prepared on special occasions like festivals and weddings. Eromba is prepared nearly always with a fish referred to as Ngari. Eromba is made by boiling a large number of vegetables together with some Ngari and king chili. It’s mixed till the mixture becomes sort of a paste. Kangsoi is a vegetable stew that consists of seasonal vegetables that are cooked and flavored with sliced cloves, garlic, onions, salt, maroi and a touch of ginger lidded with ngari, dried fish, or deep-fried fish items and water. The stew is mostly served with rice and consumed piping hot. Singju is a kind of dish that consists of chilies, tomatoes, onions ,finely cut banana stem, cabbage, banana flower, lotus stem, a reasonably scented herb, tree beans, coriander leaves, ginger mixed with ngari fish. Singju is seasoned with red chili powder, salt, roast chickpea powder and roast herb powder.
Dosa Sambhar Recipe Dosa is a South Indian dish which is popular worldwide for its unique taste and the crisp feeling. It is eaten as a main course meal in most of South India. Anyone can cook this recipe with ease. It has been sold all over India in restaurants and on the roadside. Some people even sell this recipe on cycles accompanied with Sāmbhar. Now please note down the ingredients to prepare this. For Dosa: Rice- 1 cup Par boiled rice- 1 cup Black gram- ¼ cup Fenugreek seeds Soda Curd Clarified butter Some water For Sāmbhar: Fresh tamarind Sāmbhar powder Fresh onion Fresh tomatoes Fresh coriander leaves Fresh garlic cloves Pigeon peas Butter or oil Mustard seeds Salt Asafoetida Method to make Dosa: Prepare a dal and rice mixture by adding water and fenugreek seeds to it. Now grind all of them together with the help of a food processor. Do not make the mixture is not smooth. It must have some amount of grainy texture. Now add some soda to fragment it and salt for taste. Now leave the mixture for a fortnight or for at-least 8 to 10 hours. The batter must be consistent enough to cover the spoon completely. Now prepare the griddle to make the dosa. With the help of a spoon, pour the dosa mixture in the centre of the griddle in a thin oval shape. Now pour some clarified butter or oil on it. Once the color changes to golden brown, you can remove it with a spatula. Method to make Sāmbhar: Take some toor dal with water in a pressure cooker and let the whistle sound 5 to 6 times. Grind 1 onion, 2 garlic cloves and 4 tomatoes together. Use tamarind juice to give a nice flavour with the help of water. Now add the main ingredient, Sāmbhar powder in it with all the finely chopped vegetables. Keep it on high boil, adding cooked dal and let it boil for a few minutes. Once it has come to the boil, add the onion, garlic paste to it. You also add some salt and asafoetida. Take a pan and place 2 teaspoons of ghee to it. Add mustard seeds to this pan and let them sputter Next add it to the Sāmbhar. Now garnish the Sāmbhar with fresh coriander leaves and serve it with the dosa.
Arunachal Pradesh street food differs from tribe to tribe. As one move toward the eastern side of Arunachal people are dependent on bamboo and other leafy vegetables which are strictly boiled. Fried food is not as popular as people like to eat either boiled or smoked food. Apong is a type of rice beer, which is traditionally prepared by tribes of Arunachal Pradesh.India. Apong is prepared by fermenting rice. The two types are Nogi Apong and Poro Apong.The two apongs differ in their taste and colour. Chura Sabji is a kind of curry made of fermented cheese made by either yak milk or cow’s milk and not to forget the most important the flakes and a few pieces of the King chilly which makes it spicy but delicious. Lukhter is another delicacy of the Arunachal Pradesh.Lukter is a combination of cooked dry meat and chilli flakes from the King chilly or Bhut Jolokia. Like the norm goes with Aunachal, this is a side dish meant to be eaten with rice. Pehak is made by use of fermented Soybean and King chilly. In this dish, the king chilli is used as the main ingredient. It is also used as a side dish with rice. The pickle is hot and very spicy that gives the rice a very unique hot flavor. Pehak is very popular among Arunachalis. Pictures sourced from various sources on internet. Please contact for credits.
