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.
Meghalaya’s natural attractions are the reason why tourists come here once, but the food is why tourists keep coming back. Meghalaya has three Mongoloid tribes and many distinct dishes to indulge yourself or savoury dishes to appease your taste buds. There is something for everyone here. Do’o Kappa is a Chicken in Garo style. It is made be adding ginger paste,grated onions,turmeric to chicken along with soda powder.Water is added for simmering. The dish is garnished with cream and onion leaves. Dohjem is a khasi delicacy is a favourite of many. Enjoy with regular rice or add it to the putharo this dish is finger licking good no doubt. Prepared by cutting pork into small chunks one cannot resist the temptation of this exotic dish . Doh Khleh is a delicious delicacy that comprises of pig brains cooked in curry and eaten with Indian bread. Doh Khlieh is also cooked as a salad with steamed pork, pig brain and onions.One of the extreme dishes of Meghalayan cuisine. Jadoh is the rice dish of Khasi language.‘Ja’ means rice and ‘Doh’ means meat. It is made with rice and pork mixed with the best spices, chopped vegetables and garnished with eggs or fried fish. Tungrymbai is a wholesome dish flavoured by delicious ingredients and served with love. It is made from fermented soya beans, chopped pork, black sesame, ginger, onion and other spices. All these are fried and sauteed together, and the delicious mixture is left simmering for some time to deepen the flavor and taste.
Malai Kofta Recipe The blend of rich creamy texture Malai and combination of Kofta (vegetarian balls) makes this cuisine scrumptious, finger smacking and delicious. In India, this combination was introduced by Moghuls. In ancient times, it is also referred to cooking style of Punjab of using Malai in food. Ingredients:- For Gravy Cream (125 Gms). Paneer or Khoya (75 gms). Milk (150 ml). Cashew nut- (50 Gms). White pepper powder (3 tsp.). Sugar (2.5 tsp.). Grated Ginger (2 tsp.). Nutmeg powder (¼ tsp.). Turmeric powder (1/2 tsp.). Garlic crushed (1 tsp.). Cinnamon (1). Cloves (6). Salt to taste. Ghee (3 tsp.). For Kofta Khoya (50 gms). Paneer (50 gms). Medium sized potatoes- (5). Cashew nuts- (20 Gms). Raisins (20 Gms). Chopped green chillies (4 to 5). Ginger grated (½ tsp.). Chopped Coriander (1 tsp.). Cumin seeds (1/2 tsp.). Salt to taste. For Garnishing Grated cheese or Paneer (1 tbsp.). Chopped coriander- (1 tbsp.). Cooking: Wash and boil potatoes. Mix all the ingredients of Kofta except raisins. Make small balls and then flatten it with cashew and raisins and then again make them into the balls. Repeat the procedure for the remaining dough and keep it on side. Roast cloves, cinnamon, cardamom together. Dry grind them, well grind all other gravy ingredients except ghee. In a skillet, heat ghee and then add dry powders, add gravy paste. After 2-3 minutes, then allow them to fry for 5-7 minutes. Now add 2 cups of water and let them simmer for 15 minutes on low flame. Warm the Kofta on tava. In a serving dish, place the Kofta and then add hot gravy on the koftas, Next place it in a hot oven for 5 minutes Serve hot with various breads or rice.
The food of Kerala is a blend of both vegetarian and non-vegetarian options. It includes a variety of items like fish, poultry and red meat. Rice, fish and coconut are the three most common ingredients of Keralite food. Banana chips and Kerala go hand in hand.Most of the tourists prefer banana chips as their snacks as they are easily available and can be tried at any time of the day. Banana chips are dried slices of bananas.They can be covered with sugar or honey to have a sweet taste, or they can be fried in oil and spices to have a salty or spicy taste. Cheera Parippu Thoran or spinach stir fry with coconut is for health conscious people who are looking for a dish that is healthy and is very less in calorie count.The dish is made using leafy vegetables. It makes the best side dish which one can either try with roti, rice. It is a rich source of minerals, vitamins, and iron. Ela Ada is one of those dishes which represent the best and authentic flavors of South India.The dish comprises of rice, coconut, jaggery, etc.One can try this dish for either breakfast or can even as an evening snack. Idiyappam is also known as Noolappam in Kerala cuisine. Idiyappam is made of rice flour, salt and water with a number of thin strands entwined together to make the lovely texture that this dish bears. It is this texture that makes it versatile. It tastes best with Egg Curry. Parippu vada or masala dal vada is a savoury fried snack in Kerala. It is made from legumes and is best consumed for breakfast. Sambar and coconut chutney are the standard accompaniments for Parippu vadas. Puttu and Kadala curry is a famous breakfast recipe out of the many Kerala. Puttu is a cylindrical steamed rice cake that is cooked in a mould with grated coconut. It is served with kadala curry(black chickpeas).It tastes best when served with poori or with roti. Semiya Payasam or popularly known as Vermicelli rice is one of the most famous and popular sweet dishes of Kerala.It is prepared only for some special festivals and occasions. It is served in mud pots which makes the dish even tastier and attractive for the tourists. It is served with lots of nuts and is made using milk, rice, etc. thus is one healthy dish to try.
Indian Food Recipe: Mutton Roganjosh Mutton Roganjosh Recipe Ingredients Mutton – 1kg. mustard/refined oil – 1cup Red chilli powder – 3 tsp. fennel powder – 3 tsp. ginger powder – 2tsp. cumin powder – 2 tsp. black cardamom – 3 Asafoetida – 1 tsp. Green cardamom – 4 Cinnamon sticks – 2 Bay leaves – 2 Cloves – 2 saffron (optional) – ⅓ tsp. Yoghurt – 1 cup A pinch of salt Procedure Heat the oil in a pressure cooker. Now add cinnamon, bay leaves, green cardamom, cloves, a teaspoon of salt, asafoetida, and mutton. Fry the mutton until it turns brown in colour. Now add 1 cup of water, red chilli powder and saffron. Mix the yoghurt nicely and pour into the pressure cooker and mix well. Keep cooking and stirring until it appears red in colour. Now add 2 cups of water, fennel powder, ginger powder and pressure cook for 2 -3 minutes. Crush the green and black cardamom and add it to the cooker. Sprinkle some cumin powder cook for few more minutes. Serve hot. Image Credit: By gahdjun – Flicr, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=3033005
The food from Karnataka includes a wide range of vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes and comprises of various cuisines that include Udupi, Malnadu and Mangalorean cuisine. Ragi and rice are the staple food items for Karnataka especially in the southern region of the state whereas natives from coastal regions mainly consume fish curries. Bisi bele bath is a spicy, rice-based dish with origins in the state of Karnataka.Bisi bele bhath, which translates to ‘hot lentil rice dish’ in Kannada language, is a wholesome meal. The preparation of this dish involves the use of masalas, toor dal, rice, ghee and vegetables. Spices like nutmeg, curry leaves and tamarind pulp contribute to its unique flavour and taste. Chiroti is a delicacy predominantly served in Karnataka.It’s prepared by rolling out kneaded dough made of maida into layered circular shapes and then deep frying in gheel. The outcome resembles a semi golden brown fluffy poori, which is then sprinkled with powdered sugar and grated almonds and cashews. Mysore Bonda is a very popular South Indian snack recipe which requires only a few simple ingredients. This mouth-watering snack is prepared with rice flour, baking soda, onion, all purpose flour, yoghurt, cumin. These are served with coconut chutney. Mysore pak originally called Mysuru paaka, is an Indian sweet prepared in ghee that is popular in Southern India. It originated in Mysore in the state of Karnataka. It is made of generous amounts of ghee, sugar, gram flour. The texture of the sweet is similar to fudge. Pori urundai is a traditional Indian sweet generally made from puff rice balls and jaggery.The preparation consists of first preparing the hot jaggery syrup with a minimum of water and adding it to puffed rice.Then ,they are moulded into spherical shape balls. Rava Kesari or Kesari Bath consists semolina, sugar, ghee, water, and milk. The dish can also be prepared with pineapple, banana, mango, coconut or rice. It assumes the texture of a crumbled cake.
Indian Food Blog : Mizoram Mizoram food is mild in taste and is tinted with influences of Chinese cuisine. What makes Mizoram’s food special, is its traditional style of serving on the banana leaves. The food in Mizoram is prepared using mustard oil that gives a distinct flavour to the dishes, especially fish that is loved by the people in Mizoram. Bai is made of steamed vegetables along with pork, spinach and bamboo shoot, and spiced with local herbs. It’s mostly prepared with pork sauce (made out of pork and mustard). Bai is one of the most easily available dishes in Aizawl. Bamboo shoot fry is for all the vegetarian lovers. It has fried bamboo tossed with herbs along with shitake mushrooms and other vegetables .It is known as a light snack in Mizoram and generally enjoyed in the evening along with tea. Koat Pitha are deep fried fritters with rice flour and banana with the addition of fish. It has a crispy outer and a soft inner layer. It’s the best dish to pair with chai. Vawksa Rep is made with stir fried smoked pork with baby spinach and oyster mushrooms along with crushed garlic, ginger, green chilli and pepper. This dry dish is a popular dish in Mizoram that is eaten with steamed or sticky rice.
Kheer Recipe Kheer is a famous dessert in the Indian cuisine. Kheer essentially means milk in Sanskrit. This mouth watering dessert is made from broken wheat, vermicelli or rice. You can choose as per your taste. You can add nuts and raisins to make it crunchier and add some saffron to it to get that beautiful color. Initially Kheer was originated in South India but later on it became famous all across India. Items required for preparing Kheer: 1 cup of milk Rice half cup or broken wheat or vermicelli (soaked and washed for 20 minutes) Soaked 20 strands of saffron in 2-3 tablespoon of hot milk. Green cardamoms – 8 – peeled and powdered. Sugar – 6-7 tablespoon. 14 almonds and 12 pistachios. How to prepare: Simmer the milk once it is boiled thoroughly. Grind rice or broken wheat coarsely so that it easily dissolves in the milk. Add milk to coarsely ground rice or wheat. Stir the milk thoroughly nonstop so that it does not stick to the pan. Boil till the milk thickens and the rice or wheat is boiled. Now remove the pan and add almonds and pistachios Serve it hot or cold.
DUM AALOO Dum Aaloo is the most popular Kashmiri potato recipe which is well known for its appetizing flavor. This dish is popular all across the world. This dish has originated from Kashmir and is prepared almost in every household in India. Dum Aaloo tastes excellent served with chapattis, Nan or parantha. So let us learn how to prepare this delicious dish in following recipe. Ingredients: Baby small potatoes – 10 nos. Take 3 tablespoon of mustard oil Two tablespoons of tomato puree Half teaspoon of sugar One large onion sliced Two large cloves of garlic Cashewnuts – 6 Salt as per taste Half a teaspoon of turmeric powder Half a teaspoon paprika chilli powder Half a teaspoon of garam masala – this you can get ready made from the market Preparation method Take a heavy bottom pan and heat the oil. Let the oil be hot enough so that you can easily fry the ingredients Now fry the sliced onions until they are golden brown. Remove them and keep them aside Next fry the baby potatoes until they are brown; now remove them and keep it aside Grind the fried brown onions and the garlic into a fine paste and add to the hot oil Next add all the masalas such as turmeric powder, chilli powder, salt, sugar and garam masala along with a bit of sugar These masalas have to be fried on a low flame for some time until the oil leaves the sides of the gravy. Now add tomato puree, cashew paste and let is simmer for some time. Serve hot with roti or rice.
