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.
The cuisine of Jharkhand is not very different from its neighboring Bihar. The food of Jharkhand is very light on the stomach and easy to digest. Dhuska is a popular deep fried snack eaten in Jharkhand. The main ingredients of the dhuska are powdered rice, chana dal powder and boiled potatoes.The bread is then deep fried. It is often served with any sauce or chutney. Dhuska is mostly made at the streets where people enjoy it as a snack . Handia is a rice beer popular in the Jharkhand.The making involves the use of ranu tablets, which is a combination of about 20-25 herbs and acts as a fermentor.The ranu tablets are then mixed with boiled rice and left to ferment. It is served cool and has lower alcoholic strength than other Indian liquors. Meetha Khaja is an item which is prepared in almost every household and then exchanged with their friends and relatives during the festive season. It is synonymous to Diwali in the state. This luscious dessert is made maida and sugar syrup and is a must try for all the sweet tooth out there. Pitha are typically made of rice flour, although there are some types of pitha made of wheat flour.The less common types of pitha are made of palm root. Pithas are primarily made from a batter of rice flour or wheat flour, which are shaped and optionally filled with sweet or savory ingredients. itha are typically made of rice flour, although there are some types of pitha made of wheat flour.The less common types of pitha are made of palm root. Pithas are primarily made from a batter of rice flour or wheat flour, which are shaped and optionally filled with sweet or savory ingredients. Rugra is indigenous variety of mushroom and is very delicious to eat. It rich in protein and minerals and high on calorific value. This dish is preferred by the local people and is high in demand during the peak season of Monsoon.
Chaat – Indian Street Food Various varieties of Chaat are some of most popular Indian street food dishes and quite more than just snacks for people in India. Chaat is among the lightest, cheapest and most convenient meal to have when someone is in a hurry. Indian street food is incomplete without a mention of chaat. A confusing point that many people don’t get is that a lot of Indian street food items are called chaat. Some of more popular chaat dishes are papdi chaat, gol gappa also called paani puri,and bhalla chaat. Chaat is a street food dish, but some kind of it always served during most parties in India. Even posh, high-end restaurants have started serving chaat items, but they are often beaten by the street food vendors who have been doing it for generationsA large number of chaat food items exist in India, many with completely different flavours, looks and ingredients from the rest. Many chaats are eaten cool and thus are enjoyable even in summer. Pani puris for example, are just water flavoured with digestive spices served in hollow balls made of crisp flour. Sometimes they are garnished with chick peas and boiled mashed potatoes. The flavoured water is usually salty made using pudina (mint), rock salt, pepper, and some other ingredients depending upon where you eat it. For people who like sweetness, bit of sweet and tangy tamarind chutney is added. A number of different flavours among pani puris are available catering to almost every type of fan. The flavoured water is considered to help with digestion and is useful in preventing dehydration during hot summers of India. Many people drink pani puri water by cups. Puris are the most common ingredients for other types of chaats. They are small, crisp and crackle loudly when broken. Boiled or fried potatoes and two or more types of chutney ( a type of sauce) are also used. One chutney, made of imli (tamarind) is sweet and tangy . Second one is spicy and made of pudina (mint), ginger and green chillies. Many street food items, including chaat may or may not have dahi (curd, yooghurt), another popular food item in India. It helps with digestion and makes tolerating excess spiciness easy for people who are not used to it. Dahi bhalla chaat is a very popular and tasty street food item, specially popular during summers. The yoghurt is thickened and sometimes sweetened, giving it a smooth creamy texture which gels really well with bhalla . It is sometimes sprinkled with chaat masala, onion garnishing and bits of fried potatoes.Chaat masala is another thing which helps with digestion but is used more in a wa, not just to increase the flavours. It may have different varieties and ingredients in different places. Most popular are powders of , dried raw mango (aam choor), ginger, pepper, rock salt and dried pomegranates ( anaar daana). Apart from their use as chaat masala, these ingredients are also used in combination with other different ingredients as churan to help with digestion. Bhel puri, from Maharashtra is a very tasty light snack made of sev ( thin noodle like crisps made of besan) and puffed rice. They are sprinkled with chaat masala, chutney and garnished with tomatoes and onions. It’s a good snack to have, light on stomach and low on oil. Aaloo tikki is another very popular chaat dish made of boiled and then crisply fried potato cakes. They are served as soon as they are cooked, garnished with chaat masala, chutney and sometimes yoghurt. It’s a heavy dish due to fried potatoes but it’s popular all the same. McDonalds in India even launched a McAaloo Tikki burger to cash in on its popularity.Even if the chaat may seem heavy or tough to digest, yoghurt and chat masala make sure that your digestive system stays fit and healthy. As with everything else, it’s not good to eat chaat in excess, especially if you don’t know about Indian food in details How to eat chaat or any other food in India While traveling in Delhi or any other Indian city, you will find a number of street food vendors selling different varities of food with chaat vendors being a significant majority. Some of them will be there just to make a quick buck and be done with the whole thing, while others serve their food with pride and care for customers. Important thing is to know how to distinguish between the two. Good street food vendors care for their clientele and serve only the best quality food. You can tell it from their loyal customers. Make sure that the food vendors you visit obey basic hygiene rules. Confirm that the food ingredients are covered and protected from dust and flies. Most street food vendors use disposable plates, but if they are not, make sure that they are clean. Read this article to know more about how to keep safe from water and food related problems while traveling. We hope that this article will help you enjoy Indian street food, specially chaat better. Happy munching. Contact us for feedback, queries or for booking an Indian street food tour. Image courtesy: Wikipedia
Indian Food Recipe : Green Chutney Ingredients Urad Dal – ¾ cup Chana Dal – 1 tbsp. Rajma – 1 tbsp. Onion – 1 Ginger – 2 tbsp. Green chillies – 4 Tomato – 1 Fresh cream – ⅓ cup Yoghurt – ⅓ cup Chilli powder – 1/2 tsp. Turmeric powder – ½ tsp. Cumin seeds – 1 tsp. Ghee – 2 tbsp. Salt – to taste Serves : 6 Procedure Soak the dals for 5 hours. Chop green chillies, ginger, onions and tomatoes. Now pressure cook the dals with water. Mash well with a masher and boil again for 20 minutes. Add the yoghurt and cream to the dal. In a vessel heat ghee and fry the onions, chillies and ginger and cumin for a few minutes. Now add tomatoes, turmeric and chilli powder and fry. Add dal and balance the salt. Cook for some more time. Serve hot with chapati or rice Image Credit: By Radhikamprabhu82 – https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=40987022
Fried Fish Recipe Fried fish is a regular dish made all over the world in different ways and has its different versions that are all palatable. It goes well with chips or if you want something Indian then try it with dal and rice. Fish is consumed in India far and wide. The delicious Indian masalas used in making fish and eaten with the rice makes it a wonderful combination. It’s a staple in the coastline belt of India. Ingredients: 1 Kg fresh fish fillets 1 – egg white, beaten 1 cup – bread crumbs 2 tbsp – melted butter Salt as per taste ¼ tsp – pepper powder How to cook: Preheat oven at 350 degree C. Mix egg, salt and pepper Dip the fillets in egg Roll in bread crumbs On a baking tray put the fish to bake after greasing it Pour melted butter over fillets Bake for 10 mins or till it’s done
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.
India Food Tour: Social Media Posts, Aug 2022 Palak Corn with chapati Ingredients Spinach puree – ¾ cup Blanched and chopped spinach – ½ cup Boiled sweet corn kernels – 1 cup Ghee – ½ tbsp. Cumin seeds – ½ tsp. Ginger garlic paste – 2tsp. Chopped green chillies – 1 tsp. Fresh cream – 2 tbsp. Garam Masala – 1/4tsp. Chilli powder – 1/2tsp. Salt – to taste Serves: 3 Procedure In a kadhai heat ghee over medium flame, add cumin seeds. When it starts crackling then add ginger garlic paste and green chillies. Now add spinach puree, spinach, corn, salt, ¼ cup water, cream, garam masala, and chilli powder. Stir well and cook for 3 minutes. Serve hot with chapati or paratha. Photo Credit: https://cookpad.com/uk/recipes/4607449-corn-palak-sabji
Indian Food Recipe: Mushroom & Bell Pepper Tikka Mushroom tikka with bell pepper recipe Ingredients Mushroom – 15 pieces Bell pepper cubes – 15 pieces Onion cubes – 15 pieces Mustard oil – 1 tbsp. Ginger garlic paste – 1tbsp. Hung yoghurt – ½ cup Turmeric powder – 1 tsp. Coriander powder – 1 tsp. Black pepper powder – ½ tsp. Garam masala – ½ tsp. Chat masala – 1tsp. Dried fenugreek leaves – ½ tsp. Carom Seeds – ½ tsp. Caraway seeds – ½ tsp. Salt to taste Oil – for greasing Serves 5 Procedure In a mixing bowl combine mustard oil, ginger garlic paste, and salt. Now add mushrooms, onions, bell peppers and keep aside for 15 mins. In a mixing bowl add hung yoghurt, turmeric powder, coriander powder, Black pepper powder, Garam Masala, chat masala, fenugreek leaves, carom seeds, caraway and salt. Mix well. Now add the vegetable mixture to the yoghurt mixture and mix well. Keep aside for 15 more minutes. On a wooden skewer arrange the mushrooms, bell pepper and onions. Heat a non-stick Tawa add some oil, cook the skewers from all the sides until it turns light brown colour. Serve hot with mint chutney. Alternate method: You can cook the tikka in n preheated oven at 160°C for 5-6 minutes. Image Credit: https://hebbarskitchen.com/mushroom-tikka-recipe-tawa/
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.
