Looking at the vast yellow landscape painted with flowers of mustard always seems so breathtaking and serene. Seeing the yellow farms of mustard always reminds of those Bollywood romantic movies that took a piece of heart. Just like Bollywood, everyone's love for mustard is evident in every dish.
Mustard is a widely used spice in several Indian cuisines. Every part of mustard is used in cooking in every way. Take mustard seeds, for example, forming the base for every curry and mustard leaves used in making the signature dish of Punjab, Sarso ka saag. Several regions and cultures of India have incorporated this amazing ingredient in innovative ways.
Even while being such an important part of Indian meals, it often goes unnoticed. This article is going to explore 7 ways in which mustard is incorporated in everyday meals and what role it plays in its every form.
1) Using Seeds In Curry Base And Salad Dressings
The seeds of mustard are an integral part for any curry base in Indian cuisine. Its rich aromatic essences play a vital role in shaping the overall flavour of the dish. Mustard seeds, or rai, adds a depth to the dish and enhances the flavour of other ingredients. When used in salad dressings, mustard seeds help in emulsifying liquids by combining oil and vinegar. This imparts a zesty kick to every dressing and enhances the experience.
Also Read: The Fascinating Origins Of Mustard
2) Using Mustard Oil In Cooking
Food cooked in mustard oil always tastes different, more strong and flavour rich than food cooked in any other oil. The people in the Eastern region of India commonly prefer mustard oil for making everyday meals. Bengali people specifically cook their fishes and other meat dishes in mustard oil due to its earthy and astringent taste, bringing complexity to the dish. In contrast to this, the people in the Southern region of India use mustard oil as tadka for chutney and soups.
3) Mustard Sauce For Burger And Sandwich
Mustard sauce is widely popular throughout the world as an emulsifier to prevent separation of dressings and natural fats of meat. Along with this, mustard sauce is a preferred condiment for flavouring various meats and vegetables used in burgers, sandwiches and dips for chips. The versatile nature of mustard allows for various other applications such as using in marinades, spreads and a preservative.
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4) Addition In Pickles, Beans, And Vegetables
During the pickle making season, several might have seen their mothers and grandmothers adding a gallop of mustard seeds to pickles and using mustard oil in making the base oil for the pickled veggie. Mustard oil is used as a common pickle oil in India due to its flavour enhancing and preservative properties. The acidic nature of mustard helps to extend the shelf life of certain foods. The oil possesses elements like allyl isothiocyanate, providing robust antimicrobial, antifungal, and antibacterial characteristics.
5) Using Mustard Leaves To Prepare Dishes
One popular mustard leaves dish all over the world is the Classic Punjabi Sarson Da Saag. Like the seeds, its leaves are also equally nutritious and warming, making them a perfect condiment for making winter meals. In Punjab and other parts of Northern India, the saag or leaves of mustard are incorporated in various meals and salads. Apart from India, one can see the use of mustard greens in Chinese and Japanese cuisines as well. In Japanese cuisine, mustard greens, referred to as “takana” is used in pickled form and it acts as a delicious condiment for japanese rice balls called “onigiri.”
A simple looking seed, which is often overlooked, does tons of different things to a cuisine. Mustard may sound very plain and uninteresting, but has a world of secrets yet to be explored. Its remarkable capability to transform every dish is unmatched. Read more such interesting articles on our website.