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We are all prepared to celebrate our 77th Independence Day on August 15. This is a special festival that reminds all Indians about the glorious past of their country and the sacrifice our freedom fighters made to set the land free from British rule. The country celebrates Independence Day by hoisting the national flag, organising cultural events, and enjoying patriotic songs and movies.
Indulging in tricolour dishes is another important part of this day. People prepare a variety of foods with tricolour themes and showcase their love for the country. It also gives them an opportunity to flaunt their talents and creative cooking skills. Some common dishes made with tricolour themes include idli, pulao, dhokla, paneer tikka, pasta, sandwiches, and desserts like kulfi, ras malai, sandesh, cakes, and modak.
Therefore, food colour becomes an essential cooking ingredient on Independence Day. If you are also planning to celebrate Independence Day with tricolour dishes, here are five tips to use them like pros:
Always Start Small
It is the most important point to remember. Always begin adding food colouring in small amounts. This is because the colour takes a little time to build up, and if you add a lot of it, your dish will become too bright or too dark. As a result, the colour of the food will be unpleasant to the eyes, and it will also ruin your efforts.
Patience Is The Key
As mentioned earlier, food colour develops and gets darker over time, so it is important to be patient. After adding the colour, let the dish sit for at least ten to fifteen minutes, and then check its progress. After this, if you feel it is not up to par, you can add some more food colouring.
Not All Food Colours Are The Same
There are many types of food colouring available on the market, such as powdered, natural, gel, and liquid colouring. Therefore, it is important to understand which one works best for you. Speaking particularly about powdered food colouring, it is better not to use it for baking as it can dry out the consistency of your dough or batter mix.
Gel or paste colourings are a great option for your batters. They contain glycerine or corn syrup, which gives them a thick gel-like consistency and makes them perfect for vibrant creations. Liquid food dyes are another popular option, and they are sold in miniature bottles. They can go well for pulao, kulfi, paneer tikka, and pasta, but avoid using them for cakes as they generally thin out the batter, dough, or icing.
A Natural Way To Obtain Orange Colour
For tricolour-themed dishes, orange and green food colours are the only requirements. So, in order to get an orange colour in a natural way, you can use a mix of red and golden beet juice, or carrot powder can also work. For desserts and idlis, carrot juice is another great option.
A Natural Way To Get Green Colour
To get the green colour naturally, you can use spinach water. All you need to do is combine spinach and water in a frying pan. Heat on a low-medium flame and stir until spinach is wilted. Then process it in a food processor and strain it through a fine mesh sieve. This natural food colour can be used for all kinds of savoury dishes like pasta, pulao, and idli.
