This is a very interesting website for Indian Recipes. It has been developed by ’Saraswat Infohub’ which is a New Delhi (India) based establishment. The recipes placed in this Site are by Mrs Ruchi who I must say has many interesting stuff up her sleeve.
I am an avid fan of http://www.sanjeevkapoor.com and http://www.tarladalal.com both of which I find very detailed and full of content and functionalities.. maybe the sites are a little too professional.
This site is very refreshing when it comes to the design and graphics. Its neither very professional nor very average. The design of the website is simple and attractive and its very easy to find your way around the site.
Whats New ?
Well, what I found new in this site was the way it was structured. It is very helpful for people who like pottering in the kitchen and have a knack for experimenting.
The main page displays tips and tricks you can use in the kitchen and in preparing food. It also provides you with a link to Indian festivals in the calendar year.
The main page also consists of a reference guide to kitchen which is usually given a low preference.The reference guide is very helpful for beginners. It also has an extensive database of cooking terms like blanching, julienne, etc. The glossary is aso very helpful and provides good information about food. The spice guide is also quite helpful if you are new to cooking or if you want to look up a particular spice. The baking glossary provides lot of interesting tips. There are lot of other section which is of great help on the form of reference like learning the basic techniques in the kitchen, Microwave guide and FAQs, food decorations, etc.The conversion section is also very helpful if you want to know about oven temperatures, food substitutes, food equivalent, liquid and dry weight measures, etc
The recipe section is pretty well maintained. The variety consists Indian breads, soups, main courses, Chinese recipes, Quick and easy recipes, recipes you can make from left overs, cakes and cookies, etc. Quick and easy recipes are very interesting. The snacks section has a whole lot of stuff you can try out and present to your friends when they come in to your place for tea or coffee. What I like about the recipe section is that most of the recipes are easy to make.
There is a section in the menu which helps us setting up a menu when there is a party . I found this very interesting as I always have to spend a good amount of time planning for any party I am giving for friends and relatives. They have got menus with the recipe links so its pretty easy to chart out your party menu.
The best part about this site is the collection of tips which are very helpful inside and outside the kitchen and while cooking. The tips database is huge and very helpful. This is a big plus point for the site.
The festivals of India section provides you with information about Indian festivals and some of the festivals have menus to go with it. For example Chirstmas has a range of menus which are prepared during this festival.
If you are bored browsing through the site’s recipes you can also check the contributions section. This section lists a huge number of contributions from people all over the world.
This site has a section for kids which is unique. It does not consist of recipes... surprise !!!!.... it consists of stories from Panchatantra, Indian Mythology Stories, stories from Aesop fables, Fairy tales, Vikram- Betal Stories and Akbar Birbal stories. This section made me nostalgic and took me down memory lane when I was a kid. These are stories which every Indian kid grows up with. This should prove a good entertainment for your kid or you can take a printout and read the stories to your children when its bedtime for them.
For my friends who are not Indians, this site might give you inspiration to cook or sample Indian food. Believe me it will spice up your life :)
Do check this site out !!