Tip #1: Make sure you have all the right spices! This is a good list for starters (it looks like a long list, but you will use these Spices often so it's a good investment!)

• Cayenne Pepper
• Coriander Powder
• Turmeric Powder
• Cumin Powder
• Garam Masala
• Ground Cardamom
• Whole Cumin Seeds
• Black Mustard Seeds
• Curry Leaves
• Whole Cinnamon Sticks
• Bay Leaves

Tip #2: Make sure you have either a pressure cooker or slow cooker to make cooking dried lentils, rice, beans, etc. easier.

Tip #3: Pick a few recipes and start experimenting! As you cook with Indian recipes more and more, you'll get familiar with the process of toasting spices until they pop, knowing which spices go together most frequently, and how to combine ingredients for a final delicious meal :)

1. One of the biggest mistakes that people tend to do is that they try one of the most popular dishes. Not all of the popular dishes are easy to make, especially for someone trying their hand at cooking for the first time. So start slow and start with a dish that they are comfortable with. It’s a step by step process. Once someone gets the hang of it, then it becomes easier.

2. Don’t worry about chopping the vegetables just like it is done by famous chefs and on shows like MasterChef. It takes years of practice. Just go with what you can. No need to go for perfection from that start. Do it the way you can.

3. Cook in small quantities. That way if it does not come out right, the wastage is less.

4. Plan what you are going to do, note them down. Buy things well before.

5. Most importantly enjoy your time in the kitchen. If it does not come out well, it’s ok. No need to be hard on yourself, you can also redo the dish.

Curry powder is not garam masala and is never used in India. :) Curry powder is less flavorful and has turmeric and other additions that are usually not present in garam masala. Curry powder is a British or Western spice blend approximating the masala spice blends from north and south India. It works well as a spice blend to add to dishes, but is definitely not a traditional or authentic flavor profile. Use garam masala spice blend or the mentioned spices in Indian recipes.

Tomatoes: I usually use fresh, just-ripe Roma or other tomatoes. They are firm, not too sweet, and just tart enough and work best in Indian recipes. I rarely use canned or crushed tomatoes as they are sweeter and add so much tomato flavor to the sauce that they tend to mask the complex magic of the spices and herbs. If you are in a rush, use half fresh and half canned, plus add more spices to taste later if needed.

Indian Dals are generally a bit over cooked. The preferred consistency is more porridge like or really soft whole beans that can easily get mushed into the sauce.

Familiarize with spices. Taste and see what works with your palate. From there, start out with basic recipes like simple dal, stir fry’s or snacks such as sandwiches.

Indian food has a bad reputation for being complex, spicy and laborious. Which is not the case at all. Spices doesn’t translate to heat indexes. Spices are flavors. Taste along the way and experiment with simple recipes. There are many make ahead recipes that freezes well. So, don’t be intimidated.

There are two recipes I would personally recommend to anyone beginning their journey into indian foods. One is masala chai and the other, indian omelet. The basics. It always works!

1) Indian food has to be cooked with confidence. If you get to understand the basic then cooking indian food can be a breeze. There is no special pots and pans need for cooking it. Just a basic kadai or a nonstick pan is enough.

2) Most indian curries start with a base of a masala which is mainly a onion and tomato base. Take your time to saute the onions in medium heat till it caramelizes and get soft. Now add a good amount of fresh ginger and garlic paste and cook till raw smell leaves away. Then add in your tomatoes and cook that down till it is almost mushy and oil separates from them. This is your masala. Cooking down the onions and tomatoes makes the base of a good curry. It enhances the taste of the end product. For busy working people, you can make this masala in bulk on your leisurely hours and freeze them in individual containers. If you dont have time to make your fresh ginger garlic paste daily, then make it in bulk, add some salt to it and freeze in containers as well.

3) Stock up on basic whole spices and spice powders in small batches. Always buy spice powders in small batches so they have their freshness till the last. Never add spice powders directly to hot oil, they will burn pretty quickly. You can add these spice powders into the masala and add a splash of water and cook again till oil separates. The oil separation process indicates that the spices are cooked completely. Now you can add meat, fish or veggies in this and cook to create the best curry.

1.Use spices in moderation, less is more. Adding too much spice can make a dish bitter.

2.Always try and use fresh spices and never bulk buy them as once you open the packets the aroma will reduce.Store spices in an air tight container in a cool dry place.

3.When grinding your own spice mixture, dry roasting the spices prior to grinding releases their flavour.

For a novice in the kitchen, I would say the first thing to do would be to invest in two kitchen staples - a pressure cooker, and a mixer-grinder preferably with a food processor.

A pressure cooker is great to cook dried beans and lentils, rice and a host of other foods, while the mixer-grinder is essential for north and south Indian cooking. A food processor makes short work of kneading dough for chaperone and can also help with activities like slicing, grating etc.

The second thing to do would be to stock up on basic spices but in smaller quantities as otherwise they lose their freshness. The fresher the spices, the better the dish will turn out. Store them in airtight containers, preferably glass jars.

North Indian cooking often calls for ginger and garlic. This can be made ahead in larger quantities and stored in the fridge. Else or freeze them into single use portions. South Indian cooking calls for a lot of coconut. You can store fresh grated coconut in single use portions in the freezer for about a week. Thaw frozen food ingredients completely before using them.

Here goes the winning simple tips for beginners who step up on cooking game:

1. Be a cool cook. Prepare & organize ahead of time when you' re trying a new recipe.
2. Food releases moisture as it cooks. So never overcrowd your pan or baking dish which may turn over the taste of it.
3. Cooking pasta is very easy just if you keep in mind pasta doubles in size as it cooks.
4. While preparing scrambled eggs, remove the eggs from the pan as soon as they appear to be done...else the dish gets dry.
5. Be flexible with the punches. ie...if you fail at a meal..don't loose your heart...it shows you're one step closer to becoming better cook.

I hope these cooking tips will help you get more fun out of cooking!

Indian cooking isn't too difficult, however it utilizes small quantities of a lot of spices and condiments, so make sure your kitchen is well stocked with a range of ingredients to use.

Secondly, the pots and pans needed for cooking Indian dishes are very different from the western cooking, so make sure you research well and buy some nice Pressure Cookers, Kadhai, etc. Ex. for making roti's which go well with Indian curries, you would need a tava and a rolling pin, so these are an absolute must.

Also remember that most of Indian dishes include onions, garlic and other spices, while these taste absolutely delicious, it is a norm in the Indian society to serve mouth fresheners after the meal. They are a variety of them available in the market and they can be served in fancy serving bowls. Enjoy eating and serving the delicious Indian food!

Keep Cooking...

Don't be intimidated by the long list of ingredients, especially the wide array of spices used.

There is a myth about Indian food being greasy, spicy, fattening and difficult to cook. It's just a myth as Indian food is really simple, tasty, healthy and above all easy to learn and even master!

Indian food can be as simple as a stir fry with just 6 ingredients and as complex as a Biryani with 40+ ingredients with 20+ spices!

Slowly build your own spice cupboard starting from a very basic and every day spices like cumin seeds, mustard seeds, dry red chillies, pepper corns, turmeric etc to little complex ones like whole spices (cinnamon, cloves, cardamoms, bay leaves, mace etc), hing/asafoetida, fennel seeds, etc.

Then there is a whole range of ground spices that really elavates the Indian dish, like cumin powder, coriander powder, red chilli powder, garam masala (not curry powder), chaat masala etc.

Don't be afraid to be generous with your spices as they not only enhance the flavour, but also have many health benefits.

If you live outside India, then it's best to buy spices from Indian stores as they sell fresh spices in large quantity but at the same price that the supermarkets charge for small jar of spices.

The famous quote by Laiko Bahrs's "When baking, follow directions. When cooking, go by your own taste." applies to cooking, especially when it comes to Indian food as our mothers, grandmothers, aunts always say to go with our intuition and 'andaaz'.

I always tell my readers who are keen to learn Indian cooking to consider cooking as an art, not rocket science as it requires instinct and taste than exact measurements or following the cooking instructions religiously.

1. Toasting nuts, rice, rava and dal (lentils) before cooking with it increases its flavors considerably.

2. When boiling potatoes or eggs, add a pinch of salt to the water. This will help peel the skin easily later.

3. Soak chik peas in boiling water if you forget to soak it ahead of time. In this way only 1 hour of soaking in needed.

4. Make ginger garlic paste in bulk and put it in the fridge. Similarly, make green chilly paste and keep in the fridge. This saves a lot of cooking time.

1. Indian Food has lots of ingredients unlike the Western Counterparts, and each and every course involves elaborate methods and extensive cooking in order to achieve the perfect 6 tastes that symbolises the Indian food. So timing is important. Plan well in advance. Run the steps in your mind and make sure you have all the ingredients on hand before you enter the kitchen and begin cooking.

2. Make sure to use seasonal vegetables and freshest of the spices and try to make your own spice powders. Make little in quantity and try to use it within a short period of time so that you do not miss out on its flavor and aroma.

3. Cooking is not just following steps from a cookbook or website. Use your presence of mind, adapt accordingly, keeping in mind about your family’s needs and preferences.

Birista is the fancy name given to thinly sliced fried onions. Adding little sugar while frying onions will give nice caramel color and adding little salt will speed up the process of frying.

Adding 2-3 tbsp. cooked and cooled rice to dosa batter while grinding will give nice color to the dosa and helps in easily flipping the dosa.

Adding 10 ml of refined cooking oil to 250gms. of Ginger-Garlic paste will increase the shelf life of it. You can even add salt to keep the paste fresh for days.

1. There are few spices that form the crux of Indian food and I would highly recommend to have them handy, always. Delicious meals can be whipped up in minutes with just a pinch of tumeric, cumin powder and garam masala. For those who can take heat, chilli powder is a bonus!

2. A simple onion-tomato-base with a few spices is the starting point for many Indian curries. Make a big batch (especially when tomatoes are in season) and freeze. I recently started doing this and was quite surprised how much time it cuts down on crazy weekday nights.

3. Befriend the humble pressure cooker and make it your life long friend. Remove all inhibitions and slowly start with a simple dal. Move on to bigger things once you master basic recipes like legumes and rice recipes. Cooking with pressure cooker saves a lot of time, energy and effort.

TIPS FOR A NOVICE COOK

1.PREPARE YOURSELF

Indian Cooking comprises of varied ingredients and numerous cooking methods. Do not get perplexed. Select a recipe which requires minimum number of ingredients. Read the recipe carefully. Keep all ingredients ready at hand before you start. Enjoy the process.

2. FOLLOW INSTRUCTIONS CAREFULLY

A mother once instructed her naive daughter to cook butter till all noise ceased. Later a charred residue of ghee was all that she found in the vessel! ‘I cooked till all noise ceased. But just then a baby howled next door. Soon the street dogs got into a noisy fight. Then a cat was meowing for some time. Finally I switched off the stove after all the noise ceased!’ The poor mother was horrified at her daughter’s justification!

Joking aside, be in the now and follow instructions up to the tee. Do not lose heart if the first attempt is a failure. Patience, practice and intuition will help you in the long run.

3. CLEAN UP AND PRESENT YOUR CREATION WITH CONFIDENCE

Clean up the counter and freshen up yourself. Present your creation in an appropriate dish at the right temperature. Set a happy mood with your loving smile. Your dish is going to taste gorgeous!

Spices are the heart and soul of Indian cooking. To get maximum aroma and flavour from spices, don't buy them in large quantities. Buy in smaller quantities & use them up within the best before period. Don't keep them very close to the stove / heat source in the kitchen as they lose their potency. This rule applies to both whole spices and spice powders.

Pressure cooker is another implement you cannot do without. Make sure you have pressure cooker or pan in a small size, so all kinds of lentils and beans can be cooked to perfection in a short time.

Indian food is all about spices. Spices not only add taste but also have a lot of medicinal and healing properties. If used judiciously they add flavour and depth to a dish.

Whole spices have a long shelf life and can be easily stored.

Storing whole spices like cumin, mustard, cloves, cinnamon, pepper, cardamom and spice powders like turmeric, red powder and coriander seed powder can provide a base to cooking Indian dals and curries.

Learning about the various spices used in cooking is a must. Indian food is famous for its various levels of spice. So a thorough knowledge on spices is a must before beginning. Try to put together a spice box based on the regional cooking you are interested. While in south we have mustard, urad dhal, fenugreek, sambar powder in our box, in North it is completely different. So do a little research on spice.

Learning about the various types of cooking is a must. While some prefer pressure cooking, some go for cooking on an open pan. And there are other modes of cooking like tandoor and open flame. I feel that most Indians love their pressure cooker as it makes every day cooking so easy. So learning to use a pressure cooker is a must in terms of Indian cooking. While dals take 5- 10 minutes to cook, vegetables take one or two minutes. So learning about the cooking time is so important so that we don't over cook any ingredient. If you are not sure about the timing, then go for an open pan. Though it takes more time when compared to pressure cooking, it is easier to get the final result as we can control the heat.

As our cuisine is vast, it is better to start from one region and master it. Once you learn the basics of a particular cuisine, it will be easier to understand other regional cuisines and you can easily differentiate between them. The main differences will be the use of spices. Once you understand them, you can master the art of Indian cooking.

5 basic Indian spices:

Turmeric powder, red chilli powder, coriander powder, cumin seeds and mustard seeds. Without these I don’t think Indian cooking is possible. These 5 ingredients are used in almost all Indian recipes and understanding these spices will in end give you authentic Indian taste. Red chili powder must always added as per taste. Turmeric powder must be used little, like ¼ to ½ teaspoon; more can give too pungent taste and very yellow looking food. Coriander powder is usually added in more quantity. It gives pleasant aroma and also helps to thicken curries. Cumin and mustard seeds must be added when oil is nicely hot-they provide subtle and yet very important flavor in Indian cuisine.

Pressure cooker:

Everyone loves Indian food. But many shy away from Indian cooking as it is an elaborate process, but if you own a pressure cooker you will end up saving lot of time. Pressure cooker is a blessing when it comes to Indian cooking. You can boil lentils, chickpeas, beans, potatoes quickly in cooker which otherwise can take hours. I have infact made baigan ka bharta in cooker.

Try easy recipes:

Look for easy recipes. When I was learning how to cook I took easy steps. My mom taught me the some basic recipes like dal-rice, kichadi, riata. I gradually started adding veggies to my kichadi to make it fancier- serve it with yogurt, pickle and papad and wholesome meal is ready. Same goes with daal-rice. Temper the rice with jeera(cumin seeds) and your upmarket jeera rice is prepared. Don’t be afraid to experiment, practice will make you perfect.

Indian food is fun - there is lots of colors and flavors in your plate. Be brave and start with your first dish today.

1. Buy whole spices or spice powders from ethnic stores - I recommend buying spice powders like paruppu podi, sambhar podi or rasam podi from Indian grocery store. These will make your life easy as you can toss them over grilled or steamed vegetable. Make a quick stiry fry with french beans, top it with South Indian paruppu podi and serve with rice. It is a great side for your thanksgiving or family dinner too.

2. Start with recipes that uses 5-6 ingredients.

3. Learn to use pressure cooker or slow cooker, either one will make your life easy. Rajma/ Channa masala or pulao or dahl are great one pot dishes to start with.

4. Make a trip to your farmers market, explore with local ingredients and spice it up with Indian spices. For instance, brussel's sprout stir fry with mustard seeds, dry red chillies and curry leaves or make a dahl with summer squash and store bought sambhar powder.

5. Few recipes that will make your cooking easy - 1. Pressure cooker recipe 2. Easy Indian recipes cooked by my 5 year old.

For me Indian cooking is all about using right spices for right recipe, It is one of easiest cuisine to explore. India is a country with diverse cuisine, each cuisine has its own uniqueness. For the beginners in Indian cuisine these are the tips I would suggest:

1. Start from learning the basic ingredients such as spices used in Indian cuisine.. Every India home will carry a spice box ( in hindi we call masala dabba and in tamil we call it anjarai petti) which is very important in our day to day cooking. The masala dabba will include - red chilli pd, coriander pd, turmeric pd, cumin pd, mustard seeds, cumin seeds.. These spice powders plays a very important role in Indian cuisine as these are used in our day to day cooking.

2. Learn or know the difference between the Northern and southern cuisines . for instance there is lot of coconut milk gravy made in southern parts of Indian where as In norther parts it is famous for its gravy curries using tomato onion as base.

3. Last one will be try learn cook the basics. To master in Indian cuisine it is very important to know your basics. Learn to cook with simple Indian recipes like a simple paneer gravy or a halwa. If you know the basic recipes very well , it is so easy to innovate.

4. Collect recipes from your mother and grand mothers, learn from home. Our mom and grand moms are the best ever cooking tutors or home chef, you will never find any cooking school like them. They have the perfect traditional, methods, techniques you can learn.

5. For beginner it is nice practice to note down the ingredients and methods, so that when you make the same recipe next time it tastes the same.

I feel cooking can be a pleasant experience and not feel like a chore if you follow a few simple steps.I am sure many of the tips are generic but if followed, it can make a big difference towards your attitude to cooking.

First and foremost, have a plan in your head or better still write it down.A weekly time table is just fine. If you make a menu plan for the week and shop accordingly, half your job is done!

Also, store your vegetables accordingly. Segregate greens-mint, coriander, spinach etc and pack it in Ziploc bags. Make masala pastes and store in airtight containers and refrigerate. Grate coconut and freeze it. So on and so forth.

Making dough for rotis can be a tough task for beginners. Use a food processor to knead the dough, rolling and cooking the rotis is then much more easier.

Having a batch of Idli-dosa batter in the fridge can take care of your breakfast menu for busy mornings. Make different kinds of chutneys or sambhar and you're good to go.

Using a rice cooker can give you consistency in cooking the rice. Be it for regular dal-rice or pulaos and biryanis.

Keep a big batch of curd/yogurt in the fridge. You may use it for Raita, lassi or some simple curd rice or a cool buttermilk after lunch!

Indian cuisine is one of the most complex in the world and the best way to approach it if you are a newcomer is to learn the building blocks of this cuisine.

Spices form an integral part and for a beginner, the best place to start would be the everyday masala dabba which incorporates the most commonly used spices like mustard seeds, turmeric, chilli powder, coriander and cumin seeds.

Lentils and pulses are another important category and learning to cook a simple dal with a tempering of spices can give the novice cook a lot of confidence to try out other dishes.

And always remember the golden rule of cooking – a recipe is just a guideline, allow yourself to be guided by intuition, touch and feel of the ingredients.

I find Indian cooking the easiest probably because we grow up seeing our mothers cook it. We are familiar with the taste as well as the cooking techniques or even equipment used. I have rarely seen my mother or others, even a chef, measure ingredients for Indian cooking. The taste and even doneness is subjective basis on personal preferences like spicy or a mix of sweet and sour.

On the other hand, baking for example is a precise technique following exact measurements for best result. I also measure and then bake for precise temperatures. So in terms of difficulty I think mastering baking is more challenging than Indian cooking.

Having said that, there are few pointers which will definitely help any one starting Indian Cooking.

1. Use stable and heavy bottom utensils when cooking as food tends to stick to the bottom.

2. Covering the dish while cooking, not only conserves fuel but also hastens the cooking process using built-up steam.

3. Taste the dish and adjust spices based on your preference, Indian cooking is quite forgiving in this regard.

Be confident of what you are cooking and you will be amazed at the result. Happy cooking!

Although I started cooking at a very young age in Thailand, learning by observing how my parents cooked, but my serious cooking journey began when I got married and moved to India. From then, I started cooking Indian Food, which has complex flavor profile, and it has always been challenging. My husband who is from Kerala taught me several dishes of Malabar Cuisine, and I enjoyed cooking Coastal Indian seafood dishes which are both spicy and creamy. But to be honest, when it comes to Indian cooking, I’m still a student. So here are my tips on starting cooking Indian food.

1. Try a lot of Indian Food. You will gradually get the flavor profile and understand the melody in the dishes when you explore the cuisine. I often eat out when I travel to rustic locations in India, and when I get home, I am inspired and confident enough to try to replicate the dishes at home.

2. Take it Easy. A lot of people might disagree with me on this, but I usually keep the authenticity of the dishes aside, and try to cook something that I can enjoy rather than follow the recipe disciplinarily. For example; I don’t like rose water, and in some delicious recipes that use it, I skip the rose water completely. When you are happy with the result, you will be so motivated to cook more.

3. Don’t be ashamed of shortcuts. I love premixed/instant curry pastes or powders. They save time and allow me to cook something complicated that I can’t possibility create myself. These instant curry pastes can encourage you to cook often, and later, you can try to make everything from scratch.

1. Almost any vegetable can be made as chutney, just saute it in little oil with chilies and coconut, grind it with salt. This not only serves as a dip but double up as a spread for your roti/sandwich.

2. A common mistake we all do is excess salt in curries. there are quite a few tricks to remove the excess salt. a. squeeze half a lemon in the gravy b. add mashed potato to the gravy, it also gives a rich texture to the gravy. c. add a small ball of chapati dough to the gravy, let it sit for 10 minutes, then remove it, the dough ball absorbs salt.

3. To Add richness to curries, many use cream, if you are calorie conscious, you can use milk. Another option is to add 1-2 tsp of almond powder or soak 4-5 almonds, peel make a paste of it and add. Another option is use powdered oats. To 1 tsp of oats powder, add milk, make a thin paste and add it to the gravy.

1. To build up confidence start by making some straight forward dals, such as red split lentil which is also known as masoor dal. It does not need soaking and literally takes 10 mins to cook in boiling water. You then add turmeric, either Bengali panch phoron or cumin seeds to some hot oil along with one of two fresh chillies. Once the seeds start to fizzle (15 seconds) add the contents of the pan to the red split lentils. Add some fresh tomatoes to the dal, salt and more water if you prefer it more soupy and cook gently for another couple of minutes. Serve with a squeeze of lemon and some fresh coriander. Easy, speedy, cost efficient and tasty. A great confidence booster for a beginner.

2. The first 'curry' I was taught was my mother-in-law's chicken curry. It uses a whole chicken cut into 10 pieces and a handful of whole and ground spices. Carrots and a couple of potatoes were added as well as a small amount of tinned tomatoes. It cooks itself over 40 minutes or until the carrots and potatoes are soft. It involves the occasional stirring, but otherwise is very straightforward and a great dish to feed the family.

3. An Indian dish that always surprises in a positive way uses the humble cabbage as the centre piece. It involves few ingredients: white or green cabbage, fennel seeds, turmeric, potato, sultanas, chilli powder, bay leaf, salt and sugar and yet is delicious and perfect to accompany both dishes above. Cooking time is minimal and yet the humble cabbage transforms into a truest satisfying ingredient. It's a great ingredient for the novice Indian cook.

Recipes for all these recommendations are on my blog.

1. Indian cooking is the art of knowing your spices. It takes time to know how much of each would affect your dish in what way. Learn it slowly and steadily.

2. While starting, go for easy dishes, that include limited ingredients and basic spices. Once you get a hang of it, then you can move on to the tougher ones.

3. Be interested! If you are not liking what you cook, you will likely get something inedible! :)

The key components of Indian cooking is spices, keeping in mind spices should be fresh and stored in a cool dry place.

Rather than buying loads of spices all at once, the key is to start simple with a few essentials such as cumin, coriander, turmeric, cayenne pepper, cinnamon, cloves and cardamom.

Learn to work with these essential ingredients finding your wavelength in the kitchen, there can be countless ways to extract a diversity of flavors from these essential basic spices. As they say, when you know the notes to sing, you can sing most anything.

My tips for someone just starting to cook Indian food are:

1. Spices are your friend - Don't be afraid to use them. At the same time, do not over use them, they should help the star of the dish. Be it vegetable or meat or paneer to get to its full taste potential but in no way should the spice over power it.
2. Start simple - a lot of Indian cooking is fairly complicated but and equally fair amount it simple and easy too. Start small with the food you have eaten at home like dals, vegetable stir fry or masala etc. Making simpler recipes that you have eaten before, preferably not at restaurants, will help you understand how the various ingredients including spices work together and will help you get on to more complex and creative recipes.
3. This is not specific to Indian cooking but always season. When you think somethings not right, add a little more salt and for. Good majority of the time you do that, that will make your dish flavorful! Sometimes you don't know you are missing that extra salt till you add it.

Good luck with Indian cooking. It is the most delicious, flavorful cuisine that you will never be done learning how to cook! It's fun exploring. Have fun cooking, that's the most important part.

1. Stick to basics and make simple dishes with basic ingredients. Once you master that then tweak your recipes to showcase your creativity.

2. I always tell myself and my kids "It's ok to make mistakes but learn from them". This applies to cooking as well. When the dish you make does not turn out as expected don't be disheartened.

3. Try switching vegetables and try new combination. Most of all have fun and enjoy the process. Hint of love and dash of smile makes the final result even more devouring.

Indian cuisine is one of the healthiest cuisines of all. Fresh ingredients and freshly made food are the key ingredients for healthy living. Indian cooking is also very easy-to- learn. My tips for beginners are:

1. Know the vegetables and fruits available in your nearby market.

Always use seasonal vegetables and fruits. Unseasonal food is not good for health. Educate yourself with the health benefits of the ingredients you are using. Knowing your vegetables and fruits is very important. Similarly, knowing the facts about your cooking oil is equally important.

2. Acquire knowledge about Indian spices we use in the cooking.

Go slow and start with recipes which have few steps. Understand the process and then slowly start experimenting with complicated or long recipes.

3. Knowing about the terms of Indian cooking is also very useful to learn

If you are following a recipe, follow as it is at first to learn.

"Happiness is Homemade." Someone has rightly framed these three words. I would say, we all have to engage ourselves into cooking at least once in a day. I know many of you would never enter the kitchen for various reasons. Most of you would be savoring what your mother cooks for you. Some others would have time constraints never to find the right time to cook and eat self made food. Many others would lack the will to really get out of the comfort zone and move into the kitchen.

Cooking is a stress buster "if" you really enjoy the process. Many of you would be first timers in the kitchen. I would say, never mind if the food you cooked tastes far away from expected. Pat your back if you have really put in all your efforts to cook a little meal for yourself.

Cooking Indian food is a lovely affair. The seasoning, the masala, the sounds of stirring, the whistles from a pressure cooker, the aroma that spreads throughout the kitchen cannot be beaten by cooking other cuisines. If you are a first timer at Indian cooking, you have to just pitch into the kitchen and turn on the flame.

My recommendation for beginners: start with your core family / regional recipes. Go to your mothers, aunts and get those recipes from them. Try them one by one. You will know how your skills work once you start with the basic recipes. For example, if you are a South Indian hailing from Karnataka, learn the basics of making dosas, idlis or upma. Start with simple, effortless recipes like cooking plain rice, rasam, stir fried veggies etc. Try to find out if you are going on the right track by occasionally calling your friends home and serving them what you cook. More importantly, you have to learn to cook for at least four to five people.

It doesn't take more than a few trials until you get any recipe right. If you really have the passion and driving force towards cooking and the kitchen, you have won half the battle. The rest is all about your skills and instincts. Never be taken aback by failures. You can never cook good quality meals if you haven't failed in your endeavors. Once you reach a stage where you can cook simple meals for yourself and your family / friends, you can say you aren't a novice cook.

Cooking isn't a complicated process. It is just an art which is built-in most of us. One has to just nurture this skill to excel in this beautiful art. You may never know, you might end up making the best aloo paratha you have ever tasted. You have to just give it a try. :)