Oct 08, 2013
- Products & Solutions
- Feature Story
Hello everyone! Or Vanakkam as they say in Tamil. This is Akemi from Chennai (formerly Madras), the capital of Tamil Nadu located on the Bay of Bengal in southeastern India.
When people think of Indian food, curry and naan are the first dishes that spring to mind. But here in Chennai rice is widely cultivated thanks to the tropical climate, and is a mainstay of nearly every meal. This makes automatic cookers a virtual necessity, along with grinders for spices, herbs and beans. I recently dropped in on Mrs. Viji Varadarajan, a cuisine professional who often appears in Indian magazines, to find out how she takes advantages of these devices to prepare her tasty breakfasts.
Panasonic makes its products and technologies available to a diverse range of consumers around the world. These articles show some of the ways the company is changing lives in different cultures from the views of local reporters.
Automatic Cooker For Dishes As Soft As Jasmine Flowers
Idli, southern India's popular bread and a breakfast favorite throughout Tamil Nadu, is cooked by steaming leavened dough made from ground rice and urad beans. The dough is allowed to rise overnight and in the morning is ready to be steamed. Panasonic's Automatic Cooker & Warmer is perfect for this task since it doubles as a rice cooker and steamer*. "There is a saying that rice and idli should be like jasmine flowers," explained Viji. "And our Panasonic cooker prepares both just like that." A luscious thought, indeed.
* In southern India, idli plates for automatic cookers are sold separately.
- Pour Idli Dough into Trays, Add Water To the Cooker, Then Steam
A Powerful Grinder For Breaking Down Hard Ingredients
While steaming the idli, Viji makes a side dish of green chutney with her Panasonic Super Mixer Grinder using coriander, grated coconut, fried gram, green chilies and other delights. Many Indian cuisine contains hard ingredients such as rice, beans and dried spices, all of which must be ground before using. In the past, this entailed laborious manual work with a grindstone. Now power grinders facilitate this chore and allow idli dough and other dishes to be prepared with comparative ease.
- The Super Mixer Grinder Makes It Easy To Prepare Green Chutney
Panasonic - The Manufacturer Of Choice For Daily Use
- Vasantha, Viji's Cousin From the Neighborhood, Joined Us
Well aware of the importance of having the proper tool for the job, Viji doesn't compromise when it comes to cooking appliances. I asked her why she chose Panasonic. Her reply was quick and to the point: "Because they are reliable and tough. I don't have to worry about them breaking down."
She says she uses one or both of her Panasonic appliances everyday. Moreover, Panasonic's attention to detail is a real plus. For example, the bottom inside of many other cookers can easily become moldy, but her Panasonic is designed to allow sufficient airflow to prevent mold.
One can only wonder what new dishes Viji will dream up thanks to her Panasonic Automatic Cooker & Warmer and Super Mixer Grinder.
Home Cooking Helps Fuel India's Remarkable Development
- Chennai's Teaming Market Is Filled with Fresh Food
With a population of over one billion spread over a vast subcontinent, India is home to myriad languages, religions, ethnic groups and food cultures. The country's rapid economic growth has seen a rise in imports with lifestyles changing accordingly. However, Indians love for traditional home-cooked cuisine remains unchanged. Even mothers who work full time still prepare the daily meals, but ever-tighter schedules are forcing them to make use of automated devices, which are chosen with care.
The importance that Indians place on a nourishing, sensible diet undoubtedly helps drive the country, where tradition blends with modernity to produce a dynamic society in which automatic cooking devices are becoming indispensable.
Viji On Preparing Breakfast with an Automatic Cooker and Mixer Grinder (Full Video)
(Reported by Akemi)
The latest automatic cookers and grinders sold in India
- Automatic Cookers
- Grinders
