Droling over Internet

Do you know how to make Maggi? You probably learned the recipe from the back of the noodle pack when you were 10 years old, but if you think that makes you a Maggi masterchef, then we suggest you google 'Maggi recipes' and dispel that illusion right away.

You will find at least 15 different ways of preparing the instant-noodles, just from the first three results. No wonder, even in our small town the net seems to be fast replacing grannies and moms as the ultimate kitchen oracle.

It's not just because net gives faster answers, it's because it gives a variety of them. Musician Tyrone who swears by his grandmother's vindaloo recipe shares how the net has helped him come up with many new variations of his traditional favourites.

"Recently I made chicken roast with a recipe that I found online. I added a bit of mom's style to it and some of my own, the result turned out to be really great," he happily recalls. Tyrone doesn't have any particular favourite websites or blogs, he just googles 'how to make...' and picks the result he likes the most.

That, however, may not be a very safe bet, if you are experimenting with something like meat that's both expensive and time-consuming to cook. As food writer Mita Kapur puts it "the ultimate litmus test of a recipe is trying it out." There is no other way you can know its authenticity.

Kapur won't suggest any food blogs because she still places her trust in books and her personal recipe collection. But there are still some reputed sites that you can look at-the top contenders being www.sanjeevkapoor.com and www.tarladalal.com.

"These sites not only give you interesting recipes, they give you great tips for presentation too, which matters because after all you first eat with your eyes!" says chocolatier and home science teacher Rashi Harneja. Harneja had picked up the tirangi biryani from the net, and happily recalls the compliments she received for her experiment.

Another reason the net's popularity as a cooking guide is up, is� that nowadays, folks do not view cooking as a tedious chore. They do it to show off, says Harneja. And, the more exotic dishes they can make, the bigger a talking point it is, she smiles.

However, if you are still not comfortable experimenting with more complex dishes, then you can find many easy-to-cook recipes online.

"For example, you find plenty of ways to bake a batch of Oreo cookies," says interior designer Shruti Gursahaney. Gusahaney often spends some fun time with her laptop in the kitchen trying out new recipes. Her fave hunting website for more complex recipes is www.recipesindia.com.

Other popular sites include www.foodnetwork.com, www.asianfoodchannel.com and www.indianfoodforever.com. Just log on and cook up a storm!

Credit:Shivani Sharma