What Does "Andaaz Se" Mean?
In Indian cooking, andaaz refers to cooking by instinct rather than exact measurements. While recipes are often written using standard quantities, everyday meals in many homes are prepared andaaz se using experience, taste, and familiarity with ingredients. Andaaz is where cooking becomes less about numbers and more about intuition. While a recipe might call for one teaspoon of cumin and half a teaspoon of turmeric, a busy home cook preparing a familiar meal on a weekday rarely reaches for measuring spoons. Experience takes over. The spices are added by sight, aroma, and instinct—a practice we fondly call andaaz se cooking. It's the reason a grandmother's dal may never be measured exactly, yet somehow tastes perfect every time.
Just as many Indian cooks season food andaaz se, they also rely on a well-stocked masala dabba to keep essential spices within easy reach.
Read next: The Art of Tadka Begins with the Masala Dabba
Experienced home cooks often rely on their senses rather than measuring tools. The aroma of roasting spices, the sound of a sputtering tadka, and the appearance of perfectly cooked onions all help guide the cooking process.
Read more: Cooking by Sight, Smell and Sound: The Hidden Language of South Indian Kitchens
