57 replies to this topic

[heidih]

Member Percyn's week long eGullet Food Blog from India is here.

He will be posting a bit about the rest of his trip in this topic.

Edited by heidih, 30 October 2011 - 09:46 AM.
Clarify topic

[Shelby]

I'm strapped in and ready to go

[Darienne]

I'm strapped in and ready to go

Ditto here

I could mention that I am taking this class soon about making edible gifts from around the world and the Chikki is one of the items.

[percyn]

Darienne, what kind of chikki do you plan to make?

[percyn]

Will be traveling for part of the day today, but also plan to visit a chaat place which I will post about.

[heidih]

Thanks for continuing to share the food on your trip.

Chaat with all its play of different flavors and textures fascinates me. Exactly up my alley. Looking forward to your report.

[Darienne]

Darienne, what kind of chikki do you plan to make?

I have no idea at this point. It's up to the teaching chef I guess. I wrote to her that I had some panela...you can't get it here...but in her reply she didn't mention that.

What is your favorite kind? Or favorites? And do you make it usually? Any tips to give me????

[Jenni]

Peanut and sesame chikki are both awesome.

It's so easy to make you won't need any real tips. The key thing is good ingredients. The tastier your jaggery is, so the tastier your chikki will be.

By the way I am ashamed to say that all this talk of chikki has caused me to consume a large bar....well, I shared with a friend but still it was too much!

[Kim Shook]

Percyn - life is getting in the way of fun for me lately, but I've been trying to keep up with the blog - and it has been absolutely fascinating! I don't ever want it to stop! Thanks for sharing your trip with us.

[percyn]

Percyn - life is getting in the way of fun for me lately, but I've been trying to keep up with the blog - and it has been absolutely fascinating! I don't ever want it to stop! Thanks for sharing your trip with us.

Thanks Kim, I am glad you are enjoying it, even if you need to revisit it at a later date.

[percyn]

Darienne, what kind of chikki do you plan to make?

I have no idea at this point. It's up to the teaching chef I guess. I wrote to her that I had some panela...you can't get it here...but in her reply she didn't mention that.

What is your favorite kind? Or favorites? And do you make it usually? Any tips to give me????

Peanut and Sesame is popular, though I prefer Kaju (Cashew) or Dry Fruits with Pistachios.

Will try to post chikki pics soon.

[percyn]

So as it turns out, our plans changed a little and instead of chaat (which we will do later), we went for Gujurati Style Thali. Not pictured were dishes from a later course such as rice, shrikhand, etc.



We also ordered a special called Dal Dhokla, which is a Rajasthani dish with spiced dal and little dough balls to which a little pure ghee and sugar is added.

[percyn]

On the way from Panchgani to Pune we saw the following:

Petrol (gas line)


Garbage Disposal

[percyn]

Before leaving Panchgani, we went on a remote hike/picnic, passing small villages, distancing ourselves from vehicles and swapping vehicles for bullock carts. The only buildings were mud huts, farmhouses and the occasional temple or shrine.

The only sounds you hear are from the birds chirping, the wind bellowing and the calls from the herdsmen tending to their cattle. Such spaces are becoming a rarer find these days.

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[Shelby]

I don't believe I've ever seen cattle (?) with horns that stick straight up like that.

[Jenni]

Shelby, I am no cattle expert but they look like a kind of zebu. At least they have the right hump on the back and hanging down bit on the neck.

India has a variety of interesting cows and buffalos!

[percyn]

Today, I went shopping for fruit..



and had a Sweet Paan




For lunch we had

Shrimp with Potatoes - shrimp heads taste delicious


and

Goan Goat Curry Rice


Fruits for dessert

[heidih]

The fruit has stickers! Identification or?

The shrimp and potato dish looks and sounds really appealing.

[Hassouni]

What's the fruit in the last picture? Papaya?

[KatieLoeb]

That photo of the valley is just breathtaking...

I'm not sure quite what I thought the hinterlands of India looked like, but now I know for sure. Thanks Percy!

[percyn]

The fruit has stickers! Identification or?

The shrimp and potato dish looks and sounds really appealing.

I suspect the fruit with the stickers is part of a shipment which may have been destined for export.

Yes, the shrimp and potato dish is delicious and easy to make.

Marinate shrimp in turmeric, salt and a little chili powder. Sautee and remove it.

Lightly fry cumin seeds, mustard seeds, desiccated coconut, tumeric, very little chili powder, curry leaves. Add diced potatoes, sautee and add water and cover until potatoes are almost done. Add shrimp back and serve.

[percyn]

What's the fruit in the last picture? Papaya?

Yes, the plate has "Disco Papaya", bananas and orange segments.

[percyn]

For a snack yesterday evening, I had

Chicken Kathi Roll - They make it in batches of 4, but I only had 1 - promise . It is similar to a Frankie, which I still prefer and will try to capture during this trip.



Since, I had promised Chaat, we went to Kailash Prabhat, a famous chaat place.

Sev Puri


Dahi Puri


Dal Kachori


Falooda Kulfi

[percyn]

While I was out shopping, I picked up Paneer (fresh cheese).



Enjoyed a sweet Lassi (note the tasty cream yoghurt on top) while observing young boys prepare the day's meal for the restaurant.




and picked up chicken and goat meat. The meat is always fresh, but the processing might make a USDA inspector's head explode.

Edited by percyn, 01 November 2011 - 07:39 PM.

[percyn]

For dinner one night we made

Titori - a type of broad? bean




and French Beans with Chicken (it is usually made with Goat)

Edited by percyn, 01 November 2011 - 10:22 PM.

[Jenni]

For dinner one night we made

Titori - a type of broad? bean

We call it vaal bean...not sure if this the Hindi name or the Marithi name though. Or a name in a totally different language! Think it's English name may be hyacinth bean? Wait a min, thislooks right.

[nikkib]

Ok so I was intrigued by the vadas and headed out tonight after work to find one I could enjoy with a beer. Typically the only place I found selling them that had a license had sold out so I got behlpuri instead but I noticed they had vada, Dahl vada ( which I assume Is the sane but made with lentils?) and rassam vada - when I return, which should I try first? Should also add the shrimp and potato dish looks amazing and may be the first thing I cook in my new appartment if I ever get round to it!!

[Country]

Percyn - A few posts back you have a pic of someone weighing something, and the sign to the right lists "chicken ham" which, along with some other stuff, is the cheapest thing. What is "chicken ham"? Ham and chicken ground together, or mixed after grinding? Or something else altogether? Thanks.

[Jenni]

Vada can refer to a number of fried things. What is commonly called just vada in Maharashtra is more fully called something like batata vada or aloo bonda elsewhere. Batata vada is made from potatoes that are mashed and spiced, rolled into balls, dipped in a gram flour batter and deep fried.

Outside of Maharasthra I would say that the thing most commonly called vada is made from a batter consisting of dal that has been soaked and then ground with spices and seasonings before being shaped and deep fried. The dal is most commonly urad dal. Dahi vada is a dish where vadas are soaked in seasoned yoghurt. There are different versions of this made all over India and they can be quite different. My neighbour makes a killer dahi vada and I love it when it is a festive time and she has made lots! Rasam vada is vada soaked in rasam. Rasam is a thin, spicy, sour "broth" made in various ways in all the states of South India. I have most often seen dal vada used to describe a vada made from a variety of different dals or at least a non-urad dal vada. One South India name for this is parippu vada and it means a vada made from chana dal.

Look herefor some pictures of common vada. The doughnut shaped ones are made from urad dal. The flat-ish discs which look quite crunchy are most often made from chana dal.

[Hassouni]

For dinner one night we made

Titori - a type of broad? bean




and French Beans with Chicken (it is usually made with Goat)

These look fantastic! How were they made?