deliad

That is why the last suggested item on the menu is "Paan" You have to experience one in order to feel and appreciate how fresh your mouth feels and to kiss after that.... is another story altogether... Many Indo/Pak stores in the DC area sell material for making Paan, starting with fresh leaves, Gulkand (rose petal jam) and everything that goes into it. Try it if you can. PM me if you need details.

This should be an interesting class. Suggested menu: Welcome drink: Rangeen Thandaai (laced with bhaang) Appetizer: Bhaang ke Pakore Main course: Arbi ke kebab (laced with Shilajit) Pistay ka salan (chicken breast in rich curry of pista, badam and swarn bhasm(edible gold dust) Dum ki biryani with saffron, motidana (stimulant seed) and covered with silver and gold leaf Dessert: Jauzi halwa (made from sprouted wheat kernels which are known to get aphrodisiac qualities from the morning dewdrops when the wheat is germinating) topped with gold leaf Aftermint: Nawaabi Paan ki Gilauri (Sweet paan leaf with supaari, elaichi, saunf, laung, coconut, gulkand, and a dusting of gold powder) I am not sure though, how many couples will be paying attention after a couple of welcome drinks.. Man !!! I am hungry now..

My 2 cents worth: Bhoona technically is roasting but the word is used loosely to include searing and skillet/pot cooking involving some fat where the meat/veggies acquire some black tint on their skin. Hope this helps.

I was thinking of marinating in wine then season with salt/pepper/some masala and then grill it. Looks like that earlier results have not been good. Jw46 suggests that we may not even get it. I'll try and ask the butcher next time.

Which are the best mutton (Goat meat) cuts for a steak. What to ask for when you are in the meat shop?? I have made mutton chops and Keema in the past but never steaks. Also share some steak recipes.. Thanx

Indiachef, This sounds delicious, however, I am not clear when the oil is to be used. So a couple of questions: 1. You did not mention any water in the ingredients list. How much do we need? 2. Do we cook the marinated meat in the mustard oil or water? Thanks

Oh, Yeah.. stretching a pickle..My Mom always did that. Since most achaars have a lot of masala and when all the big pieces have gone, she will add atleast 3 things..small green chilies with a small slit, chunks of ginger root and lots of garlic pods. Just leave them for a 2-3 days in that masala, preferably in sun and you have doubled your money. Cheers,

Lacchha is a Punjabi word loosely meaning rings. Like Onion rings will be called Onion Lachha. The Lachha parantha is called so because of the ring shaped layers that are created in the process of making the dough ball. If my memory servers me right, the Kolkata version of Lachha parantha uses more maida (all purpose flour) than atta (whole wheat durum atta). It has been more than 12 years since I was in Kolkata. AP flour being more pliable, it is possible to get more lachhas than regular atta. We make these at home sometimes and usually get pretty good results. Basically following the same steps that you have mentioned. Try dusting some atta on the top layer also before you cut and start rolling. I'll try and post some pictures next time we make it. Cheers!!

How can you NOT make paranthas to eat this achaar. Aloo parantha, Gobhi parantha, Mooli parantha, Pyaaz parantha and Missa parantha (eat this one stale when it is 1 or 2 days old for better flavor) with this achaar and fresh white butter. Wash that down with namkeen lassi. Balle Balle...

Very rarely it has lasted to see the light after 2 weeks or so and one of the reasons it does not last very long is that we use it as a sabzi (almost). But I have never experienced mildew or anything. We usually transfer it to a very airtight plastic/glass jar of mayo or coffee or something (cleaned of course) and never had any issues. But refrigeration is good idea though Regarding the masalla, yes it is runny as compared with other traditional achaars but I guess that is a product feature because it is not sun-baked for long time. Cheers

I could have added this in the existing thread of indian spices but wanted to highlight the extraordinary taste of this mixed pickle. Just 2 dollars for almost 2 lbs of outstanding mixed achaar is a real value for anyone, especially the bargain crazy Indians. I am talking about this Pachranga Achaar. Literally translated, Pachranga means five colors and I think they mean five main ingredients; mango, carrots, limes, lotus stems and green chillies and of course, delas and Indian gooseberries and all the achaari masalas. I dont know why but the best mixed achaars that I have had in my life have been consumed at the gurudwaras (Sikh temple), which I visited with some of my sikh friends. All sikh temples have a community lunch called Langar in which the food always tastes good and will always be accompanied by a mixed achaar. It is heavenly This particular brand reminds me of that same flavor. It is a sure bet to enhance any food that you may consume. Try it if you haven't and share if you have. Cheers,

Nimmi Paul of Kerala to showcase Indian cooking in USA. Link http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/905765.cms

If you go to Jaipur then you must eat at Lakshmi Mishthaan Bhandaar, popularly known as LMB. Food is a little rich but very tasty.

While dough may be the primary reason for the final outcome, but one thing that may help is to fry them longer, till one side becomes quite crisp, almost brown. IMHO, It will tend to remain inflated. However, you are gonna have to break it in a few seconds to eat it, so what is the real reason, presentation or something else??

None of these 2 pictures show the Kabuli Chana (or White Chickpeas) that I think Geetha's question is about. If this link works then they look like this...White Chickpeas Basic recipe for Cholle that goes with Bhatura remains as follows: - Soak the cholle overnight - Pressure cook (approx 4-6 whistles) with some bay leaves, pepper corns and cardamoms - Cook onions, add tomatoes, add a myriad of spices and add cholle with some water and cook till done. To save a lot of effort, it is best to use the pre-mix spices like MDH or Everest Cholle masala or Chana Masala. Usually these packets have their own recipes version printed on them as well. Try and let us know how it turns out. Hope this helps.

Suggestion for next time. Instead of Hello...start with "Namaste..."

I understand that you are in Richmond, VA. I am sure there are quite a few Indian grocery stores there. It should not be a problem finding the ingredients. Also there is an active thread in the India forum on buying Indian spices online. You may check that also.

www.patelbrothersusa.com also has great variety and reasonable prices. I think it depends on the area that you live in. In Northern Va, in the last 4-5 years, the number of Indo/Pak grocery stores has tripled, if not more. Just within our regular driving range around Dulles area, there are more than a dozen, so we never felt any need to order online. Also with other ethnic stores, like Korean & Latino, there is a greater availability of Indian green vegetables/fruits also (e.g. lotus roots, lychee etc.)

Looks like this thread is turning from onions to ghee. Anyways, to answer Carrot Top's last query.. Traditionally, Ghee used to be made only from cow's milk, but these days mass produced milk is not purely of cows. It has other milks like goat, buffalo etc. also. One point that Geetha did not mention in her ghee recipe, while making clarified butter (desi ghee) at home make sure that you use "unsalted" butter.

Bhasin, You may be able to find these in Whole Foods store.

Good one episure!! We forgot because we stopped taking the "badaam doodh" after suhaag raat. More recently though, hindi movies are showing taking "Viagra doodh" for suhaag raat.

Shallow frying on medium heat will be better as you only want to carmalize them. Deep frying will harden them after some time. Usually red onions will go better with Indian dishes as that is what is generally used in India. White ones may have more sugar and can work if you like that taste. cheers,

Apart from garnishing, almonds are also used as a tonic in many Indian homes. As Per Indian motherly and grandmotherly wisdom, Almonds are very good for the development of brain. I beleive that Ayurveda also mentions that in its scriptures. Few current and past uses in our home: - Crush 1 cup almonds carefully in a mixer, so that they are crushed tiny but do not become a paste. Mix 1 to 2 Tbsp crushed sugar and eat 1 to 2 tsp as a tonic each day. - Soak about 10 almonds overnight. In the morning, peel the skin and eat the almonds with 1 tsp of pure honey. - and this one for pregnant women. Take one Tbsp of pure almond oil every morning in a glass of milk, only in the 8th/9th month. Helps in developing the brain of the child and easy delivery for mom. I remember my wife's face every morning when she had to drink that...Yucky!!! but it did work. There are many more similar uses that cure some ailment or the other.

Totally agree with rliblind. The challenge is to adopt a lifestyle where you do eat some carbs but only "good" and "complex" ones and in a controlled fashion. Grill veggies or meats rather than frying them. Lots of lentils and green leafy stuff. Whole wheat atta and besan and soy flour instead of Maida. And of course, exercise as prescribed by your doctor. Walking is very good. If you are in India, eat lots of Jamun fruit and don't throw away the seeds. Dry them up in sun and grind into a fine powder. Take half a spoon of that every day. It is known to reduce blood sugar. I am told that some Ayurvedic companies in India and now making a capsule of this jamun stuff. Just my 2 cents, Cheers