Modern Day Hermit

I have a 14 month old that eats very well and he started on Oatmeal cereal although I did add a pinch of cinnamon to his oatmeal then later to his bananas and other fruits. Of all my Indian friends, most start their babies with bland food, I don't think what you start with is going to make a difference. My son has been eating foods from Albania to Zimbabwe since he was 5 months old. I don't think American parents have issue with children's palettes due to starting their babies on bland cereals, but mostly because Gerber has drilled it into parent's heads that they are the only way a person's baby will lead a healthy life, which I find ridiculous. And, due to that, parents are afraid of feeding their babies the food they (themselves) eat.

I can honestly say, I love it all. I could go with just one or the other because all sides of Indian cuisine offer many levels of goodness.

Wow, great pics! When my ILs were in town, I made pizza 'Indian style', they loved them. Since they are vegetarian, no meat was involved...I would make a tomato based sauce with spices and add veggies and such. Some of my favorites included making a dry veggie of finely diced mushrooms, paneer and finely diced onions or using leftover paneer masala. With lots of paneer, I love paneer! For the 'crust' I make a naan style bread with cracked pepper and then apply the pre-mentioned toppings.

I've been using a Kitchen Aid Mixer for a variety of doughs for a couple of years without any ill effects. I have the larger model, Pro 6, I believe. I've made doughs for not only flat breads, but multiple loaves of dense, heavy bread as well. When using the KA mixer, it is important not to go over the '2' marker on the speed selector.

My ex-MIL (from India), who came to the States about 6 months ago and left India for the first time in her 56 years...uses commercially ground spices. I grind my own spices generally, except for Garam Masala simply because I found one that is exceptionally good. Anyway, she cooks some good stuff. She doesn't toil over the stove roasting and grinding. She makes dhals and vegetable dishes that will make your mouth water. I think the whole point of the matter is...It isn't bad to use pre-ground spices. It is a personal preference. I think the from scratch argument is very relative. From scratch...as in growing and grinding your own wheat..or from scratch in that you brought the produce home, sliced, diced and cooked? If it makes your taste buds happy, use it.

Monica, that butter looks fantastic! I love Amul butter, I've gotten in a few times at the Indian grocer and was in love! Oddly enough, my ex-MIL seemed to prefer standard Land 'o Lakes while she was here. There is another brand of butter that I especially like, some European brand. Sadly, I forget the name, but it is quite delicious.

14 thus far.

I've eaten at Hotbreads in Irving, TX. I personally, wasn't all that impressed but my EX-DH (who is Indian) loves them. However, I do like their offerings of eggless cakes. When my ILs are in town, it is quite handy. I personally have a preference for Indian desserts but they love cake. Not a place I find myself getting excited about but it seems a lot of people love them.

I don't like them at all, surprisingly, my MIL thinks they are great (she hates cooking). In order to make things progress a little faster, I use a large, heavy griddle pan that spans two burners. Much fast than using one of those machines, IMO.

Wow, what beautiful pictures! I've never been to India, but I am dying to visit. Thank you for sharing :).

Lalitha, your story reminds me of a friend of mine, when she married her husband. He is from Hyderabad and she is a Punjabi girl from Delhi. When his parents found out that their son would be marrying a North Indian girl...oh the horrors! "She will not make you Sambar everyday, how will you survive! She will be serving breads, not rice or idli!" He married her anyway, I think he has put on weight in spite of his misfortune, haha.

Why thank you! :) I am afraid I didn't make anything of interest for my b-day, work, work, work. Shameful, really.

Episure, wow, that looks incredible!

I don't have an answer to your question, just wanted to say that I usually make paneer using a whole gallon of milk and use it for the next few days in things from homemade pizza, stuffed tomatoes, parathas, mutter paneer...the list goes on and on. Oh, I love paneer. Schielke, thanks for the tip about the buttermilk. I've used yogurt for quite some time, I'll have to give buttermilk a try, sounds nice!

I love ginger and use it as often as possible. One of my favorite applications is in a marinated beef / fried rice dish. I marinate the beef in a touch of chili oil, chili paste, green chiles, fish sauce, soy sauce, a boat-load of minced ginger and garlic (microplain), and a pinch of palm sugar. Quickly fry the beef after marinating...then when I fry the rice I add ginger, red chili paste and finish it off with soy sauce. I also enjoy making a coconut based chicken dish using large quantities of ginger, very refreshing. And, if my throat is feeling sore - ginger and honey smashed together is quite nice. The heat of the ginger and the soothing properties of the honey work so nicely together.

I keep mine in a tightly sealed glass jar. Mmmm, asafoetida and fish sauce....tasty!

My SIL had a cake at her wedding (Punjabi family) but when my husband and I were married -- we didn't. We just had a ton of sweets and such. But, we were married in the US with a very small Hindu ceremony.

A friend of a friend makes the best pani puri, I know it involves beer, mangoes and who knows what else. So fresh and delicious, I can taste it now. Faloodas, Chana Bhaturas...oh my, my mouth is watering. My favorite chat is with chickpeas, potatoes, the crunchy stuff on top...if I could find some here in Phoenix, I would be in heaven. Or, if someone had a recipe for the chaat masala...I've never tried to make it, probably best that I don't, haha.

Spinach with fresh methi leaves and potatoes, also, I am a huge saag paneer fan.

Black choles are one of my ultimate favorites, I also love a great meat curry that has been simmering for a long portion of the day..meat falling off the bones, super spicy, yum.

When I have a hangover, I add a small can of tomatoes to the blender with a few dashes of hot sauce, a couple Tb. of diced onion, 3 TB sugar, 3 TB vinegar and a pinch of salt. I hate the taste so I just the plug the nose and slug it down.

Monica, I make mine just like yours (easy method), I love them with tamarind. I have never tried the channa masala, I'll have to try that out, thanks! My MIL makes hers with tea leaves wrapped up in cheesecloth. I am not a fan, personally.

If I were you, I would absolutely go for the picnic. As a matter of fact, I could go for a long picnic snacking on chaat and pani puri all day long.

I think it certainly can't hurt to travel and taste the food, however, what is the 'right' version? My MIL might make a dish that tastes totally different from my friend's mother. They are both delicious, just different. By Mario Batali's theory, I shouldn't be able to cook Indian food at all. I have everything going against me, lol. I am a Midwestern/Southern white girl who has never traveled to India and I have certainly never trained under an Indian chef. I personally think people take what is 'right' too seriously. Naturally, I don't think adding curry powder to a dish and calling it Indian is anywhere near right. IMO, as long as a basic set of technique is used and the ingredients are such that originated in the country in question then you are cooking food from that region, to a certain degree. I think it is just a very grey area - there are things that are not right by any stretch of the imagination but 'right' itself is a very blurry line, IMO.

My first Indian Cookbook was Introduction to Indian Cooking by Madhur Jaffrey. I was pretty happy with it at the time, I haven't used it in a while though. It must have been pretty decent as when I met my Indian husband he was quite pleased with my cooking, which only improved over the years. He would even make note how many dishes were even better than his Mum's....that being said, I have to pay at least some homage to Madhur Jaffrey . No matter how many years its been since I've used her book. In regards to most authentic, I've noted that their might be a general idea or rule, but "authentic" varies greatly from family to family. What is terribly authentic to my family is horrendous to another and vice versa.