Episure

Gautam, Welcome back, we have missed you and your knowledge. I recently aquired Palm jaggery to make Mishti Doi. It worked well but it took a long time to boil it down to a liquid. It is rock hard so I cant even grind it, have I come across old stock?

Dahi is unprocessed yogurt. It is 'live' in the sense that it will continue to sour if left for a long time. You can also use it as starter culture with milk to make some more. It will make a nice soup, let us know how it went. A dash of lime juice will add a nice 'edge'.

Any dal kernel when subject to browning/frying develops a 'nuttier' flavor.

Yes Episure! I self-righteously keep mithai in the freezer, wrongly believing I won't touch them that way, but now I know the joys of frozen rasgollas, burfis and whatnot. Haven't tried chocolate though. I think I need something quicker than a microwave to defrost my food! Suman Forget the microwave, defrost such goodies in your mouth. Extend the pleasure for the same amount of calories and guilt. Frozen Sohan Papdi, Sev Burfi, Mohan Thal....all work well.

Jakarta has had a mini boom in curry restaurants in recent years, with new names like Kinara in Kemang, South Jakarta, and most recently Pappadum on Jl. Gatot Subroto, Central Jakarta, joining the ranks of mainstays Queens, Haveli and Hazara.

Sounds fascinating! I cant wait to try it. Thanks Gingerly. I mean I thank you without caution.

What be that?

dill, green chilli, horseradish, star anise, sichuan pepper, raw mango, ginger.....

Loofah is indeed dried Turai/ridged gourd. I use steamed Turai in Raitas.

Sugar free honey is low carb?

Dont you make this at home? Or is it that some things should never be made at home to preserve their appeal. Of couse to replicate such street foods you need the Bhaiyya's sweat, arm pit sludge and belly button lint.

Ah yes, available at chowpatty and all over my old neighbourhood -Marine Drive. And in addition to these ingredients - shredded raw mango.

Forget everything else, just use carrot puree. Works like a dream and is healthy too.

Founder likes Masala Dosas enough to stock them in his freezer? I'm impressed and pleasantly surprised. I usually have the Dosa batter in my freezer. Coconut halves. Paneer. I have a weird liking for frozen chocolates and mithai. Ever tried frozen rasgollas? Frozen medu wadas worked well for me as a short cut for dahi wadas, so I have started to stock them.

That reminds me of the time when years ago someone came to my house in Bombay with 5 massive jars of various pickles. I told him that it's the wrong house but he insisted that he had been asked by his employer to deliver to this apartment. Not wanting to argue with this courier of heavenly smelling pickles, I took delivery and before he could realise his mistake and come back to claim them, I promptly took my 'cut' of each of those jars. He did turn up again and reclaimed them but by then I had added some new varieties to my pickle shelf.

It's nice to know that there is another enlightened soul who uses caramelised onions in homemade mustard.

Dahi wadas were required at short notice as we had guests springing on us for lunch today. I went through my stock of products to be yet tasted/tested and found a packet of ready made Medu wadas by MTR. Soaked then in a salty lassi and used them as Dahi wadas, Excellent! Now here's the best part- this packet contains 10 wadas and is priced only at Rs. 15 . The instructions call for them to be refried but I reasoned that I would have to dunk them anyway, so that's one more tedious process eliminated. So for Rs. 1.50 + cost of yogurt you get a dahi wada in about 10 minutes.

I'm surprised that you mention this because I am under the impression that it's reached you a fortnight ago ( + one for Rushina). I thought that you two are travelling so havent had the time to acknowledge it. I will remind my Bombay friend to send it across to you, unless it has been delivered to your office in your absence.

I like Japanese food too and their presentation is visual poetry. If I lived where no quality Indian food was available, I might start eating more Japanese food . The Japanese sure love Indian curry: Curry museum in Japan and history of curry in japan

There are the tutti frutti laden ones.Then there are the ginger biscuits that warm you as they go down your throat. I thought beggar's biscuits were the broken pieces left over from the shop's stocks. edited to correct keyboard error form-from. I am never explaning this again.

I've done shredded Tandoori Chicken and Chicken Tikkas. Topped with mozzarella cheese of course.

Yep, it would have to be Lagavulin.

Savita, Welcome to our India forums. The hing is an interesting idea that I would like to try. Tell us more about yourself, where are you located?

Link is now active- click herebest of indian The world grieves for mongo_jones operation mongo_jones grieves for himself Fingered finally

Doc, thanks for the compliments. Croaker is indeed available, maybe as a different sub species. Like Reef Cod and Red snapper, this species too has not made it to the Indian table and therefore is known by it's name in English.