Milagai
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Posts posted by Milagai
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Google "coriander chutney" (why call it "sauce"?) and you'll get more recipes than you can imagine. They are all variations
on the basic theme:
blenderize coriander (=cilantro, not the seed), ginger,
salt, green chillies, lemon juice, maybe a little mint (that becomes
mint-coriander chutney), otherwise a little coconut,
perhaps some green onion, maybe a spot of sugar;
I'm pretty sure there's no tamarind in the (green) coriander
chutney, tamarind chutney is a different entity altogether.
It's dark brown and more sweet and sour.
Google "tamarind chutney" for recipes, but it's again
a mush of tamarind paste or water, brown sugar,
raisins, cumin, a little red chili, etc.
Milagai
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do both: wrap in a kitchen towel or similar, and place in
an oven with pilot light on.
for electric oven, leaving the oven light on works.
works great not only for dosa/idli batter but also for
yogurt making.
milagai
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Rebecca: I'm like you.
Like somoene else asked upthread,
I can't understand why people in the US don't like beans.
They seem most simple and inoffensive tastewise
especially compared to some of the wierd stuff people
here seem to gush over (from animal entrails to snails) ....
and so easy to cook and to make spectacular....
Milagai
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I'm distressingly ambivalent about beans. Distressing to myself, I mean; I really feel like I should like them more than I do. And to be fair, certain varieties of legumes I love deeply: chick peas and lentils, both of which were major childhood comfort foods. And I love a nice split pea soup or dal. But other beans? really lukewarm. Kidneys and pintos and white beans especially just seem so starchy and unexciting to me. Black beans are okay if I put in a lot of tomatoes and spices to wake them up. And yeah, I have cooked beans numerous times with lots of stuff to tart them up, but what usually happens is that the leftovers get thrown out unfinished, because I pick all the goodies out and leave the beans behind.
I've never had either cassoulet or baked beans homemade, so maybe I would feel better about beans after tasting that ... but right now is probably not a good time for either cooking project. I should probably give Rancho Gordo's beans a whirl, see if that helps matters.
Curiously, I'm one of those odd non-Asians who likes tofu, even completely plain tofu. Go figure.
Mizdueky:
If you like dal, and like chick peas, why not try "rajmah masala"
the North Indian way of making kidney beans? It has what you like:
"lot of tomatoes and spices to wake things up"; and it is (to me at least)
beyond ambrosial. You can't pick the other stuff out and leave the rajmah
(=kidney beans) behind because the beans are the main thing and the other
stuff is the "gravy".
If you use canned beans it is very quick to make, and you can't
beat this with a stick for being cheap, easy, delicious, and comforting.
My kids love it too.....
I get home from work, bring out the can opener, and ~ 20 minutes
later, voila! While this is cooking, the rice gets done.
Dinner!
The internet abounds in recipes,
here's one :
http://www.recipedelights.com/recipes/vegdishes/Rajma.htm
(you can substitute 2 cans cooked dark red kidney beans for the
1 cup dry beans that you must soak first and then cook for ages...)
and another
http://www.bawarchi.com/contribution/contrib897.html
Milagai
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d'oh! not being a bio major
i had overlooked the finer distinction
between amniotic sac and placenta....
one learns!
milagai
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I must admit the only "caul" I knew of was the "other" one....
Placenta......
Being a lit major, one picks up all kinds of odd trivia....
I got this one from David Copperfield (the Dickens book, not the magician).
Milagai
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Well, rasam frequently has tomatoes in it,
and is sometimes not tamarind based,
but the main ppoint is that it's not "curry"
(whatever "curry" is...)
Milagai
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Today's NYT had a piece on the rise of
dabbawalas in the San Francisco area
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/15/dining/1...r=1&oref=slogin
From her name the writer appears to have
some India connection so it's kind of
jarring to read about rasam described
as "tomato based curry"
Milagai
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Kulfi
Any "marriage" of Bengali style sweets with ice cream
(e.g. rasmalai ice cream, is that possible?)
The tea ice cream genre used to be available in the
Tea Board offices in Delhi decades ago....
Wonder if that's still there....
Milagai
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Tandoori anything?
Sandwiched with salad - ish greens,
and drizzled with raita?
Milagai
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In Japan they often either salt it, blanch it or use high heat. When I first started cooking with it I did all three. Now I love the bitterness and don't bother, but I do usually cook it over high heat as that is how the recipes are usually done.
Bitter melon is very common in India too (called Karela or Paavakkai, regionally).
Considered very medicinal and apparently there is emerging
scientific research showing how this veg does good things for blood sugar
levels though I know next to nothing about these things.
Cooked in many of the ways described above, sliced thin and salted and
rinsed, sauteed, with tomatoes etc. Or deep fried until crisp and salted
and red-chillied and something sour added.
It's an acquired taste, but great once acquired.
Now I have to get me some.....
No-one else in the family will eat it......
All for me, bwahahahahaha!
Milagai
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Regarding fried vs raw paneer, I find that cutting it into
cubes and toasting till golden in the broiler oven (broiler setting;
turn over to get all sides) is a great alternative: you get that
golden look without all the spitting and extra labour when
frying paneer.
Milagai
ps: I have Kerala towels (=thortha mundu) dedicated
for paneer. Just the right size and texture.
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While obviously I can't control what gets posted, my idea in starting this thread was for people to post strange fruits and vegetables that they actually come across and have in their possession as they travel or in markets near home. Then they could tell us what the vegetable or fruit tasted like, and how they prepared it, along with some pictures. It's too easy to just go off and search the internet for oddities and post links.
was that directed at my post about snake gourd?
in that case, please read a little more closely and you would
see that i mentioned i *did* eat much of this when growing up
(in india), and that the taste was nothing noteworthy, (so
i didn't bother to post a recipe). it's a common home cooking
dish, and it's cheap.
it's not widely available where i live now, but we do see it
on annual holidays to my parents' house. so i don't have
recent pictures.
whether directed at me or not, your post was a bit rude.
milagai
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snake gourd
http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=htt...6lr%3D%26sa%3DN
go halfway down the page to see them growing.
pretty common fare when i was a kid.
not much taste.....
milagai
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what about the ones about:
1. swallowing fruit seeds (e.g. melon) will make
the plant grow in your insides.
2. swallowing chewing gum would give you appendicitis.
and being indian raised in india, we were told to clean
our plates because of the starving children in the street.
they were a few in the street and we did try telling our parents to
give our food to them, but then got our necks firmly held
and food shoveled into our mouths.....
milagai
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Have these questions been addressed upthread:
1. has quitting smoking changed your ability to taste food?
Do you enjoy food more or less or no different than in smoking days?
2. Anyone who smokes or is quitting: what got you started?
Did you enjoy your first cigarette or three? I ask because like
many curious teens I did try smoking but found the taste so awful
that I never persisted. I now have other drugs
.I wonder if anyone enjoys their first few cigarettes? and if not,
I wonder if people who persist to develop a smoking habit somehow
taste the cigarette differently and can actually enjoy it
(kind of like broccoli and supertasters or cilantro lovers vs haters)?
Thanks and I hope this is not too offthread.
Milagai
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i agree about the wastefulness of plastic wrapping individual
potatoes, apples, cucumbers, etc.
is there some rationale for doing this that i am not aware of?
also: only those who have bought the plastic bottles of
tamarind concentrate from indian stores will know what i mean:
that packaging has not changed for > 20 years and it is ridiculously
hard to open and dangerous (have to hack the plastic
inner lid with a sharp knife); why have they not evolved
a better packaging for this product?
milagai
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As for me, I'm married now. But in my single days, I wouldn't have dated a man who was a vegetarian. Even now, I told my husband that if he became a vegetarian, he'd have to cook for himself.
well, there's a saying that "there's a lid for every pot"
in the marriage market and a good thing too.
i could never consider even respecting someone who is
so closed minded about diverse food philosophies (not quirks
and jerks), or who appears to assume that veg food is
about deprivation and lack of enjoyment, rather than
capahle of being awesomely delicious every day, every meal.
vegetarians seem "required" to display a global
attitude of respect and tolerance for every extreme of
non-vegetarianism, so it would be nice if that could be reciprocated
sometimes.
milagai
(feeling grumpy today i guess)
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Cubicle gourmet! great idea!
Maybe illustrations or captions by Dilbert?
My cubicle supplies are, alas, very limited, but I'm
getting huge inspiration from reading. Cubicle gazpacho - awesome!
Milagai
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All from the Indian store, though you can make all at home:
1. Murukku (aka chakli): you'll never bother with pretzels again
(twisted fried crisp dough thingies spicy)
2. Plantain chips (liberally red-chillied)
3. Chiwda (aka mixture): mix of puffed rice, nuts, raisins, spices,
other little fried things, etc.
4. Boondi (teeny tiny fried chickpea flour balls, spicy).
5. Spiced nuts (cashews, peanuts, whatever)
Basically anything from the snacks aisle in the Indian store.
Otherwise my global favorite is french fries.....
Milagai
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Don't drink wine with Indian food, they weren't designed for each other. Spirits and beer are far better.
What is the origin of this belief? Who's the "designer" here?
There's plenty of history of wine being drunk with Indian food,
e.g. Emperors of Delhi etc.
They used to ritually break their wine cups and forswear intoxication
before battles as a vow for success, but apparently afterwards went
right back to it, and had new cups made.
here's a link with a picture halfway down.
http://www.bhu.ac.in/kala/gallery_nidhi.htm
Who came up with the notion that wine and Indian food don't match?
Milagai
('ll cross post on the wine board too).
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Your story is cool too! and I finally "get" your e-name
This is a fun thread..
Milagai
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Thank you Patrick S!
That explanation helps a lot.
I do have more questions but won't hijack this
thread further so may query you off line later.
Thanks again
Milagai
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And Give Us This Day Our Daily....
in Food Traditions & Culture
Posted
Only one?
Liquids:
I can sub tea for coffee, but at least one of those would be nice.
Maybe if it's really hot weather I can survive on fresh lime soda....
Other:
Yogurt (my good South Indian tummy gets severe yogurt withdrawal
after 2-3 days)
Spices (bland food gives me the heebie jeebies after maybe 1 or 2 meals max. I have been known to travel with a bottle of lemon pickle
that I'll mix in as needed.)
Chocolate was there but my expanding waistline
has moved it out of the "daily" category.....
Milagai