Geetha

phaelon long since I got back with my reports of coffee trials I've been just about satisfied with the experience from coffee both at two roasters that I've tried so far, definitely far better from starbucks or any store bought ones so far. The first one I've already mentioned from the link that you mentioned, second from stumptown. I have found that my satisfaction is due to both the flavour and freshness in both of them. Instead of comparing two of them I'd say that they are unique. There is also the consideration that I like to drink both with a lot of milk, 3/4 th and sugar. I'm sure everyone has their preferences and would find differe4nt opinions from mine if I were to say this is better than the other one. So I would like to comment both the roasters are rather good mm... I don't know what else to say but that there is a different effect to coffee if you use a filter like the one used by south indians to prep your coffee than the other coffee filters and the result is a different cup of coffee essentially. And the quality of the beans matters too, can't be just any beans.. Also it takes you ona journey of flavours far beyond my capacity of description. If I say spicy then I cannot tell you what is spice there .. so I say there is hidden but special flavour. Like a far off wiff of magic ..from afar.. amazing how flavours can be transported from far off to you I'mgoing on my journey.. see you all soon there where you find your true coffee flavour

I know what you mean soup should be able to stand alone byitself as an appetizer or may be a meal(some soups are called meal-by-itself) I don't mind what they are called as long as they are soups I do realize there is a difference when it comes to gravy as be sometimes refer to the curry-liquid half of curry, that it has more of stronger flavour more pungent/sour taste and sometimes more spice added to it than soups, so that it needs anaccompaniment of rice/bread/chappati/paratha's etc . what are your opinions?

I was about to write Termeric its unique taste amongst its other qualities as another topic whe I found this out by searching on the eG search tool, on our website.. I just prepared okra sabji or just stir fried okra, I wrote its recipe is here I know there is something that makes vegetable preparation acquire a vvery special each flavour is enhanced many fold I think, like the okra never tastes this good what ever you prepare it with... hmm might just be my own memories doing the trick Still its worth investigating what ever taste it silently and subtly imparts to our food, for I think it was its taste quality that inspired our granmoms to prepare this not the medicinal props, they knew what would make out taste palates to ask for more...

This is a really nice I wonder if it could be converted to when it is too cold to go outside Very inspiring to read, and thanks episure, made me almost reach out for the heat from pav bhaji stand. The pav looks great it is always a special memory to me.

True, fruits and veggies (fresh) are too much contrast to todays lifestyles, I gather from this post too, that there is a change in our outlook which is must internally not by external influence from news media. Like the normally predominant food forms of today are more tasty and no one would give them up for more sublime and hardly tantalizing fruits and veggies.. I agree there has to be a true change from inside us each one of us, each different in our states of evolution in our tastes and preference to food, and many a coinfuence from society we live in. With hope for a better tomorrow for all of us how it will happen you know I would call sublime from above because of the journey I have taken for life to discovery of true source of happiness within all of us.. may be you too will agree on it one day

Episure May be next Christmas.. Geetha Snow:))

In all of my years of eatingup food at home I've never come across one cutlery, that is not to say any least of indian cooking, but to comment the fact they are more aware of sensuality of food as more that of a total experience to touching it in your hands, very close to food, of ours, if ever it stings your hands because of heat bothe temperature or cause chilli, it may of a learning and leavening xperience to our souls...

I dont know why I don't remember most of the memorable meals today, but I do recall off the top of my head from my cherished tastes cank the meal I had one night in my granny's court yard, it was so simple it is just amazing to be able to describe this here, firstly it was the leftover from the late evening meal, for some reason I was late to arrive.. so I had it with little of what was there left, which was rasam and rice ofcourse, with a simple fhatafhat lemon pickle from the nearby grocery store in our village. mmm never had believed I would like the bitter-sharp-hot taste of the lemon pickle, married to rasam ... well all you know you never know.

Hi Sam Salmon Welcome here on the board. Do let us know how you proceeded to make up the meal later in the end of it all.. I thought I'd let you know of this south indian curry that is made from eggplants and anchovies and these two are sometimes combined together with blackeyed peas or an equivalent slightly bitter peas, its called 'mocchai'. The original Puli Kolumbu or Madras curry is the base for this and is called mocchai kolumbu. Its yummy with white rice that is of the parboiled kinda sticky with little liquid still in each grain of the rice, may not be suited to basmati rice. But then hey you might not be used to this so try what ever you are used to and may be later when you seek more adventure do try the combination with other rice. Long grain carolina Rice is good with this. Usually when there is fish curry there is a side dish made of shrimp to go with all seafood taste and vegetable sides may not even be touched by fish lovers because it takes them from the primary and so yummy theme of fish. So you may want to make dry shrimp on side. This recipe is just onion tomatoes and a good combination of spices chilli pwd and coriander powder and/or sambar powder as you saute these in oil till every thing is brown on low flame and add shrimp to it in the end and remove from flame when they turn to your required color pink I think would be good. Good luck with these and more of your trials.

I think Scott you got it right there in Indian cuisine the more traditional the better, adapting would mean losing something that is integral to the cuisine. But nevertheless I think SpiceGuy means to put in some special twists that count in a traditional Indian cuisine way itself think of that growing in your Grandmas time how they innovated may be not . Okay sounding vvery vague to myself okay but in a sense we capture the old ways in our food because transcending those simple yet unique guidelines like using a simple technique or a spice would provide no consolation to the person eating and to you the creator of the dish so rather than changing of the recipe add more twists along the way in the method of producing some slight departure I 've done so many of these departures and they provide interesting piece of literature if I start to elabourate on them. count me in on any kind of help you need spiceguy may be not professional but in unique way I suppose, where there is no innovation and growth there is slow'th. So let me know if there is any help you need. enlist our forums help on the menu if you would be kind to include us enthusiasts in your project. Love to hear this more from other members too.

I think you should ask Suvir this question if possible mention the recipes that you're interested in and ask the taste variations that occur and may be who knows you might not find the difference between ground or not ground ones. I really think it is upto the author to state his intiatives in total so that any variations like using a method of coarser grid or in this case a different method of grinding would likely to cause some changes in the after taste. May be some one here too could tell you if they are experienced in cooking a dish for you. Hope this all leads to a useful and successful rendition of a skilful Masters recipes

Wow tryska however did you remember it was it so good then :)) I will very certainly make my kids some of that I think they will like it too ;)

Oops I just forgot to mention the names of the coffe in detail I sis want to do it .. I have had many of the espresso and columbia coffee from the starbucks packs off the shelves of supermarkets and also Folger Starbucks is the one I'm still holding on to because there is opportunity of changeing a to a different variety and it is better than the other packaged coffe on the shelves. I got a package from this web site cafe navilu which is the link you've mentioned it is goot too, for the moment. I guess that is all I have on at the moment of writine.. I have not used starbucks for Indian filter or devara but I have used the cafe navilu's coffee on the Indian filter which is surprisingly good I still think that drip coffee filter suits that starbucks rather and there is another taste variation taht I like about that too. I hope based on these you can guide me on to other places of importance I would like to go further anyday.

I still am looking for the blend right like my home for the coffee, but I have tried the coffee from the web site you have mentioned it is called their blend I forgot what exactly it is called in terms of the type ie robusta or the other one Arabica I do want to elongate this discussion to find out how can I try out more coffee types both from US and from India.. cause I have just got started now I clearing some groud by getting hold of basics so I indeeed will appreciate any kind of input on coffee varieties around the globe. I wonder how the parameters of an Indian coffee bean should translate into the standards in the US for instance there are two basic parameters for classification of the beans from India namely the flavour (I thing it is equivalent to syrups being used by say Starbucks for making white chocolate mocha where as this flavour of the beans is original to some of the coffe beans itself in India) and second parameter of classification of the beans is the color they impart to the coffee Where as here in US the coffe is classified on various different parameters totally different from those in India, and it woul be really a clue for me if I had a knowledge to translate smooth mild ets into flavour and color aspects. I did make and interesting note that when I drink coffe based in US they are more stimulating to the right brain and when I did in India they did stimulate a lot different experience there was a wholeness to it.. I guess on both sides of the brain and along the center along the forehead and temple too I think there is more to it than personal preference do you think there are ways o determining this by the list of parameters. I have tried a lot brands here but not from any local roasters or small exclusive firms may be that is where the answer lies then. But before I go ahead I do hope you'll pun in a word as to how I can translate those into the parameters I am loooking for namely taste and color( color is usually given by all of the manufacturers it is flavour part I can't fanthom) Great to hear from you

Deliad I did try out the methods described here but not with MDH masala I just got back two days ago from patel bros and got both chana and rajma masala thats another one of mystries. My husband is hysterical when ever I talk to him about rajma it turns out that I was before I met him ever cooking rajma day-in and day-out well that only proves to him I try too often to perfect out my recipes .. I just saw they say a lot of newer ingredients in their masalas only common thing new in the masalas of channa and rajma is musk melon, and the other ingredient in rajma that is new is pomegranate seeds.. well I told you so .. Any way I tried making cholle with the channa masala of another brand of mixes available at our bangladeshi stores which is not Indian but then tried to do their best even mentioning that it was a punjabi line of cuisine thing on top of cover so for your information ...but it was not all that well executed one there is more to it then any way I still will see how MDH turns out for me .. I didn't like the whole idea of adding soda to it though it does make it softer, I have memory of channa that tastes good and is still integral in whole sense well not too soft as it becomes and some how the tastes change too much(where on earth did I get so sensitive..) I'd go to great extents if it were really good to taste but no its not so I will let go of soda(I think I still have my mothers voice telling me to resist soda addition I think) Any way thanks for so much interest in this humble attemtp of trying to replicate one of the best cuisines I've tasted so far.. Regards Geetha

An honest answer to all above is too bad great is the participation on your side though all the same I am still left wondering what are the 18 blends of spices that were touted to go in to the making of real chana or cholle.. hmm May I truly ask some more secret ingredients if it is at all possible for any one to tell more than tricky tips here above.. It just makes my head go spinn and spin again and again thinking how many and how all those ingredients were added on to this favourite dish and how they got accumulated onto cholle.. some one with history lessons on cholle I'd be interested in any one with the know how of how to find this out too.. okay no more grumbles...

I just made my second batches of idlies today some how I need to challenge myself on a whole new level each time to make the idlies. I tried grinding the mix my self the last time I made em and now I used the pre-ground flour's of rice and urad dal. And interesting to say the method of using the muffin is very useful and handy too.. though I saw some idli-plates on store of patel bros I'm not buying it because I just have run out of space in house. Besides the crock pot serves a good set of oven/steamer combo. I've noticed that it cooks on the sides to brown it and steams it if I've left water boiling away underneath of it. One point here is I used the wire-tray they provided to keep the muffin sheet above it .. one drawback I can make only six med-normal sized idlies at a time and it takes 10-15 mins for a batch to complete. But then I can have it even at the end of the day and they still taste good after keeping all day outside of fridge. I also love eating the idlies later on in the day with accompaniments of idli podi . Mmmm long since I had home made idlies I like em like my mom made and though I'm near perfect I'd love to go a little further god knows where to Thanks again all of you for rekindling my liking for idlies here for long I resisted my attempts to make idlies at home now I know I'd love to make em for good reasons health is one ofcourse and taste too yeah thats all that matters I mean the latter ofcourse

For a long time I've awaited so surely I'm not hooked to coffee or tea for that matter.. It is like an appreciation of all things good for me .. I got a pack of coffee and the filter from the web site above and brewed it to my ultimate tasting satisfaction but wait I still have not got to the original form of coffee taste I liken to but there is a bright chance I will if I continue to search out in the meantime I'm awhile in coffee heaven. Thanks phaelon for your encouraging endeavour. I just used the filter coffee equipment and poured in the hot water on top part of the filter and it percolated through the tablet of coffe beneath the mushroom shaped press, down to another compartment down below separated from the above by a thin wall with tiny holes in it to let the brew drip through or percolate through.. and I let the whole liquid on top to get percolated down and poured a portion of this liquid to my mug and added required sugar and added boiled milk to this and sifted this mixture back and forth on to and back from another container with maximum spillage on the way back and forth so I ended up 3/4 cup full with remaining froth on the other part on top It tastes really good and amazingly very similar to the best restaurant coffee from home. The type of milk is not a very important factor I am using the 2% and the parmalat skim milk is good too but I haven't used it recently. Now I still need to get it like my home wig-ch has more developed flavours like the ones acheived through artificial syrups else where.. by exploring or askingsamples from home may be I will get to the ultimate point but then I'll keep experimenting other means to get it done ;) Geetha

Would you like to speak to us about sensuous food and how you'd describe its effect on people you serve your dishes. I've noticed much of late when ever I have had my fill of some cuisine of a certain region that it had a different effect on my body after shall we say consuming it only later not while sampling it on point. I believe certain foods heavily send signals to certain parts of our body.. while it is true our exeriences should not be distinguished on part basis what would you say of an experience with food appealing to certain section to your body or mind. I would love to give details but I'm afraid it is not yet a written record but a general observation and somthing that I wish toknow more or discover more rather. Hope to hear some of your similar observations and how these spur you to create effective service of your food.. I assume more here than seak out of experience but French cuisine is more sensuous rather and detail are meticulous. I have no knowledge what soever of any cuisine in a very deep level to compare them either on scales of expressivenss. Hope you'll be kind to help me out I am only beginning to discover these aspects of food. Thanks Geetha

I always thought there was a connection between the buffalo chicken wings to somthinggy indianny Just for sure that they smell to me like the dosa and idli podi which is an enjoyable spiced lentil and red chilli powder along with asafotida you can get recipes of it online if you search for idli podi. I always thought chicken wings smelled like idli and podi combo and wondered what ingredients made it so similar to the smell.. I know idlies are steamed and then coated with the podi+oil mixture the oil is usually the one made out of black sesame with a a nice aroma to it, am I guessing right here this oil flavours this mixture well and together this goes on top of the steamed idlies and also mabe dipped on the side if you wish. How would it go on top of chicken wings and I wonder if you may think of steaming the wings with the podi oil mixture on top of them, may be also tamirind for tanginess, and a little of jaggery for sweetness.., you may want to start solely by having spice elements if you like their taste proceed further to add the tamarind for sour and then after it is to your liking take it further up taste wise to add jaggery wich can be equated to brown sugar if that is what you have. Afte steaming you can bake them with a basting of similar mixture and add sambar powder to this basting mixture too. May be I should try it too Can anyone else who has tasted these too tell us if it does come close in taste and smell as I have described above Luck Geetha

Yajna Patni let us know what else you added in what proportions when you're experiments are completed. I'll guess you've taken sooji and maida(unbleached) or bleached flour.. in proportions greater say half and half ie 50/50.. I did try out my 1/8 sooji I think there is to be more sooji or corn meal added.. than 1/8th may be you could do 1/4th or rather 25/75 sooji or corn meal/ wheat flour.. Then again if you have used only sooji and wheat flour you may still have to add all those other ingredients for bhaturae like milk/buttermilk soda powder others I don't even know yet that get along into bhaturae dough.. But definitely only sooji and wheat in half and half will cause it to be stiff like for the pani-puri, you will need to may be soften this mixture a little with all your ingredients of baturae. Good Luck let us know. Later.. Geetha

I am really not for sure it is well to give any measurements here all really depends on the flour you will use at the time of making the baturas.. besides my techniques are based on guesses and estimates and to be proven next time when I experiment those quantities.. so if you have'nt started of yest to experiment with your's I'll add in a few things may be just one thing here for starters.. may be you could try to make a small panipuri batch to add up to the right consistency and other ingredients for bhaturae later then when you've got the standing power ready.. You may want to experiment adding more of the sooji or masa herina or corn meal what ever you'd like to experiment on, just remember you'll need to add more of the other ingredient which is start up with more than 1/8 th of sooji or masa and continue increasing it to add stiffness of the small sized pani-puris.. and end up with the right proportions.. and for heaven sakes write it down for later reference Geetha

I get asked this question alot. People generally try and define cooking by French, Italian, Asian, etc.. I try not to be limited to those boundaries. My career has taken me many places and I have seen many styles of food. I truly try and cook for the moment, based on the ingredieants and to what my whim of the day is. On any given day you will see many phylosophies of food. Did I spell that right? Anyway, Asian, Italian, Southern, New England, French, Creole, American will all be on the menu. My technique is based on French but I love all types of food. I define it as Seasonal International cuisine. The seasons are the most important thing in my cooking. We wont search out ingredients that are not in season in my region, or at least in america...except truffles and the like. I know its vague. Its always a challenge to define and it may always be that way. Hope this helps ← I can't understand you better for your words similarly resonate like mine too.. Though undoubtedly people refer to home cooking, as mine refers to cooking for home, as being too dissimilar to professional, it is too true that one only reflects the other in a true way.. I've known housewives cooking in general for a crowd of 23-30 on those days before when we were kids and many do today too in many traditions in many cultures even today.. so I'm not surprised that I have inherited this ability and sense of it too.. Definitely as professionals Chefs must borrow some from their long ago families too which as time goes by we have ingnored.. Love to hear from you since on a day to day basis I prepare meals at home some times for friends but occasionally.. and I experience the same spur of the moment cooking and I'd call it a challenge too but none the less enjoyable experience to create for others based on the ingredients at hand and letting your emotions and inspiration do the rest for you.. it is easy then very easy and you 'll do it cause you enjoy doing it thus and anyother forced manipulations are those of planning for hours before for ingredients.. I know it is a departure and people desist from doing this sort of thigs but then nothing new can happen before you really let go of our inhibitions to true creative potential in us all of us together.. really to enjoy the creativity is to encourage so all of you who praise the potential in you are understandably doing a greater service than anything else for you and all others in this place for us With Regards to all participation in this revealing process of ingenuity Geetha

I wonder if there is a pointer here My my

Hey have you ever tried to make the puris in pani-puri If so I've too experienced this problem with an eye to challenge my better appearance of the puris therein to hold the spiced pani. I have experience using rava or sooji for the dough in small additions to wheat flour may be 1/8 to 1 cup of wheat flour.. this helps the puris to remain puffed up, have you tried it. So same may be applied to baturae so you may have it holding up to your time lapse of eating of them. Actually I've used the mesa harina of the mexicans that they use to make their tortilla and this is available in the local grocer too like key foods in their ethinic or mexican section of ethinc food so you may find this mesa and use it with wheat flour and it will I assure you hold its appearance to your satisfaction. Let me know if that helps, I have an inkling that the Indians restraunteurs may use it too as a secret ingredient ;).