Ravanna

Try this lovely little site: ishopindian.com. You never need to be without fresh leaves again.

I hare found Kalustyan's to be overpriced, especially considering the relatively puny amounts you get for your money.... An excellent online store is based in Milwaukee. It's called www.ishopindian.com and it even supplies fresh curry leaves! For my dalia fix (as in, roasted chana dal) , I have shopped at www.spicesgalore1.com. They have always bestowed excellent service. I'm somewhat turned off by Penzey's.

Has anyone here tried tamarind powder? I bought some out of curiosity, but have not used it yet..

I don't shop at Penzeys because I'm unsure about their mustard seeds, Which are "Canadian Brown ". Is this variety comparible to the Indian sort?

I buy "dalia" (meaning roasted Channa dal) at the Indian grocer more than anything else-- people that have tasted my food are pleasantly surprised, then want some of their own. A nut-allergic acquaintance was delighted to find a wonderful peanut substitute. I recently saw them sold in split form.

Who among us uses just the seeds? Who among us includes the shell? Let's discuss.

Once again, a wonderful, detailed response from the erudite V. Thank you. Does anyone know dalia as roasted chickpeas?

I love dalia, which I buy in bags online. I have always thought they were roasted channa dal, and so they are. But recently, I'm finding that my beloved "dalia" has other meanings. One cookbook says dalia is a porridge. Another said it was a gram flour. Then last week I food it sold in split form. Now I am confused. What does the word mean to you?

I was.inspired by this thread and went ahead and purchased curry powder from an Indian grocer. Ugh! It included black salt as one of the ingredients. The brand was Deep. I thought b-s. (black salt) was reserved for chaat masala (At least, that's where it should stay...)

Monica, I'm new to this forum... but as soon as you deem me worthy, please let me in on those recipes. I'm fascinated by desi Chinese.

OK , guys. Here's a poser for you: why why why bleach the delightful green of green cardamom? Why? Why?

what about lemon crystals (citric acid)? Does anyone use it?

I've Never tried the white variety... are they the same as unbleached cardamoms in freshness and intensity? (Ahem, Suvir)

What about swingin' spice pairings? like poshto .... which I even like with my vermicelli...

My favorite garam masala recipe is from the book Passionate Meals by Ismail Merchant. The worst version? The jumbled inharmonious stuff from the store. It tastes like an orchestra out of tune.

I am intrigued by the bag of kokum I picked up from the Indian grocer: they're fun to suck on -- sour! How are these related to your beloved mangosteen? How can I use them besides plopping them in simmering dal? How do they compare with "kokum peel?"