Jenni

I would be bad at this, I think I would just worry and end up paying a lot, even if I thought the meal was bad. Something similar happened to me at a charity fete once. A lady was doing Indian head massage and basically just asking people to pay what they wanted. I love a nice massage, so I decided to try it. As the massage progressed, it became clear that she wasn't a trained masseuse or anything, she had just read a few books. That might have still been ok, but actually it was pretty bad! However, she was so nice and I was so embarassed, I ended up paying quite a lot, even though I went a way with a very achey head!

Wow, now this is a huge question! What we could really do with is a large group of South Asians, who can tell you loads about their local cuisine! Sadly, as you may have noticed the "India" board is rather quiet, though there used to be a lot of very knowledgeable people around. You can find lots of very helpful people on some of the more South Asian orientated forums on the internet though. In the meantime, I am a fellow learner and a huge fan of all things Indian, partly due to a little bit of ancestry via Trinidad. I would be more than happy to share some things that I have learned, if it would help you? I don’t claim to be an expert and I certainly don’t know enough about all the different regions to give you a detailed tour, but hopefully I can give you a brief overview of a few places. If we are lucky, someone more knowledgeable may come along and correct my mistakes, and add some more information. Ok, so basically, India is a big country. Different regions have different climates, different plants, etc. not to mention people of different religions, ethnicities, caste, communities, language...the list goes on. What one person makes in their house can be hugely different from what someone who lives just down the street makes! Yes, every state has specialities and a distinctive cuisine, but even within one state there can be several cuisines that differ enormously! To talk broadly about regional cuisine it is necessary to make some generalisations, which nearly always have exceptions. For instance, it is often said that the North favours bread whilst the South is rice country. I guess very broadly this has some truth, but actually I find that in many regions both rice and roti are eaten at a meal. It is true that the North has a lot of different breads though, and portions of rice, if they are served at a meal, may be smaller. In the South, you may get bread with a meal, but rice is the focus. Different places in India use different spices, fresh and dried ingredients and cooking techniques, and serve their meals in different ways. For instance, in North Indian garam masala is a fairly common spice blend, but in South India it is very rarely used. In Bengal, panch pooran is a distinctive spice blend, and in Maharashtra goda masala is a favourite blend. These are spice blends, but there are even specific spices that may not be much heard of outside of their regions - for instance, tirfal is a spice particularly loved by Konkani people but may be difficult to get hold of elsewhere. And in South India, dals (usually urad and channa) are often used like a spice in the tadka, to add a nutty flavour and texture. I don't think I have ever seen this technique in North Indian food, even though the same dals are used in other ways. What about different cooking techniques? Well one example sometimes given is that in the South steaming is a more commonly used technique, whereas it is not that often used in the North (I can only think of Dhokla, a Gujurati dish, and a number of Bengali dishes such as steamed fish and steamed yoghurt, off the top of my head). And of course the North is famous for the tandoor. Other North – South differences include simple things like what beverages and snacks are common. Chai (masala and plain) can be found all over, with a few regional special blends here and there, but in the South coffee is also an extremely popular drink and good filter coffee is an absolute must-try. In the North, as well as a range of pakoras and bhajis, samosas and kachoris are popular fried snack foods, whereas in the South I think you will probably see a variety of vadas a little more often. Don’t forget that within a state, there may be quite large differences between the cuisines of various religions. Muslim dishes tend to be meaty (minus the pork of course), and often rather rich and aromatic. Christian dishes are also often very meaty; though this time they use meat of all kinds from duck to pork to beef to chicken. Sometimes Hindu dishes are vegetarian, sometimes they concentrate on fish, and other times they are meaty (minus the beef). Then there’s Parsi cuisine, which you really need to talk to a Parsi to get a good overview of, which is often meat and also egg rich and very distinctive. Jains follow a very strict form of vegetarianism which excludes garlic and onions and also a number of other vegetables. It sounds like the food could be quite restricted or bland, but actually a number of the dishes are rather innovative and exciting. Let's talk quickly about a few more differences you may spot in the cuisines of various states, dishes they are well known for perhaps. Allow me to start in a state that makes some of my favourite food: The state of Kerala is known for using a lot of coconut in its cooking. Grated fresh coconut, coconut oil, coconut milk - it's all used. South India in general also makes quite a lot of use of coconut, and so does the West coast of India, through Goa and Maharashtra. These coastal regions also love their fish and fresh seafood is a great thing to try. Karnataka is said to be the home of many tiffins such as dosas, and indeed they do have some of the best in the country. However, Tamil Nadu is also very well known for its tiffins, and I actually think I prefer many items there! Andhra Pradesh is quite well known for its fiery food, and Hyderabad in particular is famous as a place of exquisite Muslim cookery with a Southern twist. All over the South, sambar and rasam are popular gravy (in India, gravy is a wet sauce rather than a dry dish, it is not the same use of the word gravy as used in other countries) or wet dishes but each place has a distinctive style. Green bananas, yams, drumsticks, various gourds – these are popular Southern vegetables, among others. In general, I notice that the South uses less heavy dairy such as paneer, but yoghurt is popular. Up North, a region that particularly likes its fish is West Bengal (and Bangladesh actually too). They prefer fresh water fish though, and cook it in a variety of ways. Other distinctive Bengali touches are spice pastes made of mustard or white poppy seeds, tadkas with panch pooran (a spice masala with five whole spices), frequent use of masoor dal, and the use of mustard oil. In addition, Bengal is famous for its fresh cheese sweets, such as rasgoola, rasmalai and sandesh. Bengalis are rightly very proud of their cuisine! Another Northern region, though with a very different cuisine, is the Punjab. The Punjab is famous for its homey, hearty food, often containing lots of dairy such as ghee, butter and yoghurt. Breads are a favourite here, especially tandoor baked breads. Paneer is a favourite ingredient and appears in many dishes. Some famous Punjabi dishes are pulse based, such as rajma (contains kidney beans), chole (contains chickpeas) and dal makhani (contains urad beans). Don’t forget to drink lots of creamy, delicious lassi. Still in the North, Delhi is a fantastic foodie city. Famous for its rich and often rather meaty Mughlai cuisine, Punjabi food is also very popular here. Old Delhi is well known for its fantastic street food, especially chaat items, and vegetarian dishes. In the North West, the state of Rajasthan has some interesting examples of making delicious food with scarce resources. It is quite a dry state and green vegetables and water can be scarce. So the cuisine makes innovative use of papads, gram flour and pulses to create dishes. Often the dishes are quite rich as more ghee or oil is often used instead of adding water, or at least this is what I was told! Gujarat is another state with an innovative cuisine. There are many fascinating and delicious Vegetarian items, and indeed the vegetarian Guajarati thali is famous all over the country. Farsan are a special category of snack items (though they are often served with a meal), frequently made from gram flour. Many are fried, but some such as dhokla are steamed. Farsan includes a range of noodle like dishes, and other interesting and imaginative vegetarian dishes. Gujurati cuisine has a reputation for having a sweet touch, with jaggery or sugar added in small amounts to many savoury dishes, but I am not sure if this is true for the whole state or only parts. Now we’re back on the West coast, so it’s only fitting we talk about Maharashtrian food briefly. There are a wide range of veg and non veg dishes, and a large number of delicious snack foods. Famous among these are pao bhaji, vada pav, pani puri and sabudana vada. Add kulfi, deliciously cool gola and refreshing nimbu pani to this and you can see why it is so easy to wander around eating here and there! Despite all of these delicious fried and sweet items, Maharashtrian cuisine has many very healthy dishes, often utilising sprouted beans and healthy rural flours made from various kinds of millet. Try and find places serving local thalis so that you can sample a wide range of dishes served in a traditional manner. Other local must trys are thalipeeth, poha and, my personal favourite, pithale-bhakri. A little further down the West coast is Goa, and yet again you will find many delicious and different dishes. As mentioned earlier, coconut and fish are much loved here. Actually there are a few similarities with some parts of Maharashtra and also South India. On top of this there is a Portuguese influence (the Portuguese did rule Goa for something like 400 years!). Vindaloo is a famous Goan dish with a Portuguese influence (the name indicates that the dish contains vinegar and garlic). Another is bebinca, a sort of rich layered egg pancake/custard dessert made from many eggs, coconut milk and sugar. Ok, so those were just a few examples from some regions, and only really the very well known bits and pieces. It would be helpful to know where you are thinking of visiting. Also, I appreciate that I may have listed dish names that mean very little to you – I am happy to clarify (or you can google), it’s just I was trying to do this somewhat swiftly! Remember, a tourist can easily miss out on a large number of these regional differences, as they are eating out rather than in people’s homes. A lot of people enjoy eating out to have something different from what they normally eat at home, so in the South you will see people tucking into naans, butter chicken and other Northern dishes with great relish, and in the North you will see people enjoying idli-sambar as a change from their local cuisine! Then there’s the ubiquitous hotel menu, which includes all the standards such as dal fry, jeera rice, channa masala, aloo gobi, and can be found in most hotels all over the country. You will be able to try some regional specialities by eating out, but you should really try to get yourself invited to local people’s houses! Failing that, look for crowded, small local restaurants that are serving “meals” or “thalis”, especially those that advertise local food. Breakfast is another good time to try more local foods. In the South you will find idli, upma, dosa, etc. in most places but you should also be able to find regionally specific items such as puttu-kadala (Kerala), pongal (Tamil Nadu), etc. In the North you can enjoy aloo parathas and poori bhaji in most places, but once again look out for regional treats such as in Amritsar, the delicious Amritsari kulcha. There is so much more to say about regional Indian food, so many different aspects and variations that I could write pages more, and I don’t even know that much! I’ve tried to touch on a broad variety of variations, but I can definitely go on. Many people are fiercely proud of their local cuisine, and are keen to clear up misinformation, which is why you are better off speaking to some South Asians about what they grew up with and so on It’s also worth noting that in our increasingly global world, many traditional local dishes are being forgotten or altered to adapt to changes in taste preference, time and ingredient availability and so on. So sometimes discussions about regional food can get quite heated – “Oh no, it never contains garlic! That’s a new addition, and not traditional at all”, “Well, that’s how my mother always made it, and her mother too, so it is traditional”….you get the picture! I hope this has been somewhat helpful. I know I have written too much! Remember, even in a lifetime you could not learn everything about all aspects of Indian food. A lifetime maybe might be enough to get to know one regional cuisine

I tried a small pack of this last week, vita coco brand (the plain one, not any of the fruity ones). I thought it was rather expensive but ok tasting. Wouldn't go out of my way to get it again though, mostly because of the price. However, I would bear it in mind for times of sickness, as coconut water is very good for rehydrating and gently nourishing.

Do you mean single item, rather than absolutely single ingredient? I am struggling to think how you could make much out of literaly one ingredient! I can think of a small place in Pune, see picture here, called 'Steamy Affair'. It serves only idli and idli based dishes! It has an astonishing variety actually, though not all of them tasted that good to me.

^^^ Fresh green chickpeas are amazing, especially roasted! I've never prepared them myself but I have bought them roasted many a time from street vendors...you can sit with your friends and shell them, popping them in your mouth as you go...mmm

Two centre blog??

As promised, I have posted the chole recipe on my blog, here. I hope it is clear

Hi Shaun, First, I am sooo not an expert! Just a fan, with a tiny bit of ancestry that keeps me coming back for more 1. Yep, just the whole urad bean, minus the skin. Should be available wherever you buy your normal dals. It needs longer soaking than the dal, personally I usually just leave dosa or idli stuff soaking overnight or from morning till evening. 2. Ok, so dosa batter will work with basmati, but it's a bit of a waste and also I have heard from many people that it does not work as well. Remember that basmati is a northern rice, and is not first choice for most southern dishes. I use a combination of raw ponni rice and parboiled red rice for my idli/dosa batter. I hear you get crisper dosas by using less parboiled. 3. Vague recipe: Cook potatoes till tender, mash so there are no big lumpy bits (but not a smooth paste). Heat oil in a pan, add a little mustard, urad and channa dal. When the mustard pops and the dals redden, add curry leaves, a pinch of asafetida and some chopped onion, minced green chillies and minced ginger. Stir and fry till onion is translucent-ish. Then add turmeric (plus chilli powder if you want), salt and the potatoes. Cook until well combined. Add a splash of lemon juice and some chopped fresh coriander to perk up the flavour if desired. This is just a rough personal recipe, feel free to embellish! If you want peas in that, just add them! 4. For utthappam, often leftover idli batter is used, so it is a little sour. The batter should be thicker than for dosas, which is why leftover idli rather than leftover dosa batter is used. They are also spread thicker than dosas. There are two schools of thought: One says add chopped ingredients to the batter itself, the other says to sprinkle straight on top of the utthappam whilst it cooks on the pan. Try either! Adding to batter is easier though, don't add too much when sprinkling on top. My favourite mixture is tomato, onion, green chilli and chopped coriander. Cook on both sides. 5. I don't deep fry at home, but poori recipes are pretty easy to come by. Atta, water, salt, make dough, then fry! The reason it says you can make poori in the ultra pride is because you can use the dough hook attachment to knead dough. As for your other comments, I say get an ultra pride . Makes great chutney too, which brings me on to your next question. After making sambar, I usually like a simple chutney, so I just grind fresh grated coconut with green chillies, ginger, a little salt and then at the last minute a little fresh coriander. Then I do a tadka of mustard, urad dal, dried red chillies and curry leaves. Easy I make a damn fine sambar...actually I am trying to write up a post on that for my blog so I will get back to you! As I said, I am not an expert. There are many who know more than me and they may well correct me or steer you more clearly!

Wow, this is a beautiful thread already! My go to salad is half relish half salad. Chopped tomato, onion, cucumber and sometimes radish, tossed with lemon juice, ground and roasted cumin, chilli powder, chopped fresh coriander (and fresh mint sometimes) black pepper and salt. Oil in the dressing is optional. Another very frequent salad is any combination of carrot, cucumber, radish, tomato, courgette or other good salad vegetable (alone or mixed - I either finely chop or grate all veggies) with a tadka of mustard, urad dal, asafetida, dried or fresh chillies and curry leaves. Salt to taste. With courgettes I usually lightly fry them in the tadka, sometimes do the same with carrots. This is particularly delicious with curd chillies, they add such an amazing smokiness.

Never had it happen to me at grocery stores, but at cafes and coffee shops I've had it happen to me a lot when a server puts the wrong item through or forgets to add a small compononent (like an extra serving of cheese or a flavour shot). I always point it out and they always say "Wow, most people would just keep quiet!" I can't help myself, I feel guilty.

Of course laws are different in different countries. What about the sticker price on an actual product or for produce, where there is no price on the actual product? I don't know how it differs around the world, we were just taught it as contract law. I'm not claiming to be an expert by the way! I don't think it matters if the sticker is on the product, on the shelf, on a little shelf label - basically a shop is not under any obligation to sell you anything at a label price. They can charge what they like in theory. Of course, most businesses realise that it's better to be nice to your customer Works in many ways actually - my local corner shop knows my family so I often get two cans of coke for £1, though the label on the shelf says otherwise!

At Tescos there is a sign that says if the price on the shelf and what you are charged differ, you'll get back double the difference. I have always looked out with great glee, but have not benefited yet! Interestingly enough, in our class on contract law for my accountancy qualification, we learnt that actually there is nothing a customer can do about shelf labels that are incorrect. A store does not have to sell you anything at the price it says on the shelf. This is because, in contract law terms, price labels are not an offer that customer accepts by picking the item up and taking it to the counter, but an invitation to treat - basically an invitation for the customer to make an offer. So if a computer has a price label reading £10, a customer cannot force a store to sell it for that. Any policy that a store has on giving an item to a customer for free or a reduced price if it scans at a different price than it says on the shelf is entirely up to them.

Hey Shaun, thanks for the interesting post! Thoughts: For the best dosa batter, you really need a wet grinder such as ultra pride +. This may seem expensive, but if you make dosas and idlis at least three times a week, and coconut chutney too, you will soon see the huge benefits. Plus you can grind batter for pesarattu, vada, adai, iddiappam...the list goes on. For dosa and idli batter, the rice and dal are ground separately. Not sure how much it is in grams, but I always do 3 cups rice to 1 cup urad for dosas and idlis. Some people do 4:1. For some reason, whole skinless urad gram gives a better batter than urad dal. For good colour and better fermentation, soak 1 tsp of fenugreek seeds with the urad. The type of rice makes a difference - a big one. I don't use long grain rice, and certainly never basmati! The hardest bit about the batter is getting the different textures correct - this is something that a good wet grinder will do for you with ease! As for fermentation, well a friend of mine swears that even if the batter does not ferment, dosas can still be made....unlike with idli batter Talking of idlis, whilst idlis can definitely be made at home, dosas are one of those things that many people swear can only be made in restaurants. Certainly it is much much harder to get a big, perfectly crispy dosas at home. The reason for this is that the tawas at restaurants are in use constantly, so they are well seasoned at always at the right temperature. Of course, the chefs are also pros at what they do, and they can make huge dosas because they have huge pans! Probably the cooking part of making dosas are: *Chuck that non-stick tawa you have been using and get a decent cast iron one! Keep it only for dosas - even making the odd chapatti on it seems to change the way it cooks dosas. *Heat the pan. Put a little oil on the pan and then rub it with the cut side of an onion. Don't ask me why, but this really old time tip seems to work wonders. Some people also use the cut side of a potato. *Most people make home-style dosas thicker, because it's easier. For restaurant style dosas, spread the batter as thin as you can. You can also use a spatula to scrap off the top layer to get the dosa even thinner. By the way, the first dosa always seems to go wrong - just like with pancakes! I guess the pan temperature is not right at the start. *I think the majority of dosas are cooked on both sides, but there are some that are not. One of these is a thicker home style dosa, that is sometimes covered to cook the top without turning it over. It's softer and spongier that wa. The most common accompaniments to dosa are sambar and chutney. Sambar is made from toor dal, and shallot sambar is common, so is that what you mean when you talk about "shallot and moong dalh curry"? Moong dal is a different dal, but maybe you just made a typo? Personally I prefer mix veg sambar, especially if it has drumsticks and okra in it! There are of course a multitude of coconut chutneys. Another good thing about eating dosa in a restaurant is that you can have a variety of chutneys, whereas at home most people just make one or maybe two. Masala dosa is made by stuffing the dosa with a little spicy potato and onion mixture. This is usually done on the tawa, with a layer of chutney and/or podi applied to the dosa first. Some masala dosas use other vegetables in the potato mix, such as beetroot and carrot. The best best best dosa I have ever had was in Bangalore, in a place that is famous for its benne masala dosas and rawa idlis - CTR (Central tiffin rooms). Benne masala dosa are butter masala dosa. The dosa are so crisp, so red, so buttery...oh my god, I am really craving one now!

^^^ It's not just you, it smells bad to me too. And I've grown up with the smell of freshly baked bread (my dad loves baking!) so it's not that i don't like baking smells.

This is an old thread, but I will revive For me, I usually make an Indian version of congee. But when I do make "Chinese style" I like to cook the rice with just a few ginger slices, for at least 3 hours so it's really creamy. Sometimes I add a little celery when there is only 1 hour left, depends how I feel. I serve it with greens that have been stir-fried with lots of garlic and chilli and seasoned with soy sauce and toasted sesame oil (use more of all the seasonings then you would usually - as people will only be adding a little to their congee). I also serve ginger slices, fresh coriander and spring onions, plus extra soy sauce. Yum... But let me tell you about kanji in Kerala. This is not something you will get in a fancy restaurant, but if you stay at someones home you might be able to try it. When I stayed with some friends in Kerala for six weeks, we sometimes had it for breakfast or for a late supper. It's really easy to digest and so soothing for your stomach. Made with rosematta rice (so it had a very slight pinkish look), the rice is parboiled so it becomes very soft but does not turn to mush. It was always served with payar, which are whole moong beans cooked dry (e.g not a wet soupy dish) with a few seasonings such as onion, curry leaves, ginger, etc. For me, this is pure comfort food. What about elsewhere in India? Well, travelling through Madhya Pradesh, I noticed "rice soup" on several hotel's menus. I thought to myself, this must be kanji, and so I often ordered it when I wanted something light and comforting to eat. Seasoned with ghee and sometimes a few cumin seeds, I liked to also add a little freshly ground black pepper. I have heard that in the North East of India, rice gruels are made by cooking rice with lots of water and leaving overnight to ferment slightly, sometimes with a little yoghurt added. Now I have had kanji with yoghurt, but not fermented! And in Goa they have something called pez which is another congee dish. In fact, the traditional Indian medicine system Ayurvda has a number of gruels and soups made from grains that are prescribed for invalids and those who need a light diet. Plus of course, there is the wet version of khichdi, which adds dal to make a nutritious one pot meal for someone under the weather, or in need of comforting, easy to digest food. At home, I always made kanji very simply as a light breakfast or supper dish, usually made quite plain and eaten with a dry vegetable dish and/or condiments. Sometimes with yoghurt added too. Nowadays, I often make Kerala style kanji, because it's so good. I have always thought of kanji and other rice gruels/porridges/soups as something that can only really be appreciated by someone who eats rice everyday, two or three times a day. As one of those kind of people, I have always enjoyed it! But I see now that Chinese style congees have brought this wonderful dish to a whole new audience of people. And I think that can only be a good thing!

Must admit, I thought this would be the results of a consumer poll, or of sales or something. Number of stores doesn't necessarily indicate the business that is considered "better".

I'm in the UK and my default yoghurt is yeo valley, because it's the most commonly available organic full fat yoghurt in my area.

Big yes for whey in breads...though I can't say I usually have a lot of whey from yoghurt, mostly from making paneer. Whey is also good to add to any vegetables, dal or rice you are cooking. I have also heard some people using whey like proper Indian buttermilk (e.g. buttermilk that is left over when butter is made rather than the cultured buttermilk found in supermarkets). So I guess you can collect enough whey for a glass, then add minced green chillies, fresh coriander (cilantro) curry leaves and salt...serve very cool on a hot day

Ha, how weird, I made chole tonight and then I click on egullet and see this thread! Amritsari chole must be one of the greatest chickpea dishes ever. Am dying of too much chole/naan/butter right now, but tomorrow night I will post the recipe. Till then, feel free to lust at the picture!

Chris, as weinoo says, I have found dried mint adds a certain flavour in several middle eastern dishes, especially those with yoghurt. Don't get me wrong, I love fresh mint and use it quite a bit, but I do also keep a little dried mint in the cupboard.

Not sure of the name in Malayalam but this technique is called tadka, chaunk, vaghar, baghar and popu in other Indian languages. In English it is sometimes called tempering. In South India, you will notice that dals (urad and channa) are used, and give a wonderful nutty flavour and texture.

Quite a few herbs...fresh coriander (cilantro to most people here it seems!), curry leaves and fenugreek greens are probably the most important to me. Dried mint actually has a purpose to my mind, as it has a different flavour from the fresh kind and is absolutely necessary for some dishes e.g. cannot be replaced by fresh. I think 100% of vegetables are infinitely better fresh, but I do stoop to frozen peas as they are a vegetable that really needs to be picked and then eaten immediately to have any worth, which is obviously tricky for quite a large part of the year. Paneer should always be made fresh - the prepackaged stuff has a horrible texture and the taste is not as good. When you make it at home (which is so easy anyway) you actually realise why it is such a fabulous cheese. There are other things, many other things...I think almost everything is better fresh, guess it just depends on your definition of "pointless"!

I seem to remember a sort of rubberiness about them, suspect they would taste rather naff if i tried one these days! Interesting to hear about finding them in Scotland though- perhaps they are not that regional then, just dotted around in some places and not it others.

This may seem like an odd topic for a vegetarian to start, but I did use to eat meat and I do also have an almost completely carnivorous (vegetables? what vegetables?) brother! Saveloys. I live in the South West (just outside of Bristol) and our local chippie does them. My mother has always looked upon them with disdain as some kind of horrendous, red-dyed franken-meat. I must confess, I can no longer remember what they taste like. But as children, they were almost the point of going to the chippie for us kids, and this is a feeling my brother retains to this day. The trouble is, he lives in Reading now and can't seem to find a chippie that does them! This has led us to ponder a question: Are saveloys a regional thing? Are there towns that haven't heard of them? Are their actually English people who haven't heard of them?! Discuss.

One thing I sometimes do is to cook the rice nearly entirely on the stove top (should not be fully cooked through), then turn it into a dish and put it in the oven to finish off, with a pat of butter or ghee. Really delicious, and if you need the pan you cooked the rice in to finish off some other dish, it is useful.