Monica Bhide

The jewelry in Jaipur is really excellent. Try to go to some of the larger reputed stores and have a look. It is breathtakingly beautiful My parents lived in Jaipur for a while and always talk about how hospitable the folks are there I have not been there in years for a visit -- expect for an overnight last year when my flight to Delhi got diverted to Jaipur at 1:00 am due to fog! What I remember of the city was ofcourse the legendary pink walls. I would advise you to get a tour guide. THey will be able to show you all the highlights of the city I too, like you, like to read a lot about a city when I go there. It does make it seem a bit more familiar and not so strange. I went to Agra as a child but do remember the magnificent Taj. you will really enjoy it. I am so envious

Rushina -- what a nice post. Welcome to the forum. Looking forward to hearing more from you!

Haldiram has opened a mega-complex just outside Delhi off one of the highways (Dont know which ) This place is about like a suburban mall except it's Halidram only :) We went here and really enjoyed it. THe food was good and the complex is really nicely done..

What wonderful memories. Thanks for sharing them. i look forward to reading many more of your posts here on eG!

I agree with mongo but please be careful when visiting some of the areas suggested.. Why -- because they are really crowded and if you dont know wheere you are going it can get very unpleasant. parathewali gali is in Chandi Chowk and that place is unbelieably crowded.. think Bangkok multiplied by 100. Go with someone like a tour guide if you really need to Masala Art has been getting rave reviews from many of my friends and cousins. i would give it a thumbs up!

How wonderful.. can I come!!! Mark Bittman did a really nice peice on Delhi a few months ago for the NY TImes.. it lays out some of the nice places to go in Delhi. Also if you search this forum there are tons of suggestions, a bit scattered I admit, but they are there. Be careful of eating off the street, if your tummy is not used to it, it is not a safe idea. Delhi is so much fun... the food choices are great. There is also a really good book out by Reshmi Uday Singh on the best palces to eat in Delhi i would really start with the Bittman piece, then look thru the forum here. I look forward to hearing more .......................

Suggestions from others.. This is not my forte! Game that is

I would love to hear about your experiences. What is your favorite thing to prepare in the tandoor. Tell us a bit about it.. where did you get it? how has it worked? what have you done (if anything) in terms of maintianing it? what advice would you give folks who want to buy one? If your care to share.. a funny disaster story would be right up there with my goof ups!!

Okay explain this to me -- in yesterday's show -- which I did watch to see if I had somehow misjudged her.. she dippes lemon slices in raw egg white and then in sugar and says " now leave this out here for 30 minutes or so" -- I am sorry is that not WRONG? Salmonnela (sp?) or does that only affect people who dont cook from cans! I can see her saying -- (with selected recipes only PLEASE) make this once in a while but cannot support her saying make this and LIVE LIKE this all the time.

biggame -- why dont you start a new thread.. would love to hear about your experience in using the tandoor

My grandmother's home is a stones throw away from Mughal Mahal -- been eating there for as long as I can remember.. and yes their butter chicken is really that good

Yes it is. I just pound the dried seeds and use them.. you can also buy the powder

I remove the top and then slit them

My favorite vegetable. OKRA.Yum. I even have my little one addicted to it! I prepare it four different ways and each method makes it taste quite different 1. You can slit the okra and stuff it with a spice mix of turmeric, red chilie powder, coriander powder, Indian garam masala and a bit of salt. Then these stuffed pieces are gently stir fried in oil along with thinly sliced onions and ginger. If you like green chiles like me, then stuff a few of those and add them as well 2. Cut the okra up into bite size pieces and deep fry it. Then add it to a whipped yogurt -- sprikle with salt, red chili powder and a pinch of roasted pounded cumin for a gorgeous side 3. Okra seasoned with tangy spices like dry mango powder, pomegrante powder and then deep fried is just heavenly. I make this and use it as a bed to serve vodka drenched shrimp 4. Finally the day to day okra -- cut it into bite size pieces and saute along with onions, green chilies and ginger. Add turmeric, salt, red chili powder, coriander powder and a bit of Indian garam masala.. and there you have it... Okra YUMMMYYYYYY

Yum.. keep them coming. Welcome back

Makes me wonder about the value of reviews sometimes. Amanda Hesser wrote a true review of her work and her book -- very to the point and very CORRECT -- yet the book made it to the top sellers on the NYTimes list. Maybe there really is no such thing as bad publicity!!

WOw -- sounds like I missed a great meal. i hope we can do this again sometime now that I am back in town Rochelle -- THANKS for taking this on and for all the work you did.. Appreciate it

Art -- she is really annoying. What can I tell you. I dont normally offer such strong opinions but to me she sounds insincere. Perhaps I am not "in" enough to understand her recipes

I have watched her many times to try to "understand" or get her show. I dont. Dont get me wrong -- I do have some short cuts I use, I like you too like eating mac and cheese out of the blue box -- but there is something really sad when you think the best way to feed your family is out of six boxes. It DOES not save TIME. Not in my opinion and offers you heart attack on a plate -- she seems to give little or no consideration to any sort of nutritional aspects of anything.

I would recommend Julie Sahni and there is a particular one by Madhur Jaffrey called, I think -- Regional Flavors of India that is really excellent -- it really lays out the differences in the cuisines of the different states I like Julie's style of writing.

I can surely help. My hubby has lost 40 pounds and i have lost 20 pounds with low carb Indian meals (His cholestrol also dropped by a whopping 30%)!

I tried the same chicken 65 and was greatly dissappionted -- small world huh! Hi Balraj - welcome back. I just gotback as well

From Chef Sudhir: Hello Breadlovers This is Sudhir and I am really honored at the response that this class of North Indian Breads has generated. I wish I was half as good on the keyboard as I am with the knife. Fisrt of all a brief on the Indian food habits - in a country with limited resources and over a billion to feed carbohydrates play a huge role, especially when you consider the ease in harvesting them and the calories they yield. Hence the tremendous variety that has evolved over the subcontinent where locally grown ingredients have lent a host of different flavors and cooking styles. Sorry if this appears like a nutrition class but to help understand better one has to know the three different parts of any cereal-wheat, rice, millet etc. The bran or the outer covering which is the roughage in any grain. The Germ which has got the proteins and the little oils which give the kernel its flavor. The Endosperm which is largely the starch or carbohydrates. In advanced milling the three are separated, ground as desired and then mixed in different proportions to achieve various required products. Durum flour which bbhasin mentioned is basically fine ground endosperm of hard spring wheat 'DURUM' with a high gluten content ( the same endosperm when ground roughly is called Semolina / Sooji). The whole wheat flour that I prefer to use is the full WHEAT kernel and owes its color to the high fiber and seed Germ content. General Mills has the best in my opinion for its full flavor and texture. All purpose flour is a blend of hard and soft wheat-grain. In India the use of clarified butter, egs, cardamom, saffron, milk, raisins, dry fruits, nuts etc. is to make the product richer and more flavorful. To leaven any dough in India traditionally a mixture KHAMIR is added which is actually a starter made of wheat, sugar and water in a continuous fermenting state. One uses it and replenishes it by adding the above ingredients for the next day. It is more complex than the cultured Yeast(with limited kinds of fungus) which is prevalent in today's baking and it also imparts a lot more flavor. The presnt day use of yeast and baking powder has its advantages - a more consistent product and readily available ingrdients under the present day refrigerated facilities. In my limited experience I have seen Sheermal being eaten with kormas, nahari and even paya(trotter) curry. The Bakarkhani that I have tasted is very similar to Sheermal as Prasad says but it has a lot more shortening- in some parts of eastern India it is even pan-fried like a Paratha. As written earlier any leftover bread in India gets eaten at breakfast time by either frying them lightly in a pan, dried like a rusk or roasted, powdered and eaten as cereal. Maida and All-purpose flour are similar- the difference is the variety and grades that are available now in US for different purposes. Most common being High Gluten for leavened breads and Diabetic breads,cake flour which is milled very fine, durum flour for pasta and egg noodles. For those of you who are not yet confounded I recommend a visit at the following site to learn the diversity of use of Cereals in India. www.indiaprofile.com/cuisine/breakfast.htm I know this has ben a rather dry discourse on something very basic but I hope your breads when they come out of the oven will seem tastier. Thanks to you all Sudhir

Vikram - - what excellent reading. thanks again

I will try it with sooji -- I am sure it will be yummy! I add sooji to some of my parathas sometimes, it does make it nice and "crumbly" as yuou mentioned