Sonzy

Though the thread has been very old, here is my version of the Masala Chai. The following spices , I believe, are very essential - Put everything except Ground Black pepper in the very beginning and boil it. Ofcourse this is not something you can make every day but if you make a blend of all these spices and keep them ready, you would not need to add tea leaves. So the Masala Chai I suggest is actually a Chai from Masalas and is caffeine-free. a) Ginger b) Black Peppercorns, coarsely ground, not very fine c) Fennel Seeds d) Cardamom Pods e) Cinnamon f) Crushed or powdered Mulethi (very little - a pinch) - called sweetwood or Glycyrrhiza Glabra g) Agya Ghas or Indian lemon Grass - contains a volatile oil for flavor. h) Wild Violet flowers (Viola Odorata) i) Nutgrass (Cyperus Rotundus Tubers) j) Black Cloves k) Green Tea (Haril Chay) - which is beneficial l) Kesar - Saffron to bring warmth m) Arjuna Chhal (Terminalia arjuna bark - good for the heart) Instead of milk, you can use condensed milk for extra flavor. Thats what they do it here in Dubai. Instead of sugar, try Jaggery. You will love it. Jaggery should not be dark brown or crystallised. Disclosure : We retail the above blend on one of our sites as a medicinal tea but I use it here for pleasure. Regards, Sonzy.

Right , now we are indeed in Karol Bagh. The Rabri Faluda guy is still there at that corner. But if you want Rabri Faluda, Kamla Nagar or Chandni Chowk's Fatehpuri is the place. MDH (Roopak Stores) has now revamped itself and offers slush more than its "jeera"eted beverages. Not to forget, Punjab Sweet Corner's Poori Chhole on Sundays (I don't know if you have been to Amritsar but PThe poori chhole at PSC are very similar to the all time famous Kanha's Poori Chhole). Just near KB, we have Paharganj with its famous Sitaram Halwai's shop who has been serving Paneer Wale Chhole Bhature for over 50 years now. Any given day, a person can just stand there and feed me as much as he wants :) Back to beverages - do you have "Phalse" there in USA. I doubt. Phalse ka sherbet is so refreshing. Sonzy.

I couldn't resist posting a simple Aam Ka Panna recipe for you guys ... 6 medium green mangoes 3 3/4th cups water 1 tsp cumin seeds (Dry-roasted and ground) 1/2 tsp red chili powder 1tsp salt 3 tbsp sugar 3 tbsp chopped mint leaves 12 ice-cubes (crushed) Preparation: Place the mangoes with water to cover in a sauce-pan and bring to boil. Simmer for 10 minutes. Drain off the water and then peel, stone and pulp the mango with a spoon. Place the pulp in a deep bowl. Add water, sugar, salt, chili and cumin. Whisk thoroughly. Stir in the mint and whisk again. Transfer it to a jug. Serve chilled with crushed ice. It has a good shelf life if you just keep the pulp with sugar , salt, cumin, chili, mint etc added to it and store it. You can add water whenever you want to serve. Sugar and salt act as preservatives. Regards, Sonzy

I am still stuck with Bhasin's post on beverages. He lists them all. Just my 2 cents on some of them. Panna - my mom makes this best. Normally Panna available in all the sweet-meat shops is a hybrid between Jal Jeera and Panna. Rimjhim - Bhasin, if you have ever been to Roshanara Club, they have this Raspberry Drink WIMTO. When you mix some kala namak and shikanji masala in WIMTO, it leaves Jal jeera far behind. Nimbu Soda - Modinagar has this vendor - Jain Shikanjvi Wala. Have you been there. Kanji - let me give a $100 tip to everybody here. If anybody knows someone who has a stone in his kidney, give him Kanji regularly for 1 month whenever its the season of black carrots and the stone would dissolve in 1 month. You didn't mention "Sattu Ka Sherbet" - typically people in North India have this. Sattu is a roasted flour powder which is mixed with black pepper and ice cold water and gives a feeling of fullness to the stomach. Very good for expelling the "agni" or gastric heat. Sonzy :)

Balli (pyar se), DePauls ki Coffee was excellent till recent times when we have the Baristas, the Qwiky's and the Cafe Nescafe(s) around the corner. Ab woh CP wali coffee has no DUM in it. Neither do the girls frequent that place. I wonder if you had Anjlika's Cold Coffee in Karol Bagh which still maintains its flavor. Sonzy.

Well Amla's latin name is Emblica Officinalis. The picture that you see in this thread is of a "Ras-bhari" as Indians call it. Amla is also called the Indian Gooseberry. Besides being the richest source of Vitamin C, it is best for boosting your immunity. Ya, Ya, this is an Indian Cuisine Forum - but I thought since you talk about berries, they are more used for their medicinal values rather than as a food or in dishes. Sonzy www.sonzyskitchen.com

Welcome to the Indian forum of eGullet Eileen. Would you have a link to the review? It would be a great to have it here. Now a few questions for you....Where did you grow up that you were surrounded by Indian food? What were some of your favorite dishes from growing up? What were some of the recipes you tried out from The Spice Is Right? What about their taste was authentic to those recipes? What was the most important thing you were left with after cooking with the book? And of course, Monica, please do tell us when the next book is coming out? Here's the link to my review of Monica's book. http://www.sonzyskitchen.com/indiancooking.htm Sonzy's Review of "The Spice is Right" Now, I am eagerly waiting for "Chai and Chow" - Wow !

Even strawberry Shrikhand would seem very nice. To garnish, you can use the traditional kesar and nutmeg. However nutmeg is not advised for those with high blood pressure. Btw, just a healthy tip - somebody who wants to relieve constipation or bloating , can take a small bowl of Shrikhand with Banana slices. Regards, puneet

Well , I think its the angithi/clay ovens that give it a special flavor. Our home LPG somehow take off that flavor. And I strongly feel that its a real pleasure when we have food at Dhabas. Love and warmth is how those guys serve you. Ofcourse, hygiene is a different thing but Dhabas have changed from what they were in early Nineties. When you make a trip down to Delhi, just visit the Dhaba "Ahuja No. 1" on the Murthal Road, about 50 kms from Delhi. The parathas there are great. The dhaba is 24 hours, has a seating capacity of about 200 people and serves great food. Regards, Puneet

Raisins or currants should work just fine. Yeah, Raisins definitely and if you want it really hot , infact to protect you against cold and winters, add a sp. of raisins called Munakka (in Hindi). Munakkas are large raisins which have a deep penetrating heating effect. So 1 tsp of Apple Chutney a day will keep you away from the chill at play.

Do add to Suvir's Raita, I would add KidnyBeans and Kachaloo to the Aloo Chaat. As for Raita, I love a Pineapple Raita. Btw, do we get Kachaloos there? Kachalu reminds me of Jammu / Vaishno Devi. You get excellent Kachalu chaat at Katra. - Sonzy

I love phirni. Divine when made well. Every trip to New Delhi I make my pilgrimage to Karims in Old Dehi (near Jama Masjid) and while friends eat the meat preparations, I partake in several servings of Phirni. Now I am drooling as well. Suvir, I don't know if you have been to Amritsar but there's this Kesar Da Dhaba and his phirni is heavenly. Ask any punjabi and he'll second my opinion. And if you are there, be sure to make a trip down to Lawrence road and try Novelty's Fruit Cream.

Well, nobody mentioned about Malpua (Mal-poora) or "Moong dal Ka Halwa" Malpua - This is a sweetmeat, an Indian pancake associated with "Saawans" (the rainy season). I have my birthday in Saawan and its my birthday gift from my lovely mom every time I get up on this lovely day. Its a sweet , syrupy pancake with a soft centre which goes well with Rabri. Moong Dal Ka Halwa - let Monica explain that :)