Bhukhhad

I loved how you said ‘besides this is egullet’!! yes of course best when made by one’s own hands. ❤️ All I can say is you have done all the things I could think of. And admittedly this is not my forte. They say experience makes it to perfection. So my friend, enjoy lots of dosas on your way and you will certainly get there soon. Bhukkhad

36 hours for fermentation? Hmm I would say thats true in this winter weather. But you have to be careful with urad dal. Too much standing time for fermentation and it tends to go ‘off’. I dont know if you have the luxury to buy ready made batter. In the part of the world that I live in, we get ready to eat dosa and idli batter. Its a life saver for me. I don’t need to plan three days ahead nor keep batter in my fridge. I buy the day I want to make whatever. Shasta brand idli and dosa batter is really very good. It is available in the Indian store. I have not looked for it on Amazon. But one never knows. Or try Shasta’s website. I am afraid if I switch out of this screen to look for the links, I will misplace this spot. So I will let you consult the google search and find a way to see this batter in reality once. Then you will always get the consistency right. Best wishes! Dosa is so yummy! And sambhar is even more so Bhukkhad

JoNorvelleWalker No, this is not the right way to have dosa. I’m sure it tastes nice though. Let’s see. The first thing is that it should LOOK like a very thin crepe. And it is to be spread pretty much like we would spread a crepe. 1. cast iron very very flat skillet or dosa tava+ seasoned. 2. Well heated 3.Batter should be perfect. 4. Pour a ladleful in the center and Immediately swirl with the flat back portion of the ladle to spread in a circular fashion on the tava. It should be uniformly thin. 5. Pretty soon the sides of the dosa should start to turn upwards because they are ‘done’ 6. you can fold like an omelette or roll like a crepe. Now I too grew up in the north of India so chapati and paratha or Poha are my familiar dishes. Dosa I still get right only sometimes. So you are doing very well! But if you want to see a chef making dosa, have a look at Wah Chef. He is a south indian chef and his recipes are pretty authentic. Just like Bhavna’s recipes are authentically gujarati. Bhukkhad

Stephen129 I don’t have experience with Pret a Manger but the Starbucks ‘Chai tea latte’ has the addition of ginger and vanilla syrups to give it what they think is ‘masala’ taste. Its completely wrong to have vanilla there. But do you know what? Despite my initial gag response to vanilla in chai, I have grown to tolerate it. If I am needing a chai boost and am away from home, I sometimes get this and its OK, though too sweet. Here is a suggestion: 1. Try brewing a cup of tea with three Types of tea bags: Two teabags of black tea like Tetley or PG Tips (from what I remember of UK trips) or Yorkshire gold (2/1 depending on how strong you want the tea). Plus One tea bag of ginger tea (you get all sorts these days for herbal teas) or Two teabags of black tea and One of peppermint. or Two teabags of black tea with One of cinnamon You can also substitute any of these flavors of syrup Ginger/Peppermint/Cinnamon instead of the herbal teabags. In my cup the addition of milk is a must. You can choose per your taste. Bon Appetite! Bhukhhad

Thanks for those listings. His shows were informative and I learned a lot from them. Bhukhhad.

Sometimes I find Bhavna’s Kitchen has very nice recipes. And she is such a cutie. Apart from the fact that her recipes are spicier (more red chilies) than my home (we used to have predominantly black pepper tastes rather than garlic or red chilies) she is very authentic. And fun to learn from. Here is one of her more recent breakfast recipes that I am going to try. Bhukkhad. PS. eGullet has a facebook, instagram and pinterest page too? Wow! Egullet is popular!!

Okanagancook I am delighted to see these. The solid tava or tawa is the kind I was speaking about. The one with the holes is much more interesting. It has the two extra upright rods for certain reasons. First, you can place this tava on an open flame stove or ‘chulha’. Then place your cooking pot on top of it. And behind the two slats you can place a ‘Soop’ or ‘Soopda’ which is a metal thingamijing for shaking the flax off the grains. Do you know what I mean? I can post pictures from the internet but I am not allowed to do that here. The reason for putting the soop behind the vessel is to have the flame concentrate under the vessel. So that is one purpose. The other purpose for those upright slats is for the time this tava is placed upside down on top of a vessel and some burning coals placed on top of that. It provides the DUM effect for both top and bottom heating. I have seen these slats on only very few pieces so I assume this style is older. Now you can buy a tava with holes without these slats. And I use it to roast papad on an open flame. Or puff rotis on a flame. Such tavas are also very useful if you have an electric ring burner. This allows you to move the roti from the solid tava to a surface that is not as hot as the electric rings and puff the rotis that way. You take off the tava each time and put it back on just when you want to puff the roti or roast the papad. What fun to see the gadgets all of you have discovered! Bhukkhad.

What a good job of a well made roti/chapatti. You folks are terrific even though this is not the cuisine you grew up on! A Tava has no lip, typically. It is a heavy cast iron flat disc and most often had no handle. A handle is a new invention over the past fifty years. You can have Tava’s of various types. A clay tava is used upside down! Yes! You place it upside down on a wooden stove and cook roomali rotis on it. It gets intensely hot so the delicate rotis get roasted in seconds. A thin tava is used to make khakras or rotis that are re-roasted to make them very crisp and last for months. A thick tava that is completely flat is used for rotli the very thin breads of gujarat. A thick tava that is curved in the center is preferred for Lechhi (in gujarat) and Dosti Roti (in punjab). These are rotis that split into two discs after roasting. The tava that is shown in the picture has a lip. It is a crepe tava, excellent for dosas. And of course you can use anything for anything. Bhukhhad

Thanks for reading. I think our original requester for Indian breakfasts has disappeared. But I am enjoying writing up these breakfasts. I still make them on weekends or when we have guests from India. They still eat these every day and age is no bar. Perhaps we even age differently in different climates and lifestyles??? I still want to finish the homemade meals threads that are on my mind. Am I preaching to the crowd I wonder. All of you might know these recipes already. They are not new, just have my take on them. Bhukkhad

Breakfast in India vs Breakfast in our homes outside India My breakfasts have varied from the time I started to cook for myself instead of just enjoying my Mother’s cooking. At first they were a mix-match of meal fixings, or just dinner leftovers. Or the good old breakfast cereal and milk. But as the years passed and I was more organized, the meals I enjoyed in my Mother’s home began to swim in my memories. And I began to prepare those for my family. However, I am no amazonian chef, so depending on the hectic nature of the days plans, I switched back and forth from convenience with taste, to elaborate and of course tasty breakfasts. We do have both vegetarian and non vegetarian foods but Indian breakfasts will mostly be vegetarian. So here are some of the things I might make: 1. Poha as in mostly ‘kande pohe’. 2. Cheela/ Pudla 3. Masala toast 4. Indian Omelette 5. Handwo piece 6. Thepla 7. Vaghareli rotli 8. Dhokla chutney 9. Idli sambhar 10. Leftover sabji 11. Muthiya 12. Khakhra 13. Upma 14. Paratha 1. Kande Pohe: The dish derives its name from Maharashtra where the Kande Pohe are celebrated as breakfast. They can of course like any breakfast, be eaten at any time. Pohe/ Poha are steamed rice grains that have been beaten flat and then again redried. So they are like Rice flakes. Except they are hand pounded, so have a knobbly texture. You get several varieties in the market. I prefer the thick white variety. 1 cup dry poha per person 1 medium onion sliced 1/2 jalapeno deseeded 1 sprig curry leaves 2 small garlic cloves 1/4 t cumin seeds 1/2 lemon 1/8 t asafoetida 1/4 t turmeric small handful of cilantro leaves 1T fresh grated coconut 2 T Peanut oil salt to taste sugar to taste In a pan heat some oil and add cumin seeds. When the seeds sputter, add sliced onions and stir. Saute on medium heat till they turn slightly browned here and there. Do not burn the onions. Meanwhile wash the Poha in a colander and drain. Do this two or three times to get rid of any dirt and also to allow them to rehydrate. They do not need soaking. Fluff the poha with a fork. Add salt sugar turmeric asafoetida and chopped cilantro. Mix and set aside. Once the onions are ready add minced garlic and chopped jalapeno along with the curry leaf sprig. Turn the heat to low and add the poha mixture. Stir to coat and to allow the turmeric and asafoetida to cook. The poha will turn mildly yellow and start giving a wonderful fragrance. Turn off the heat. Fluff gently and plate. Garnish with fresh grated coconut and a squeeze of lemon juice. Finger licking good!! Now when I make this next I will post a picture. Update: Ok I felt the urge to have Kande Pohe for tonight’s dinner. So here is a picture. I am certain to enjoy it for breakfast as well. The measurement of 1 cup poha per person is too much for one meal. But carried over to another meal thats super good! I will also have some stir fried bok choy greens made in the same kadhai after the poha was done, and some cooked and sliced beetroot for salad. My family will add some haldiram sev on the poha for extra crunch! And we will all have some chaas to round off this meal. ************* 2. Cheela/ Pudla These are essentially crepes but in the Indian style. 1/2 cup sieved garbanzo bean (Besan) flour. Water to form a thin batter 1T plain yogurt 1/2 t ginger garlic paste 1/4 or less green chili crushed 2 t heated oil * pinch asafoetida pinch turmeric salt to taste chopped cilantro (two sprigs) some ‘masala’ from a readymade pickle Method: mix the ingredients together except oil. Heat oil in a separate pan and add about 1 to 2 t of the hot oil onto the batter. It will sizzle. Use a whisk to stir thoroughly. The batter should be pouring consistency. Let the batter soak for about half an hour if possible. On a hot griddle, pour a ladle full of the batter. Turn the griddle with your wrist to spread the batter around. Cook on moderate to high flame. Flip the crepe when all the sides look like they are ready. You can add a little oil to the sides of the frying pan to make the edges crispy. In my home we usually have a Besan cheela with some yogurt its a quick and filling breakfast. You can have a small salad or fruit with it to make it more complete. Or fill the center of the cheela with some cottage cheese and fold for added creaminess! **************** 3. Masala Toast : 1 slice of bread (your choice) toasted 1/2 small red onion minced 1 medium roma tomato diced (or whatever you have) cilantro (few leaves) 1/8 t cumin (optional) 1/4 t chaat masala ( available in stores) 1 inch cube paneer 1 T peanut oil pinch turmeric (optional) Heat the oil in a pan and saute the onions. Add the tomato and cook down to mush. Crumble the paneer and add the dry spices. Stir for a few seconds to warm the paneer. Add the cilantro and though I have not written it as an ingredient, I like a few drops of lemon juice. Do not overcook paneer. I started this topic because someone asked for Indian recipes on the new forum. I don’t think they have seen any yet. I hope they find this useful. I am enjoying it. ************************** I will add recipes to the list slowly. I have to however add that after a certain ‘age’ I have now resorted to having to make sure I have three things for breakfast besides coffee: a glass of water, a small portion of fruit and a small portion of some protein not necessarily meat. Bhukkhad

Tea First Things First: Tea in India is traditionally made with black tea, and I use the Orange Pekoe cut black tea that is available in the market in the USA. In India we used brands like Wagh bakri/ Girnar or BrookBond Red Label tea. Strong tea for the morning. 1. Plain tea with milk 3/4 cup of water per person. 1 t loose leaf black tea less than 1/4 cup warmed milk Heat the water in container. When it comes to a boil, add the milk. Heat till the mix rises. Turn OFF the heat and add the tea leaves, cover and let steep. In about a minute you can stir the tea with a spoon. If the brew color and fragrance are appropriate, you can sieve the tea and pour it into cups to enjoy. If it is light, then you can turn on the heat and boil it for thirty seconds. Remember the bitter tannins generate from the tea leaves after steeping so hesitate to boil. Instead if you like stronger tea, I would suggest adding more tea leaves earlier. Or if using teabags, use two instead of one. If I use lipton, Brook Bond or tetley brands I always take two teabags per cup. 2. Masala tea Here measure 1 cup of water per person because you will boil it down to 3/4 cup per person after adding the masala. The ‘masala’ in the tea can be made up of either one or two or a mixture of certain spices. However I am always amused that the one spice which we never ever added to Indian tea is Vanilla, and that was originally the starbucks vanilla chai latte flavor! It was quite distasteful at first, but do you know what, either they changed the formula or we go used to it!! Anyway the most common tea masala that you can find in the Indian stores can also be made at home. Take one teaspoon powdered ginger 3 small seeds of cardamom (not pods) crush together and keep in a jar. When making tea, add a pinch to the water as you start to heat it. You can add more or less as you prefer. Boil this masala with the water and THEN add milk and tea leaves later. You can substitute fresh grated ginger for the powdered variety. Start with smaller quantities. You can substitute mint leaves for ginger and cardamom, or cinnamon instead of anything. In the northern regions of India fennel is sometimes the masala in the tea. Or even ajwain or carom seeds (though I dislike that taste in tea). Hope this will help you to make Indian masala Chai at home. And since we are more similar than different, when I say ‘Indian’, I would most certainly include all of the neighboring countries as well. Our tastes unite us in more ways than one. Bhukkhad

Sartoric, I like your version. I have a couple of different south indian recipes, either from hyderabad or chennai more elaborate in terms of effort when one is hungry... I would enjoy this. Just wanted to point one or two things. I have tasted one version of this curry with coconut in the gravy and another with peanut paste. Both taste exceptionally well and I cannot reproduce them properly yet. But they are yummy indeed. Eggplant soaks up oil like crazy. I grew up eating massive amounts of oil in my curries. But now I roast my eggplant in the oven with no oil. It works to keep the shape and cook. Then I add the gravy on top. Only way I can avoid a greasy wggplant

Tftc, Yes yes! Is the short answer. Almost everyone I know around me, buys the fresh frozen and already shredded coconut from either Indian stores or a mixed asian store. I have not come across the 'frozen whole coconut core with water' anywhere yet. But the 'frozen fresh shredded' works really well. You just have to open the packet while the contents are still frozen, and divide them into batches you can use, and refreeze. That is the only way it works for me. The fresh coconut luxury does not! And I will tell you why. I have no surface on which I can break a coconut the traditional way, I have no sharp instrument with which I can break either the outer hull nor cut the inner white flesh. But if I did, there is nothing as sweet and delicious! Dessicated coconut or dry whole core slices work fine in a pinch. Next, we get fresh bunches of the following leafy greens here: methi, amaranth (bathuwa or rajgira or lal bhaji), gongura, moringa, spinach, malabar spinach, kadhi patta, colocasia leaves and cilantro (coriander)..... all yummy! The asian stores have many more greens that I dont have indian uses for but always eye them with the desire to use them. These are: dandelion greens, bok choi varieties, pak choi, pea sprouts, mustard greens ( I grow these in winter), and other greens whose names I cannot read. Has anyone used these in Indian cooking? If so, do share. Thanks for asking Tftc.

Hello again everyone! There are a number of regular cooks who hail from india, on this forum. At least I gathered so. I have simple home cooking recipes to share, so you will have to tolerate me somewhat. But I love eating cooking and sharing so here goes: since the topic is about vegetarian recipes but no particular recipe has been sought, I will post here the recipe for Aloo Methi Sabji with some explanations. First about methi or fenugreek. You can get methi in seed form or fresh/ dry leaf form. You can grow your own methi if you like, by soaking methi seeds overnight and planting in a seed starter pot the next morning. Within a week you get methi leaves. You snip them to harvest, and more regrow from the stalks. Now for Aloo or potato. For aloo methi , you need a waxy potato, not a powdery one. Aloo Methi 2 or 3 medium waxy potatoes cumin seeds optional 1 small onion turmeric optional 2T methi leaved chopped salt green chilies optional 1/2 cup fresh coconut (grated) lemon juice oil method Wash, peel and cut potatoes. Heat two T oil in a deep pan and add cumin if using and toast till golden. Then onions and cook till tender. Then add the potatoes. Add salt for the potatoes and cover and cook till tender. Add the washed methi leaves and let them wilt. Add turmeric pwd. After a few minutes open the lid and stir. The potatoes should be covered with gently wilted methi. Turn the heat off. Add the coconut and stir taking carenot to break the potatoes. Adda dash of lemon juice and serve. You may optionally add green or red chilli to taste. Do this after the methi has melted Enjoy. Try the recipe.

Om Shanti

That would be me too! I primarily cook and eat Indian. So ask away and share away

Plado, Thank you for your comments. Its been a while since I posted on this topic and a discussion on Indian food is always welcome. However I dont think the topic was ever a discussion of 'toxicity' of color, or as we would spell it in India 'colour'. At least my memory seems to indicate just a discussion of colors and spices in Indian foods, like turmeric. So you are right, we do use plenty of color-imparting foodstuffs since ancient times and none of them are toxic. But the reference to the festival of colors 'Holi', is a cultural celebration of the spring harvest and has nothing to do with food coloring as such. I just wanted to highlight that. Holi is celebrated with a lot of colored powders being thrown about and smudged on each others hands and cheeks all in the delight of a great spring harvest. My two cents, or should I say my two paise Bhukhhad

Thanks for the tip

Ok will remember next year. I think I mistook Lemon Thyme for Lemon verbena when I planted it. So i will use it when I have dried and stored it. But next time I will plant the lemon verbena. Oregano has been great. I dont like the taste of basil (go figure) -and I love the taste of cilantro (yes I do). So growing fresh oregano has given all my italian dishes a boost this summer. I do love it with yard long beans

Folks Iwould like to submit two pictures. The first is lemon verbena/ lemon thyme? I need help to identify it. The next is oregano. Both smell lovely but it has become suddenly cold and these plants will die. So I have harvested them. Now I want to dry them and keep them for the year or use them as gifts. Can you please suggest how I can use an oven to dry them and how I can store them. Any recipe suggestions? Thanks Bhukhhad

Thank you Andiesenji I will try that out sharvari

I am growing amaranth. The flowers are beautiful red velvety ones. But something is eating the flowers from the very tips. Is it squirrels, birds? See how the top of the flower is stripped?

Wow! Such a labor of love! I admire all the sincere cooks who went through this process. And you for trying. I will remember that wheb I use it next. So I bought a packet of sumac and one of zataar and have been trying to use them in mediterranean dishes. So far sumac goes well with hummus and sprinkled on falafel or the lettuce tomato and bread salad (I forget the name). Zataar I have not been able to use yet. Any suggestions?

Ooooh how exciting! Is it Sumac? They are berries. I love the sour powder but have never seen them

red quinoa?