Suvir Saran

But it certainly is inpired Indian cooking... Would rather have this latter anyday.

Fried or Roasted Taters, a previous thread

Shrikhand - yummy! I also love Amrakhand (made with mango). I ate a small dish of this daily when I lived in Bombay. Some days I ate 2-3 servings... I loved it.. perfect for that cities weather... and in the summer of NYC. Khandvi.... Not many dishes in the world have the capacity to take one on a journey that can give one freedom from any mortal worries. Khandvi is one of a handful of such dishes... If made well and fresh, it is superlative. I have enjoyed it made in homes of Gujarati friends in Bombay and also in a couple of restaurants in Bombay.. How I wish we could have in our midst in the US a professional Khandvi maker that can supply us this amazing dish in a public setting.. I would be there daily to buy a large batch. And yes it is made with Besan (chickpea flour). The flour is made into a batter, the batter is then cooked and spread into a thin layer while it is still piping hot. This is then topped with a tempered oil of spices and maybe even coconut.. and then rolled and then cut into pieces... and then topped again with the tempered oil.... I can eat amazing amounts of it.. and not stop....

Spicegirldc was most eloquent... And now I wait for more such outbursts from her. I am hoping she will not be bashful... but instead... will continue to charm us more frequently with her brilliance.

My cookbook will have the Bohra recipes... Can you wait? Or if you want to try them sooner.. PM me.. and I shall mail you the recipes... I think we have chatted briefly about Bohra food in the Keema thread... I will check and post a link.

Looking forward to details

How are large (over 4 inches), extremely tough and stringy okra cooked? I've seen people buying them at farmer's markets and I made the mistake of buying them once. They were freshly picked and the tips had a nice snap, so I thought maybe big okra aren't always tough. I was very wrong. They were hard and completely inedible even after braising for hours. I wasn't going to eat them afterwards, I was just checking to see if they would ever soften. They get used in my compost pile.... I have never understood what people do with that dry and hard stuff....

And how I love Sukhi Bhindi... It is actually a treat for all of ones senses... Not sure why I feel that way.. but I love okra.. and that particular rendering can be a most basic okra recipe from the Indian repertoire, but if cooked right... not many dishes come close to where it can take ones palate...

I cut it into fine pieces when making chopped okra. And also arrange the pieces in a single layer. That helps in cooking them evenly and also makes sure you do not need to handle them too much.

I do the same. It is an ordeal... at Union Square market... I am always sneered at for picking Okra so carefully. But I cannot stand eating old overgrown Okra. There is not much worse than Okra that is old, tough and slimy.

And also very little touching can make much difference.

what do you like about the smell of black pepper? How would you describe it? Does it change when it is added to this chicken recipe? Do you have any pictures of this dish that you may be able to share? It is in your book? If so, forget I asked you for a picture. The book would be even better... more tactile a way of enjoying your recipe and also the finished product.

What do you do to reduce the sliminess of Okra? I am sure there are some that love the slime... but a larger number do not. In fact, it is a great favorite of hundreds of millions of Indians.. and mostly because in most all of its renderings, you never find it slimy. I am sad to see that most Indian restaurants do not make an effort to get rid of the sliminess. And in homes, one finds amazing preparations... I have never met an Okra hater that has eaten a meal with me and not become an Okra fan. That leads me to ask all cooks here what they do to make Okra edible to those that do not care for the slime associated with Okra. I am sure there are many recipes for those that like its slime... But I am always asked for recipes that do not have slime....

What about black pepper did you crave in this dish? The heat? Aroma? How come black pepper? Is that too much curiosity?

My friend Ruth in LA, a consummate gourmet if I know one.... has trees of avocadoes ( I am very jealous for my tree only seems to grow more leaves.. no fruit yet.. 6 years later) and she got me used to spreading avocado with sel de mer on toast for breakfast. I add some lime juice and cayenne. It is better than butter on toast...

I think we are 24... since Damian's Ann would like to come with Damian. Am I correct? And I think we could add some more... Lets keep limit at 30.

Jinmyo I also have a similar recipe. I use just a very little of the avocado from each half.. leaving a generous amount still attached to the peel, and cut what I take into very small pieces and mix into the salmon tartare. In the tartare I also have a tiny amount of crisp and very finely minced chilled red onions and cilantro and some mint. Lemon and lime, cayenne and some toasted cumin. Served with Jaali wafers (waffle cut potato chips, or sometimes when I am lazy, with papadum) it is very tasty and makes many happy. At times I have also added a tiny amount of hung yogurt, it makes it just a tad creamy. For that matter, Dean Willis the chef at Pondicherry at its very end, added egg yolk mimosa to the tartare. It gave the tartare an amazing color and also that richness that added a lot to the balance of flavoring. I have borrowed that trick of his and found it a great addition.

For one that loves avocadoes.. .the three posts above are making my salivary glands work overtime.

Sound wonderful. Thanks for digging...

Glad to hear that. Finally get to meet the very own eGullet Diva. I have always been amazed at your knowledge of the intricacies that define and form the Indian Sub-Continental cuisine. Would be great to put a face to the words....

I have shared a couple of Bohra recipes. One for chicken and one for lamb. What are your favorite Bohra dishes? Recipes???

You are very sweet. That is something my grandma would say.... Sone pe suhaga..... Maybe you can explain that for our non-hindi speaking members. It is a beautiful phrase. But again, I am embarassed... very embarassed...

I always knew cats were the smartest. Tommy (pussy cat), thanks for asking why I said that... I will know Tuesday of next week if I am being flown into Australia to cater this very public wedding in Middle of November. I have found a caterer in Australia that can do the wedding reception... and I can help for a minimal fee from NYC.. giving ideas and recipes... but if the host has a bigger budget, which they claim they do.. but are working on some logistics, I am told they may pay even more and have me fly down for the reception to orchestrate the details. Once I know that, I will be certain for sure that I can be here. I know I should be back by that weekend for sure.

Coming from one such as yourself, these words are taken by me very seriously. They make me humbled, embarassed and wanting to crawl under my desk and hide.. in fear that I will not deliver what everyone expects... Thanks for your encouraging words... You are very kind.

I will see what I can deliver...