Suvir Saran

Relax, As long as the sugar was well dissolved it won't turn to solution. It should be fine. It has now been in the oven a half hour... it seems to be doing just fine. Thanks for your encouraging words.

I was making Pavlova for dessert, and just realized that I made the meringue using granulated regular sugar. I had forgotten to use superfine sugar. Will the meringue come out ok? Will it be too sweet? What changes? It is in the oven already.. what can I do?

Has anyone tried canning pesto? Any tips for that if at all possible?

I always toast the nuts... no matter what I am cooking... they usually make for better flavoring. Will have to try your cilantro pesto...

I use a pressure cooker and often, with old beans or pulses, a little bakins soda is necessary. When we were in the hills in India and had hard water, Panditji or Baba or mom would soak the lentils overnight, and then cook in the pressure cooker. I know they added asafetida and salt and some turmeric as also a little baking soda. It seemed to always work. Will call her later tonight and ask for pointers, for this was a big part of our life. We spent close to a month or two in the Himalayan foothills each year. And hard water was what we had to cook with. Welcome to eGullet!

Wow! I have always had the same problem, I find the mango chutney is most Indian restaurants most offensive. It is either too sweet for my taste or fermented. Never tasty. I will have to taste it at Dakshin. I am afraid now to even try mango chutney anywhere. Thanks for the pointer. And what a pity, most Buffet services (Indian that is) serve the Naan at the buffet. Few do what Dakshin does, to bring it to the table. It was a great little gesture that did impress me. I have seen that done in smaller restaurants in NJ... but had not realized how I miss it till you mentioned it. Nothing like fresh hot naan.

I was most amazed at their assortment of salads. Indian (very few) and the many other salads. I was impressed seeing all the "banker types" eating at the restaurant and was tickled to see how they broke the ice of eating a foreign cuisine by first eating what was familiar... and then going onto eating the Indian dishes. The server at our table confirmed that the salads were a huge success. I was impressed to see some locals eating at the restaurant. Most such buffets are always frequented by people who are working in the hood. There were tables at Dakshin yesterday afternoon that were filled with neighborhood folk just enjoying the company of friends and good food. The server told me that Saag is the only item that they must prepare daily. He said many of the customers are regulars. And they have found Saag addictive. Maybe for that very reason that you and I perhaps find the smooth sauce not so interesting. Though I enjoy saag in all its many forms. My family enjoyed a smoother saag and as an adult I have begun enjoying it in its more rustic form where it is chopped coarsely and is not smooth. I must admit, a saag paneer that is not smooth is never fine enough for me. But saag by itself, is most tasty when coarse. Go figure!

Cathy, How did you find the yellow tomato chutney? How do you compare the two versions? Would you care to share your thoughts on these two versions of the same recipe? Would love to read your thoughts. Thanks for all your time.

I quartered each tomato. That was all the chopping I did. I love the skin that is left in the chutney. To me it adds great flavor and also gives great texture. In fact when cooking the cauliflower with this chutney, those skins give a great texture, tooth and flavor. And they are very pretty.

I left mine whole as well. Maybe my stirring the chutney every 15-20 minutes may have mashed them. I used whole dried red chilies that I buy at Food of India. I added t hem whole and forgot about them. Some of mine are still whole in some jars.. and in others they seem to have been mashed. Nothing was planned... They just took the form the decided to as I stirred.

I am sorry about the mistake I made the first time I posted the recipe. The sugar was off. Again, my apologies. You deserve many more jars of tomato chutney. I was worried that most people would find t he chutney too hot. I actually find my version borderline hot.. but it is certainly hot and makes your palate come alive with even a small taste. I cooked mine for a total of 2 hours. I know many Indian chefs and cooks that would do what you did Cathy and cook it longer. In fact store bought tomato chutney is far more reduced ... at least a couple of hours more than even what you did. I actually liked your more for it was even more reduced. I loved your version.... I guess the grass is greener on the other side.

Cathy, I wish I had a REAL recipe to give you. I have never seen it in recipe books from India. It is not something I even have heard my mother, grandmother or those of friends speak about. But one night a year or so ago, I found myself in a situation where I had nothing at home but cauliflower, curry leaves and some chutney. It was then that I thought of making the cauliflower with the chutney. I addes some asafetida to the oil with curry leaves and some green chilies. Then the chutney in the oil with the cauliflower. And some chutney tossed at the end. Just what you seem to have done. And it became a hit with the guests visiting from India. And strangely enough, as is usual occurence, some remembered grandma as they ate this dish. But even more strange was the fact that I am yet to know of Grandmas that actually did something like that. In India chutneys are used as condiments and in some snacks. But a dish like you made and enjoyed would never be prepared with a canned chutney. But I think it works just fine and is quite tasty. So now, I have had to add it to my repertoire.

Stellabella, Would you know how much time a sauce like that should be processed for? Can I can it without having to buy pressure controlled canning equipment? If I remember from reading other posts, you are a canner... Wondered if you would know the answer.

Thanks for the recipe and that great photograph. Will have to make some this weekend. Wow. This is very impressive!

Alert With Spices, as Indian Food Should Be By Eric Asimov $25 AND UNDER NY Times January 24, 2001, Wednesday PERHAPS no other cuisine pays as much attention to spices and seasonings as Indian, and yet so much Indian food in Manhattan is bland, as if it lacked any seasoning. So it was a great pleasure to find lively spicing that was deliciously apparent in more than a few dishes at Dakshin on the Upper East Side, a new sibling of the original Dakshin, at Ninth Avenue and 50th Street. Link to above article from the NY Times

GOOD EATING; Beyond Chutney

Dakshin 741 9th Avenue (50th Street) NYC 212-757-4545 I ate a great buffet at Dakshin. Not one for buffet, but it is the most conveninet thing to do at times. I am weary of Indian buffets, have had many bad experiences, but at Dakshin, the food was fresh, tasty and seemed endless. Does anyone else know Dakshin? Eric Asimov had reviewed it in the NY Times last year. The name Dakshin means "Southern", and the restaurant does serve several Southern Indian dishes, but more importantly serves in a no fuss setting great food and with humble service. Will write more later about todays lunch. Would love to hear what others have to say about their experiences there.

Would you mind posting on the Couscous thread what the direction was for the savory couscous you mention above? It sounds wonderful. The link to the other couscous thread that would be more appropriate for a savory version is below. Thanks for your generous post. Couscous Thread

I will try this one out and keep you posted. Thanks for the great tip.

I know what I'm having for dinner tomorrow night. I have to get a couple more tomatoes and a cucumber at the local farmer's market and I'm all set. I just had a bread baking marathon this weekend and one happens to be whole wheat. I'm making panzanella with the ciabatta for lunch tomorrow. I've been getting delicious heirloom tomatoes (I prefer yellow) the last two weeks. Sounds exciting... keep us posted... Sounds like you have all the right ingredients.

en contraire!

Priscilla, You keep very fine company with your tastes and natural instincts. A very famous NY based food writer has been gifted my tomato chutney and some other pickles and jams and preserves. And they like you, used t he tomato chutney "as heavens own special mate" for cracker and cheese. And I for one would be more than willing to be invited for such downmarket pleasures. Homely is fine for me. It excites me so much more these days.

"Welcome to the site and I hope we'll hear lots more from you." - Fat Guy I mirror the same sentiment. Welcome! Look forward to hearing and sharing in more of your experiences and thoughts. What part of the country did your friend hunt the wild boar? That must have truly been a great meal. Fork tender pork (wild boar)! Nice! I love wild boar... and certainly nothing like freshly hunted meat.

And so Bittman does state that it makes it mushy on the surface... That was all I wanted to hear. If marinating alone could cook meat... why would we bother to cook... Marination is to aid in cooking and to begin the process. And when marination is done for long periods (in some recipes for 2-3 days, you are doing just that... mushing large parts of a meat, so you can flash it in a tandoor and not have to cook for too long. Also large gashes are made in the meat being cooked like that, so the mushing happens not only on the surface on top, but also around the large slits that have been deeply placed all over. But I agree that final cooking can only take place when the meat is treated to some kind of heat.

Would that not be true about Marinades? So many well acclaimed chefs believe that the process of marination begins the cooking process for meat. Is that not true? What do chefs mean by that? Sealing in the juice is agrred a myth... but I am not certain that marinades do not cook or tenderize..... Though I am open to being educated about my perpetuating a myth... I would love to know better.