Suvir Saran

Dimple chaat and eGulleteers Dimple Chaat thread

Street food refers to food one would easily find on the streets of different Indian cities. I am sure you understood that... Sorry if I am being too anal retentive here. That was not the intent. Indian street food is very different from what you will find in the US. Indians will eat dishes that require great tactile fingers for their consumption with very little care. Years of eating these dishes has trained their hands to be able to eat them with the most humble and mediocre utensils. Indian street foods change from region to region. They can be deep fried, steamed, stews, lentils and rice, breads that are stuffed, can be chaats, can be things as simple as grilled spice-rubbed corn on the cob. All depends on the season and region. Several threads have explored Indian streed foods. I will attempt to find you links and pertinent details. I am sure the other members will have tons of feedback as well. If you ever find yourself in NYC.. go to Dimple Chaat, they serve several of the Indian street food dishes from one location.

How do you make your Aloo Bhaji? What mangoes do you use? Another recipe that sounds very nice. Would you mind sharing recipe with us?

Aloo koda? What is that? kaddu is the hindi word for Pumpkin. I am sure in one of the many regions it is called Koda. Where did you find this recipe? It sounds fun. What did you read about this dish? Care to share? I am really intrigued now. PS: And as stated above.. Aloo is hindi for potato.

Aloo is the word for potatoes in Hindi. I have never cooked potatoes and pumpkins in Indian cooking together. Not sure what to say here. What did you have in mind? what did you want to do with the two of these together?

Link to some Fattoush history and recipes

Where do you find your favorite fattoush recipe served? Do you have a recipe you want to share? Any Fattoush recipes? My friends Jihan and Mary Ann who are both from Lebanon laugh when I speak in higg praise of Fattoush. To them it is nothing more than a clever way of using stale Pita bread.

On Wednesday of this last week, I had the best Fattoush ever. It was at the Fountain Cafe on Atlantic Avenue, Brooklyn. The chef had chopped everything really very very small. Almost like juliennes that had been chopped further. Even the cruncy pita bread was chopped that fine. It was the most amazing salad I have ever eaten. Our server who has been working there for a long time, promised me that they would make it for anyone t hat ever came asking for it. It is not on the menu, but for those that ask for it, they prepare it willingly.

I have had it at other restaurants where they have served a chopped salad with onions, cucumber and lots of tomatoes tossed in chile and lemon juice and sometimes even chopped parsley. But the Zaytoon sauce like salad was very different and really very tasty. It makes me wonder which one is really more authentic. Not that it matters, for in the end.. what tastes good is good enough.. I am curious if one could be called something else.

Is there even a dish called "Turkish Salad" made in Turkey? I had lunch at Zaytoons at Smith Street in Brooklyn today. They served a delicious Turkish Salad. More like a spicy tomato sauce that is not too smooth. I actually love that dish and go back for it often. It has a very strong flavoring of cumin in it. How is Turkish Salad usually prepared? Is there an authentic recipe? A favorite restaurant where you eat it? A cookbook from which you have used the recipe?

What is most interesting to me is to see Rose ask for the use of White Lily flour for all her biscuit recipes. I always thought it was only the Southern chefs that made a big deal about it.

Rose uses butter and heavy cream both for her recipe for Butter biscuits. She does say you could use buttermilk instead of heavy cream or use a combination of both buttermilk and heavy cream. In fact, Rose also uses the boiled egg yolks in her recipe for Butter Biscuits. She begins her chapter on Biscuits and Scones with the famous "Touch-of-Grace- Biscuits". This is the Corriher recipe that I believe Nathalie also had used and is famed to be one of the best Biscuit recipes from the South.

Mirchis ragda while not authentic to the Maharashrian style, is more UP style and authentic at that and very tasty. I also happen to like their pattice (note spelling). The founding owners wife is a Parsi and so they have lived with this stuff. I also love Mirchis bhel puri and several other chaat dishes.

Cocktail Samosas with a mint chutney are excellent. You can make them with home-made patti (pastry) or even use wonton skins or even phyllo. The stuffing can be a simple potato and pea mix with coarsely ground and toasted cumin and coriander seeds, lemon juice, cayenne and salt. Chopped cilantro is a must in this stuffing. If you do not make them yourself, you can also find them available in Indian stores in the frozen goods section. These can be deep fried or even baked. And most people would bless you for serving these even if not made by yourself.

You can make a chunky Falafel kind of fritter that has lots of coarsely chopped herbs in it and also scallions, onion and chiles. Fry these or if you check the thread on Falafel in the Middle Eastern forum, Jason Perlow has shared a baking technique that she has successfully employed. These are a nice brown color finger food and also realy crunchy. I often make these for catered events and serve them with a cross between humus and tahini sauce. I add some roasted red pepper puree and some harissa (chile condiment) into the humus and extra tahini and some orange juice and make a light and thin dipping sauce. People love the color and the subtle but apparent bite of the sauce.

Chilled stuffed grape leaves are always a big hit at parties I have catered. I only ever serve the non-meat stuffed ones. People are amazed at the tangy-and gently herbed taste of these. I stuff mine with rice, currants, onions, mint, dill, lemon juice and a pinch or two of Heinz Tomato Ketchup. I garnish the stuffed leaves with lots of freshly chopped dill. And wash each stuffed leaf with a lemon juice, sugar and chopped dill wash.

I serve tiny cakes made like crab cakes, but with potatoes and spinach (Aloo-Paalak kee Tikki). There is lots of cilantro and mint in the potato-spinach mix. Cayenne, salt, garam masala, chaat-masala and even a tiny amount of dried fenugreek leaves are perfect spicing. Shape the cakes and either deep fry them or bake in the oven. Serve these with a tamarind-date sauce. They are addictive. PS: For information on any of these ingredients, do a search and you can find the thread where they are explained. Or just browse through the Indian forum.

Ginger Grilled Creamy Chicken, cut into bite sized pieces and served with a green chile-scallion soy sauce dipping sauce. This is always a huge success at parties I cater. You can find the recipe for the grilled chicken in the chicken thread in the Indian forum.

I catered an event for kids in Bridgehampton a week or so ago... and the Corn Croquettes I made were an absolute hit with the adults. I served them with a mint-yogurt chutney. The croquettes had corn, chickpea flour, cilantro, green chiles, cayenne, onions, tiny hint of fenugreek and some garam masala.

Miny papadum with cilantro scented salmon tartare.

And for those of you interested in Vindaloo, there is a thread in the Indian forum that has a recipe. Also you can post any comments you may have on Vindaloo on that thread. Vindaloo Thread - Indian Forum

Next time try plain rice or even just some plain yogurt. Normally does the trick.

Paal is Tamil for Milk. I have asked two Sri Lankan friends about this dish. They seem to have no clue. I have checked two cookbooks I have from Sri Lanka, no clue in them about any dish with even a remotely similar name. I wish I could help here. I will go when the dush has settled some...chat with the chef.. and see from where this dish came to his repertoire. I am very curious about it myself.

STIR-FRIED MIXED SUMMER SQUASH Squash Poriyal Serves 6 There is something very summery about this dish. Even as I make it in the dead of winter, I feel cheery just looking at the colors of the two vegetables and then as I taste it, I go back to the lightness in the air of a summer morning. Before things get hot and humid. A great side dish, this is as easy to prepare as it is easy to savor. The coconut and the curry leaves give the vegetables a certain depth of flavor that would normally not be theirs. The mustard and nigella seeds give a crunch and nuttiness that takes you deeper into an exploration of how simple things do not have to be always simple in their complex flavors. This is my play on a Southern Indian take on cooking stir fried vegetables. 3 tablespoons canola oil 1 tablespoon black mustard seeds 1 teaspoon cumin seeds 12 fresh or 16 frozen curry leaves, torn into pieces 1/4 teaspoon turmeric 1/8 teaspoon asafetida 1/2 teaspoon nigella (optional) 1/4 cup unsweetened, shredded coconut 3 whole red chilies 1/2 fresh, hot green chili, chopped, with seeds 1/2 teaspoon salt 2 1/2 pounds green and yellow squash, trimmed, halved lengthwise and then cut crosswise 1/3 inch thick 1. Heat the oil with the mustard seeds in a large wok or kadai over medium-hot heat until the mustard seeds crackle, about 1 minute. 2. Add the cumin seeds, curry leaves, turmeric, asafetida, nigella coconut, dried and fresh chilies and reduce the heat to low. Cook, stirring, until the coconut begins to turn a golden brown color, about 1 minute. 3. Add the squash and turn the heat back up to medium-high. Stir to coat with the spices. Cook, stirring often, 5 minutes. Then sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring, until tender, 3 to 4 minutes longer. Taste for salt and serve hot.

Pork Vindaloo This was given to me by a Parsi friend. This family has spent many years in Goa. It is a delicious version of the simple curry from Goa that has enough life in it to be eaten just by itself and still make quite an impact on any diner. Make this with tomatoes that are so ripe they are too soft for salads. You could make this with cubed, boneless pork loin, but I like to use the bone because it adds flavor to the dish; the pieces of pork will be a bit oddly shaped. SPICE PASTE: 1 teaspoon cumin seeds 1 teaspoon coriander seeds 10 dry red chilies 1/2 inch cinnamon 8 cloves 6 green cardamom pods 10 black peppercorns 1/2 teaspoon turmeric 6 garlic cloves 2 inches fresh ginger, peeled 2 tablespoons white vinegar Juice of 1/2 lemon 1/4 teaspoon salt 4 center cut pork chops, about 1 inch thick (2 1/2 pounds), each cut in 3, bone included, and trimmed of fat 2 ripe tomatoes, quartered 2 medium onions, quartered 3 tablespoons canola oil 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste 1. For the spice paste, combine the cumin, coriander, red chilies, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, peppercorns and turmeric in a spice grinder and grind to a coarse powder. Add the garlic, ginger, vinegar and lemon juice and process to a paste. Put the pork, the spice mixture and the salt in a ceramic or glass bowl (the paste will stain plastic) and stir with a spatula to coat the meat with the paste. Cover and let marinate in the refrigerator at least 2 hours or up to 4 hours. 2. Meanwhile, combine the tomato and onion in a food processor and puree; set aside. 3. Heat the oil in a large, heavy-bottomed casserole over medium-high heat. Add the chops and cook, stirring often, for 10 minutes. Add the tomato puree and the salt and stir well. Bring to a boil. Add the 1/4 to 1/2 cup water as needed to cover the chops. Return to a boil, turn the heat down and simmer, cover, until tender, about 40 minutes. Taste for salt and serve hot with rice.