Suvir Saran

Menu: Chicken Samosas Potato and Pea Samosas Spinach and Potato Patties (paalak aloo tikki) Cashewnut and Corn Croquettes Lamb Sausages (Seekh Kababs, called sausages to make them seem familiar to the kids) Chicken Sausages ( Seekh kababs ) Creamy Ginger Grilled Chicken (Malai Kabab) Naan Potato Kulcha (Potato stuffed flatbread) Onion Kulcha Chicken Biryaani Daal Makhani Cucumber Raita Mint Chutney Cilantro-Yogurt Chutney Tamarind and Date Chutney Tomato Chutney Mango Lassi Orange Blossom Lemonade Chai Iced Tea

Thats a shitload of lassi, Suvir. And correct you are Jason. It was 5 gallons. I typed a zero when I should not have. When is Nina when we need her most? She would have certainly caught this typo. I am sorry... It was 5 gallons.. and what great Lassi. Perfect for a summer afternoon in the Hamptons. I enjoyed drinking it even as I worked as the caterer. I never eat when I cater.. but I made a rare decision to quench my thirst, normally I never drink or eat when working. I ended up drinking two glasses... The power of good Alfonso pulp.

Adam, I have only ever seen the pomegranate concentrate in bottles and tasted it in certain Middle eastern dishes. It find it more sweet than sour. And also used often for coloring. I simply used dried seeds that are crushed. They are not sweet and amazingly sour. Most Indian stores will sell them as Anaardana. Try them, they are easy to use and would never make a dish too sweet or dark.

How did y ou like your recipe with the ghee and tomatoes???

To get you started and thinking... I am taking with me 50 gallons of Mango Lassi. Do you think that will be enough???

I am catering a Tea Party later today in Bridgehampton. (4PM - 8PM) It is primarily for kids and their parents. There are going to be around 20 kids and 10 adults. What would you serve for a party like this? Are there any dishes in particular you think would work best for kids? Remember, the theme is Indian, and the foods have to be Indian... Want to take a guess as to what I served? I will post the menu after I am back from the party...

Anaardaana (Pomegranate seeds) is powdered and used in several recipes to add sourness to them. It is another ingredient used in Indian cooking to make recipes sour. What are your favorite recipes that use this?

Does anyone else use Amchoor? I love using Amchoor in some of my lentils and also in a lot of my vegetarian stir-fries. Amchoor (dried mango powder) is a great Indian ingredient. And a great souring agent. It works amazingly well for dishes where you want to keep the liquid to a minimum. It is easily found in Indian stores.

Exactly what we try and achieve in Indian food as well. In India we tend to use more Malt Vinegar.

I love Tamarind too. What brand of concentrate do you use? What are your favorite recipes (Indian or others) that you make using this?

If you want to make your own chutneys, you can find recipes on the link below. Chutney Thread

Wow! Thanks for sharing that detail. Amazing how rich the Persian culture is. Indians have absorbed some of our best traditions from the Persian influence over our past. I have heard of similar feeding rituals at Indian weddings. Again for the same reason. But never knew of these berries. Thanks!

Thanks Adam. We do find these berries in India. And unfortunately we do not use them in much of the cooking ones does today. I asked my grandmother, and she remembered them, said she even ate them as a kid, but did not know one would use them in recipes, but can understand why one would want to. She said they are quite tart and otherwise flavorless. What pretty berries they are. Where do you find them? Do you get them dry?

I just checked my store bought Tamarind Date Chutney bottle and it too is from Deep.

Tamarind Date Chutney sold at the Indian stores is Superb! In fact it reminds me of the best Bhel Puri I have ever eaten in India. It used to be from a street side vendor in South Extension (Part I) market. The vendor would always make the chutney with dates. And his Tamarind chutney was very sweet. He would add Tamarind Date chutney, cilantro and mint chutney, a garlic chutney, a green chili water (basically a very runny chutney) and fresh chopped green mangoes when in season to the addition of onions and boiled potatoes and fresh chopped cilantro. The Deep "Bhel Mix" comes with Papri (wheat crisps) in it. It is excellent. And if you make Bhel using this mix with the Tamarind Date Chutney and Cilantro chutney, you do not need to even add any more salt.

I swear by Bhel Mix by Deep. It comes in a 14oz.red plastic bag with yellow and blue stripes and Bhel Mix written in Blue. You can find this is most Indian stores. Or order from some of the online Indian grocers. If you want you can check out the website listed on the back of the package. It is as follows: www.deepfoods.com

What are barberries? Dried limes are used by some. Not very often.

Indian dishes have a very complex flavor profile. The depth of flavoring depends on many different tastes coming out of one dish. One of the basic such flavor is sour and so, many Indian dishes have at least one souring agent in them. It is rare but not uncommon to find dishes with no such agent. Souring agents play a very important role in Indian cooking for with the addition of the hot, sweet and bitter, sour is a pleasant companion. Souring agents are more commonly found in the traditional cooking of the Hindus. The few Mogul and Moslem dishes where one easily finds sour ingredients are those that evolved from a rich fusion of the Hindu and Moslem traditions as in the most amazing cuisine of Hyderabad.

Thinking more about what spices, herbs or ingredients are used in Indian cooking to give certain colors, below is a list.. Please add to it. Garam Masala Powder – when fried for a minute or two browns and can add a brownish tinge to certain sauces. Onions – when browned to a nice dark color using very little water for the frying gives any dish a nice dark color. If you do not add tomatoes, this will certainly give a very nice dark brown color. Cumin and Coriander powders – When toasted and fried for a few minutes over a low flame will help creating a brown color. Ripe red tomatoes – Will give a nice red color when used by themselves, will give a nice pink-salmon color if used with yogurt. Cilantro – When ground and added to dishes will give a nice bright green color. It is very important to not overcook cilantro-based sauces. Cilantro will brown very easily. Spinach and Dill and Mint are used for the same goal. Red Chilies (Kashmiri Chilies) – These will add a nice reddish-brown color to a sauce. Adding the whole chiles will give flavor, but the powder is what adds the color. The trick to know is to add the powder to the hot oil, fry for a couple of seconds and then add a teaspoon of water. This keeps from the chile powder from burning and becoming brown and also makes the color bleed and become brighter. Saffron – Saffron will not always make a sauce yellow, in fact it is closer to a pale orange color. More like that of the inside of a peach or even the skin of certain apricots. When used with the addition of milk or yogurt, it can become more yellow. Turmeric – Is used in Indian cooking for the bright yellow color you would see in many dishes. It is important to understand that too much turmeric can kill most all other spice flavors. A little turmeric goes a long way. Cockscomb flower petals are used also in some recipes to add red color to dishes.

Sweet & Sour Tamarind Sauce (Imlee kee Chutney) 6 tablespoons of Tamarind Pulp (Tamco) 3 1/2 cups boiling water 1 1/2 tablespoons cayenne pepper 2 tablespoons lemon juice 1 teaspoon ginger powder 1 teaspoon ground roasted fennel seeds 2 teaspoons ground roasted cumin seeds 1 teaspoon garam masala Salt to taste 1/4 cup crushed Jaggery In a bowl soak the tamarind in 3 1/2 cups of boiling water. Let soak for a half hour. Strain the liquid into another bowl. Add all the spices into this juice and bring it to a boil over a medium flame. Remove from flame and cool completely. The sauce can be stored in the refrigerator for a few days. It is great with Samosas, with papadums and as a condiment with most Indian meals.

Lucknowi Chaat (chaat papri) 1 small package of whole-wheat tortillas 1 16oz. can of chickpeas, nicely drained to wash away the canning juices 3 large red potatoes, boiled and cut into 1/4 inch cubes 32oz. Container of homestyle Plain Yogurt 2 inch piece of ginger root, julienne finely Tamarind-Date Chutney Black Salt to taste Salt to taste 1 tsp Sugar 2 tsp Chaat Masala 4 tsp toasted cumin powder 1 tsp cayenne pepper. Optional 4 green chillies, chopped finely, optional 1 cup of chopped fresh Cilantro Sprouted mung beans or French lentils, optional Lemon juice, only if using sprouts Canola oil In a deep frying pan or wok pour enough oil to fill it to a depth of 1 1/2 inches. Using a long sharp knife cut the tortillas into 1/2 inch squares or bite sized diamonds and set aside. When the oil is hot (375 degrees F), drop a handful or two of the tortillas into the oil. Fry till golden brown in color and drain on paper towels. Do the same with remaining tortillas and when done let cool till the wafers are crisp. In a mixing bowl whisk the yogurt, black salt, sugar, salt, cayenne pepper, chaat masala, 2 tsp. toasted cumin and a quarter cup of the cilantro greens. The yogurt mix should feel like a light pancake batter consistency. Dilute with milk if needed. Set aside. In a serving platter or individual salad plates arrange the tortilla crisps, chickpeas and potatoes as you feel like. I often like to dip some of the crisps into the yogurt mix and arrange them loosely around the plate or platter. When you have used all the crisps, potatoes and chick peas, divide the yogurt mix equally over each plate or over the platter. Sprinkle the top of each plate or the platter with generous splatters of the Tamarind-Date chutney. Sprinkle the cumin powder on this and garnish with the ginger and cilantro. If using the sprouts, toss them with a little salt and lemon juice. You can arrange these on the rim of the plate or on the sides of the platter.

Dahee Aur Aloo Kee Chaat (Potatoes in a tangy yogurt dressing) 2 potatoes scrubbed, boiled & cooled 1 onion finely chopped 1 tsp. coriander leaves finely chopped 1 tbsp. tamarind chutney 1 tsp. green chutney (mint or cilantro or mix of both), more to taste 1/2 teaspoon red chilli powder, more to taste 1 teaspoon toasted cumin powder, more to taste salt to taste 1 tbsp. sev 1/2 cup plain yogurt, whisked and chilled 1. Slice unpeeled potatoes into rounds about 1/4 inch thick. 2. Arrange side by side in a large very shallow dish. 3. Pour curds to cover all rounds. 4. Drizzle both the chutneys all over. 5. Sprinkle chilli powder, salt, cumin all over. 6. Garnish by sprinkling coriander, sev and onions all over. 7. Serve cold.

Dahee Aur Aloo Kee Chaat (Potatoes in a tangy yogurt dressing) 2 potatoes scrubbed, boiled & cooled 1 onion finely chopped 1 tsp. coriander leaves finely chopped 1 tbsp. tamarind chutney 1 tsp. green chutney 1/2 teaspoon red chilli powder 1 teaspoon toasted cumin powder salt to taste 1 tbsp. sev 1/2 cup plain yogurt, whisked and chilled 1. Slice unpeeled potatoes into rounds about 1/4 inch thick. 2. Arrange side by side in a large very shallow dish. 3. Pour curds to cover all rounds. 4. Drizzle both the chutneys all over. 5. Sprinkle chilli powder, salt, cumin all over. 6. Garnish by sprinkling coriander, sev and onions all over. 7. Serve cold.

Sookhe Aloo Gobhi Kee Chaat (Potato and Cauliflower Chaat) 2 potatoes scrubbed & boiled 1 small cauliflower 1 tsp. coriander finely chopped 5-7 mint leaves finely chopped 1 tiny green chilli finely chopped 1/2 tsp. chaat masala salt to taste 1/2 tsp. lemon juice 2 tbsp. oil Do not peel potatoes. Cool and chop into chunks. Clean and break cauliflower in medium sized florets. Dip in boiling hot water for 5 minutes. Drain and keep aside. Heat oil in a heavy pan. Fry chunks of potato and cauliflower some at a time. Fry to a crisp golden brown. Drain and keep on kitchen paper to soak excess oil. Take all ingredients in a large bowl. Add fried piece of potato and cauliflower. Toss with a fork till pieces are well coated with seasoning. Serve immediately.

Chutney Sandwiches are a great summer treat. Chutney Sandwich recipe