Suvir Saran

Are you telling me you do not follow this forum closely?!?!?!? Just kidding! Tommy, there are several Indian recipes that employ wet pastes. In fact, at the Indus Supermarket in Dallas this evening, the owner showed me a wet grinder. These grinders are imported from India. They look like your usual food processors, or at least similar and instead of being made with plastic or metal, they have the addition of stone. The wet pastes, curry pastes if you will, are ground in these and then used to make curries. Did you follow the chicken curry thread? That has several recipes. The lamb thread also have many recipes. I will also send you in your PM a few recipes that use wet pastes. These will be for your eyes alone. For they are a part of my cookbook. I need to keep some recipes hidden. I am not one that is very secretive. Your method of making a curry seems just perfect. Not much I would do differently. But then that is but one way of making a curry, there are many other ways. Browse around the Indian forum, you will get many of your answers hidden around here. So many members have been exceedingly generous and posted many of their recipes. You will find them very inspiring and also great to work with.

What do you call Chicken Tikka Masala? Chicken curry? Vindaloo? Are those dry curries??

I love that place. And some of my Afghani friends swear by it. Yes the rice is amazing.

Loomi for those sultry days in NYC or even Delhi.

Again... for the third time in just a few hours you have said what I wanted to... Stop it Steve! I have always wanted to know these answers...

Oliva I agree that comments like that are very damaging. In fact that is exactly why I would not want to call those words that made me sad and I can see they had a similar affect on you, mean words. They are damaging words. In appropriate, poorly timed and out of place. I am certain they are misplaced here, as they would be on any thread. And it is not being magnanimous, but only my effort to make the person saying these things, understand that their perspective is not perhaps based on any truth. If I would have been silent and only reacted in a fashion similar to the way those poor words were posted, I too would act foolishly. I owe it to myself; this site and generous members like you to let someone that is casting misguided aspersions against us to know better. It would be a shame if a member acting so coarsely thinks of our silence as even very remotely being one of acceptance. That would be a shame. I would have been happier never having seen those words. But since they are uttered, and we are a free speech site, it is also up to us to put those words in a logical and fair place. I have no place for them in my interaction with eGullet. And I am glad to see that you feel the same way. Now A caped chef knows there are others that were not in agreement with their way of thinking.

Absolutely! This is a site for any and all food lovers. That is all it claims to be. Those that give it labels do so on their own whim and fancy. If it had any label attached about what market it catered to, Oliva, I would never be on this site. I am here for as you so correctly say, it is the site where food lovers leave prejudice, bias, egos and baggage for the most part, and share what they love and are affected by in the realm of food and food memories. You said it as I too believe it to be true.

Steven, this is the second time today that you have put words in my mouth.

Unless of course the cookbook is sharing a recipe that is reminiscent of the Raj times and then it would be necessary to have just a little touch of curry powder. But yes, no self-respecting Indian chef would ever want to use Curry Powder.

Cause they had both and used both Tommy. They did not have to choose one over the other.

My comment was not designed to say that butter and or cream (or any other fat for that matter)should not be used. I also was not asking if you prefere to use sweet or salted butter in ones cooking. I understand being a great pastry chef as a few of you are here on eGullet that fat is an indespecicible commodity to your foods. You work by formulas,and have little leeway to change it. Perhaps my posting my original question about the use of fat Etc should have been more specific to the % of people curious. The top chefs who use butter (as I do also) are aware of all the alternitives out there..I turn to butter for choice for so many things,but also enjoy the oppurtunity to spread my wings and indulge myself and my guests in different options A caped chef, I really did not even think you could be offended by those words. I would have never picked those lines. But there is the proof that we are all so different. I still do not think those lines were meant to negate your point. In fact, they just take the debate into a logical next step, to share another perspective on what was shared thus far. So, again, I really would urge you to not take anything personally. We need you chefs to debate and share with us every side of such issues. Only then can those of us that are not professionals in this world of food, have a chance to learn.

A caped chef, Why such a post? I am with Jaybee and certainly many others that enjoy the wealth of information shared by professionals like Steven Klc, Polly, Wingding, Chefette, yourself and countless others. It is a treat for those like me who are chefs by interest. Also, I have read through this thread and found no reason for you to feel like you are not being respected. Maybe you have read into something that is not apparent to those of us that are not trained chefs. And unfortunately, we may be in the majority here. Please, do not read between the lines, or even try and bring form to what may not even exist between the lines if you really do not look way too deep. Maybe you can think calmly, realize that Jaybee and I and many others love seeing trained chefs debate with us and around us and share with us their unique perspective that also helps us understand a lot of what we often learn just by trial and error and often by instinct. We have immense respect for chefs and others that work hard in kitchens that feed hungry and wanting minds and palates like ours. We have no ego... We have pride in being lovers of food. We disagree and we do it with care. We agree and we do it as anyone would. We choose to disagree and still find it in ourselves to find comfort in what we collectively decide as being the best for a larger goal=the site and the collective best of our fellow members. Knowing this, after some given challenges, we have mostly always found it in us to move on in grace. Like all things in life, we have our moments, of both grace and when we lose some, but largely, we are a motley crew with an interesting mix of butter, cream or even oils of many different kinds, that have realized that while we may be somewhat different in form and spirit, we are able to add that little zest to life that makes people smile. In knowing that, even in our differences, we most often find the common ground and move on with a smile. I am sorry you felt the way you did. I cannot deny you that. But I also wanted to share with you my unique perspective on this thread alone. I did not see any friction or ego or verbal bashing that could deliberately hurt another. Please do look at all of this with a new perspective. Maybe you will find a way of looking at things from another side. Maybe then, your feelings may not feel as hurt. Maybe they would feel not hurt at all. And we can all move on from that point, and again, share and debate and talk about all those wonderful food related things that bring so many of us together. The professionally trained few and the larger amateurs but still amazingly food-centric majority.

Every Indian home has their own recipe for such Chonks/Tadka/Baghaar or Chaunka. Daals are the most common dishes where these tempered oils are used as finishing garnishes. Some dishes employ their application both at the begining and end of cooking. These are also used in the making of chutneys. Coconut chutney is one such example. I make a lamb stew which I finish with a garnish of a tadka. Kadhi, a famous yogurt and chickpea flour based sauce served with chickpea flour dumplings is famous across the north. A somewhat similar but yet very distinct Kadhi is also made in Gujarat, both of these employ the finishing with a Tadka.

What is Western Hari Krishna? What is Korma?

Thanks for putting words in my mouth Steven. I could not have said them better myself.

ShawtyCat, Oliva suggests Zebra Basmati as her favorite.. Give it a try when you can find it... I will certainly be doing the same.

I think the Basmati in the supermarkets it is the real thing. Is it the best you could find? Not certain it is. But I am quite happy with most I find around the country. I prefer Pakistani Basmati rice. It somehow is better in the US in comparison to a lot of the Indian rice one finds. But I never make finding a particular brand an issue. I would be happy getting it easily. When in a store that has choice... Go for the Pakistani one. I think Oliva had given us her favorite brands... try buying those if you can find them easily.

You would be surprised to know how many dishes around the world call for Curry Powder. It shocks me. And even more shocking is how many people seem to find it a glorious and most amazing addition.

Bingo Again! Bux you are right on target... One does wonder. And so many do not. Or do they? But simply do not speak aloud... but if that is the case, how would we ever know? Russ did bring out a very important point. Most salient.

It indeed is beautiful and thanks for your generous posts and recipes Oliva... I am inspired by you.. and it clearly seems evident I am not alone. Look forward to your recipes for the Kheer and Firni.

I cannot agree with you more. Even after my post above, I was still contemplating what you said and how well you said it. Across the world we have become easily fooled by that which is silver coated and disguised. Many a times we are even swayed to believe what comes disguised in ways we have given great credibility and social status to. But that still cannot hide the bias. It is us being blind to reality. But the skeletons are there and just hidden, even if in some deep dark dungeon.

it does not eliminate bias, it merely disguises it, so you don't know whose biases you're reading. having been an anonymous restaurant critic at one point, i can say that it is extremely uncomfortable. all critics (or raters ... see the great book on Loiseau) have their biases. there is no such thing as an objective reality when it comes to dining. what readers need to know is who the critics are and what their biases are so they can judge for themselves. Bingo! Thanks for that honest paragraph Russ! Michelin guide, Zagat, every food critic, even diners, all carry their own prejudice and biases. You are so right. We need to know who is writing and that makes for a much better review. I would rather read a review by a writer I can find out something about than read a guide be it Michelin or Zagat or any other.

It would get my attention anywhere. It could be my opera. I would be happy humming tunes as I ate it, several servings over the period of time that the Opera would have needed my attention. I love sweets that much.. and that photograph you share, and every detail you provide makes it seem just so enticing. I can easily imagine this cake of yours being my favorite in any assortment. It seems to me like it would taste amazing, your own reputations are those that would make me easy believers and also it photographs so beautifully. Thanks for sharing.

Steven, we need more like you to get people familiarized with these different ingredients. Too many people think nothing of overwhelming others too the very bold flavors of these perfumes. But when worked in the way you explain, it would be almos a fool hardy way of making people convert. In fact one could easily see people wanting to know more about such exotic ingredients.

Do you know what the preserve tastes like? Where is it from? Thanks for sharing this. Tis Romanian! Its just I love Sahadis from the day I walked in there for the first time...and the owner is such a decent standup kinda guy I have a personal pleadge to plug his shop all I can. Havent tasted it....its got sugar...nono for me *sigh* I love Sahadis as well. Wish I was not as lazy about going to Atlantic avenue. There are two great stores opposite one another. Sahadis and Oriental Baker. Oriental Bakery has the best Basboussa and other Middle Eastern sweet. It is my own little bit of paradise in NYC.