Suvir Saran

Below we have a thread on cookbooks from before. It may be of interest to you all. Cookbooks

I just realized that we had another thread on mangoes. It was in the other thread that Vivin had shared the information about his favorite mangoes. I had been thinking that I was dreaming about him having done so. And now, after doing a search, many weeks later, I found it. Here is the link

Sookhe Murgh Parsinde is the hindi name. Or some even call them Chicken Cutlets.

Thanks Rozrapp!

Dum Pukht dishes come from the Oudh region of Northern India. The area that Mughal Cuisine could call its birthplace. Yes many homes would have that in their repertoire. IN fact in my home in NYC I make my Biryaani dum pukht with bread sealing the pan. Banjara is great in that it does have these on its menu. Even before Banjara Indian Oven had these and I am sure still has these on its menu. Indian Oven is on the UWS side. It is a great spot for a neighborhood restaurant. Do you know of it? They also happen to make the best Bhel Puri in that area and also the best Chaat Papri. And of course their Dum Pukht dishes are great. And also they serve the best Tandoori Pomfret. Uthappams are relatively easy to make. Get a hold of one of Julie Sahnis cook books. I think the vegetarian and grain cook book has a recipe. Dosai need a deft hand and a lot of practice. Uthappams are far more forgiving. And actually amazing to make for a bunch of freinds that would be willing to sit in your kitchen as you make them. Maybe you can start a thread on Baingan Bharta... and tell us how you make it. It is one of those most favorite Indian dishes using eggplants. Also maybe you can start threads on Saap Paneer or even your potato curry. All seem like dishes that would bring lots of interest from other members as well.

Haggis, You write so beautifully and with such passion. Thanks for sharing that first meal you ate from the sub-continent. Indeed the orange dish could have been a thick dal or even some other curry with vegetables or even chickpeas or something. Conidments are always a great addition. Especially when eating cold meals. They make up for the lack of perfect bread. I am sure what you ate was just a cold chapati. And from having been wrapped up when it was hot, some of the condensation made it seem just a little wet. What are your favorite dishes now at the Indian restaurants you frequent? What are your favorite restaurants in NYC? What dishes do you like most at these restaurants? Do you ever cook Indian food at home?

That recipe seems fine to me.

I love hung yogurt cheese. I find it much tastier than cream cheese. And one can make great fun dips with it and enjoy with papad, chips etc.. I use a single layer of muslin and tie it tight and keep tightening it as the yogurt drains. In fact one can use it as soon as 3-4 hours from when you began draining. Muslin will let the water drain and you will loose less of the cheese. Since the fabric is very fine.

Paneer ( Indian Cheese ) * 10 cups whole milk * 1/2 cup buttermilk / yogurt (more maybe needed, so keep some extra) In a large heavy bottomed pan, bring the milk to a boil over medium heat. Stir often to ensure that the milk is not sticking to the bottom of the pan. When milk starts to boil, lower heat and add the buttermilk and stir until the milk starts to separate into curds. Remove from heat as soon as this happens. You can even add a few ice cubes to the curd-whey mix. The heat will make the protein tougher. Hence the need to expose the cheese to as little heat as possible. If the curds are not forming, add a little more buttermilk and cook for a couple of minutes more. And do the above as soon as the curds form. Pour the curds-whey mix into a collander lined with several layers of cheese cloth or even a layer of muslin, draining onto a dish that will collect the whey. Collect the sides of the cheesecloth or muslin and tie them up together and twist gently to help drain the whey from the curds. Place the bundled curds on a tray and press this bundle with a heavy pan/container or obejct. Make sure this heavy weight covers the bundle fully. To make cheese for dessert recipes or for koftas or even a bhujia (scramble), weight it down for no more than a half hour. For recipes where cheese cubes are used, weight the bundle down for an hour or more. This will make the cheese form a firm mass that can be cut into neat cubes. Note: I use buttermilk as it makes for cheese that has very little sour flavor. People use lemon or vinegar, these curdle the milk quickly but leave a strong aftertaste. This aftertaste is not nice when making desserts with cheese. Try and use the cheese the same day as you make it. The more time it is kept the dryer it becomes and the harder it will be. When making soft cheese for desserts. Weight it down for a shorter time as I write above. You can leave more moisture in, if you know you will not use it till the next day. The cheese will get dryer in refrigeration. For firm cheese, you can make the firm cube and store it overnight in chilled water. But you cannot put the cheese in water until a firm with all the whey drained is formed. So, first make your cheese cube, and if you are not using it the same day, immerse it in a container of water, seal with a cover and cut only when ready to use into smaller cubes.

Thanks Ellen! That was the most moving piece of writing on egullet yet. In my perspective. Thanks! If you were in front of me as I read it, I would be looking at you with tears. The recipe I posted above was from our friend Mary Ann Joulwan. Lebanese Christian. And her recipe seems very close to yours. At least in the way she speaks about it..and the addition of water. Also she told me last night that "No one ever removes the skin". "We all need roughage Darling". She went on to explain how the skins will add more texture.. but in making it in a blender it hardly mattered. And why lose any nutritional value those little skins might have. But above all, Mary Ann has your feeling about the region. She speaks of miscreants on all sides dividing the people. But food and culture when entertained as you so beautifully share build bridges that are not difficult to have only if those that care could govern the politics of the region. She and I had spoken about the addition of bakind soda. I had asked her if she wanted me to add that to my recipe. She had said no. In her family, as also in most Indian homes, they never add baking soda to beans and peas. They cook them the little longer period but avoide adding more soda. It is not very good for the "elders" or for those with hypertension. "But, sure, if you want to hurry, do it". I have heard the same from my grandma about lentils, beans and chickpeas. The professional chefs would add soda to save time. Home chefs would not for they care about the healthful aspects of food as well. Your addition of pine nuts sounds wonderful. Thanks for sharing that great tip. Would you have a recipe for a great baba ganouj? Does that deserve a thread as well? Thanks Ellen! Your post has enriched my weekend like nothing else could have.

Yikes! That's a good piece of info to know... thanks! But it is all old wives tales that we rely on here. These are stories or facts... call them whatever you may choose to... but most Indians grow up hearing about these and thus when we cook, it is natural for us to take such intricacies in our stride. And it is sad that many ethnic chefs do not elaborate on these little details. For they take them as being so basic. But to those foreign to that culture, these basics are far from basic. Do browse the Indian forum. You will find lots of such details there... and also if you ever have questions about spices, post them there... maybe with the collective knowledge that forum has from those in the know about these foreign spices, you may find more information than you ever thought possible about these little ingredients. In their small form, they carry much potency.

JD, I will look at my files and see if I can find you a recipe for making plain rice. Yes there are simple and fool proof methods for making rice on the stove top. They are easy and great. Let me see what I can find that I have tested and written already.

Thanks for sharing the microwave method with us JD. I am sure it will be used by many of us. It really is so simple. And if it is fool proof... why not use it. Do you mind starting a new thread about Chilau in the Middle Eastern forum? I know nothing about that dish.. Maybe we all stand to learn about something wonderful. It would be a great treat...

Cathy, Thanks for the great recipe. It seems most appropriate. And as luck would have it I brought back great nectarines from my shopping excursion. Will make your recipe for dinner tonight. Thanks for sharing!

Blue Heron, he was refering to Curry Powder as we all know it today.

Blue Heron, At the Indian forum we have discussed the reason why spices are never added raw in several threads. The main reason is that spices do not release their flavor unless exposed to heat. With the exposure to heat they release their inert flavor and it is this flavor that can make things flavorful and also add the essential properties of those spices. Raw spices certainly have taste and flavor, but not always the most pleasant or even easy. Some raw spices can induce nausea. Fenugreek being one of them. And it just happens that fenugreek is one of the essential ingredients in the making of curry powder. Not all maufacturers of curry powder go through the extra step of dry roasting each spice and then grinding them into a powder. James Beard was smarter than most of us and thus suggested making that extra effort. It also will ensure that you get the most subtle flavoring of the spices that you add to a dish by the addition of curry powder. Raw curry powder certainly has flavor, but is far less complex and subtle than fried or roasted curry powder. I am always amazed at things people tell me about James Beard. His ways never cease to impress me. I have learned so much by reading his works and also by friendship with those that were close to him.

Chaat Masala is great with nuts. You can check out more about the spice blends and Chaat Masala at the Indian forum. In India we often also saute nuts with chile powder and some garam masala and salt. Another version is a fine powder made from fenugreek leaves (Kasoori methi) and salt and garam masala. This is great with cashews. You can get more information on fenugreek leaves at the Indian forum as well. Thanks for posting the recipe Kerouac.

Rozrapp, would love to see the recipe. Thanks! Varmint and B Edulis, many thanks for sharing your thoughts. I agree... With these berries in season, I must try all these recipes. I love desserts.. and I am sure I will enjoy each of them.

I think it is the mayo and the chutney. Cumin has little if any color. It would add some brown specks if toasted. But that would be the only color it could ever add.

Homemade mayo and mango chutney... maybe those two can make the salad yellow.

SIMPLE LENTIL DAL WITH CUMIN AND CHILES Moongee Kee Dal Makes about 4 cups This simple dal recipe is prepared almost daily in most northern Indian homes. Once you feel comfortable cooking the original recipe, try variations. Made as is, this dal is fairly thin, which is the way I like it. If you like a thicker texture, whisk the dal after the lentils are cooked to break the lentils up into a puree. DAL 1 cup moong beans (split yellow lentils), picked over and, washed and drained 1 teaspoon turmeric 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste 3 to 4 cups cold water TARKA 1/4 cup ghee or canola oil 1 teaspoon whole cumin seeds 2 whole, dried red chiles 1 teaspoon chopped garlic 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste Juice of 1/2 lime 1. For the dal, wash and drain the lentils. Put the lentils in a large saucepan with the turmeric, 1 teaspoon salt and 3 cups water. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer, covered, until the lentils crumble when you touch them, 20 to 30 minutes. Add another cup of water during cooking if needed; the lentils should be covered with water throughout the cooking. When the lentils are cooked, taste for salt and add more if you need to. 2. For the tarka, heat the ghee or oil in a small frying pan or kadai over medium-high heat. Add the cumin seeds and cook, stirring, until they turn a light brown color, about 1 minute. Add the whole dried red chilies and garlic and cook, stirring, until the garlic no longer smells raw, about 30 more seconds. Remove the pan from the fire and add the cayenne and a few drops of water to stop the cooking. 3. Transfer the dal to a serving bowl, add half of the tarka and all of the lime juice, and stir to blend. Then pour the remaining tarka over the top. Serve hot.

Thanks Polly! I will post after this a very basic dal recipe. You can use it with most kinds of dals. It is your very basic recipe that you would find prepared for daily consumption.

Will PM you the chicken biryani recipe now. Just for your eyes... You will enjoy the sweet pepper biryaani. Try it. The cook book manuscript it due publisher this fall. The book will be in the stores next fall.

That was a great recipe you posted FG! Thanks for sharing it with us. It sounds amazing. Wow! Lots of black peppercorn in the recipe. Telling of your mothers good taste. Black pepper was once the most prized spice in the world. Apricot preserve sound great. In fact in Himachal Pradesh in India, they use apricots with chicken. In fact even in Kashmir they use apricot with chicken and lamb. It is fascinating to read your mother pair similarly.

Never too late for good things! As I said.. I will buy more to play around more with Blueberries... Thanks for sharing the link Blue Heron!