Suvir Saran

Sant Ambrose made the best Passion Fruit and Hazelnut gelato. Cones is excellent. I love their ginger as well Sandra. They used to make a Indian Tea Ice Cream that I would go and prepare with them. It was very expensive to prepare and I had a very limited supply of tea leaves for them. Have you tried their green apple gelato? It is superb. A friend just came back from Argentina and said the Gelatos they had there were even better. Now I am ready to fly to Argentina. Does anyone have good gelato recipes??? PS: I am sooo bummed that I missed my chance to taste Rachels famous mango sorbet. Is there going to be another time for those that could not do so last time??

Following is the post Simon made in the Chicken Curries thread. "My absolute fave chicken recipe is taken from a book of anglo indian recipes ( I can never remember the name of the book ) and is for Chicken korma. The recipe is the version prepared for Mountbatten and was his favourite dish. I have no idea how authentic the dish is, but it is rich and delicious and the single favourite dish when I prepare an indian meal." Ingredients ( to serve 4 ) four boned and skinless chicken breasts in 1in Chunk two green chillies chopped 1 fat clove garlic chopped 1/2 tsp turmeric Fry the chilli garlic and turmeric in a little oil until they lose their rawness ( but not until the colour ) add the chicken and cook thoroughly. Place in a heat proof dish in the oven on a low heat to keep warm. SAUCE 1 cup of ground almonds 1 pinch sugar 1 teaspoon turmeric 1 small carton single cream 1 pinch salt 1/2 pint boiling water mix all of these in a jug and leave to one side for 5 mins until the oils in the almonds begin to thicken the sauce. Finally return the chicken to a pan on a low heat, pour over the sauce and cook until the sauce is thickened. Stir in a big bunch of chopped fresh corriander and squeeze over the dish the juice of two limes. Fantastic. Give it a try Chicken Curries Thread

Mike, below I am posting a great chicken recipe for you. Really easy to make and also amazingly delicious. Will also post you the link to that Chicken Korma from Simon. TANDOORI ROAST CORNISH GAME HENS Serves 4 For the best flavor, the hens should be marinated overnight, but in a pinch, marinate 4 hours. Line the roasting pan with aluminum foil for easy clean-up. Also can grill chicken parts for how long? 2 Cornish game hens 1 tablespoon paprika 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon turmeric Juice of 1 lemon MARINADE 1 small onion 4 garlic cloves 2 inches peeled, fresh ginger 1 teaspoon ground, toasted cumin 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 3/4 teaspoon ground cardamom 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper 1/4 teaspoon paprika Pinch ground cloves Pinch ground cinnamon Pinch garam masala 1/3 cup yogurt 3 tablespoons tomato paste 1 teaspoon canola oil 2 tablespoons canola oil Lemon wedges, for serving 1. Pull and cut the skin off the hens. Make several deep slashes in the breasts and thighs. 2. Mix the paprika, salt, turmeric and lemon juice together in a bowl. Rub the mixture over the hens and then massage the birds with the spices for about 1 minute to ensure that the spices are rubbed in nicely. Set aside, covered for half an hour. 3. Meanwhile, put all the marinade ingredients in a blender and process on low speed until smooth. 4. Toss the hens in the marinade until coated. Place in a zip loc bag and marinade in the refrigerator overnight or for up to 2 days. 5. Bring the hens to room temperature by placing outside the refrigerator for an hour before ready to cook. 6. Preheat the oven to 500?F. Add the 2 tablespoons oil to the bowl with the hens and stir with a rubber spatula to coat. Remove hens from marinade with whatever marinade sticks to them. Put them on a rack in a roasting pan and roast 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and let stand 5 minutes. Cut in half and serve with lemon wedges.

TANDOORI ROAST CORNISH GAME HENS Serves 4 For the best flavor, the hens should be marinated overnight, but in a pinch, marinate 4 hours. Line the roasting pan with aluminum foil for easy clean-up. Also can grill chicken parts for how long? 2 Cornish game hens 1 tablespoon paprika 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon turmeric Juice of 1 lemon MARINADE 1 small onion 4 garlic cloves 2 inches peeled, fresh ginger 1 teaspoon ground, toasted cumin 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 3/4 teaspoon ground cardamom 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper 1/4 teaspoon paprika Pinch ground cloves Pinch ground cinnamon Pinch garam masala 1/3 cup yogurt 3 tablespoons tomato paste 1 teaspoon canola oil 2 tablespoons canola oil Lemon wedges, for serving 1. Pull and cut the skin off the hens. Make several deep slashes in the breasts and thighs. 2. Mix the paprika, salt, turmeric and lemon juice together in a bowl. Rub the mixture over the hens and then massage the birds with the spices for about 1 minute to ensure that the spices are rubbed in nicely. Set aside, covered for half an hour. 3. Meanwhile, put all the marinade ingredients in a blender and process on low speed until smooth. 4. Toss the hens in the marinade until coated. Place in a zip loc bag and marinade in the refrigerator overnight or for up to 2 days. 5. Bring the hens to room temperature by placing outside the refrigerator for an hour before ready to cook. 6. Preheat the oven to 500?F. Add the 2 tablespoons oil to the bowl with the hens and stir with a rubber spatula to coat. Remove hens from marinade with whatever marinade sticks to them. Put them on a rack in a roasting pan and roast 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and let stand 5 minutes. Cut in half and serve with lemon wedges. Note: I prefer using this recipe and carving the hens and tossing the warm meat over pre-plated salad plates. It has always been a hit at lunches and summer outdoor dinners.

Check the Chicken Korma recipe t hat Simon posted earlies this morning. I will post a link as soon as I can get to it. It sounded amazing. Maybe you can report back on the success of that recipe. It seems authentic and sooo easy to prepare. You will certainly love that dish.

Mike what do you want to try working with as you begin to experiment with Indian cooking? Meats? Veggies? Chicken? Eggs? Lentils or beans? If you can answer this, perhaps we can get you a few recipes. You may want to read the chicken curry thread and also the Keema thread. Both have some basic recipes. I will also PM you some simple recipes that I have written for my cookbook. You can play with them and give me your feedback privately. Also, are there any special dishes you have enjoyed at Indian restaurants? Maybe that can give us all an inkling about what it is that you really enjoy and crave. Maybe we can base our recipe suggestions based on that.

What is their lamb tagine like Anil? What are they preparing it with? DO you remember? By the way I bought my tagine at the Chelsea Market. I think the same vendor now has a restaurant. Is this the same place you are talking about?

Inos on Bedford street is the best. Glenn has shared my favorites above. Also the truflled toast and the asparagus bruschetta are just most wonderful. For those that have a sweet tooth, the Nutella panini is deeply addictive for those who like Nutella. I enjoy the dessert bruschettas. When in season they make them with strawberries, peaches and apricots.

I am waiting for Stevens mothers recipe. You can also make simple tandoori chicken and simply serve it atop a bed of tossed greens that have a robust dressing. The warm chicken against a bed of well seasoned greens is a great contrast in the summer. While certainly not traditionally Indian, it is delicious. I add berries in the salad and use some ginger powder, cayenne, mint and cilantro in the salad. Add these to any types of greens that you would usually enjoy. Boneless tandoori style grilled chicken breasts are great with this salad.

There are so many versions of Pasandas.... I am yet to eat the same version at any two homes or even restaurants. What is a Pasanda to you? Where did you eat it last? How did they prepare it? If you give us some frame of reference to begin with, maybe we can get you a recipe.

I loved the skate preparations I ate in Singapore. Very spicy though. They cooked the spice-rubbed skate in banana leaves on a grill. Tender, moist and brilliant in taste.

Red lentil kofte... How do you make those Rich? They sound amazing.. For that matter... your menu was grand. What a great feast you created.

Any special Bengali Dahl recipes Simon? Steven where do you eat your favorite Dal? Do you have a favorite Dal? Polly.. what are your favorite daals?

What Indian seafood recipes do you use? Where are they from? What fish do you think lend themselves best to Indian cooking?

CHICKEN AND MIXED PEPPER STIR-FRY Serves 4 This is inspired by a northern Indian street food called taka-taka – any stir-fried dish of meat, chicken or vegetable in which the foods are chopped with two large knives right on the griddle making a sound that sounds like "taka-taka". In India, we roll these in roomali rotis, which are handkerchief thin rotis, but in America I serve it rolled in warm tortillas with Mint-Cilantro chutney spooned over the inside of tortilla. 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut crosswise into 3/8-inch-wide strips 1 talespoon ground coriander 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper 1/4 teaspoon turmeric Pinch coarsely ground black pepper Juice of 1 lemon 3 tablespoons canola oil 1 1/2 teaspoons cumin seeds 1 large onion, sliced 2 inches fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated 1 teaspoon chopped garlic 2 bell peppers (use 2 different colors), cut lengthwise into 3/8-inch strips 1 jalopeno pepper, halved lengthwise and then sliced crosswise 1/4 inch thick 1 teaspoon salt 2 large eggs, whisked until smooth 3/4 cup chopped cilantro 1. Sprinkle the chicken with the coriander, turmeric, cayenne, black pepper and lemon and stir to coat the chicken with the spices. Let stand while you prepare the rest of the dish. 2. Heat the oil with the cumin in a large wok or frying pan over high heat until the cumin turns golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes. 3. Add the onion and ginger and cook, stirring, 3 minutes. 4. Add the peppers, garlic, jalopeno and salt and cook, stirring, until the peppers soften slightly, about 3 minutes. 5. Meanwhile, pour the egg over the chicken in the bowl, add the cilantro and stir to mix. Then add the chicken and egg to the wok and cook, stirring, until the chicken is cooked through, 7 to 8 minutes.

Miss J, I do what you describe and add a little sugar. It adds some moisture and then makes the nuts crisper and also helps the salt adhere. I love salty nuts.... In India we serve these most often when people come un-announced. Which is all the time. It is that easy snack without any preparation. And while the chefs prepare samosas or pakoras, the guests have a little tasty treat to nibble on. We do the same with cashews and almonds.

Simon, But in Goa they do not have lamb available. Did you know that? I e-mailed the director of the tourism board when I was working on some recipes for lamb and pork from Goa. He cleared the confusion. Goat is the meat they use. This makes it further confusing. In India mutton is used to refer to lamb and goat. But most Indians prefer to use Goat for it is leaner and they are able to find baby goat more easily. And reading this thread, I am all confused.

Simon that recipes sounds great. It seems to me to be more a Badaami Chicken than a Makhani. Badaami Chicken (Chicken in Almond Sauce) is one of the glorious recipes we have from the Mughal period. Your recipe is wonderful in that it seems easy but actually quite authentic. Can you try and get us the name of the book? It seems a good find.

Oliva and Toby, I have started a Nihari/Nehari thread. You will also find their the spice mix I use. I gave in just as I would have thought myself as doing.... Nehari/Nehari Thread

An aspirated "D" perhaps Simon? Yes my Bengali friends do say Dhaal. But the Bengalis say many words somewhat differently. My own name... Suvir is written and pronounced differently by Bengali friends of the family. They call me Shoo Bir and always spell my name as Subir. I have realized, and I may be wrong, but most Bengalis I have met do not say "v", they change it to "b". But many Indians including myself, mix their v's and w's. Similar to the Germans.

I just checked the Dal chapter and yes... we have gone with Dal. Short and savory!

Yes I use Daal or Dal as the preferred spellings. I grew up with family and friends that used Daal. But some we knew also used Dal.

Oliva and Toby, get ready for the cook book. You can find the masala ingredients in it. Some secrets have to remain till it is in print. I am accused of being far too generous. Often to my own detriment. Am learning slowly to be not as easy with sharing and giving. As for the Bhel Puri mix, it is very different from anything I would have ever expected in a Bhel Mix. I make Bhel Puri and very often. I grew up in a home where gunny sacks of the dry stuff would be used at any given Birthday bash. My mother would personally prepare Bhel for over 50 young and hungry children and then their parents and other guests. We would consume more Bhel Mix than perhaps Dimple Chaat House uses in a week. Bhel is very simple and very easy to make. And as far as I know... requires no mix. Maybe that is why the bhel Mix works well for other dishes as well. Since its ingredient list is not what one would expect or want in the Bhel Puri dish I remember from the streets of Bombay or even made by my Mom. I also remember recently that a friend from India got Bhel Mix from India. And she also brought with her sachets that had the dry stuff that makes one simple quick chutney. You add the ingredients of the sachet into water in a bowl and within seconds you have Tamarind Chutney ready. You then make your own mint or cilantro chutney and add these two chutnies to the Bhel Mix along with chopped cilantro, onions, potatoes, chopped green mango and some green chile and toss and serve. That is how simple Bhel Puri normally is.

Sandra, Several friends swear by my grilled lamb chops. Amongst them are some food writers, critics and food industry people. My tandoor has an overload when I make these. People that would eat simply 2-3 or maybe 4 of small restaurant size chops, end up eating 4-6 or more large lamb chops at parties at this home. Grilled lamb chops are amazing. They are also easy to make. I have never made them in the oven. But do make them in the tandoor all the time. And they are responsible in part for my getting some of the recognition I have recieved as an Indian caterer. If you can wait for my cook book to come out, you will find in it several recipes for lamb dishes that are exteremely falvorful, complex, easy to prepare and yet very light in fat. They are Indian home style preparations and I have changed little if any of their character. I will dig up my notes and see if I have a close to precise recipe for my grilled lamb chops. Will post it in the next day or so. When you do cook, please share with us what you made. I enjoyed your post on Rabri. It was enlightening and exciting. I felt I had eaten your Rabri. I still have fond memories of your making it. Thanks for having shared that experience online.

Sandra, Do you have a favorite lamb dish from Indian restaurants?? What is it? Maybe at the forum here we can try and get you that recipe.... Or else we can give your own home recipes...