Suvir Saran

In Rabri we let a film of cream form. Remove it to the side, let more cream form and keep doing the same till all you have are layers of cream. Khoya is more crumbly.

John it gets increasingly more intricate. And you know, so many people follow these in practice. There are those like me that love knowing these rules. But plenty across the villages, smaller cities and even in areas of urban living still follow some principles given from their religions closely. These of-course are unique to Hindu cooking. My grandmother told me as a child about the relevance of the whole universe as food to each other. It was from the Upanishads that she was teaching me. Hindus believe that food multiplies. There is no other way of thinking of food. The earth we live in is food, the air we breathe is food, the space above us depends on the earth as food and the earth depends of space for food. So it shares with Hindus the importance of significance of food in a much larger order than just the culinary. It is understood then that all those that realize that food itself is dependent on food, is then the master of food. Such a person will then be able to live a life of peace, with progeny, cattle, a home and above all a brain that is intelligent and a mind that brings the person Brahman like fame. The above will share with one easily the marriage of ideology and the practical. The Hindus seem to thrive in the fluidity of things and life. And this is yet another example. An understanding of not giving more credence to either what is practical or what is ideological, but to find a middle ground that is respectful of both and takes from each that which can be of help today. There are times when one could see a clear struggle between what ideology proposes and practicality will dispose. But there is a framework that exists in contemporary India that gulfs the bridge between these polar opposites. In fact those than can understand the Hindu principles, are able find contemporary resonance that eliminates the need for practical opposition. The contemporary life in India is still new and young, and the exploration of how to thrive without losing one or the other is still being worked and successfully. In other words Hindu cooking is consistent with the larger Hindu philosophy of human beings unable to make much happen without the influence or control of the divine forces. Thus it should be no surprise to some that in the Hindu context, even raw foods can be labeled cooked. Under the Hindu conception of cooking the treating of raw foods with fire, water, milk, sun and peeling can all alter the food from being labeled as cook instead of raw. Even the word raw has its own many nuances. To a Hindu thus, what would be called raw, uncooked, or imperfectly cooked are all variations of being cooked. But for raw foods to be called cooked, one has to follow the set rules about what makes a food cooked, even when raw. To Indian cooking, there are two very different styles of cooking. One is called Banana (to make, prepare or assemble) and the other is called pakana (to ripen). They each mean to cook but have very different meanings. And then there is the confusion that is further created in the understanding that neither is only relegated to meaning cooking either. Then there are still more twists. Pakana is used more in households where meat is used. When one eats in a vegetarian or Brahman home, the word Pak will not be used. They would use ban or taiyyar (meaning ready). And then there are Vaishnav Sadhus (Holy men who believe in Vishnu) who would never use the common words that are used even in Brahman home kitchens. They ascribe to words that even a Brahman home chef may consider appropriate violent meanings. The word Kaatna is commonly used for cutting, but a holy man would rather use Amanyaa. Khaana (to eat) is the word used for the act of eating foods in most all homes, but a holy person would never use that profane word, instead they would use Paanaa (to gain by divine gift). Namak (salt) is what one would call table salt in homes, but a holy person would call it Ram Ras (The nectar from Lord Rama). There is the Pumpkin most Indians call Kaddu but to holy persons, the word is Sitaphal (fruit from Ram's consort Sita). These will explain how deeply culture and religion and folklore are still enmeshed in many a family and peoples daily lives.

Lebanese? Armenian? Greek? What makes them better? Do you like them with meat or without? Where do you get your favorite ones?

What a welcome surprise to have you back Vivin! And you never bothered to call or write me? Shame on you! YOu know how I love sweets and especially Rabri.

Helena, I have never tried it in the oven. Can you at least sear the chicken in some olive oil or ghee on the stove top and then bake it? I am not sure what the results will be. I have only ever made a tagine in a tagine and in the test kitchen in a pan on the stove top. The results were consistent and equally tasty.

Simon, What is Ghonto? And your family Panch Phoron is very different from what I was given by others. The Sarkars of Calcutta (Anand Bazaar Patrika) and others that like all proud Bengalis, claim part of the Bengali legend, use the very simple Panch Phoron that you get in Indian grocers in India and here. Yours sounds more aromatic and also pungent. Since your family uses two kinds of mustard seeds. Very interesting. Do you know if your family has its own unique style, or was that common to an entire region? This is exciting discovery. Thanks for having shared it. What I have been taught by several families and chefs is this version below: Panch Phoron (Five Spice Mix, not to be mistaken with the Chinese Five Spice Mix) Cumin Fenugreek Kalonji Seeds (Nigela seeds that many call onion seeds) Fennel Seeds Black Mustard In India some use Radhuni instead of Kalonji. It is a kind of a mustard seed but we do not get it in the US. Equal parts of each spice are mixed to create this mix. Some families use 20 percent less Fenugreek seeds to make the mix less bitter. What I also understood as a clear difference between Bengali cooking and the foods of other parts of India was the Bengali love for foods where the spices made delicate love to your taste buds. They do not like an over flirtation with spices. This is what makes it much more subtle. Am I correct in having understood that, Anil/Simon? Also what fascinated me in Bengali cooking is the usage of ground cardamom seeds in the preparation of fish. It certainly makes the cooked fish seem a little sweet and also erotically fragrant.

My experiences with Moroccan food in Paris were also much better than any in NYC. We were with a senior diplomat and his wife from Morocco. We went to places they considered authentic. But none of us could forget being haunted by the sheer simplicity of the tagines of Maison Bleu in Fes. One thing to remember about buying those decorated tagines, is that you cannot cook in them. Never. You could serve in them at best. I have been told by merchants that these have lead. If you check the link I give above, the plain terracotta color one is all you can and should ever use for cooking. A large heavy bottomed pan does just fine if you do not have a tagine. In fact, in many Moroccan kitchens in the cities, they do just that and then serve the food in tagines for effect.

Chicken Tagine with Olives 1 whole chicken skinned, cleaned and oven ready Marinade: Salt to taste 1 teaspoon ground white pepper 1/4 cup olive oil 1/4 cup melted butter or ghee 1/2 teaspoon of saffron strands, dry roasted and ground finely 1/2 teaspoon of paprika 1/2 teaspoon ginger powder 2 ripe, vine grown tomatoes, pureed 1 medium red onion, pureed 2 cups of water for cooking after marination Vegetables: 1 1/2 cups purple or green cracked olives, stoned (if making an olive tagine) 1 1/2 preserved lemons, flesh discarded and seeds removed, cut into large chunks (optional with both recipes) 2 teaspoons of cilantro leaves, chopped finely Sprinkle the chicken with salt and white pepper inside and out . Keep aside for 20 minutes. Blanch the olives by plunging them in boiling water. Leave for no more than a minute. Rinse them under running water. Drain and set aside. In a heavy bottomed pan or a large tagine plate mix all the ingredients for the marinade. Marinate the chicken in this mix for another 20 minutes. Keep stirring as you marinade to make sure the flavors get evenly distributed. Boil 2 cups of water in a heavy saucepan ( add potatoes or turnips if using at this point). Add the chicken and all the marinade to this water. Cook covered on a very low flame until the chicken is tender (approximately an hour). Turn the chicken several times to ensure that all sides soak the liquid. If necessary, add more hot water while cooking. Remove the chicken when cooked and set aside covered in foil to keep it warm. Add the olives, and the lemons if you are using them to the sauce and cook on a low flame for 10 minutes. If the sauce is too runny, raise the heat and boil the sauce for about 5 minutes to reduce it. Serve a la Le Maison Bleue with the chicken in the center of the tagine and the sauce and the olives over. Garnish with the chopped cilantro and gold or silver leaf. Cover the tagine and serve immediately. Fresh bread and harissa must be provided on the side. PS: Le Maison Bleue is one of the most beautiful, sensuous, romantic and spectacular hotel I have ever seen. It is at the entrance of the Medina in Fez and has the most beautiful restaurant in the ground level. All rooms look onto this restaurant. The owner, Mehdi El Abadi is the grandson of the Ex-Judge of that area and also an advisor to the late King. The library of his grandfather has been made into the hotel and restaurant. A lovely Moroccan lady, sadly, I forget her name, has been with the family for decades and it is she that cooks new dishes everyday. And you are served several course meals. Live musicians and dancers of the Gnawa style enchant you and fill the air with music and sounds that haunt one as they eat and also inspirit the setting with the magic of Morocco. We ate their several times. And even 2 years later, miss it very much. The November 2000 issue of Food Arts Magazine has the restaurant on its cover. For those that care to see. I did a demo with the Tagine recipe in Food Arts. They are much easier to prepare than one imagines. And the result is actually very good. Below is the link to my story on Tagines. Tagines

How could we have forgotten Lucchi. Anil, the master of beautiful descriptions, would you elaborate on that amazing bread for us. Or should we even assume it should be called flatbread?

Anil I was thinking the same. I have not heard of any Bangladeshi restaurant other than Grameen. I have not been there yet.

Simon, Bhaji as you rightly point out is simply the word for vegetables. It has been corrupted and misappropriated over the last 2-3 decades. So, today, we have issues where people are unable to understand that complexities of Bhaji. Bhajia is a name for certain vegetable pakoras and even onion pakoras. And these days, I have heard and read a new word called Bhaja. The egg dish Steve talks about reminds me of the Omelet Curry I had in Calcutta and also Delhi. A simple omelet is placed atop a stew of onions and tomatoes and spices and then the same is poured on top. Delicious! Did you ever make Lentil Sabji? Lentil Shaag? Do Piaza? Care to explain those to us Non Bengalis? What do you think of Panch Phoron spice mix? Is it as all encompassing to Bengali cooking as some claim? Do you make yours fresh or do you buy pre-mixed? Or do you even use it? Did you ever eat Puchkas in Calcutta? These are the Bengali version of Gol Gappas the street food dish? I will not go and check that link you gave. Thanks Simon.

Anil as always you are right. I make Khoya by beginning with full cream milk. Reducing it to half and while doing so, I keep scraping the sides and folding them back into the milk. At this point I raise the heat and rapidly simmer the milk as I constantly stir the milk and insure that nothing is burning as the milk evaporates. I cook rapidly till the milk has porridge or a thick polenta consistency.

Cooking as a concept in the Hindu world is not about just subjecting meats and vegetables to heat or fire. To cook in India would more generally mean to prepare the food for eating. In the traditional world of Hindu religion, they take cooking to another extreme. Cooking in that world is the creation of a system whereby you pair in a meaningful and significant manner the food and the person that will consume it. The goal of cooking is to ensure compatibility between the food and the person eating it.

That sounds perfect Sandra. And you really do not need any kewra at all. It is also called screw pine essence. You can find it easily in most all-Indian stores. But you would do fine without its addition. Pistachios are excellent as a garnish. What you remember does sound very close in consistency to Rabri. And yes, it must have been very good, so that you remember it so vividly even these many years later. Look forward to your report. All the best with the cooking.

Anil, Sweetpea was an impostor and just a very sad person. She trapped us all into believing she was real. Posted on the Indian board.. India related stuff.. And never really was serious. But this is a good topic. Shall we give it a new name? A new thread? What do Simon and you say? For that would allow us to not have her name associated with this. She said horrible things against many people. It would be best to have her not get the credit she does not deserve. Let me know.. Maybe you can start a new thread now.. Or Simon can do so.. But think about that. It would ensure that we do not cause hurt to others that are still healing from her horrible behavior.

Aaaah... and what did it mean to you and your family growing up? Any thing curious about Indian cooking and styles as compared to the other places you have been and cultures you have studied Anil? You have traveled very much it seems. Would be great to hear you compare maybe a couple of styles... Or at least share what you think makes Indian cooking different or if there is anything t hat Indians think or do differently. What role does religion play in food, or has played?

What does the term "cook" mean across cultures? Is it imply the subjection of foods to heat or fire? Or does it have other meanings as well in other cultures? What is it's unique form in Indian cooking?

Pitter, I wish I had the answer. But if I in my grandmas kitchen in San Francisco, she can get away with feeding me most anything. I think she spoiled me. She peels the fruits, cuts them into bite sized pieces and as I finish them, more are ready. Maybe that freshness and the kindness that comes laden with such love has a magic that makes the moment far superior to any other. That lack of magic makes eating fruits for the most part quite mundane. She never serves berries to me in the same way. And so, I am able to eat them without remembering her specials ways. Not sure what makes it different for you.

And I being on the masthead get zero copies in the mail. I am lucky when I can get the publisher to hand carry me some back issues. The number I gave is easy to get through to. And their subscription department is strange.

Pitter, I feel about fruits like you do. I prefer them to be freshly cut when they are served raw or alone. Deli's, buffets etc. frighten me any ways. But the fruit idea just does nothing for me. It frightens me even more.

Thanks Peter. I completely missed that fact. Yes, it is free for those in the trade.

Cakewalk, I had your reaction to Olives. And now I am changed as well. Love them.

Bamboo Shoots - Just had them last month in Singapore. They were fresh and very good. While the texture was much the same, they were even more neutral in taste than I had expected. Also they have this very subtle aroma that reminded me of bruised bamboo leaves. I love bamboo shoots and water chestnuts.

Wilfrid, My lover had the same problem with Tomatoes. His ex-lover was Italian and eating fresh mozzarella with basil, olive oil and aged balsamic changed him. Today, he loves tomatoes and also avocados, another thing he could not eat. And he loves guacamole. I make mine with onions, tomatoes, green chiles, cilantro, toasted cumin, and cayenne and lemon juice. Maybe as you try getting used to tomatoes, you can remove their seeds. Chuck says having been given tomatoes that had been cored that way, made him slowly get used to them, and now we grow them and buy heirloom ones and have them as described above. There are many Hindus that do not eat Tomatoes. They think of them as fleshy and also a reminder of blood and tragedies past.

You are divine Anil. Thanks! What city is Kailash Colony in?