Suvir Saran

Even as I commend Ms. Bhardwaj for her book and this recipe you share, I also would thank you for wonderful instruction. Some of the instructions certainly seem yours and they sound wonderful. "Add some water and lower the heat and cover the kheema tightly till its cooked or you get bored."

Vikram, interesting you mention this one, I have it in two versions in my cookbook that is now in production. The recipes are delightful and to the surprise of family and friends from India, easy to prepare, at least in an American kitchen and also very light on fat. Mint and cilantro just are wonderful as keema additions. I do not enjoy lamb much, but was really happy eating mint and cilantro keema (Hara Keema) as we would call it in the North. The recipe I have is from Eastern UP. I have Monica Bhardwajs book that you mention. Must try this keema. Thanks for mentioning this particular recipe.

BBhasin, I add some kasoori methi if I am adding finely cut cauliflower. It also goes very well with this version. Learned from the Punjabi side of my family.

I have no access to your books at this point.. .my books and I are temporarily separated. Would it be too much to ask if you can share the process if not the entire recipe here? Thanks in advance.

Yes through the wonderful post from skchai. And now we have it in her own words...

Wonder what Paula Wolfert might want to add to this discussion. Wolfert, do you make Smen at home in the US?

In a pinch you could handle them like okra, but they are very different. They are often used in Southern Indian cookery in stew like preparations.

Zucchini, I edited your post to help the image open. To me they look like small drum sticks. What do the other think these are???

Interesting. I sounds like a 'learning song' which are common to many cultures. Basically, in a largely illerate society it is a oral-tradition way of transmitting important information. There is often a bit about "If you don't cook me, I will give you tummy trouble" eg. I seeds with heat labile toxins need to be cooked before eating. I think you are correct about it being part of the oral tradition of teaching.

Masala may have been the name of the very good Southern Indian restaurant in Aurora (Denver) as well. There are many Indian groceries in Denver. There is one run by a Sikh Gentleman on Mississippi Avenue just east of Breakers. There are several in Aurora near where Masala is. There is one owned by a wonderful Parsi woman as well.

We get it fresh in NYC... It is available in the Indian/Pakistani/Bangladeshi grocers. It is fresh and actually is not bad at all.

Paula, interesting you say that, a cancer specialist that visits India often, always tells friends and family in the US that he kills the bugs with the spicy foods of India. He drinks bottled water, avoids salads and fruits outside. And in his many decades of travel to India, he has never had much stomch borne trouble. I had the same success in Morocco and I was there quite some time and ate with relative if not complete freedom. I did make sure not to drink water in Morocco and avoided ice in my countless glasses of fresh orange juice and all salads and fruits in outdoor stalls.

Parwal maybe? It has large seeds inside a green striped exterior. It comes from the gourd/squash family I believe. Could that be what you bought? Not even sure if I am close to what you may have found. Sorry!

A book project shall get me to Denver sometime later this year or early next. I would love to have a eGullet Pot Luck at that time.

I was in Denver for many months. Am back in NYC now. Was in Denver for family medical reasons. Glad to be back in NYC. I do miss Denver. Have made dear friends and have now a very rich and precious fabric of memories I will always come back to in my future. What are some of the restaurants in Denver that you have visited? Do you mind sharing??? You may be able to find some threads in the heartland forum about my limited experiences with restaurant food in Denver. I should add that my experiences in many a restaurant often tend to be very different from that of the usual diner. I am have no qualms about making contact with the owner, then speaking with the chef and after determining what area each come from, what each of them are good at, requesting special dishes from them. It was this that really helped my family and I in Denver. We got some amazing food and it gave us sustenance in very bleak times. Our experiences in Denver restaurants hence may be very different from the usual.

Its a nice book, particularly in the way she weaves family history with Raj recipes. Pat Chapman of the Curry Club has done something similar with Taste of the Raj. The most definitive book on Raj cooking though is probably David Burton's The Raj At Table. I have both books. What do you really think of each of them in relation to your own experiences Vikram, Howler? I have enjoyed having them be a part of my reference material, but they seem very distant in some ways. Maybe I am totally lost here.

There is a poem in India that tells you about the importance of grains. I have the entire poem written in my notebook that I do not have access to today, but I shall post here the two lines that I remember. Ann kahe mai aana jaana Gainhu kahe mai paar pahuchaana Rice says that I come and go (meaning, do not depend on me for much substance) Wheat says I will be able to take you across (meaning I shall be sustenance enough to make you go the distance) and the poem continues....

Berbers are tribal and have had to endure centuries of abuse. Like most tribal people, they have learned to make the most of what they have and can enjoy. I was called Berber Hindustani by most of them. They would mistake me for an Indian actor called Saif Ali Khan. My bargaining nature would endear me to them. I enjoyed amazing foods and hospitality and generosity in their midst. The things that happened to me courtesy of the Berber people are worth writing a novel about. Their stomachs are just as resillient and worthy as their mind, spirit and culture.

Fes was about discovering the rich cuisines of the grand dames and hosts of that city and also the couple of restaurants worth going to. Marrakesh on the other hand was about food stalls. I am sorry you were sick. But certainly Morocco has much to offer besides food. And Fes especially is about the eyes more than taste.

Food in Fes was amazing. Le Maison Bleu is the most amazing restaurant in Morocco. Did you go there?

Fes was where I stayed the longest.... Marrakesh was the highlight. But certainly Fes charmed me most.

I do not actually! And I do know that having coals on top of vessels was something done in other parts of India as well. Areas with minimal Persian/Arab influence.

Thanks! I shall think of what this pod could be... blanking out here.. sorry!

I love Fes.

Brad, the recipe you share is very similar if not entirely like the one Paula Wolfert shares in her book, Couscous And Other Good Food From Morocco (1973). Check the recipe on page 235 and you will see what I mean. We should try and give credit where it belongs and at eGullet, we try not to share an entire recipe from a cookbook. Many PM these to members if requested or give links to other sites where these may be found with the authors permission. I certainly thank you for sharing this recipe. Belatedly I must admit. I am glad to see we each have much respect for Paula Wolfert and her great recipes and writing about foods of these regions. Brad, what other recipes are your favorites from Ms. Wolferts many books? If we are lucky, she may even add to her recipes on eGullet. Since she posts on this site. And is always very generous.