Suvir Saran

Pilafs (Pulao) - These rice dishes are synonymous with Indian cooking. Do you have a favorite kind? How do you make yours? WHat do you look for in a pilaf?

The pink lentil is what you get when you dehusk and wash the whole brown masoor daal. Kee means of. Srinagar mushrooms are my version of a recipe from the Srinagar club. These are sauteed mushrooms. Onions are wilted with cumin and carom seeds. Then the mushrooms are added and sauteed till they exude all their water and it is dry... add fenugreek leaves at this time and also tomatoes and fry till the contents of the pan are dry again. A dark stir fry, these are delicious mushrooms and can be served on toast as they would have been at the club.

Thanks.

What a great question jhlurie. And Damian.. you are kind. Now I am in tears. For never did I know mere writing from my pen.. or keyboard would inspirit another. Thanks. India is much more than my writing skills can ever make it out to be. But be ready to embrace all sorts of realities. Ugly, beautiful, sad and rich, poor and over the top.. they all go side by side. Rain... I hated the rain in Bombay. To me the city became as ugly as any can get. And yet my best friends love the rainy season in Bombay. Go figure. I love the rains in Delhi. Wow... and especially since they come after a long dry summer. And as the first drops of rain fall on the dry grass and the parched earth, the matti kee khusbhoo (the fragrance exuded by the dry dirt) fills my senses with happiness and joy and a first after a long summers desire for food. Fried foods no less. So yes rain in Delhi is beautiful. Rains in the hill stations where we spent the summer was even different yet. It would rain and clear and rainbows would come out and you could walk through rain bows. Again a very beautiful rain. In New York I love the rain just slightly. For some reason people cannot handle rain or snow here. Traffic gets crazy and slow and like Bombay, NYC becomes somewhat dreary. But our deck gets fullof cheer and a home for birds to be dry in. So it is beautiful to look out to. I have learned to enjoy Delhi through NYC and what I miss from India.. I enjoy just as much here. Often my fantasy and dreams make a reality so far away from home much richer and fabulous than the reality of my real home. The power of our minds. And then the rains in India can be enemies of people and lands. Floods and deaths and drought. All come one after another... Some years floods.. and deaths from floods and then another year drought and death from hunger that follows droughts. But in India the seasons are romanced in a manner we do not romance our four seasons. There are songs, foods, dances, perfumes, animals and paintings associated with the change of seaons. As I live in NYC.. I recreate some of that in my apartment in Greenwich village. Like as I write this I am humming a song from a movie called Rudaali. Based in the life in a dessert and in a period of drought. And the lead characted this professional mourner (Rudaali - a hired person who comes at funerals and cries for pay. So that those family members that are shocked and have not been able to cry can find tears and for those rich families that can afford one anyways... it is a s how of great sorrow for t he parted soul) in the film makes a comment about how her own eyes are as parched as the earth dry from the long drought. And when the rain finally comes, the songs, dance, the animal and bird life, the celebration and food and people all take a new life. That image came to my mind. But everytime it rains in NYC and I wish it would rain more this year since we need it, I end up having food cravings like those in India would. Like today I had the craving for Pakoras and Chai. And they are great in this weather. Makes being indoors seem cheery and worthwhile. In India the image that crosses most minds is that of the Peacock spreading its wings to charm those that witness him and also to shower himself. They look grand and happy as the rain drenches their wings. And the image of the peacock takes me to limericks that enrich the many Indian languages with little verses that rhyme and are written based on animals and foods. I hope I answered your question.. if there is anything particular that you wanted to know jhlurie and I left out with my long note... please bring it out and I shall answer more directly. Thanks for indulging me and my madness about life.

Robert you are kind. Please do share with us what you had and what you thought of Dimple. Yes at the dedicated thread... and I cannot wait to see your thoughts.... looking foward to reading them. Thanks.

I crave Dosas all the time... Where is Guru? Street address? Wonderful. I have enjoyed my chats with the chef at Banjara. He seems very passionate. And that is instelf a rare occurence in restaurants today. I know I will be skewered about this.. but far too many chefs at least in the Indian restaurant world treat it as any other job or chore. When there is passion involved things have a chance about being magical. I live in west village..... Guru sounds nice... I will be there very soon. Will let you know my humble feedback thereafter.

Every time the rain hit the dry muddy expanse of our garden and aangan (tiled back yard), it would bring with it this sondhi khusboo ( a typical beautiful fragrance, there is no translation for sondhee other than maybe fine). The minute my family or friends smelled it, it would make us think of pakoras.. all different kinds.. and the next thing... Panditji, our chef would be making up one or two of the different versions. Cups of tea would be quickly seen in the hands of the elders and chilled milk for us kids. We loved Milk. In fact I will now be going and making some pakoras. Onions, spinach and potato. What are you all thinking? eating? or associate with rain? PS: Pakoras are fritters made with a light chickpea flour (besan) batter and spiked with Indian spices.

I had a friend come in from India yesterday. He wanted "ghar kaa khaana" (home food). I made some safed biryaani (biryaani made with chicken breasts and is all white), burrani (yogurt with sauteed eggplants), masoor kee daal (Indian brown lentils, similar but not same as the middle eastern brown or a darker version of the french green lentils) and some sauteed Srinagar Mushrooms. He found the Daal sensational. But that has been my experience with Indian guests. They come have my daals at home and seem to love them as a whole but the Masoor Daal is always a huge hit. Masoor Daal is not cooked in many Indian homes. It was once called Malikaaye Masoor (Empress of lentils). The Hindus considered the lentil a Moslem one. The Moslems that were converted from Hinduism did not know it to begin with so continued to eat the yellow lentils made more commonly. So this particular lentil (whole brown Masoor Daal) has been rather neglected. But in Kaayastha homes it is a favored lentel of choice. Since we were Moslem for all purposes but religious purposes our food is as Moslem as you can get. Masoor Daal is a wonderful dark lentil. Has the creaminess of a dark daal like the Maa Kee Daal (whole urad daal) but without the cream and butter. So it is very light in fat and yet does not compromise in flavor. Wondered if any one else knows it... and what is their feedback on it?

Banjara is actually a great find. Especially in that neighborhood. I have been to it twice. The food was good. The service mediocre like one would unfortunately find even at the better Indian restaurants Tamarind included. Maybe this is the next change that Indian restaurant owners will try to make as a group. Banjaras chef used to be a young man from Calcutta Mr. Dutta. I forget his first name. Sorry. He had trained with the Taj group of hotels in India. He showed great promise when I first met him. He was then working on opening Tamarind in Brooklyn. It did not stay open to long. The problem I had at Banjaara was the fact that the service was terrible the nights we went. And not just at our table. The food was good in some cases, very good with other dishes and mediocre with some. But far better than any restaurant I had been too many years ago on 6th Street. Friends who eat at the 6th Street establishments said that Banjara was the winner by far. I would be happy going back there. It was also attractive. What do you eat there rockefeller666? What are your favorite dishes there?

Cabrales... no apologies necessary. On the other hand mine are extended to you and others. Mirchi Ka Achaar - Chili (hot pepper) Pickle Chukee Hue Mirchi - Sauteed Chilies (hot peppers) Khandvi - A snack from Gujarat that is made from a batter of lentil flour. The batter is then cooked in a wok and poured on a greased platter. While it is still hot it is spread evenly over the platter to make a very thin layer. As the layer cools a baghaar/chaunka/tadka (tempered oil with mustard seeds, curry leaves, cayenne, asafoetida, coconut and perhaps other spices) is prepared. This is drizzled over the cooling layer and then the layer is rolled and some of the tempered oil and very finely chopped fresh cilantro are drizzled on top of the roll. It is cut into bite sized portions. And served chilled with a mint and cilantro chutney or even by itself. Dhoklas are a steamed cake made with lentils or bean flour. Can be made with or without turmeric. Thus these spongy very light cakes can be found white or yellow. They are served with a similar tempered oil as the Khandvi and again served cold. This is also a Gujarati dish. Dhoklas are often eaten with a quick chili pickle. And it was for this dish that at Dimple the captain of the women chef team makes me a fresh order of chili pickles as a gift. These hot chili peppers are sauteed in some oil seasoned with sesame seeds, lemon juice and asafoetida. It is very hot but a great partner to the very bland and cooling taste of the Dhokla itself. Cabrales and others if you ever need to know more about spices and other Indian terms, please feel free to ask me or others here. There are many here that post that know extensively about Indian cooking and the many subtleties that define it from one region to another. If you need urgent answers and do not get a response soon enough, feel free to check out the link to my own website. It has a lot of information on Indian cookinng and certainly many of your questions will find answers there. Again.. sorry for having left these few Indian words unexplained. I hope I did not keep you guessing too long.

Should it Anil? Not sure.... we can add a link to it from there. Or vice-versa. And you are right, just getting chaat in this area made by another for you is the treat. I love the ladies that make the chaat. That in itself is a novelty I enjoy. Maasooma that captain of the three women team is from Bombay. She makes great instant mirchi kaa achaar when I walk in so my guests and I can enjoy the real Chukee Huee Mirchi that is traditionally eaten with Khandvi and Dhoklas. The restaurant uses much milder jalapeno peppers for their other guests. But just as a grandmother would tuck away some special goodies for her favorite grandchildren, Maasooma too keeps a short supply of hot chili peppers for those unexpected visits. To me going to Dimple is a very fun chore that I indulge in ever other month. Some times even more frequently. And I have a friend who visits from Geneva every six months to have a Dimple fix. He finds the chaat mediocre but the overall experience worth coming back for.

Sounds wonderful. Yes all those friends of mine that hate cilantro leaves find them soapy and some even call them fishy. Strange. I love them. I know many Indians that cannot stand the fresh leaves. I love coarsely ground coriander with fish a lot myself. Even with lamb chops with some crushed walnuts and peppers. Or coriander seeds, chives and pistachio rub. Another wonderful coriander based rub. I use lots of coarsely ground coriander in my Indian stir fried vegetables. The seeds when partially ground have a wonderful nutty texture and a great flavor. They are also considered to be great digestives.

Vivin then do not visit Dimple. Their chaat is poor Bombay version of northern Indian chaat. One has to have grown up or lived at least for a while in Bombay or even Gujarat to like what they serve. The Chola Bhaturas have been good though. The dhoklas used to be very good. Now they are just good at best. The Bhel is inconsistent but like Bombay where every street corner has a new recipe. Having lived in Bombay, I can forgive them for that. Plus for me it is a change from having to make Chaat for friends and family all the time, at Dimple I am served instead of serving. The Papri, Gol Gappas, Kachori Chaat are nothing to write home about but again it is the convenience that makes it fun. I do like the Faloodas. Again... I am sure one could get better ones in India... but not many options being available I see it as my one and only and so have come around to liking it. This is not chaat that we in Delhi were lucky to have been spoiled with. That was Chaat made for a very discerning and tedious lot. The chaat waalas had to be on their wits end creating great stuff all the time. And consistency in Delhi was more absolute than I ever saw in Bombay. Bombay was always more laid back in so many ways and yet so cutting edge in others. Since you want that Chaat of Delhi days... I would not suggest a visit to Dimple. I go there every other month for my chaat fix without having to make it myself. I make a lot of chaat at home. And it is fun. But I need a day every other month where I can eat someone elses version. Is that strange?

How do you make Balti potatoes? Sound very nice. How do you prepare the mixed daals? You come from such a rich culinary background that I would think it impossible for anyone to charm you with food, especially Indian food. And rice with nuts and carrots? Nice... my grandmother who is from Punjab would make a carrot pilaf with almonds and raisins and whole garam masala. Is it something like that or very different? Do you cut or grate the carrots?

Robert Dimple is on 30th Street between Broadway and 5th. Closer to 5th, North side of the street. Nothing fancy there. Actually they could really clean up their act. And then there would be nothing at all to lament about. Dosa place? There is Pongal that I love. It is between 27th and 28th on the west side of Lexington Avenue. Also Madras Mahal is south of Pongal. Used to be very good. But the last few times I ate there I was dissapointed in the food. It has been over a couple of years since I went back. So I could well be wrong. Which is the one you are mentioning? Do you like Dosas? And yes I think Dimple has been mentioned before.. few times. It is a fun place. You can get a great introduction to Indian street foods sitting indoors in NYC. How fun.

Dimple is great. I love going there when I have those urges for chaat (mouth watering, lip smacking, lick ity lick good Indian street foods). I was there Thursday and had good Chaat but the Chana Bhaturas (chickpeas with the deep fried puffy bread like poori) were very very good. I came home with an order for my partner. I never come back with Indian food. Since I cook a lot of it at home. Has anyone else been there lately? How was t he food?

Do they do the same thing to food? Leaves and seeds that is? Are they from the same plant? Favorite ways of using them?

Thanks for the recipe. It sounds great. Credit surely goes to you for introducing me to these. Thanks.

Chocolate and cardamom have been paired for some time now I am told. In Europe cardamom has either had fans or found disdain. Cardamom does that to many. Debauve and Gallais have chocolate with cardamom in their temple of choclate in Paris. It is my favorite chocolate shop in the world. But what attitude they give. Blintzes with Cheese filling with cardamom... Wow! Sandra.. how do you make these??? Where did y ou get this inspiration? recipe? care to share?

I did not mean to taste for comparison.. just for my own greed. Sorry if it came out that way. Let me know if you make the ras malais. What do you use cardamom seeds for? What is your favorite use of them?

Sandra I might have to believe you are Indian. You do what Indians do. We use the brown ones for savory dishes and the green ones for desserts and some pilafs and savory dishes. Also in desserts we normally grind the seeds into a very fine powder and sprinkle it at the very end. If we use the pods whole, they are added to the syrup as it cooks to flavor the syrup with a depth of cardamom flavor. The white ones have the same flavor as the green. They have more of an aesthetic value. Since at many mughal banquets meals were planned around colors. So for those white sauces it would be wrong to use green cardamom seeds. So bleached green ones were used instead. And shall I be the taste tester for each of your Balbir Singh recipe??? What a great idea. While her books are not the easiest to read, I have heard from my mother and several of her peer that Mrs. Singh was a genius.

Hemant is at Turmerik now. Turmerik 141 Souther Murphy Avenue Sunnyvale, CA-94086 408-617-9100 Please feel free to ask for Hemant Mathur in the kitchen. Do let him know that I recomended that you eat there. They have great Wild Boar Chops served with roasted cherry tomatoes and a spiced putato puree.

Green or white? Or do you use the large woody brown ones? Does it make a difference as to what you may use? How do you decide which one you use ina recipe?

Green or white? Or do you use the large woody brown ones? Does it make a difference as to what you may use? How do you decide which one you use in a recipe?

I made some Tahiree and some raita. A chicken biryaani as well. But that was it. Tahiree is a rice, potatoes and pea casserole if you will. The biryaani I made was a chicken kurma (creamy spiced chicken) layered with rice. The raita was a simple tomato, mustard seeds and curry leaf pachadi. After over eating in India and SIngapore my system needed some rest. This was hearty food without beeing too heavy. What did you make? Or what did you eat?