Suvir Saran

Does anyone know anything about William Bounds company? They also make pepper mills. How do they rate? Any good?

Thanks Vikram! Rashmi Uday Singh was a IRS employee when I was a little kid in Nagpur. She has gone from being a tax person to a foodie. And she was always charming. Do you like her reviews?

Click HERE for more on Garam Masala.

Vikram, many thanks for another wonderful post. Do you live in Bombay? Rotlis used to be one of my favorite breads whilst living in Bombay. I would go to a friends house and the women chefs in the kitchen would prepare several of them at one time, using different burners. And all of us, would have our katoris (bowls) of Amras (mango juice, but think very smooth ad very pure and VERY flavorful) and dip the rotlis into them and enjoy the alfonso ras. I had never thought of doing something like this till I discovered the wonders of Surati foods. Gujarati foods change from region to region. India has a way of making most any search of it's makeup and what makes it tick become a task. One could not say one has enjoyed Gujarati food after a meal or two in restaurants. The best cooks, some of the best foods, some of the more uncommon foods are generally prepared in homes and areas where restaurants are not the desired place to eat. The sampling of Gujarati food one can find in restaurants in the US, is very humble and also close to mediocre if one has other options available. Jains are some of the best homes one could go to for enjoying a vegetarian meal that is at once complex and also very simple. Simple in ingredients, the food is rich and varied in taste, textures and spicing. Gatte Kee Sabzee is a dish most famous in Rajasthan. The Jains of Rajasthan would prepare it well, but those from Madhya Pradesh or UP or Gujarat hardly render it nicely. Gattas can be made well and can be prepared by a knowing chef to become sensational. I have only eaten the latter two times in my life. Once in Jaipur and the other preparation has been from our very own Panditji. The secret to gattas (chickpea flour cakes/dumplings) is in the beating of the batter and how much liquid to add. I must say I make very good gattas, but if I was to sample mine opposite those I ate in Jaipur and the ones Panditji makes at home, mine are good, but nothing more. My sauce comes out amazingly well (when making geela/wet version), but it is the gatta itself that takes years of training and also knowing every subtlety that one ought to know when making them. I am thrilled that you mentioned Gattas. They are one of my favorite dishes. When I was a little boy living in Nagpur (Maharashtra), we discovered Puran Poli. I had an instant love for this sweet bread. Today, I am at a loss for why I enjoyed it, my palate has changed, or perhaps, what I ate as a child was so good, that what I eat prepared today, seems to pale in comparison. The realist in me wishes to believe that it is my palate that has changed. Not that all Puran Polis that I am eating are bad. I remember our neighbor would make very large family style Poli that was cut into portions for all of us, and still a decent amount would be left. It was amazing how flaky and yet nicely stuffed her Poli would be. I remember that no festival of Haldi KumKum would be over without us having this and Kheer. Vikram, you have me all home sick now. You have brought back vivid and flavorful memories of India and its rich culinary traditions. Thanks!

And if you cannot find any Kashmire recipes (not possible knowing all the talent here on eGullet), you can always use it in place of garam masala in any recipe. Several of the recipes in this Indian forum call for garam masala. And you can easily use Kashmiri Garam Masala in those.

Vikram, I have always enjoyed visiting Aunts (related or friends of the family) whilst they are fasting. One finds the most amazing foods on those days in their homes. As you said, one would often find breads made with grains and flours that one would never see on other days. The idea being you give up what you are used to. I was amazed when I saw Dragon Fruit in Singapore. I took some back to India. Panditji our chef, was not impressed, he had it growing wild in his part of UP (Uttar Pradesh) and they would use the tiny black seeds to make a flour that would be used to make breads for upvas/vrats. What versions of these breads are you familiar with? Did you grow up eating some that you really loved?

Vikram, Thanks for the most wonderful post. Please share the recipes if you can. Many of us here will be most thankful. We should do a thread on Southern Indian Breads (excluding flatbreads) so we can include all those great breads that we have had to leave out here. Would you start one please?

Thanks for sharing with us a little about you and your work. Looking forward to reading more from you across the site.

Do you work in the kitchen or in the front? I am assuming in the kitchen, since you baked Naans. What are some of the things you bake daily? Nice to have you in our midst "Matthew In Minnesota". Keep us posted about your Indian bread adventure.

My bread recipes have been emailed your way. Hope you enjoy cooking with them and the other recipes you have. Do keep us posted about your Indian break making adventure.

Monica, do you have a trust fund that pays for your published books? How can you afford to send copies of books??? For free??? Really?? Does the publisher give you that many free copies? Are you independently wealthy? I am friends with several published writers. Mind you these are large US publishing houses, and they hardly get any copies to hand out. Wondering how the Canadian houses work. Do they give you many copies to share with admirers? PS: Am I not handsome enough to get a copy too? I pay for all the copies I had out. I buy them and send them out. SInce the money is going to a charity, handing out free copies does not work for me. I wish I had a trust fund. right now its just me. And I dont send out copies to just anyone... trust me on that. M Exactly the reason I asked, Monica. You are very generous and Charitable. Thanks!

Click Here to go to amazons for Neelam Batras book.

Monica, do you have a trust fund that pays for your published books? How can you afford to send copies of books??? For free??? Really?? Does the publisher give you that many free copies? Are you independently wealthy? I am friends with several published writers. Mind you these are large US publishing houses, and they hardly get any copies to hand out. Wondering how the Canadian houses work. Do they give you many copies to share with admirers? PS: Am I not handsome enough to get a copy too?

Sounds good to me.

But your book has been more than interesting to many. Across the forum, I have heard several of our members give it high praise. Monica, when is your next book coming out? Later this year?

Michael Jackson does love Indian food... I know when he was in India, he created quite the stir with his fondness for the cuisine and familiarity with it. They live on the same coast, Ms. Batra has been an ambassador of this cuisine for some time now, and it seems logical for him to find comfort in her offerings. 1000 recipes sounds great. But quantity is not always what one should be after. Is it possible to have 1000 great recipes? Sure! And in the realm of Indian cookery, a 1000 recipes seems nothing big. I have not seen the book, so I am hardly equipped to say anything about it. "Interesting" is a very "interesting" choice of words Monica!

jawbone, I forgot I never welcomed you to eGullet. It is great to have you in our midst. I hope you enjoy eGullet and its many forums. Looking forward to many online exchanges with you. A formal welcome to the Indian forum as well.

Maybe THIS thread would be of some interest to you.

I must admit shamefully, that I have not gone and bought the book. Will do so in the next couple of weeks and share my thoughts. Monica Bhide, our very own TDG contributor and eGulleteer, has a book out that has charmed many. Have you checked that out yet? It could be a book that would add to your Indian cookbook collection. The Spice Is Right, is the name, click on the title to learn more about it. Have you browsed some of the older threads?? We have had several on books on this cuisine, maybe they would help you form a decision you enjoy. I shall find the links and post here.

Matthew, HERE is another thread on Indian flatbreads.

Welcome to eGullet Matthew. Glad to see that you have found the Indian forum. ClickHERE to check out the recent thread on breads. If you have any further questions, please feel free to post on it. I am sure our members will answer as best as they can. As for raita, I am posting below links to the various threads that you may find of interest. If you need any more recipes for breads or raitas, please feel free to email me at chef@suvir.com. I would be happy to send you more recipes. Dahi (yogurt) Cucumber Raita Raita Raita/Cold Soup Raita - Is there a favorite kind?

BBhasin, Moolchand, IIT (Hauz Khas area), JNU and Dhaula Kuan were the famous Anda Paratha vendors. We would go LATE, late at night. Just plain ole heaven. Simple and amazing food. Omlette Curry is fantastic. I make omlettes and fold them into the sauce as one would sheets of pasta (ravioli). And the omlettes at the Midway between Delhi and Haridwar/Mussoorie were most famous. Cheetal was the name of the stop over. Lines of people would wait for Noors omlettes and now they have become HUGE. Air Conditioned dining room and all. When we were kids it was just a way side Dhaba. Today it is a huge business and so very different from a Dhaba. A part of me feels sad, another is happy for the owners.

Joseph, Welcome to eGullet and the Indian forum. I am posting below a recipe given to me by a friend from Bombay. I have never tested the recipe, so I hereby issue a disclaimer. I think it should work fine. Use very little water to begin with, since you can always add more. If you want, please email me, and I can send you a few recipes for Indian flatbreads that I have written, maybe you can compare them and ensure that what you do is similar. I love Theplas (what many Indian stores sell today and call Methi Paratha). They come from Gujarat, a state in Western India. The state where Mahatma Gandhi was born and lived for a large chunk of his life. Keep us posted on how the bread comes out. Looking forward to reading more of your posts. Theplas(Fenugreek Scented Flat Bread from Gujarat) 1 cup chapati flour (whole wheat flour) 1/4 cup chaawal kaa atta (rice flour) 1/4 cup besan (gram flour) 1/2 cup tightly packed haraa dhaniya (cilantro), washed and chopped very finely 1 bunch haree methi(fenugreek leaves) or substitute with 1/2 cup Kasoori Methi, washed and chopped finely 1/4 teaspoon haldi (turmeric powder) 1 tsp. laal mirchi (red chili powder) 1 tsp. til (sesame seeds) 1/2 tsp. zeera (cumin seeds) 3 green chilies, minced very finely 2 tbsp. canola salt to taste Flour for dusting Canola to shallow fry Mix all three flours together and sieve. Use a fork and mix the flours nicely. Set aside. Mix all ingredients except the oil for shallow frying. Knead into a soft pliable dough using as much water as required. Use your knuckles and your wrists to really knead the dough well. The more you knead the softer and more pliable the dough will get. Divide this dough into 12 equal rounds. Roll these rounds into circles, about 6" in diameter. Use flour to dust the circles as you roll them. Heat a skillet or a griddle, shallow fry these circles by applying a little oil on both sides. Fry until cooked. Drain on paper towels and let cook to room temperature. Repeat for all 12 rounds. Store these flat breads in an air-tight container. Eat with a pickle of your choice or with some raita.

My scanner needs to be replaced but, I can develope my next roll onto a disk and post the image. Crystal Thanks Crystal!