Suvir Saran

I have eaten several pouches of Tasty Bite stuff and felt happy about it myself. They are good. Which are your favorite ones?

Time to come clean, and I hope my grandma will not look at me funny. Whilst testing recipes for my cookbook, I did try using curry powder, and have given it as a substitute in a few dishes, where with some tweaking of other spices, I was able to get a result that would be close enough to the authentic rendering minus it. But these are very rare instances. Also, I have made a Pasta using curry powder. Made it for Valentines dinner 7 years ago. It was a huge success. I was embarassed to have made it, my partner was amazed at it, some how, I could not enjoy it myself. Result, they keep wanting it again, and I have completely frozen it from my memory. I never made it again. These are my curry powder indulgences.

Absolutely no curry powder in our kitchen at the restaurant. Funny, I asked my mom about it and she laughed! P2 Glad to know there is no Curry Powder in your kitchen. Gives me comfort and hope for Indian cuisine outside of India. I hope you did not tell you mother that this guy Suvir Saran is using it? She will forever mock me if you did not clarify why I asked this question..... Did you make sure she does not think I cook with curry powder??? My grandma, like your mom, would have a certain look, that we all knew meant complete disbelief and understanding that someone was doing what no self-respecting person would do, everytime any foreigner would come into our home, fall in love with Panditjis cooking and then utter the words "I love the curries your cook made" There would perhaps two dishes with a sauce, the rest were dry, stir fries or lagee liptee sabzis (smothered vegetables) and she understood quickly that curry was not referring to sauce at all, it was an uneducated generalization. We kids knew exactly what she was thinking (get this foreigner a quick course in Indian cooking, right now) and would know that this person had just stepped into deep poop.. and any brownie points they had earned thus far, were gone.... My grandma would then know she was speaking with a newbie, and then the education would begin. Curry Powder would never enter our home in Delhi or wherevr my father was transferred. In fact in my kitchen, I make my own Sambhaar Podi, Rassam Podi and Achaari Masala and all other spice powders. I have 3 spice grinders and I use them often and with careless abandon. The spices are ground the very moment I am using them, never any problem about them being dull or stale. Makes for food that certainly leaves a lasting impression.

Disect away. We don't even have to talk about less-known dishes to discuss this, since posters who eat less Indian food may lose their point of reference. Common dishes like Tikka Masala (although I've been told at least a few times that Tikka Masala is not a genuine Indian dish) and Saag Paneer are--at least ideally--only moderately spiced. Most Biriyani I've had is mild as well. Jalfraze, Madras, Tava and Korma, in various variants, I've had in a wide range from mild to spicy. On the "spicy" side? Rogan Josh, Vindaloo (obviously!), most of the Aloo dishes... stuff like that. I can't see my experience in this being much different from most people's. Speaking summarily and making a grave generalization (that could certainly be crushed, if some chef is doing what most no Indian chef would ever do), the "Curry" you mention (which could be curry powder) should not be in any of these dishes you mention. Tikka Masala is as Indian as India has been since Independence of India. The family that is credited as being the creators of this Dish are based in Delhi and have a famous chain of restaurants called Moti Mahal. Maybe the name Chicken Tikka Masala could have been concocted outside of Delhi.... but the dish is theirs to claim. No "Curry" (curry leaf or curry powder in this recipe). Any heat you speak of, comes from addition of cayenne or chile powder, which could change from kitchen to kitchen. The reason I asked you to name some dishes was for this very exercise, to showcase my point, that what people call curry, is neither curry leaf, nor curry powder nor curry in terms of being a sauce. Curry is being summarily used to speak of Indian food. And that is what it is. Of all the dishes you mention, two dishes could have curry leaves in them, if rendered by a Southern chef and done so carefully. These are Korma (if it is a Southern Korma) and Madras (whatever that dish is. Could you tell us more about this dish??? I have no clue as to what to think of by the name Madras. I know it is the capital of the Indian state Tamil Nadu, and maybe a dish from that region). But other than these two, none of the dishes you mention could have even moderate amounts of that "curry". They have no need for (curry leaf or powder), they have their own set of spices. When you say Aloo dishes, you do understand Aloo is the word for Potato. Aloo dishes could be made on the sweeter side if you are eating Gujerati cuisine, on the fiery side if found in a Vindaloo with pork, fiery if you are eating a Konkan chile pepper version of karahi aloo.. or eat a very mild, but beautifully seasoned Korma from Lucknow. Again, there is hardly any version that would have Curry Powder that would find its way into most Indian kitchens, but certainly Aloo recipes from Southern India (which we unfortunately hardly ever find in most Indian restaurants) could use Curry leaves. Vindaloo is HOT (spicy) when it is made true to the traditions of Goan cuisine. In fact it is usually very hot and most chefs will temper the heat when preparing this dish for non-Goans. I had to beg a friend to make sure to tell the chef at a Goan restaurant in Goa not to temper down the spicing for the Vindaloo he was preparing for our group. A good Rogan Josh is not a dish that ever ought to be HOT (spicy). It should be a lamb curry (curry used to denote a sauce) that has the traditional Indian magic of mixing spices and herbs together to create a sauce and finished dish that has a perfect balance between taste, texture and form. But who knows, maybe some chefs are changing the classic recipe and catering to an audience they know perhaps does not care for authentic, and so thet get away with rendering dishes as they please, with no connection to their roots. Such stuff happens all the time. But again, Rogan Josh, no matter how much cayenne you may put in it, should have no curry in it at all. Jalfrazie again should have no curry at all. And get ready, the one ingredient it has, is on the sweeter side. But not many chefs use it today in Jalfrazie, and many would never admit to using it, it is good ole Heinz Ketchup (or any other brand). It is not usually a spicy dish. More of the sweet/sour type. And a brilliant color. The Ketchup helps with coloring as well. Saag Paneer will never have curry powder or curry leaves. It should hardly ever be spicy. This dish is as subtle as any can get. It is also one of the easiest ones to prepare and a very popular Indian dish both in India and outside of the Indian sub-continent. Biryaanis that I am aware of will also never have "curry" in any form. And they should generally be mild in heat and full in flavor. That is what makes them a celebration of the Oudh style of cooking. And this subtlety of flavor and their popularity across India, made them find a ready place in most kitchens across India. Maybe this thread can become one of those threads in the Indian forum that will Demystify those not intimately familiar with Indian cooking about what "curry" IS (sauce for the most part, or when simply identifying the use of curry leaf in certain dishes) and what it is NOT (not a spice, mix or herb used in Indian cooking for the most part, in some, very few instances, curry powder may find its way, but those recipes are rare if you go looking in the world of Indian cooking. Curry powder is more common in cuisines that are foreign to India).

Bingo! Thanks Prasad!

Thanks for adding your restaurants information Bhasin. When in DC, I now know another place where I need to go.

I agree raw flour s off-putting, and Indians also find it bad for digestion. What can I say, Jiggs Kalra is not alone in worrying about what could happen to ones stomach. Indian food really does care about all of these subtleties and Indians for the most part, at least in India, are not embarassed to hear about these details. Jiggs Kalra is hugely popular and well respected in India. I roast flours without any fat as well. Would I do it for desserts that I make, no, but could it be all that uncommon, I think not. Have you tried her recipe? How did it come out? I would think what you suggest makes sense. I have never made Mysorke Pak, only watched my mother prepare it decades ago. And I have never, ever made or seen anyone make Patisa. Friends of mine in India could tell you stories about my love for Patissa. I could well be one of the foremost experts on the taste of patissa. But sadly, I have never let myself get away from a platter full of them to even make an effort to go see how the chef prepares it. I spend all my time enjoying it. Same as what I have understood. In fact someone told me once that she lives in Australia or New Zealand. Is that true? I do love the pictures and recipes she chronicles. You are very kind. Besan ke Ladoos are amazing. Friends who have a very vocal dislike for Indian desserts bought at stores, have visited India and fallen in love with Besan Ladoos. They are nutty, with an addictive roasted taste and a creamy and at once gritty texture that is really wonderful on the tongue and exciting to the palate. I add saffron and cardamom into mine. I can never make enough of them. They get eaten within an hour at the most. And they are RICH. But that hardly stops people (Indian or otherwise) from knoshhing on them as if they were never going to get them again. The smell of the Besan as it roasts is heavenly and scintilating. Yes Pakistan means land of the pure. I think I am right.. It could also mean the pure land. Now I am all confused. But Pak is pure in Urdu and Stan is place. Tarla Dala has a huge following and has spent a lifetime sharing her food knowledge with millions of Indians. Her books certainly have had a much larger following than most any celebrity cookbook author we could think of in the US. The sheer numbers of Indians buying her books and the many re-prints of her work could give us numbers that would make any publisher proud and hungry. Her recipes have not only inspired the harried housewife, but also been the backbone of many fancy hosts. People rely on her for everything food related. Indian, Chinese, Italian, Thai, Mexican et al... Madhur Jaffrey is better known here and certainly in UK. But again, the sheer mass of population (from all strata of Indian life) that follow Tarla Dalal as gospel truth is HUGE, anyone who could have a fraction of that following would feel blessed. I actually feel sad that I lack what many have, that enables them to grasp her wisdom in the kicthen. And as a grown man, I find even the cookie recipes I enjoyed and loved as a child, falling far short of what I want my cookies to be like today. Not sure if it is Tarla Dalal I should blame or myself. I think I need to blame me and my life and its experiences. I have changed, she has not. And really, Tarla Dalal is a Huge celebrity in India, the likes of which Madhur Jaffrey or Julie Sahni could never be. She was smart maybe to realize early on that India with the population of a teeming billion plus, presented an audience far greater than what could come to any author even with popularity in several continents. Smart cookie she was.. and as the pioneer author, she has maintained a fondness in the hearts of our countries populace. Think hundreds of millions buying cookbooks, and then think how deeply rooted Tarla Dalal is in the culinary life of India. It is an amazing story. I am told by friends that know her that she is very modest and humble. Her success and her books having made it into millions of kitchens has not changed her person. One does not hear such stories often. That's quite interesting! There is no precedent I know of for roasting flour (of any kind) in the West prior to coating meats for cooking. Roasted flour or roux is confined to gravies. West African grilled meats are sometimes covered in the coating of chopped roasted peanuts, but that's not quite the same thing! At Diwan in NYC, chef Hemant Mathur uses roasted chickpea flour in several grilled poultry and meat dishes coming from his tandoor. In fact, his famous Tandoori Prawns have some roasted besan in them as well. In India we make a dish called Karhi Pakori, that has a sauce that is made with chickpea flour and yogurt. It also had pakoras (chickpea flour fritters) added into the sauce towards the end of cooking. A staple in many Northern homes and is enjoyed with rice. In some parts of India, besan is added into vegetable stir fries. And yes, thanks to Prasad2 for sharing generously with all of us on eGullet.

Well, I did say: in recognition of the fact that what I WAS referring to was hardly a universal--or even frequently used--ingredient. And yes... curry is a class of things more than it is a single thing. My casual use of it bordered on the improper, in the way that many Westerners misuse it--to refer to the sauce as if we were referring to curry powder--which I agree is not at all present in many of the things I refer to as being in "a curry". And curry powder certainly isn't a single thing, since it's a blend which can include cumin, cinnamon, coriander, cardamom, cloves, tumeric, black pepper, ginger, mustard, fennel, nutmeg, red pepper and many other things. And none of this necessarily has anything to do with Curry Leaf (Murraya koenigii), except that its trying to imitate it, and I suppose not always faithfully. And to complicate things even more I understand there is something called a "Curry Plant" (Helichrysum angustifolium), which is NOT the plant which Curry leaves used in Indian food come from, but which instead supplies oils for fruit flavors and scents. Was just lazyness of speech Suvir . . . although I confess that I had to look up the difference between the curry plant and the OTHER curry plant, and also refresh myself on a few of the possible permeatations of curry powder ingredients. Personally I blame the British, since its easier than taking personal responsibility. They invented the concept of Curry Powder (at least as a commercial pre-packaged entity), since apparently they had trouble shipping the leaf home. Given this turn in the coversation, I'm going to ask next time at my favorite Indian place whether or not they are using curry leaf (then again I don't really know a lot about how well it grows around here--although I do frequently spot whole leaves of SOME type in some of my dishes, which since I've never really looked could have just as easily been bay leaves). Frankly I never thought to ask before, but if they aren't I'm assuming that they using a good enough mix of other spices--which are NOT coming mass-packaged out of a tin or something like that. BTW: This reminds me a lot of the discussion we had once here on eGullet about Wasabi (in that case I actually had no idea that western Wasabi is not... actually Wasabi). jhlurie, thanks for a great post and all that research. Your usage of curry was hardly improper, it just is what it was. No apology was expected or necessary. It has led to great discussion and will hopefully still lead to more. I hope threads on this forum gave you some help in that great effort you made. We have had threads on most all things you speak about. The part below is what threw me off completely and still does: "It's always spicy in the sense that its heavily seasoned, but I've had plenty of dishes where curry and/or chilis--if present--were moderate, by design." The way in which you use the word curry and/or chilis did not make me think sauce, it made me think you were speaking of one ingredient. Whilst curry powder has many spices in it, it hardly has any semblance of even one that really comes out winning. Unfortunately, turmeric is the boldest flavor in most brands. And that is hardly something Indian restaurants would want to buy curry powder for. Also, not sure what dishes you usually eat, but if you could name a few of those that you have enjoyed or not, we could disect them in this forum and see if curry in any form would have/should have made its way into them. It is easy to blame, but I feel one could hardly blame the Brits about anything even remotely related to Indian cuisine. They have not only embraced it, but they have lived and grown with it and seen it flourish, adapt and go back to its roots all in their own country. They invented curry powder, but the rest of the world uses more of it . They moved on, but the Anglophile in the best of us could not. Curry powder actually is not just about the curry leaf. It was about trying to replicate an entire genre of cuisine and that is where it failed. Curry powder has no similarity at all to the very distinct and wonderful taste and flavor of curry leaves. In NYC, very few restaurants keep curry leaves (unless they are Northern Indian). And luckily the number of those having them in their pantry is growing, since an awareness of Southern Indian foods is growing and chefs and owners are trying to add to the regional richness of their menus. Bay leaf could have just as easily been the spice you have found in your food. Bay leaf is used far more commonly and not as moderately. But bay leaf could be used abundantly without overwhelming the flavor of a dish. It could only be an irritant on th plate. Even the worst Indian restaurant kitchens I have gone into, use whole or individually powdered spices or both. Chaat Masala (for street foods and some other dishes), garam masala and achaari masala (pickling spice mix) are some of the pre-packaged spices you may find in most kitchens, but even those are made in house in some of the better restaurants. We had a very interesting discussion here about the Curry Plant (Helichrysum angustifolium) as well. It is NOTHING at all like Curry Plant (Murraya koenigii) that we Indians love and use. One is a small herbaceous plant and the other is a small tree. CLICK here to read the thread we have had on Curry Leaves. It would be great to hear names of some of the dishes you have enjoyed or not appreciated at Indian restaurants you have frequented.

In Indian rice pudding (Kheer), many chefs in the north, will saute the rice in ghee with some whole cardamom seeds, raisins and nuts. The rice is sauteed for barely a minute or two and then added into the cooking milk. Most chefs today omit the sauteeing of spices and rice. Some only saute the nuts and raisins (me). Also, the key to a good (rarely found in Indian homes today, for it takes MUCH longer to cook) rice pudding (kheer) is very little rice and hours and hours of reducing of milk. Most chefs (restaurant and home) simply add way too much rice (as is the custom in the Western rice pudding) and this becomes the starch that thickens the pudding instead of simply being texture in a very rich and creamy pudding. I am not much of a fan of starch. And thus not a fan of rice pudding that is starchy rather than really creamy. skchai, in fact I ought to than you for your post. It was thought provoking and wonderful. Made my day to see someone perhaps outside of India preparing Mysore Pak. Would it be wrong to inquire about where you live (country or city)? I was curious all day yesterday. Looking forward to reading more from you.

If you are an Indian restaurant owner, chef or employee, could you please take some time and share with us what you know about the usage of store bought curry powder in your restaurants kitchen. Would you mind sharing with us what recipes you use it in. What role it plays in your kitchen. And where these recipes using curry powder come from. Thanks all!

jhlurie, you made a very important and critical post. In this forum, we have been talking recently about Indian food and where it is headed in the US. Curry may be something we would need to demystify before we go anywhere. Your post is sincere and honest, and it is our Indian restaurants and each of us people in this industry that need to be more sincere and work harder in sharing what our cuisine is all about.

What a beautiful city. When was the last time you made Mysore Pak? Also going back Skchai's question about the name... Mysore, as Smarmotron mentions, is a famous city of Southern India. Pak at least in hindi would mean edible and in Urdu, it means pure. Pakwan is the word for food. But I have no clue why the name is Mysore Pak. I wish someone from Southern India or someone familiar with the languages of the Sub Continent would help us here. I am curious now as well.

What Indian restaurants do you eat at where this "curry" you mention is being used even if only moderately. What does "curry" taste like? What is "curry"? Is it a spice some Indian restaurants are known to use? Could it be that some Indian restaurants are cooking with curry powder, and you may be calling it "curry"? Or is it some other ingredient??? Much of the best Indian food I've had was not spice at all, either. It was hardly heavily seasoned either. And most of the Indian food I enjoy, has never had even a minor trace of curry. Some dishes, I must admit, but not very often (rare instances do exist, and those I enjoy) enjoyed by me, or not often even found in most menus, are made with curry powder, but even these, are hardly heavily seasoned, if they are really Indian and well cooked and well served. Indian food when cooked as one would find it cooked in India (both in restaurants and homes), strives for a balance between spices, heat (not talking thermal here) and layers of flavor. It is a balancing act between produce, meat, spices, herbs and other ingredients. To enjoy it, one must be able to understand a cuisine that has subtlety smacked at its very core and also at it's forefront. Maybe Indian food is not Indian in many of these restaurants where heavily seasoned foods may find a place of pride. Indian cuisine is diverse. And so, in the Indian culinary genre, you will find dishes that are bold, dishes that are shy and dishes that only exist to rely heavily on the brilliance, seasoning and life of another. Indian food also relies many a time on condiments that sate the "heavy seasoning" desired by some. The pickles, chutneys and podis (powders) give those that want heat and very bold seasoning and avenue whereby they can enjoy a meal and find what they are looking for. "Curry" to most Indians means sauce, gravy or even a seasoning called Curry Leaf. Curry leaves impart a taste very different from that of Chilis. And actually, curry leaves are one of those ingredients that could hardly ever be too much. It is a magical leaf and its use is abundantly chronicled in the cooking of Southern India. To have enjoyed Southern Indian cuisine means to have enjoyed the taste that can only be found in some dishes where curry leaves along with some other seeds, stalks or stems are used to temper a dish or oil. I would hope the "curry" you mention is different from this great leaf, for the one I speak of, and Southern Indian cuisine has masterfully used for millennia, is hardly one that needs to be used in moderation. In ending, what is this mysterious "Curry" and what restaurant should one go to if one were to want to sample this food that uses this "curry"?

Rks, can you share your numbers with us on this thread? And maybe PM me the numbers from the article??? Would that be OK? Is there a web link to this article? Who was it written by?

Otto for the best gelatos and sorbettos.

Prasad, You should make it a point to try many, if not all the different flavors or sorbets and gelato. Amazing!

Otto 212-995-9559 No reservations taken or necessary. Get to Otto early, and you shall be fine. I have this number on my cell. Otto is on 8th Street and 5th Avenue. Correct me if I am wrong. Actually it is on 8th between Fifth and University Place. Closer to 5th. Actually off of Fifth with entrance on the street.

It has got something to do with both smell and also besan becoming easier to digest after it is roasted.

You impress me with your knowledge of Indian sweets. Wow! I love sweets. And I live for sweets. Besan happens to be one of my favorite ingredients to work with. It also happens to be one of the trickier ones. You are absolutely correct about roasting being a critical element. Savory or sweet, it is the roasting that makes all the difference. Thanks for elevating this thread into even greater levels with your insightful post. Cooking the besan before adding it into the ghee-laced syrup (as Yamuna Devi suggests) makes complete sense to the Northerner in me. We are not into eating flours that have not been amply and perfectly cooked. Besan is especially one of those ones where very careful and complete roasting is necessary and will make a worlds difference in the end result. But is this necessary for Mysore Pak? I am not sure. Mysore Pak is not my favorite Besan desserts. I ate it as a kid in Nagpur, and the romance ended when we came back to Delhi. Patisa and Sohn Papri are far higher in my list of Besan desserts. And both of these are very similar to Mysore Pak. They just happen to be made with more roasted besan and seem far more tedious to make. Have you had either of these? They are not available in any suitable rendering in the US. I know Haldirams makes a version that comes in packaged boxes that can last a lifetime on the shelf, and the end result is something good but a lifetime away from what it really should be. Roasting the besan before adding to the syrup does not burn the besan in the other two desserts I mention. So, I see no reason for it to happen with Mysore Pak. But I am sure one needs to be very careful with these desserts to begin with. Dakshin is a great book, in fact one of my all time favorite cookbooks from the Indian genre. It is visually just as compelling as the recipes it chronicles. I have often found the recipes lacking in tested instruction. Some fail me if I were testing them blindly, without any background in Indian cookery. That is not what I would want to rely on in a cookbook. But again, most cooks bring their experience into every culinary indulgence. When I test recipes, I want to test them fully. If they fail, I ascribe it to a failure in chronicling every fugitive detail that the author could share, but somehow escaped in the written recipe. Maybe the few seconds you mention could be more like a couple of minutes?? Who knows... as I said, I am no expert at Mysore Pak preparation. In fact, the author of Dakshin (who I greatly respect and thank for that beautiful and amazing book of Southern Indian cookery) may be accurate in not wanting the besan roasted much at all. That is one of the main reasons I am no great fan of Mysore Pak, I find the besan a bit raw for me most all times I have had it. A good Besan Ladoo should be the color that comes by marrying dark amber to golden sand. And to get that color, besan has to be browned over a low flame for a substantial amount of time, stirring vigorously and that ensures you have even browning of the flour. Besan Ladoos, if made as they would be in Agra at Soami Bagh, or prepared by a Misrani (female Brahmin chef from Western UP) or a maharaj or pandit (male Brahman chef, like Panditji in our home in Delhi) or a halwai of any repute (professional dessert chef selling sweet stuff in a shop in the city), will be made from very well roasted Besan. In fact Besan is roasted to the point where the Sondhi Khusboo (the savory perfume of roasting besan in ghee becomes really intense and all in that area have reacted about it) has gotten to be strong and intense. This is the point where if you do not stop immediately, within seconds, the besan can burn. A good Besan Ladoo is made with such care and commitment to the roasting of besan. In fact, one usually adds almonds into the mix and at this point, the almonds would have become amber colored, but not brown. The sugar is added next, after removing from the fire. Besan ke Ladoo have a far richer and intense flavor and smell of roasted Besan. But again, in the US, I have not eaten any in the markets that even come close to my own not as stellar rendering of what we had delivered from Agra to our home in Delhi or what Panditji would make. In Denver, I have made Besan Ladoos often enough and with great reverence for the art of making them, that my father suggested I move to Delhi and open an old fashioned Halwai kee Dukan (Indian pastry shop). I have hardly followed Tarla Dalal after I turned 12. My mother did not own any of her books (shocking , her friends could not believe it), but we had Panditji and my mothers notes from studying under Mrs. Balbir Singh. I used to borrow her books from a neighbor. I would make cookies using her books. They were awful. I enjoyed them as a kid. But would never make them again. She is prolific and has done an amazing amount of work in the world of cookery in India. She could easily be called the Martha Stewart of India. I am sorry though, I hardly have much experience with her books and her style to comment.

Prasad, is it really this simple? You make it sound really easy. I was 7 years old when I saw my mother make this... I remember bubbles from the syrup, I remember the handling of something hot.. and I remember holes in the mysore pak.. and I remember good mysore paks being very light and having lots of air pockets.... And all of this soooo simple, eh? Thanks for the recipe.

This dessert comes from Southern India. My mother once made it for us at home when we were living in Nagpur. My fathers boss was from Madras. His wife taught her how to make this. It was not the easiest dessert to make at home. It is divine though. Where did you have it? I have never seen a decent preparation of it in NYC.

I add carom seeds (ajwain/ajowain) into my paratha dough. I add salt and carom seeds to Haath Kee Rotis (thick hand rolled chapatis), some also call them Jail Waalee Roti (chapatis prepared as they would be in a prison).

I add salt and oil when I prepare parathas. And I work with more wet dough, but that can be tough to work with but makes the best chapatis. Soft and thin. But it is better to work with drier dough, get the hang of it and then use more wetter dough. The trick is to knead the dough a lot. Makes it really better to work with and you get tastier chapatis. Ben, Dosas are much easier to work with, and soooo much fun. They are amazing. If you can make chapatis, you can make Dosas. We have experts (Prasad and Indiagirl) who can guide you. I have made enough Dosas in Denver for a lifetime, and they come out really well. Has inspired me to come back to NYC and do a Dosa dinner.

Ben, I add salt to mine sometimes, and I know some professional chefs that do so.. .but I hardly know any home chef or mother that adds salt. I think it has something to do with the fact that Indian food has plenty of salt in dishes, salt is something Indians know how to use and how much to use. They never shy away from it. But adding a little salt should hardly be an issue. It is more about what one gets used to.

There are Seekhs that have a square piece of metal several inches above the tip on the bottom end. This small square of metal keeps items being grilled from falling into the coal. Do you have these Seekhs? I would use a lot more than just a pound of coal. Will ask Hemant and report back to you about how much you ought to use. I am sure others here would have chimed in before then. I have used the lid I have with the tandoor to get the heat going. It helps make the process quicker. You could use any metal plate, large bowl or something metallic that can seal the tandoor from the top. It helps. Also if this is going to be left outdoors, the cover is a good tool to keep the tandoor safe from the elements. Will add more later. I am sorry your experiences with tandoor are not all fun just yet. Hopefully our members will be able to share their own experiences with you and make your future with the Tandoor more fruitful and fun.