Suvir Saran

As we speak of Indian restaurants across the many regional US and other forums, it gets difficult to keep track of them without making it an ordeal. The system is great, if you know the name, you can search easily, but I think this thread could serve the novice well, by giving links to the many Indian restaurant threads we have had in the past. Please take time and post a link (or two) to the Indian restaurant (s) that you may have started a thread on, or remember reading about on eGullet. Maybe you can say a few things as you post the link as to why that particular restaurant works for you. Or just why you have taken time to post about it. Thanks all for contributing to this thread.

The menu has several dishes that seem out of the oridnary compared to even the more inspired Indian restaurants in NYC.

Prasad, thanks for another thoughtful post. But again, after all of this, we are back at not having any read Danny Meyers. What can we do to make them come into our fold? What can we do to support them? Or rather, what is needed to ensure support for them in the long run? What do you think ought to be changed to help bring vision to the investors? What can a Danny Meyer who has investors without vision do to ensure that his own name does not get sullied as the investors lose vision and only want a quick buck? I am sure Danny Meyer must have to work very hard to ensure his reputation whilst also being profitable and popular with investors. Maybe we really need to understand how these key players in the industry manage their own investors and restaurants. Certainly they may have it easier than many Indian restaurant owners, but can it be all that different?

Woof! You are spoiling these people. If they are like the majority of us Indians, they will love the stuff. We love chocolates.. and we love sweets. Local treats would be appreciated... What kind of stuff were you thinking? Now I am getting curious... You can always report after the fact..... It would be great to have you post about your weekend. Looking forward to your after party post. Thanks in advance Ben.

Thanks Monica!

Sounds wonderful Monica! Would you have a menu? It would make for fascinating reading... If you can find time, I shall be grateful, and I am sure others would feel the same way. Indians do know how to "Live Life King Size."

What keeps the Indian Restaurant world from having a Danny Meyer or Jean Georges? Money is certainly not the issue. There are wealthier Indians in the US than people from any other immigrant minority. If you look at the last US Census, the figures for the Indian community were shocking. The wealth they have, the brain power they flaunt and the very high (critically for the US) percentage of Indians working in key positions and critical jobs is mind boggling. We are a very very very minisicule part of the American population. Really very very low. But we have infiltrated the American landscape in a kaliedoscopic manner and with lasting impact to how this country would function. It is this reality of our community that gives me reason to believe that we could have our own Danny Meyers and Jean Georges. But, do we want them? Are we trying to find any? Where are they if they do exist? Why do we not have them yet if the answer to the previous question was no?

Any ideas what one should expect at the Graduation weekend in an Indian household? Are there things Indian do differently from others in the US? Are there things that are similar? Does such an event even matter in an Indian household? Are their parties that happen? Guests that sleep over? Special foods that are cooked? What gifts does one take the family? What should one expect?

You are very well welcome. Let me know how it turns out. I shall Prasad! And really, thanks for finding time to post on eGullet even as you run a busy and successful restaurant. You are very generous. Thanks!

Would you mind sharing some details about your Murgh Tari recipe Kim? Where did you learn it? Is it something you make often?

Those that have made this chutney with canned tomatoes, can you tell us what brand you used? How the chutney changes if you have made different batches with different brands. Just curious.

"Tari" - in UP/Awadhi terminology means gravy -- ( Suvir correct me if I'm wrong it's been decades since ....) I remember, in my youth folks telling the "bawarchi" to add little more tari in the "katori" I doubt tari=curry ..... Actually tari=jhol (in bengali) Anil, this thread has escaped my eyes. Kim, Tari is indeed the correct word for a sauce. Anil is right in saying it comes from UP. My fathers family is from UP. And we always said Tari instead of curry. Just as Bengalis would say Jhol. Did you freeze the tari walee murghi? How did it de-freeze? If you email me, I will be glad to send you some vegetarian recipes using yogurt. My email is chef@suvir.com

Anna, have you made any more? What did you do with the chutney that was not spoken for? Have any ideas for the rest of us that have this chutney?

Thanks Prasad! You are very generous. Please thank your mother as well.

True, very true.

Many , many thanks Prasad. How were they? What did you make? Pakodi or dosa? Tell me, no rice, eh? Cool! And as you say no fermentation either. No wonder my friend makes them so very easily. It is Sunday brunch in their home for guests like me that come in without prior notice. So you sprinkle the onions and cumin seeds as the dosa cooks? Do they cook somewhat? Do you need to flip them at all? I nver do that with regular dosas. And you do not mention it. Can you confirm please. And finally, can we get a recipe for the ginger chutney. Please.

" Sone pe suhaga" I believe Monica Bhide had translated it very beautifully for another thread. Maybe she can do so again. I was amazed at her translation being very acurate and yet true. Please help Monica! I could not agree more with the NRA study. I feel the ambience and the food quality need to be at levels that are compatible and in synch with each other. You can hardly find success in a great setting with terrible food or in a poor setting with great food. Actually, you can get by with serving great food in a poor setting if you charge less, but the reverse would not be possible. I feel the new Indian restaurant must have a perfect balance of both. Come on, we can do it. Mandala (the precursor to Feng Shui) comes from our land, we know about the need for balance. Whilst Indian restaurants in India have made great strides in creating amazing spaces, Indian restaurants in the US have almost very few establishes spaces that would even remotely come close to that more successful counterpart in India. Why? I would say it is really a lack of either the desire to do something different, a lack of vision or exposure, or maybe just the most common symptom, an ease in going with the flow and not stirring the pot. But these are hardly the reasons why we cannot change the rhythm. I think again, time is ripe and tomorrow that looks to us, could be one that would give us a hearty welcome and a warm embrace if we bring it something well thought of and with great balance between all the many things that make a good restaurant tick. A visit to India is educational in many ways. In fact, in all my travels, I learn most from my travels within India. That country, with endless languages, religions, sects, castes, colors of people, cultures and social makeup, offers more in one small country than many much larger land masses have to offer put together. So, I happen to agree with you yet again. India teaches me everytime I go back something new about itself. I discover a new ancient way of thinking, a new ancient song, dance, poem, ballad or language. There is something for everyone. The rich are more lavish than any one will ever see anywhere, the poor smiling far more brilliantly than anyone anywhere and it is the balance between these sorrows, victories, failures, successes and the give and take between things so different and yet so close that makes India tick. Thus, it is easy for Fusion to find more success in India than anywhere else. India has never had minds fused into a singular way of thinking. Ours is not the country with only bipartisan participation in its political process. India has as many parties as communities in some areas. It makes the polarizing of India in any one direction a very difficult task. Today, even poverty in India is slowly (sadly) but surely (thank goodness) becoming a thing of the past. So India is ancient, modern, vibrant and poor all at the same time. India is Hindu, Muslim, Sikh, Christian, Buddhist, Parsee (and Jewish at one time) and many other religions at the same time. India is playing fusion with every breath it breathes, every day it lives and every sunrise it sees. Fusion is India. And fusion in India is ingrained in its fabric for millenia. How could it then not be successful in playing with fusion at the tables of its restaurants. BBhasin, can you share some examples of this fusion that you found pleasing? Can you also tell us where you enjoyed these? Thanks!

BBhasin, you raise all very good points. Thanks for spending a great amount of your time in sharing with us at eGullet. I agree with you that Indian cuisine is not stuck in a rut. But I also believe Indian cuisine is far from the point where it should be if it were at its prime in the US. What Indian restaurants do with Indian cuisine across India is amazing. And it would behoove the Indian restaurant players outside of India to study the trends in India. In fact, even in Singapore, I was amazed at how lively, fresh and clean the restaurants were and also how many new trends were shaping up. Not so in the US, and it is towards that which we hope these threads can take us. I applaud and humbly thank every owner, chef, server, busboy, dish washer, busser, host, manager and other employee of all Indian restaurants thus far. Their hardwork, their contributions of time, effort and sharing have taken Indian cuisine to a place it would not have had otherwise. But now that Indian food has reached a significant group of Americans, I believe the logical next step is to really look within from the outside, understand the market of today, understand how it would view us in the next decade and only then can we really get a grasp on what the masses really would want from Indian cuisine. Thus, it is time now to really have this deeper conversation within the community and outside of it. How can it hurt. "Are Indian Restaurants and kitchens Dirty ? Here is scope for improvement. Restaurants as everyone is aware have to undergo routine inspections from the health department and Indian restaurants( I believe) actually tend to get a slightly tougher inspection as mostly the operation is conducted on a ' prep and hold basis ' where basic curries are prepared in advance to be finished off later at the time of recieving an order. There is the chance of food ( meats specially) being in the danger temp zone for a longer period which the health department frowns upon. The ' front of the house' is generally what the guest opinion/perception based on, as one feels that if its not clean outside it must be dirty inside. The key to cleanliness I believe is education and training. and constant continued training and this is where owners/managers have to step in. Explaining to the server why blowing on the papadams to get rid of loose bits is not good for the customer or why wiping a plate with a dirty rag is not going to clean it. But at the same time even though Chinese restaurants/kitchens have reputation for being dirty it is among the most popular in the US." Do you really believe they are tougher on Indian restaurants? What makes you think so? What do you think happens when they inspect Chinese kitchens? How do Indian restaurants tackle this situation? What are things a smart restaurant does to ensure no violations? Would you mind sharing... Please. What steps do you think the most humble of Indian restaurants is taking to educate their staff about different standards of cleanliness and hygiene between them and the customer? Is it something an employer can really tackle sufficiently without fear of being litigated against? Yes Chinese cooking is very popular, but does that popularity change the sterotype that is deeply rooted? No. Can we not strive to be popular without having a negative stereotype? Do you think it is workable to live with one? Or does it not matter too much? I had a friend travel to India and they came back telling me that in their travels to foreign lands, even the poorest of poor Indian had greater personal hygiene than most other natives of foreign lands. I was shocked by this statement. I think of so much of India as being ridden with dirt, slush, filth.. (whilst so much more is dreamy and magical) that I could hardly believe they were being honest. But then they explained to me how even in the filthiest of settings, the personal hygiene was kept clean and was something very important. I do agree with that, our religions have placed great importance on the concept of taking great care of our hygiene. They also noted that even the poorest of Indian was wearing clothes that had perfect creases and seemd to have been washed just before that day and ironed, something they had not seen across many cultures, again, it is I think so much a part of being Indian. They noted that even beggars who seem to have been exaggerating and cashing in on physical maladies, were dressed neatly, even when wearing torn and poor clothes. Again, it touches on the intrinsic understanding the masses have about cleanliness. They also noted how the houses inside were very clean, but sadly, just outside the house, there were piles of garbage, a telling sign that personal hygiene was important, but what happens outside may not be as crucial. My question for myself and the rest of us, how can we bring this respect for personal hygiene into the world of Indian restaurants and translate that into respect for the hygiene of the restaurants, its employees and the patrons. If we can do this, we do have a great thing going for us.

Suvir, You make me salvate. It's past mid-night and I see a thread on pesarattu. Guess what? after reading your post, I just soaked the Dal for Pesarattu for breakfast. It's the simplest of all the Dosas and probably the best... All the secrets and tips of this recipe, will post in the morning, while I am grinding, making and eating, Prasad Thanks Prasad! I shall await the recipe... My sister had once said she makes it with one of the green lentils... could that be true? Did I hear correctly? It sounded easy... but I have unfortunately forgotten what lentil it is. I love the texture it has. Our friend that makes it is from Karnataka and he serves it with Coconut chutney and some gongura chutney. It is deelicious. I shall envy you when I wake up in the morning.... lucky you!

Any recent report on Bukhara Grill in NYC? How is it doing? Bustling as ever??

"To propel the cuisine to the next phase here in the US, we have to understand why it's stuck in a rut. What haven't restauranteurs done well to make it more acceptable. The biggest hindrance, I find, is the atmosphere in Indian restaurants. I characterize it as the single biggest reason for the stagnancy. Certain stereotypes: 1. The restaurants, kitchens included, in general are dirty as hell 2. The service is horrendous (there are to many more generalizations to add)" The above is quoted from a very relevant and poignant post made by eGulleteer Rks in the Indian Restaurant in NYC thread. What do you think about this? Do you think these are issues that ought to be addressed? Do you think these are issues that haunt Indian restaurants, or are they non-issues? What would you do if you agree with the above quote in addressing these issues? What do you think would be the impact on the Indian restaurant business if the key players in the business make a concerted effort to address these issues?

Pesarattu is one of my favorite dosas from the South. A friend makes these amazingly well. The home of this friend is a few blocks from my own. Makes for easy access to one of my favorite dishes. Have never made this myself. Recipe anyone? Tips??? PS: Prasad2 had mentioned this on another thread. Made me hungry for it... far away from NYC, I now am craving them.

Please go on... I am hungry again...

Works for me Jason.

Oh. I thought Chaat was the Hindi word for snack food and appetizer like things. Its specific to a region? You are right about the word and what it means. Chaat is also eaten in hawker-style stalls from North through Western India - But in South India, the appetisers are not chaat - Hawker type apps are popular in Hyderabad - with Mughlai kebabs and seekhs, and banana fritter savories in Trivandrum. Banana fritters... yummmmm....