Suvir Saran

At Diwan Hemant Mathur is making roomali rotis using a kadhai placed upside down over a tandoor. Makes for good roomali rotis.

They are very good. IN fact they all would shine if someone were managing them better. But through the chaotic management, it is amazing that they give the level of service one finds there. Tommy, you are right, one cannot and should not ignore the spot on, no fuss service. You are a smart and a kind man.

Glad to see you are back Anil. We have missed you.

Doi is the Bengali word for Dahi (yogurt). Mishti Doi is sweet yogurt. Mishti is the Bengali word for Sweet.

Suvir, I'd meant to ask this before - a wee while ago I watched a documentary on a travel programme about regional variations in Inidian cuisine. The programme was fronted by a very beautiful American woman of Indian heritage. In one of the regions (Hyderabad?) she took a look at the hand made popadom industry. There were hundreds of women involved in the creation of popadoms. They would collect the dough daily from the same place they returned the finished items to sell. It was amazing to witness as there were literally thousands upon thousands of the popadoms being made very day by these women. What I wanted to know was this: is the flavour of these hand made, sun dried popadoms so very different from the factory produced ones I would typically buy? Also, I have noticed on the ones I buy that they are made from Urid flour? What is this? Does it have another name I would perhaps know better? Why is this flour used for popadoms in factories, and is it the same material the women would have used? The company may be Lijjat Papad. I am told it is run by women. Urad Dal is the same as the black beans that are famous in India and also in Mexican cooking. But the urad dal we use is the peeled, split black lentil. The flour of these split and peeled black beans is used in the making of papad. Papad in India are still made in the cottage industry level. So most are sun dried and hardly ever see any big factory production. The flour would change from region to region and also from mill to mill. Depending on where they are milled, the coarseness of the flour will change. And that will alter the papad. Does any of this make sense?

Currently I am the only one who eats yogurt on a regular basis in my house since my wife is the only other person living with me and she was not raise eating yogurt (she still thinks yogurt = vanilla and fruit flavored stuff). However she does love labne. So the batch of yogurt would last me about a week and in the mean time I freeze the starter so that it would not go terribly sour. I learned this from my mom who made huge batches of yogurt for the family back home and froze some as a starter for next week. You should try it. I have not bought yogurt in a couple of years !! FM Thanks Foodman! You have me taught me some wonderful things... And now you have kindled in me a passion for making yogurt like my own grandma did till her last day in their home in SF. Foodman, my grandparents have been to Lebanon a few times.... in the 50s, 60s, 70s and then late 90s. My grandpa was in love with Lebanon. He found it like living between Lahore and Murray (a hill station in Pakistan). He said the people were special, the food amazing and the hearts of the masses as full of hope as the people he had grown up admiring in the poor masses of India. And then he would tell us tales of the wonderful and decadent evenings he spent in Lebanon amongst the hosts of that country that would make even the most decadent hosts in other parts of the world seem humble. I look forward to learning more and more from you.... thanks for being so generous with your posts.

What is yogurt blue? And yes we make fish in yogurt a lot in India. In fact that is one of the more popular ways of preparing fish. i like to make it that way too, but have a hunch you'd do it better. my friend gita made blue fish: white fish in a yogurt sauce that turned the fish blue when baked. she told me that it was the cinnamon that did that. I am not sure I would make it better than you or Gita. I would only make it differently. If you want some fish recipes, feel free to email me.. and I shall send you some.

Wow... that is exactly what I did for Doi... I would often pick up some on my walk home from the Bus Stop coming back from school. Doi is one of my all time favorite desserts. And I do not even waste my time trying to worry about how I could get it to taste the same... I have realized it never will. The milk is not the same... the hands are different.. and the bacteria are different. I will live to enjoy it from the many wonderful halwais in India.

Please share the recipe of rassam you have. Rassam is one of the few things he really loves. I make him a tomato rassam. It is without lentils and tamarind. Both things that are not good for hepatic patients. He also loves drinking Chaas which his doctors are also enjoying. I make it by adding 4 times more water than there is yogurt. I add toasted cumin powder and black peppercorn (crushed of course) a pinch of black salt and some salt. Cutlets also make him happy. I am sorry that we are talking of hospital food and in this particular thread it is difficult to keep the thread moving without my making it personal. I shall try and not make too many personal references. And I know you are all wishing me.. please feel free to continue sending me PM's and emails for that goal. That will keep our chats focussed about food and food related thoughts. What else should one make for a hepatic patient??

What is yogurt blue? And yes we make fish in yogurt a lot in India. In fact that is one of the more popular ways of preparing fish.

Foodman, it is called Dahi in Hindi. And I grew up as you did. Enjoying yogurt greatly and daily. It was served at every meal in the form of a raita. But what was compulsory for each child in our vegetarian home was to have at least one bowlful of yogurt at the end of each meal. We ate it chilled and topped with cane sugar. It gave it more sweetness and a wonderful crunch. In the winter one would top it with shakkar (brown sugar made with sugarcane). My grandmother made yogurt as you mention. And yes Panditji our chef would always cover the earthenware pot in which it was made with a woolen shawl. I had never heard of freezing the starter. In an Indian home there was never any use for that. It was made twice a day. At night for lunch and at lunch time for dinner. That is how it was timed. And the yogurt was always as you mention...sweet with a slight tang and a soft custard like texture. Nothing like that horrible gelatinous and dense stuff we are using from the supermarkets here. It does the jon for making Indian dishes that need yogurt, but I can never think of eating it plain as I did home made yogurt. How lucky your family is that you make it fresh. I am jealous.

Like Indiagirl, I grew up eating yogurt. Twice a day. And large servings of it. But never was it made with lemon for usual consumption. The only time we made yogurt with lemon juice as a part of the initial starter was when we made it for Kadhi.

Plane to either Delhi (where Mishti Doi can be better than in most places in Calcutta but true... sadly, the large and growing Bengali community of New Delhi has pulled the best mishti chefs out of Calcutta) or to Calcutta is what is called for. The Doi divine when made well. And I for one have never had a good home made one just yet.

It seems fine for now. But I am working on the diet for after the operation. They will not allow food from home after that... he is at very high risk for infections. I was thinking of taking him some home made lemonade tomorrow. Actually this evening the executive chef sent for dinner two very nicely made Aloo Sabzi kee Tikkis (potato and mixed vegetable cakes) as we had told him this morning. They are very accomodating. It is one comfort of being at a good facility. And the tikkis tasted nice. They also added cilantro into them as we had suggested.

For this you (Me), it is not a factor. But I hardly ever cook with it. Maybe a drop here or there. But never as a base. For the other "you's", I am just as anxious as you (Stone) to get their take on this.

I only wish his restaurants owner would do him more justice by providing a team for him that is more competent. He would dazzle all of us with far greater heights of achievement. He does a great deal with amazingly little. In fact that is what is dazzling to those that enjoy his food and also understand what an environment he creates it in. No fuss, no drama and no hype. All about being creative and doing the best with humble and meager tools. Varmint, when you do come to NYC, let me know... It would be my pleasure to have you be my guest to enjoy a meal cooked by Hemant Mathur. I have great pride and joy in introducing people to his food and the man behind it. And as you can see, I am shamelessly his biggest PR agent. I do not hide that.. and have no reason to. True talent ought to be accepted and appreciated.

Suvir, I'd be very interested to know how to make these. Are there recipes on eGullet already or, if not,. would you mind sharing some ideas as to how best to make them? Yours in anticipation ASC, Please email me at chef@suvir.com From home, I shall be happy to send you the recipe. They are easy and delicious. I am sure others have recipes handy and can post one sooner.

What would you make with yogurt?? How do you use it in your cuisine? What recipes do you have that include it? Where did you get them? DO you make your own dahi? What tricks do you have for a good jamun (starter)?

Rstarobi, You are unduly kind to me here. Diwan is about Hemant Mathur and his food. And not many are as generous and gracious as he. I can only make suggestions and requests... I rely on Hemant for delivering and sharing his brilliance. He is the Star and he is alone in doing what he does. If he had better help and a stronger team, Hemant could very well be the best of the best anywhere in the world. I am glad your sister had a nice birthday celebration. Hemant told me he was honored you all picked Diwan to celebrate that special day. My best to your sister for a long, healthy and happy lifetime ahead.

Back to ghee and vegetable ghee please...

thanks, scottishchef. it is lovely to have hats doffed at you for something you love doing. :gracious bow: :big smile: (ps - did you like our logo?) suvir, excellent news about the hospital. take it over, dude. you will be doing a service to many patients to come! in terms of healing/comforting foods, a couple i forgot to mention in the previous post: khichadi (mixed lentils and rice, all cooked together with spices) kadhi (soup like and made of yougurt and chickpea flour) perhaps you could share with the chefs, the differenes in techniques that make life so difficult for your dad. pointing out that most often than not it is the techniques and seasonings that break a dish, not the base ingredients themselves, would go a along way, it think. over cooked green beans vs. lightly sauteed green beans with a little cumin and fresh coconut. that type of thing. not that you need very much input from the rest of us!! anyway, share the menus you plan, with us here, suvir. it will be interesting. Thanks Indiagirl! Khichadi was in my list... though he is not allowed to have protein. Not too off topic really, since the liver is the most food vital organ, liver failure can alter what and how one eats forever. The doctors say that even after a transplant, life can never come back to normal at least in terms of diet. It changes. And the same is the case for those that are living donor liver transplant patients. They will never taste or eat food the same way. I am not sure what we will accomplish tomorrow, but it will be about how to make the food they make more flavorful. And just as you suggest, it would be my attempt to share those techniques that can very quickly make something the chefs are doing already become more appetising to a patient like my dad. I have enjoyed making Karhi and Chaas (both yogurt based sauces). He is happy eating them. Aloo and Paalak Tikkis are a big hit with him. The chef over the weekend happened to be vegetarian and the executive chef has told me that it was fun to have had a lesson from the patient on how to make vegetarian hospital food more appetizing. Keep the tips coming..and yes I will share with you all the things we prepare.

WOW! Inspirational! How much time did you take?

Has anyone tried making the papads at home? Just curious.

There are kachoris (stuffed pooris) also called Berwis that many (MANY) Indian chefs will only make with vegetable ghee. Then there are samosas and pakoras (bahjjis/bhajia etc) that again many home chefs will make with vegetable ghee for they find them flakier. Then there are those home chefs that find their bodies react negatively to ghee or vegetable oil, and so they use vegetable ghee. Many (millions or rathers scores of millions) use vegetable ghee in India. And they swear by it. To many of them money is not the concern at all.

Basmati rice is longer grain and less starchy. It is different in fragrance. I personally love the fragrance of basmati. It also cooks much better. And basmati rice ages well and the older it gets, the better it is to cook with.