Suvir Saran

I was born in Delhi at the Holy Family Hospital.

Dinshaws inspired my life.. and it also was a player in the changes that happened in my life in my early adulthood. Dinshaws will always be a part of my life. Can never be forgotten. I still remember those beautiful yet simple cups in which they served ice cream unlike any I have eaten since. Dharampeth was where we went to shop for saris... We lived in Ambhajhari Lane and also in Presitige Apartments (near Bishop Cotton School) and finally in Bungalow Number 3 in Civil Lines. The largest bungalow of its kind in Nagpur. Once the home of the Governor. I have vivid and very fond memories of Nagpur. Mr. Billimoria (whose families name is the name of the famous Cricket stadium) was a sweetheart. He would feed me sweets as if there was never going to be a tomorrow for this little boy (me). And I thank you for bringing back such beautiful memories for me in a time in my life when I need happiness that comes from going back in memory lane. Thanks indiagirl. Bottle Masala and Kaala Masala are the same.. and they change from home to home.... I would love to see Ruchira's recipe.. when you have time.. if you can share that.. it would be a great treat. Thanks for all your posts.. They are a joy.

You can make spinach and onion bhajia and use it as pakoras for Karhi. Karhi is a chickpea flour and yogurt sauce that is flavored with mustard seeds, some fenugreek seeds, asafetida and curry leaves. You can make cheelas (pancakes), you can make gatte kee sabzi (a dish from Rajasthan, where the flour is made into a thick dough, steamed and then cut into cubes and cooked in a sauce). There are many other ways.. it is a very versatiole flour... and as SuzanneF says you can use it for most anything.

Thanks Indiagirl! DO you have recipes for Kaala Masala? I think it is the same thing as bottle masala. I love Bhareli Vangi. IN fact I hated vangi (eggplant) as a child but bhareli vangi and rasa vangi (both maharashtrian dishes) were two of my favorite or only acceptable eggplant preparations. Do you make either? Have any certified authentic recipes? Born in Nagpur?? Wow, you are lucky! I envy you... I love, absolutely love Nagpur. My fondest memories from my youth are from there. It was my dream world. I learned many Hindu customs there and also went for my first Midnight Mass (for Christmas) in Nagpur. Where did you family live in Nagpur? What were your favorite restaurants? Did you know Dinshaws ice cream parlor?? Now I shall miss Nagpur even more.

Monica, of course your word here carries great weight. And even more so with your last name being Bhide. Two women I adore are Manik Tai and Ashwini, and they are also both Bhide's. Singers of great repute, they are my champions. And yes bottle masala is exactly how you describe. But each family has their own recipe. What does the Bhide clan use??? What proportions?

Indiagirl, Would you share some information about Bottle Masala??? I have always wanted to learn more about it from a Maharashtrian.... I lived in Nagpur as a kid for 3 years.. and I have always had very fond memories of that city and Maharashtra. I would be grateful for any light you can shed on this spice mix. Thanks for your help.

Tawa cooking is a style by itself. Pav Bhaji ( I agree with Indiagirl, is absolutely a dish to die for, we have had discussions about it on other threads) is made on a tava. Sardars in Tardeo in Bombay makes the best.. or you can all come to my home for a taste of it when my father is well and I am back in NYC. I make it often.. and friends eat it as if it were going out of fashion. Tawas are always flat. Tawa dishes were and often are still prepared on these flat griddles. Many a times you will hear a taka tak sound that comes from banging the knife like implements that are used to cook stuff on these flat griddles. These dishes are stir fries made on a flat surface. Mirchi is a restaurant in NYC that introduced tawa in NYC.. I remember taking Gael Greene to Mirchi and soon after, it became a favorite of hers and of many others... She still raves about some of their tawa dishes... and we mourn the loss of the recipes they used when they first opened... alas they have changed some.... Karahi is an Indian wok.. and karahi dishes are different. Sadly, most Indian restaurants make tawa dishes in Karahis.

Kothimbirichya Vadya - You are bad... Very Bad! Now I am craving these... I ate some in Bombay when I was there in India earlier last year. With pav (buns) they are heavenly for breakfast or any time of the day or night when you want something simple but full of flavor. And thanks for your posts... how wonderful to read about your Maharashtrian food knowledge and everything else you so generously share. Looking forward to the next thread where you have added stuff... Thanks for sharing.. I hope you will not tire anytime soon.

Your digressions were most wonderful. I love the North Indian toasted cumin scented raitas a lot. But the subtlety that the pachadis (the South Indian raitas you descirbe) bring to any meal are amazing. Please keep going on.. do not stop. Thanks for bringing the world of the tarka based raitas into this thread. I love the use of urad dal and chana dal in tarkas for raitas. They add such a wonderful flavor to the raita. Indiagirl, thanks for your great post.. and I am looking forward to reading more... please do not stop... thanks.

A good raita ought to be somewhere between the poor consistency one finds in many restaurants and what a hummus should be. That is what I aspire for when I make raita. At times I make very thick raita. Almost like a salad that has a yogurt dressing. Very well dressed salad.

The only tawas I have ever heard of are flat. And yes they come in several sizes. Used mostly for making breads, sometimes they are used in the preparation of other stuff.

Zaafraani Kulfi (Indian Ice-Cream) (Suvir Saran) There is no dessert as popular in the northern summer as Kulfi. This Indian version of ice cream is greatly addictive. In restaurants and street side vending carts, Kulfi is served with Falooda (Indian noodles) and a gentle dab of rose water. The frozen dense ice cream the silky playful noodles and the tingling floral bouquet from the rose water, are a perfect counter to the scorching afternoon sun. I also remember weddings where Kulfi frozen in individual terracotta containers was served. Nothing matches the wonders of eating Kulfi holding a cold terracotta container. There is something magical about it. But the magic is close enough when walking down a crowded New York street and finding a Kulfi vendor selling Kulfi in New York City on sticks like Popsicles. And the magic continues when you make it at home, with love and a sense of how you will share with your guests something sublime, Kulfi makes for a great and fulfilling dessert. Suvir Saran 1/2 gal half and half 2 cans evaporated whole milk reserve two tablespoons of this for later use 1 to 1 1/2 cups sugar, or to taste 1/4 c blanched chopped almonds 1/4 c blanched pistachios, chopped finely 1/2 c golden raisins 1/2 tsp saffron strands 8 to 10 cardamom pods, peeled, seeded and ground into fine powder 2 T ghee 1. In a heavy bottom pan pour 2 tablespoon water and then pour all the half and half. Bring to a boil over high flame. When the milk is boiling, lower heat to a very low simmer, and with a flat metal spatula, keep scraping the bottom of the pan as the milk cooks over a period of 3-4 hours. 2. As the milk is cooking and you are scraping the base of the pan, in another small pan, take the ghee and heat it over a low flame. Add the ground cardamom seed powder and the raisins and nuts. Sautee for close to 5 minutes till the nuts and raisins are brown but not burned. As and when the content of the pan are sticking to the bottom, you can pour some boiling half and half into the pan to add moisture. 3. The milk will start forming dry layers around the rim of the pan. Scrape these back into the milk and continue to cook, making sure no milk is sticking at the base. You really want to reduce the milk by as much as you can. Place a custard bowl into the freezer for using to test the thickness later. 4. After two hours of cooking, add the evaporated milk to the pan and cook for another hour or more. Make sure you keep scraping the pan to ensure that the milk is not sticking and burning. The milk should be reduced by no less than half of what you began with. 5. Add 1 cup sugar into the pan. Turn the fire off. Test sugar by pouring some of the custard into the bowl from the freezer. Place the bowl with the custard back in the freezer and take it out after 5 minutes. Taste for sugar and add more if you feel the need. 6. In a small frying pan, sauté the saffron strands on a very low flame for a minute or two. Till they darken but aren't burned. Once ready, pour them into a mortar and pestle(or spice grinder). Grind into a fine powder. 7. To this fine powder, add the two tablespoons of evaporated milk and continue to blend it in the mortar and pestle. You will see how beautifully the color bleeds into the cream and also smell the intense aroma of saffron. Pour this into the custard 8. Transfer into Kulfi Containers or into a bread pan or even ice trays. You can also set the Kulfi in Popsicle molds to serve it on sticks. Freeze until solid and serve as you would ice cream. Serves 8-10 Keywords: Dessert, Coffee/Spice Grinder, Intermediate, Indian ( RG185 )

Green chutney (Haree chutney) Almost every north Indian home makes a version of this recipe that is unique to that family. In many homes, it's served with every meal. The last time I was in India I was ecstatic for the simple reason that every single day I was able to eat fresh green chutney made with mint, cilantro and green mango. This recipe is easy to vary. You can omit the mint and use cilantro alone. Or you can use chopped green mango, if you can find it -- the mango gives the chutney a delicious sour taste. Increase the number of chilies (I have been known to add up to 10) to make a hot pepper chutney. Or you can make a mint chutney by increasing the mint and using less cilantro (but do include some cilantro or the chutney will be bitter). Suvir Saran 1-1/2 c firmly packed, chopped fresh cilantro 1/2 c firmly packed mint leaves 2 to 3 fresh, hot green chilies, stemmed 2 inches fresh ginger, peeled and cut into chunks 1/2 red onion, quartered Juice of 2 lemons 1 T sugar 1/2 tsp salt 1/4 c water Combine all of the ingredients in a blender and process to a puree. (This won’t blend easily; you’ll need to stop and start the blending and scrape and stir the ingredients often to get the mixture to catch. You can add a bit more water to facilitate the process but the flavor of the chutney will be milder.) Makes 1 1/2 cups. Keywords: Easy, Blender, Condiment, Indian, The Daily Gullet ( RG182 )

Tamarind chutney (Imlee kee chutney) Tamarind makes a sweet and sour chutney with the consistency of hot fudge sauce. It's an important element in the street- and snack-foods of northern India. Suvir Saran 1 T canola oil 1 tsp cumin seeds 1 tsp ground ginger 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper 1/2 tsp fennel seeds 1/2 tsp asafetida 1/2 tsp garam masala 2 c water 1-1/4 c sugar 3 T tamarind concentrate Combine the oil and the spices in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat and cook, stirring, 1 minute Add the water, the sugar and the tamarind concentrate. Bring to a boil, turn the heat down and simmer until it turns a chocolaty brown color and is thick enough to coat the back of the spoon, 20 to 30 minutes. (While still warm, it will look like a thin chocolate sauce and it will thicken a bit as it cools.) Makes about 1 1/4 cups. Keywords: Easy, Condiment, Indian, The Daily Gullet ( RG181 )

Bhel poori The finished product will be quite good even if made with store-bought chutneys, but for the best results you'll of course want to make your own. See recipes for: Tamarind Chutney and Green Chutney Suvir Saran 1/2 package (400 grams) bhel mix 1/2 red onion, chopped 1 tomato, chopped 2 T green chutney (store-bought, or see recipe for Green Chutney) 2-1/2 T tamarind chutney (store-bought or see recipe for Tamarind Chutney) Fold everything together in a large bowl and serve immediately. Serves 3 to 4 normal people or 1 very hungry schoolboy. Keywords: Easy, Snack, Indian, The Daily Gullet ( RG180 )

Whole chicpeas is what I use. And use the same spices as for most any other raita.

Okra, lotus root, beets, potatoes, pineapple, eggplants, cucumber, mint, onions, tomatoes, lotus seed, chickpeas and many other things make for great raita.

The Biryaani Hemant makes is the classic preparation. But then as a special touch he seals the dish with dough and blind bakes it. Makes for a great touch. The Lemon Rice is a recipe I have made for years. I prepared it for Hemant upon his return from SF. It is simple, but a favorite of mine and all those that have enjoyed it at our home. If you email me SA, I can send you a word document with that recipe. Actually, I can also send you the recipe for the mint rice that is also served at Diwan with some dishes. Glad you liked the rice... It is a wonderful preparation.. and makes for a great snack as well.

3 Stars??? Wow! Really?? What did you like about the Biryaani the most? And yes I shall send you a recipe upon my return. Please remember to ask me.

Thanks everyone! Keep these suggestions coming. I shall keep all of these in mind.

My father had to spend a rather long day at the hospital in Denver yesterday. As a result of the angiogram procedure, he ended up being given a room and so also a dinner. As a man with great need for only the tastiest vegetarian foods, he was not impressed by anything they served him as part of the savory end of the meal, he did take a bite of the lemon meringue pie (not too bad, it was made with more gelatin than anything else, but for hospital food, it was not too bad) and two packages of tapioca pudding. I told him it could not be too different from the sabut dana kee kheer that we made at home in India. I was Wrong. The pudding was terrible. It was the pre-packaged stuff that I am told one can find easily in most all supermarkets and grocers. This is the same company that also makes other commercial puddings. My father was saddened simply tasting it, he refused to eat further (he is getting fussy, he eats VERY LITTLE, but is very selective, it is difficult enough to feed him at home, but I dread the day he is checked into the hospital, it will be a nightmare) and was shocked I could have suggested that this pudding could be close to anything a chef would prepare. How do you make your favorite tapioca pudding? Are these packaged ones any good? I never tried it, never have, and now feel I am somewhat nervous to try... Maybe I will, if only to be more intelligent about this whole thing. Are these commercial puddings close to what was prepared at homes at some point? Do people make tapioca pudding for special occasions? How does one make it? What makes tapioca pudding special? What are its essentials?

Masala for Southern Indian food and Star of India for Northern Indian food. These are two very good restaurants. And both have dishes that are of quality that one would find in homes where food is delicious. They are also both not the most attractive, but the food is really promising.

I find the food and the culture surrounding it's creation absolutely fascinating. I love talking with the Chefs I know from Pakistan and India about their food as, amongst other benefits, it highlights over and over the breathtaking diversity of food offered from the region. I also love to hear those pakistani and Indian Chefs argue passionately about who created what and who makes the best or most creative use of all the ingredients at their disposal. I've yet to taste an indian dish I did not at least like. Some I absoutely adore. Like dopiaza, bhuna, tandoori naan, popadoms, mushroom bhajjee, chicken pakora, chicken tikka and probably my favourite dish of all time: the peerless burryani. Truly a dish fit for the Gods. I love the colours (yes, even the alarming reds), the aromas, the contrast of both flavour and textures in many dishes. Have you ever seen how gorgeous an Indian feast can look? Such a beautiful riot of colour and flavours is impossible for me to resist. And it need not be always complex. It doesn't get much simpler than a snack of fresh Popadom with a mint raita, but the crisp, nutty, still warm Popadom is a marvel to taste when dipped in the smooth, cool raita. It's great fun to eat into the bargain. I'll always prefer the relaxed, casual meal where people tear naans and use them to scoop up sauce to devour over formal restaurants where all too often the procession of dishes is stuffily regimented - starter, main dish, dessert. Yawn. Sit at an indian feast and help yourself with hands, breads and mouth to whatever takes your fancy. Want to dip a piece of vegetable pakora into the Kashmiri sauce? Go right ahead. It tastes great, too. I find the whole eating experience with Indian cuisine to be extraordinarily tactile. Another aspect I love about the culture and the cusine is the enthusiam of Chefs from Scotland as to how to cook the dishes well. Glasgow, reputedly, has more Indian restaurants per head of capita than anywhere one earth barring Bombay itself. It's great to speak daily with Chefs with an enthusiam for learning about a cuisine that is far and away Scotland's most popular food. I could talk for hours about why I love Indian food, but it's near one am and I have to rise in five hours to work. I'm treating myself to haldi chicken dopiaza for lunch simply because I can Wow! Thanks for some beautiful and sensitive writing. Maybe you will start threads on some of these dishes you so beautifully describe and bring alive in your words. I am happy to have made time to browse eGullet this evening in Denver. There are as usual so many wonderful threads. And then this great post in the Indian forum. WHat more could I ask for. Thanks!

Again, I am humbled by each of you and your dedication to making eGullet really special and unique. It is inspirational and comforting and gives me lots of food for thought. I look forward to returning to active participation and using Vengroffs special recipe data base. My thanks to all that have supported his efforts and to those that have taken precious time in ensuring recipes from this forum are part of that data base. My sincere thanks to everyone. And my thanks to everyone of you on eGullet. As one member correctly noted recently, I have a painful (and annoying to many) way of saying too much. Sorry! But I really am humbled by the generosity of all here. Nothing I can write will add more, so I shall stop. Words pale in comparison to my feelings of gratitude.

They aren't ready yet.... Am I missing something?