Suvir Saran

Anil, thanks for the great posts. Indian banquets almost always are at a much higher level and standard when organized at homes. Certainly those banquets elaborately prepared at hotels or restaurants for grand functions are also of similar brilliance. But few elect to choose these as a venue for something memorable. But even as I say that, many a wedding feasts are served at hotels. And then again, the most memorable weddings I have attended have been catered by home chefs in tents created on the large grounds of the families home. India can be a bundle of contradictions and that is what makes it so special and challenging. But I have had many an amazing feast at Indian restaurants around the world. They are similarly good and intricate. I think a lot of this has to do with Indians really enjoying the idea of entertaining grandly at their homes. Just last year I was in Bombay and the key players of the hospitality industry were meeting with me to discuss trends in Indian food in India vs. the US. The unending and most amazing banquet was not hosted in one of the hotels (the owners or operating heads of most all the top groups were present, since one of the owners was hosting this dinner) but at the home of Dinesh Khanna. The meal was cooked by their chef and Mrs. Khanna and Indian food was discussed in the realm of restaurants and hotels, but we ate home cooked food even as we did that. The group of industry folk that wanted to meet me thought it best to spoil me with amazing home cooked food. And they did achieve that. It was a meal of a lifetime. It will be remembered by me as one of the top few I ever ate. This should tell you how many of us Indians think of food and entertaining. But again, restaurants are able to provide similar experiences, but may not be as frequently used. Bad food is bad food no matter where you find it. And it is safe to say that a vast majority of restaurants serving "Indian" food are either owned, run or managed by Bangladeshi immigrants. And many chefs (a very large number actually) are from Bangladesh. And what is interesting is that most of these chefs have had little if any exposure to Indian cooking in their country. And most of them never cooked or received any formal training. They fell into these jobs and have simply copied flavors, borrowed bad recipes and perfected them to taste just like that one they emulated. All of this has led to a cuisine that is not Indian and not Bangladeshi... it is somewhere between, if at all it can be called a cuisine. And many of the Indian chefs you find are similarly not those who cooked in India, but again, immigrants that found cooking in a kitchen as their first job. With no background to cooking, little experience with restaurant dining in India, they have found this a profession that serves as an entrée into the job market in this new country. There are those chefs that have been cooking for decades and have made cooking their profession. And it is only recently that in NYC we have had a greater influx of them. Bacchan Rawat (Bukhara Grill), Toheen Dutta (Banjara), Hemant Mathur (Diwan), Dhandu Ram (Bukhara Grill), Rajendar Rana (now working in Canada, used to be chef at Ada), Peter Beck (formerly of Tamarind and Chola), and the much venerated Durga Prasad (founding chef of Bukhara in New Delhi, whom most consider to be the grand master of Indian cooking in the world), Walter D'Souza (Utsav), and Vijay Bhargava (Sapphire, was founding chef of Raga, a much loved NYC Indian restaurant of yesteryears). These men are chefs that have cooked with passion and love and with great respect for a cuisine that is as tempered in variety as their countries peppered history. But they are a very small group and often not as appreciated even by the operators of the establishments where they create great food for others to enjoy. It is thus no surprise that one hardly finds much written about them. Times are changing, and I hope Indian restaurateurs will soon realize the brilliants minds and talent they house in their kitchens and can showcase them as they most appropriately deserve. When that can happen, Indian restaurants can move into a new level of refinement that will be redolent of the experience that diners come back with after dining in Indian homes of a certain flair.

What dish are you making Tommy? And yes nuking works just fine. One has to be careful about timing, they can burn very quickly that way.

Sara I buy most all my spices at Foods Of India. It is located on Lexington Avenue and is the shop south of Kalustyans. Between 28 and 29th streets. Just ask them for Kashmiri Mirch Powder. Foods of India 121 Lexington Avenue New York City, NY Tel: (212) 683 4419 Proprietor: Arun Kumar Sinha

Yes they add a great depth of flavor and a wonderful color and are worth finding. In NYC we find them at all our local Indian groceries labelled as Kashmiri Mirch.

Thanks for that great link Simon!

In Indian cooking we use Kashmiri Mirch for color more than anything else. It does not have the heat of the hotter chile powders. But it imparts a rich color to sauces where it is added.

I was not sure if Mango has the same enzyme. Nice to know that it does. In India we use papaya (green papaya is best) in marinades. And yes a couple of hours with that marinade is plenty. Pappain (sp??) is the enzyme that does the trick in papayas.

You are welcome. Please feel free to add Kasoori Methi (packaged, dried fenugreek leaves) to this. In fact restaurants use these most of the time. You need to add only a teaspoon or two. That will be plenty. Some people add a little yogurt to this dish. It gives a nice acidity and also a pleasant richness to the karahi. You seem to have done all that was required. But do add finely minced ginger and garlic into the oil. The ginger if fired first with the whole red chiles (if you are using these) and cumin seeds. The next thing added are the other spices (not cayenne), then the garlic and then cayenne and then the other ingredients. The toor dal and chapaties sound wonderful. I am jealous. Have fun.. let us know about your further adventures with this recipe.

Thank you Suvir. I did just call and the tasting menu will be on as of this Saturday. I did not have the guts to ask to speak with the Chef - but my call was transferred to the Manager and he seemed to know what I was talking about. Nothing specific was said on my part (I am not a telephone person) or on his about the nature of this tasting menu, so I am just going to hope we will get to taste at least some of the things I have been reading about. Is an email to Diwan a possibility for purposes of clarification? Please ignore if inapporopriate. llwb llwb, please muster up the courage and speak with Hemant Mathur. That will ensure you have a meal of a lifetime. Mention my name and that I encouraged you to do this. He will be very happy to hear from you. Enjoy your meal there. Suvir

The picture is great. Thanks FoodMan! The sauce you prepared looks quite authentic actually. In India we often enjoy sauces of this color more than the very red ones. You can certainly add more tomatoes if you like a more acidic sauce, but you really ought not to do it on account of color. You achieved a great color.. very authentic. Many chicken tikka masala dishes in restaurants tend to be more reddish since often they use food coloring in the marinade. Again, thanks for the pic.

It is perfectly appropriate. In fact my signature has Indian Subcontinent Forum written. What you are talking about are Dhabas (Truck Stops) and all across the northern part of India they are very popular. The ones in Haryana and Punjab have far greater notoriety. And certainly these must have similar food to the ones across the border in Pakistan. Perhaps more meat. What you describe is akin to what could be called a karahi chicken. It has sauteed bell peppers, chicken, onions and tomatoes with spices. Ginger, garlic, chiles, some fenugreek leaves, cumin seeds and powder, coriander powder and garam masala.

Suvir, do you have any idea if this tasting menu will be implemented by February 7th? TIA llwb It should be. If not, you can call and speak with Chef Hemant Mathur and arrange this through him. That is what I and several other regulars do. You can call him at the restaurant at 212-593-5425. Mention eGullet and our banquet or Stefany and he will know what to arrange for you. Hemant enjoys these special meals.

Thanks for the recipe Anna! I have to say I have enjoyed her (Donna Hay's) books.. and I am biased, a friend of mine is her US Publicist.. so maybe I should not say anything... the books are simple but seem straightforward and functional and that is more than what I can say about many others...

Stefany, your friends and you have Hemant charmed and sooo happy. Not sure what you said, but something made him feel really good about cooking for you and your friends. Hemant sheepishly mentioned to me that you were fact checking about my Okra recipe that Hemant had cooked for a party he catered for me many years ago... He was laughing as he recounted your conversation.. especially the part about my age coming into play... You are kind.... And so is he... The Okra recipe was one I came up with as a teenager. IN fact I was most touched, alas, saddened, that my mother and my favorite cook (our own Panditji, my teacher, the chef at our home in Delhi) had both forgotten how to make it.. and so many years later, a month or so ago, they called me asking for its recipe. I have loved cooking from the age of 5 or 6. And cooking has never been daunting to me. It is a joy.. and so things come easily and flow once I am in the kitchen. Hours can slip away without my ever realizing how much real time has gone by. I am the same way when painting or singing... I need no break... when I used to paint with some sense of frequency, my mother would be most anxious for I could go for days without taking any break from my studio. That is how I was... Cooking does the same... it is my meditation and calling.. and wonderful things happen to me in the kitchen. And I am always happy sharing them with friends and family. And yes the Okra was one such wonder that fell upon my mind as a young teenager in Delhi, helping Punditji cook the elaborate meal for a special banquet my parents were hosting. Hemant was shocked the first time I taught him this recipe, but after that, he has cooked it with me, for me and now on his own for years.

Looks beautiful. And thanks for taking a pic. You are very generous and kind. Thanks FoodMan.

Ajay, I am not sure how much Hemant charged Stefany, but the restaurant is going to be presenting their diners with a tasting menu with similar dishes and courses like what Stefany enjoyed the other night, and that menu will cost $50 just for the food. It was the same they charged us for the eGullet dinner. It is an amazing amount of food and of GREAT quality for the money you pay. In fact many call it a bargain that that price. But that is what Hemant is all about, giving his customers the very best with the least fuss and drama. If you want a vegetarian meal that is very special, you should call him, tell him I asked you to do so, and he would be more than willing to do a vegetarian tasting menu that would be of a great caliber. It is not hard for him to do, but it is not something he can do every day. Remember, he is one man, two hands and two eyes, the tandoor takes way too much of any mans energy, and this one man already is manning several fires. But what you propose would be of interest to him, and a challenge he would be most willing to enjoy and work on. As for Bhel, Hemant only shares a very small portion and it is served as an amuse bouche. It is sent out to tickle and liven the palate, not to fill the stomach.

You very BAD.

I envy you... I wish I had room for more refrigeration and freezers...

Thanks for the clarification FM FoodMan, your desire to try new things and the frequency with which you do so is very inspiring. I am sure your significant other is quite the happy one. Will you remember taking photographs for us of the Chicken Tikka Masala? How did you make the yogurt?

I would puree it using just the kulfi base. No water. It is this water that could make crystals in your kulfi. And did you really need sugar? Was it not to sweet? I can imagine the mangoes really not being too sweet at this time of the year... But who knows.. I love sweet. There is never too much sugar for me. Would love to see the picture of the kulfi. I often serve Kulfis with chilled fruits soups. Passion fruit soup or citrus soup. At Diwan, Hemant makes the citrus soup from my recipe and it is quite popular. Mangoes in my experience do not curdle milk. I have never had the problem. But always better to err on the safer side.

I had forgotten that we always have lemon verbena in the deck. It makes for great tea.

It is then not Tandoori in the traditional sense of the word Tandoori Cooking. But it is always great to try new things. In India a tandoor is used to capture the heat inside it. Which is far greater than that over it. The shape of the tandoor was reached for that goal. But it is a clever thing to use the top as a grill. In fact most Indian restaurants that serve roastd Papadum cook them over a mesh placed on top of the tandoor. Maa Kee Daal (creamy black beans) that are a hallmark of good North West Frontier cooking (region that gave us tandoori cooking) is traditionally cooked by placing the pot first overnight on the spent flames of the tandoor and then cooked for hours over the tandoor as you suggest. I shall surely look forward to Tony Finch and Faroe taking me to any restaurant of their choice, my treat, granted they have the inclination. Thanks for sharing details of your meal.

Suvir - thank you for the recommendation. may I ask if you've tried the International Spice Market on 9th avenue, at 40th, just below the bus terminal? Their spice products seem very fresh, and I've noticed chefs buying cayenne, comino, etc in multi-pound quantities. They also sell semolina flour, several grinds of whole wheat and corn, etc for baking. Nice when you don't need a five pounds of something... Paul I have not tried them. I shall sometime later this year. After a few months. Always wanted to try it. Another friend had told me about some of their flours. But I am told by trusted friends that the spices are no match to the quality at Foods of India. They are superb. It is thus no surprise that friends and family from India take stuff back home.

No Quorn is a brand of textured vegetable protein for thos who have given up on life S

They are some of the best shrimp you will ever get in this country. Tiger shrimp. He cooks them just enough to be perfect... Not tough and chewy as many shrimp dishes can be at most restaurants. Hemant has a great way with meats, fish and the tandoor...