Suvir Saran

Thanks for the recipe. So do you add this to the chickpeas and then blend in a blender to make Hummus?

Very true. All in the balance. A little bit goes a long way. Too much and it seems all sesame-y and too fatty.

I am sorry, I think I have to skip out of this one.

I am certainly joined by many in wishing your mother better health and speedy recovery from what ails her. Safe travels. to you We look forward to your coming back with better news concerning her health and stuff for us to chew and discuss. Thanks Monica for all your generous sharing of information, recipes and of your time. The India board and eGullet, shall look forward to your continued participation.

I enjoyed it thoroughly and now I know why the Chaat Masala came into the recipe. So did you study in Bangalore or Mangalore?

That is what made me lose all interest in it as a Southern Indian recipe. I tried that recipe. And it was served by me to friends from Kerala. They had no recollection of the dish from growing up. The mother suggested that maybe it is a "Northern Indian Government Servants" version of South Indian food. It was so hilarious hearing them try and understand why a simple Kerala Chicken Curry had been changed like this... I was tickled...I should have recorded that nights meal. I love Keralan food for its clean flavors and deep spicing. I was not sure if I should have added the chaat masala, but I did. Just to be true to your recipe. I will not cook it with chaat masala and curry leaves together. But since my brother studied in Manipal, I understand how the Chaat Masala addition could take place. They would eat anything.. and the things served for them in their cafeterias could seem ghastly to most, but to these students from the North, they had some trace of familiarity. Maybe that is what the chaat masala provided. How the world changes.

What did you give away? The meyer lemons or the marmalade? Did you make the marmalade? How much? Looking forward to your report.

Did you study in Bangalore or Manipal? Yes curry leaves and mustard are Southern Spices, but what about Chaat Masala?

Monica, What makes you think this dish is from South India? What is the significance of the name, especially the 65?

I agree 100 % - They have such dedication to what they do, it is commendable. Patience in explaining in simple terms, some quite intricate and complex preparations..... Good work both of you'll Simon, Ajay, Oliva, Polly, Sandra, BettyK, CathyL (Queen of Chutney), and many others including you Anil, do a lot more than you each take or get credit for. It would not be fun for Monica or I to simply be here sharing what we knew, if it was not for each of you.. and those even just lurking. You all make this as much fun as it is. Thanks for all your participation. And Ani, it is always great to have you share from your many travels and memories. I am always eager to see what you have up your sleeve next.

I am sorry the marinade took you so much time to prepare. What made it so cumbersome? I have easy and quick recipes. In fact I did several for Food & Wine magazine that had to be cooked within 45minutes. Let me know and I can send you those. I have always enjoyed your posts. And I love your passion for Indian cooking. It comes out through your posts. Keep sharing more of your experiences. And I shall keep you in mind when testing the next marinade. Again, sorry it took so long to make.

Would it be improper to ask where you live? Maybe there are members or lurkers from you area that could help you organise an Indian tasting... or maybe I am not too far.. and I would volunteer organising a meal myself... My co-writer (for my cookbook), Stephanie, did the Indian recipes for Joy Of Cooking. I can well imagine the recipes working very well. She is a stickler for detail. And loves Indian food. Also Stephanie is famous for her brilliance with seafood. You were lucky and smart in picking the curry shrimp recipe. I am glad to hear it worked well. What did you like about this curry? Did you use fenugreek seeds or powder or leaves? I am guessing seeds... But one never knows. Human Bean, our jobs as press officers are made easy with the wonderful job each of you do by posting in this froum and around the site. It is encouraging and inspiring. Thanks for your own input. I look forward to reading more.

Thanks Sandra for sharing the details of your meal. Sounds like you really had a great meal. The dishes seem to have been cooked well and certainly with your endorsement, with at least some finesse. You seem to know a lot about Indian cooking. Encouraging words for one like me. The name of the restaurant is a tragedy. Very poor choice of name. And it makes me wonder if the restaurant is Indian at all. But most Indian restaurants are really not Indian operated. Gandhi was vegetarian and had quite a well documented regiment with food and traditions. Lamb and chicken would not have made it to a meal endorsed by him. And certainly not shrimp either... But some restaurant owners just do not care for such trivial facts. I find that name quite offensive. We used to have a restaurant on the Upper West Side in the 80s if I remember correctly, called Mahatma Gandhi. I was always sad reading just the name. I could never bring myself to even step into that restaurant.... But maybe I am poor for thinking like that. I must try and make it to Gandhi in Astoria, only if to do some homework, and to enjoy the great food Alan and you have experienced.

I love butter chicken, too, and it didn't occur to me until you mentioned it that if not too spicy hot, this would be a warm and soothing dish for a kid. Now I want to make some and invite some kids over. If made traditionally, this is not a very spicy dish. And that is the very reason it is agreeable to most people. Have you tried the recipe in our chicken thread? You can find the link in the Indian cooking for dummies thread pinned above. Try it, you may be surprised as to how easy it really is to prepare. And how flavorful it is without being HOT.

I am willing and able to negotiate. Seriously, I am. Lets do it. I would be more than happy to make a weekend out of it. Teach a class or two.. and share with you whatever I know. If you are game... Count me in.

What are some of the reasons why you may never eat or cook Indian food? What have you done about this fear/phobia/notion? How did you get to this point?

Foodman, it is curious that you and I both use the same Le Creuset color for making chutney. Yours seems to be an oval one while mine is round. Interesting!

Just doing this to share the great pics Foodman took with whoever joins the thread at this later date.

And what made me most thrilled was to see that Boaziko was able to make it in Tel Aviv and that Foodman was kind enough to take pictures for us to make it even more real for those that have not tried yet. They have both added so much to this Chutney experience. I thank each of them for their participation.

Coming from Her Majesty The Queen of Chutney (Empress of other things), I take it as nothing but the highest compliment. And I thank you for making this thread take quite a unique life. I do find it one of the more special ways in which eGullet is helping so many of us. Thanks all, in your continued participation in this thread and around eGullet. I find myself thinking even in my sleep about how much I learn each day (and night and early morning) on eGullet.

You said you make it.. And now you are saying you Can make it.... You are such a tease. Send me a jar of yours.. and I shall send you a jar of mine. We will do a taste test of that grandmas hand myth. There is actually a lot of truth to that old saying. And I want to eat YOUR chutney. Why would I want you to make it like mine... It is special as yours .... and that is what will be enjoyed by me and others.... We would all get bored rather quickly if all we wanted were clones of one another.. and the same things...

I think Simon is just as smart as he is generous. So his words actually would gain even more weight.

Never heard of it.. but I guess it makes sense. One could use a ring to cut it as well. Smart thinking. But really, the key in rolling good chapatis is not really a perfect round as much as a perfect rolling of the dough. If there are wrinkles in the roll, even those that could have been pressed flat, they will keep the chapati from fluffing up. So a good rolling would mean smooth and continuous rolling and in one motion.. so as to make sure there are no kinks. It is when you keep paying more attention to the shape instead of the fluidity of your action, that you set yourself up for failure.

You make it yourself you said. Being lazy I see... These jars are for the uninitiated. To share with them the simplicity of a chutney. One like you, author of a great Indian cookbook, praised by our very own eGullet Indian food authority Simon Majumdar, hardly needs initiation. I was thrilled to see Simons words on your book. How true and how timey for him to have made his post. I hope others can get your book, cook a few recipes, and chat actively with you whilst you are on this forum as a guest. And lucky are the three that shall win your book. They are in for a treat.

10 minutes of patience and practice. Maybe 20 at the most. But so many people, give up after the first 3 that do not come out round. It is actually very easy to roll them out perfectly each time. Maybe someday, when Steve Klc does his pastry video, I will do a video on chapati making. I was 6 when I made my first round chapati.