Suvir Saran

Most probably marketing for a meal he is cooking today or a banquet he could be hosting tomorrow. Hopefully he will read this thread soon enough and make some suggestions.

So how do you manage to serve them hot? Do you roll them out and stack them and then "fry" them a few at a time? Do they need to be covered by a damp cloth? In other words, can they be held, uncooked, for any period of time? I was doing mine one at a time - rolling, "frying" and "puffing". Thanks, Survir. I make some in advance. Wrap them in a large cloth napkin. Rub a little butter on one side of each of them. I then invite the guests to sit and eat. They each get one, I have a couple left over in the napkin, and as they eat their first ones, I keep making more. By the time they have finished their first ones, I have made a few more.. and this way, they always have chapatis. And I give them relatively warm ones through dinner. There is no really good way of keeping chapatis for a very long time. I know some people have found success in rolling them and cooking them to that first stage of opaqueness that you get, and then stacking them. And then they cooked them for the next stages. I have never found that much easier than making completely fresh ones. But often, I will make Pooris. Deep fried flat breads.. and these can be made in advance and then simply frieds as you serve your meal. I can email you a recipe if you want.

Is that so? I never thought of that, myself, but it seems to be correct. They have enough liquid in them that I can see it work. WOW... learnt something new and clever today.

It would be an honor. Many thanks! Please do post a link. Maybe some of our users that can read Hebrew can enjoy the fruit of your efforts. Crediting as you suggest {eGullet and I and the Queen of Chutney (CathyL), perhaps, for her belief in this recipe and all of you that tried it would be great} is just fine. Maybe some others will join us for great chats about food from amongst your friends. Would be very exciting. This chutney thread has been most beautiful in my humble opinion. It has brought so many of us, from such diverse regions and places in life together. Amazing how something so simple can give us so much in common. An enjoyment of the simple pleasures.

WOW! You are amazing! I am glad the chapatis came out baloon like. Many people cannot seem to do it right. They are the easiest things to make... and the nicest thing to eat with most any food. Something about chapatis is magical. And I would be happiest eating them with every meal. But made fresh. Coming to the plate hot from the stove. They are amazing. What a shame restaurants do not want to go through the effort of making them. I am working with a restaurant in NYC. And I once saw the owner eating chapatis for his own lunch. When I asked him why he could not think of adding them to the menu, he said it was "tedious and Americans would not appreciate it". I laughed and asked if he had given "These Americans" a chance. He said no. As we work on a revised menu, chapatis are going to be on it.. just a little more expensive. Since they take more effort to make. I love feedings groups of friends chapatis when I have small dinners for upto 10 people. Chapatis are a treat. And yet to most Indians, they are nothing special. We grew up eating these with every meal. I am impressed with your abilities in the kitchen. And anyone who can make chapatis, gets great points from me. And trust me when I tell you that you have now learned how to make the most difficult flat bread there is. The rest of them are much easier. Maybe only more involved. This is the basic but what most people fear most. Again, congratulations. Duly impressed here.

Monica, Does your son have a favorite dish? Is it Indian or another? What was yours as a kid? Do you know? What do you think of when you cook with kids in mind?

What an attractive pressure cooker. I have never seen this kind before. Thanks for the pic and the description. Do they still make these Nick? I love collection pressure cookers. I am thinking of getting a pressure canner next. Never done pressure canning.. But that may inspire me to do so... Does anyone have one?

And how do you make Scallop Ceviche? Do you have a preferred way of serving it? With any particular condiments?

Wilfrid, Your gut was right. But even in India, different vindaloos are being made today. In my cookbook I have done it with pork.

Aah.. I am always suspicious of what can be lost in keeping the promise of eating healthy. So much can be lost in the healthful part if one is not very careful in reading labels for things supposedly light or better for you. They may contain additives and stabilizers that are worse in the long run, or at least not tested by time. But yes, if you can find a reliable option, as you feel you have, well worth it. I am in the school where you use less and get reliable results. I use coconut milk sparingly, but always the real thing. Like with butter or ghee, you can use little, but get greater flavor. There are those friends of mine that use butter alternatives and lots of it, thinking they are using something healthier, but in the end, it is just as bad. And what is worse, it does not taste right. Taste Is Right is the most important criteria when it comes to cooking for me. And the next is Moderation. If you can learn the latter, one hardly ever needs to compromise. So back again to Coconut Milk. What brand do you use? Where do you get it?

It is great to hear that your daughter approved of your cooking. What better compliment (affirmation) could one want. Children are the harshest critics one can have. And that also makes the the most honest. That is what mom and grandma always said. All the best with the chapatis. They are all about practice and patience and some attention in the begining. Once you get the flow, it will be second nature. Use more flour the first few times, as you get a knack for rolling them. Later on, use very little, for the lesser of flour you use, the less burnt flour you will have sticking to them. Just as an aside, hot curries are great with rice if you want to dull some of that heat. Also a little plain yogurt on the side would help.

Welcome to eGullet. Thanks for sharing this recipe from The Spice Is Right. I guess you bought both your friend and you this book. Good for you. What do you like about this bean dish? What makes it your favorite? What do you think of the preparation?

I have heard of shallow soaking in milk with some Indan friends. They feel it removes any film of grime from the fish. Never done it. Does it help? Where did you pick this up?

And where are you based?

and??? Or did you mean today as in Tuesday?

Jaybee I am with you. I rinse fish.. and I pat it dry. And very often, I will marinade with salt and little lemon or lime juice. And then actually cook it. It is my way of really getting rid of any slime. And chicken? I am fanatical about cleaning them properly. FANATICAL for real. I spend a lot of time cleaning chicken.. and then even more time cleaning the sink and the entire kitchen and myself. Chicken to me is one of the worst things to clean. Not sure why.. but just is.

Monica what brand of light coconut milk do you use? What difference does it really make to the consistency of the sauce? Could you use a little less of the regular coconut milk and not achieve the same result? Or is there really something very different that happens when using light coconut milk that you think is essential for your recipe above?

Washing often also washed away some of the most essential flavor of seafood. It is thus best to wipe off what you think could be necessary... But rinsing under a tap makes you lose what many would cherish. I remember being in a restaurant in LA, the chef was preparing oysters for a party. While he was not paying attention one of the line cooks had taken all the oysters and washed them in running water. I remember our very own Ed Schoenfeld was at the table. The chef asked him what he thought of those great malpeques he had ordered, and Ed, not having been into the kitchen, simply said they tasted watered down. The chef was visibly upset and said there was no way his kitchen could do something that silly, and then I brought what I saw to the chefs attention. The chef had found another reason to respect Ed. Here was a man sitting at the table, tasting the oysters with a group of several others, and at the table, he caught what had happened in the kitchen. So, now you know why washing sea food is not always a great idea. Unless of course it is sandy and gritty.

Click me for important canning tips.

Thanks for the link. My favorite part from the website for Kuhn Rikon was the quote below. Great to see an Indian chef quoted first for a pressure cooker made in Switzerland. "Out of all the pressure cookers I tested, the one I liked the best—it really made cooking a breeze—was a Kuhn Rikon, made in Switzerland. It comes in many shapes and sizes. I have the one that resembles a frying pan. The bottom of these pans, even though they are stainless steel, is virtually nonstick and the opening and closing mechanisms work as if they had been freshly oiled. There is no separate weight that has to be placed on the top and no frightening, hissing noises as the cooking proceeds. A truly wonderful gadget." Madhur Jaffrey author of Madhur Jaffrey's Quick and Easy Indian Cooking

I have never canned jars like those you mention. I know my mother used to use them and with great success. But they added wax and stuff I have no idea about. I have had opened jars of chutney last as long as several months in the refrigerator. Canned jars can stay in the pantry at least a year.. and once you open them, you should refrigerate. Looking forward to hearing your families comments.

Or do both. I cannot tell you how happy my friends are to get these jars of homemade chutneys and jams instead of other gifts around the year. It takes little effort for sure, but also gives so much of you to those you want to share with. And if you want to economiz in this downward economy, this is a great thing to do.... A winning act in fact. Ensures a healthy, chemical free and delicious treat for all.

I always do the press test and also trying to break the seal gently. I remove the outer screw top and try pulling gently on the lid, if it does not detach, the seal is fine. That also gives me an opportunity to clean the lid and the bottle. But I do this only the morning after I made the chutney or jam.

Marmalade updates anyone?

Glad you read the post in time. I was worried. You are rather generous I see. Given 3 jars away already? Wow! Good for your friends.... I tend to give them away very easily... It is a little nothing, really, and yet a special treat for those that get it. A perfect gift for most any occasion. And made by you, and that adds so much value to what could otherwise be as I said before, a little nothing. I have no canning pots or racks either. I use like you, a simple stock pot or two or three. It adds to the fun I think. Keeps me having to work.