Suvir Saran

I am so happy you found the leaves. I was sad that you were not in the US, where I could have easily FedEx'd you a package with Curry Leaves. "Master Chef" - I thank you for fanning my ego. You are most kind. Flattery will get you everywhere. Even bags of curry leaves from the US. Maybe Maharaja's chef or management can tell you about their source for curry leaves. Looking forward to hearing about your chutney experience. All the best.

I have the same experience as Her Majesty The Empress of Chutney. Some batches of chutneys and jams ping very quickly, others late. Even amongst one batch, pings take place at differnt times.

Exactly why spices need to be cooled before grinding and after roasting. Thanks for your encouraging words Roger.

I would not add the sugar. The paste and the canned tomatoes are sweet enough. I am like you. In the summer when I find very ripe tomatoes I enjoy using them. But like you, come winter, and I am happy using good canned tomatoes. You did well with your decision.

That process where the onions and stuff stick to t he base of the pan as they are fried is called Bhunao (browning). What heat were you doing this with? I prefer medium high to high. And you were smart to use the water. How brown did the onions get? A sandy brown? That is fine. Yes, your pan sounds like a very wide one. But it seems like you did a fine job anyways.

If you have ginger paste or garlic paste, you can simply do it by hand. Some Indian home cooks and most all Indian restaurant cooks keep ginger and garlic pastes handy.

That should be fine.

Well, in my cookbook, all measurements are going to be mostly using cups and spoons. I think it makes it easier in the US. I have a weighing scale and use it a lot for baking. But I can easily see the problem. Here is the recipe for the garam masala using familiar measures. 2 inch cinnamon stick 2 bay leaves 2 1/2 teaspoons cumin seeds 2 teaspoons coriander seeds 1 1/4 teaspoons black pepper powder 1 1/4 teaspoon cardamom seeds (removed from pod) 3/4 teaspoon whole cloves 1/2 teaspoon mace Break the cinnamon sticks into pieces. Add the bay leaves. Heat a heavy frying pan and after 2 minutes put in the whole spices. Dry roast over a medium flame till color darkens, stirring or shaking the pan frequently to prevent burning. Place the contents on a cold platter to cool, then grind and blend with mace powder. Store in an airtight container. You do not have to roast spices individually. It was done and can be done. But the above method is just fine. If you do intend to roast all spices individually you can find out when they are done by color and smell. I use a heavy bottom frying pan. You can use just green cardamom. You opened the cardamom pods just as I would have. The recipe calls for just the seeds. The chaff is fine to throw in, if you cannot remove easily. Once you grind the masala, it will not matter anyways.

Were you able to add some curry powder? How did the chutney taste? Or, did you get to taste any at all?

Check out the little plant. If it has the same leaves as the ones above. That is fine. Ask the restaurants if they will spare some for you... If the restaurant cooks Southern Indian food, they should have these leaves. If not, PM or email me your address. I will mail you some curry leaves.

Do you have any curry powder at home? You can add that instead of the sambhaar. And you can add it now. Electric stove will be fine. And the coarser tomato will be great. All the best Dana.

Jim, I have emailed the recipe. And thanks for the link to the online store. I am going to try out their lemons and may also order some of the limes. Have never cooked with Bearss Limes but every year I make a Sweet Lime marmalade that is a huge hit, and I am wonderfing if these limes are the same thing. Off to do a google search on Bearss Limes. Thanks again.

Use tongs and roast on your stove top over a medium fire. Keep moving them around and keep inverting them, so as to make sure they get roasted evenly.

What curry leaves should look like.

A curry plant is very different from an herb also called the curry plant. Curry leaves are the leaves of a medium sized tree. Not to be mistaken with that herb. The chutney would be better without that other curry thingie... I am not sure how I can help you.. Sorry! Do you have any Indian restaurants in Tel Aviv? Any Indian groceries?

Roger, I forgot to add above, that a masalchi is the word for one that works with spices (masalas). And so, Panditji would be the Executive Chef, and the sous chef he was training with spices, would be the Masalchi.

Roger, I know maharaj's/pandits/thakur/misrani (all are honorifics for a homes chef) were more common in days of the past. There are still many homes where you can find a cook of that stature. But they are now far lower in number. My cooking follows in the tradition of my families cook, Panditji. Born a Brahman, his family has worked for hours for generations. He came to my grandmothers home as a kid. And by working as a sous chef alongside his elders, he was trained in the art of Indian cooking. There have been cooks that were hired in my parents home, they were interviewed by my parents, and if they seemed promising, they would be interviewed by Panditji. The first thing he trained them at was how to choose spices at a grocery store. How to look for them, which ones to buy whole, which ones to buy powdered, which ones to powder at home and which ones to avoid. They would then be trained about the history, lore, and medicinal uses of spices. This would educate the cook to understand why certain spices are added to a recipe, and why certain others are added in small portions as ingredients that balance another without giving leaving much of a flavor into a dish. Once they had learned enough about spices (masalas), they graduated to the next stage, this was the stage where Panditji would measure out certain spices and teach them on how to roast these spices to bring out their essential flavors and then how to cool them and grind them into powders. In doing so, they would be taught the art of balancing spices and understanding how spices react to heat. This was also a way of showing them how to understand the many subtle ways in which spices can alter flavors. This was a critical step in understanding Indian cooking. As they learned the art of roasting spices, they were also taught how each spice reacts differently to heat. And so there is a sequence that needs to be followed when roasting a melange of spices. Once they had learned the art of measuring and roasting spices, they were taught the art of grinding spices. Some spices were ground finely, others to a coarse texture that could range from medium to chunky coarseness. This taught the apprentice the use of spices as more than just a flavor additive. Certain spices are used as thickening agents, some to give texture and some to give flavor without being noticed. An apprentice had to do this under Panditjis tutelage for a very long time. Years. And most often, they would tire away and ask my parents to give them another responsibility. The couple that lasted, have learned the wisdom behind masalas. And hopefully can now cook as Panditji does, with great respect for a tradition, but also a keen understanding of what to do depending on the mood, season, ingredients and occasion. I hope this gives you some insight into what a masalchi does. If you have any particular question that I may not have touched, please ask..and I shall do my best to share with you whatever I know.

Boaziko, Do you mind my asking where you are based? I am wondering how I could help you get curry leaves faster.

Thread on Curry Leaves The thread above has lots of information related to curry leaves. I am pulling out the information for Foods of India. They would be a good source for you if you do want to get curry leaves. Foods of India 121 Lexington Avenue New York City, NY Tel: (212) 683 4419

It is amazing with the Potato Pancakes I make. They are actually not different at all from Latkes. Curry leaves are essential to this recipe. If you cannot find fresh leaves, get the frozen or dry ones. And use close to double of what is called for. At least one and a half times more. You can get curry leaves shipped to you by calling an Indian store like Foods Of India in NYC. I shall look and post a link to them next. Have fun making the chutney, and keep us posted on how it turns out and what you think about it as a side to Latkes.

Suvir - I wish I knew how to use the quote feature that includes name and date! But here goes on my report. First, put an indulgent smile on your face as you read and understand that I am a newbie both to any serious cooking and certainly to Indian dishes! My husband henceforth known as The Dane, hates Indian food. Not that he's ever tasted any! What he considers Indian food is the awful "curries" served up by his mother in the 50s and 60s - basically stews into which she threw commercial curry powder. My Dad did the same so I know exactly what he is talking about - gluppy, spicy, awful coloured messes that had no taste other than stale curry powder. Consequently, the mere mention of Indian food and/or Indian restaurants meets with an immediate NO. But The Dane can be nudged a little and that's what I am trying my best to do. So, it seemed that your Tandoori Game Hens were a good start. I had glanced through the recipe and determined that I had most of the ingredients on hand except "Garam Masala". However, I was very low on cumin seeds. Early in the morning I made a trip to the store to purchase these and thus began a saga that lasted most of the day. I have only a postal scale (metric at that) to weigh ingredients and as I began to convert quantities from ounces to grams and to pour seeds and such into tiny paper cups to measure, I realized that this was an awful lot of garam masala to make so I halfed the quantities - this only made it that much more difficult to weigh accurately - I have never ever seen my tiny kitchen in such a mess Peppercorns jumped about, cumin seeds dropped randomly here and there and cinnamon flew about as I broke it up. Then, of course, the spices needed to be dry-fried and again I think as many landed on the floor as in the pan! But I persevered wishing that you or someone who knew about dry-roasting were on hand to tell me when they were done. On to grinding them - no big deal here but there seemed to be some pieces that did not get well ground so I sifted the end result not only to remove the unground bits but also to make sure the mace was well incorporated. Now I had the one missing ingredient - the garam masala - so I began to assemble the ingredients for the marinade - since there are just two of us, I once again cut the recipe in half and used only one game hen and half the marinade. Further, I now read the recipe very carefully and almost fell over when I realized that the hours of work involved in preparing the garam and all I needed was "half a pinch"! I laughed so hard at myself I almost cried. Cutting the recipe in half posed its own problem that an experienced cook would have foreseen - the blender does not like such small quantities! It balked at pureeing them. In fact, the ginger barely got scraped by the blades. But onwards and upwards. I put the bird (a very, very scrawny specimen that seemed to shrink by a half once it had defrosted) into a plastic bag and bunged it in the fridge while I tackled a kitchen that now looked like a disaster zone. An hour before dinner I pulled it out of the fridge and turned my oven on. This may sound a bit odd - turning the oven on an hour before I intend to use it - but I am at least experienced with this damned oven. Sure enough, it refused to heat past 325F! With a little help from The Dane and some tweaking of the dial, we eventually persuaded both elements to come on at the same time and an hour later it had reached close to 450F. I put the bird in the oven and crossed my fingers. Well, it turned out WONDERFUL. After the first taste The Dane (He who hates Indian food) was making suggestions about what else could be cooked this way. So, many THANKS for the recipe and the help - What do I do with a huge jar of Garam Masala? Hope you are still smiling at my antics. You can grill many meats using that marinade. And if you want, I am happy sending you a few recipes through PM. Email me, and tell me what you would like to cook. And I can send some recipes accordingly. Your experience, written by you, was certainly entertaining. I am sorry it was so hard. I should have told you to simply buy a small jar from an Indian grocer. But I am sure you have learned quite a lot from that garam masala making itself. Dry roasting is complete when the spices are toasted without them becoming black. Also when they are toasted, many of the spices will start spluttering around. You remove them from the fire and into a cold bowl. Cool and then blend into a powder. I am glad your husband enjoyed the Cornish game hens. It is actually a great recipe to have as a first introduction to Indian cooking. It's delicate spicing and familiar presentation make it not all that difficult to embrace. You were very smart to begin with this recipe. Be in touch..and let me know if you need any particular recipes. I will be more than happy to oblige. Congratulations on having made your first garam masala. Seal the container tightly, it should easily keep for several months.

Just around the time I was leaving the 'desh' for 'videsh' some dufus; had thrown out CocaCola and Thumbs Up was to be the answer -- When I returned a decade and plus later Coke was back I do remember Limca as truely unique, and unavailable either in BOS, or NYC I had Limca at Foods of India on Lexington Avenue between 28th and 29th street a month ago. I was in heaven.

Thanks again. I also noticed you are using an electric stove. You seem to be a pro at it... Since you made a great tarte tatin using it.. and of course with the help of the oven... I have always found them more difficult.. and but after a few days.. I get a hang of them.. and then it is time to leave the home where I am getting used to them.. and back to mine. Do you find them a challenge? And yes those whole chiles are great. I love them in this chutney. They add that layer of smoky flavor that is most wonderful in the chutney.

It could have been that JD(London). Thanks!

Chutney thread from before The quote below is from the chutney thread above. Click on it for learning more about Chutneys and also to get more recipes. "Chutneys are to Indian food what Salsas are to Mexican. Made from vegetables, fruits, dairy, grains and pulses, these are as diverse as the country itself. Each home has a favorite few and their own versions of those classics that are known throughout India. When making chutneys in a food processor, make sure to use as little water as you possibly can. This makes the chutney taste more potent and rich in flavor. Often adding some sev, chivda or papri to the chutney is a good addition. These absorb the extra moisture and are also a great added flavor." PS: Also, I must say you fried the chiles perfectly. I love how they are getting dark and yet have a little red in them. It is that darkness that adds a great warm toasty flavor. It makes all the difference.