Suvir Saran

Black cardamom is a woody cardamom that is much larger than you usual cardamom pod. It is also another type of plant but called the same name. The flavor is more camphor like in black cardamom and it is used in savory dishes more often.

Thanks for the pictures Rachel. They are great. Maybe Jason ought to let you teach him how to take pictures.. I love your styling and placement.... Really very nice. Perfect framing et al.

I dont understand your question... please explain. Especially the second from last sentence.

Do you really cook Ben? You look too clean cut too cook in those great pics.. Just kidding.. Being Tommy here.... Email me a note.. and I can attach the recipe and send it your way... Heh heh heh, Well when I cook I make a point not to bathe for a couple days before the process. I get pretty scruffy too. Thanks again! I need to get back into some more indian cooking! Ben The recipe has been emailed. Have fun cooking!

A total different animal.

If you could email me a note.. I can reply with the attached recipe.. Or I can PM.. but the attachment will ensure it looks correct in text.

Do you really cook Ben? You look too clean cut too cook in those great pics.. Just kidding.. Being Tommy here.... Email me a note.. and I can attach the recipe and send it your way...

Interesting that you bring this up.. As she was leaving with her most charming Hubby... Yvonne (I think it was her) questioned the pairing of the Chicken and the Paneer. It was fun chatting with the Johnsons and Hemant about that. I was telling them about a dear friend who is mostly vegetarian but always eats the chicken prepared by Hemant and thinks to herself that she is eating Paneer. The textures go very well I think and give a great comparitive study between the use of meat and non-meat ingredients to find a similar texture and taste. Paneer (Indian Cheese) alongside the basil chicken and the tomato chutney forms a pairing similar to the holy Italian trio.

And I ought to thank and commend those spouses that came... How nice of them. It makes me so happy... (Pollyanna that I am). But really, not many spouses can go through such a food obsessive meal and endear us foodie types... But all present last night (Alan who I met for my 3rd time) were most charming, encouraging and engaging in their own right. What a treat to have made their acquaintance. Thanks for coming... It is my hope that my thanks will be appropriately shared.

Hindi Script - Devanagari Papadom/Papadam/Papad/Pappadum... whatever you like... And thanks for your kind words. Hemant will be happy reading this thread... I will see how I can make that happen.

I have loved some of the desserts I have had at Vongs and JoJo over the years. In fact just last night at Diwan I was inspired at 5 PM to make a Spiced Citric Soup which was served with the Kulfi. I was inspired by a dessert that I had eaten at JoJo.. An orange soup with Vanilla Bean icecream. It was simple and yet divine. But at JG the desserts just do nothing... I am not sure adding "Curry" is the answer.. but they need good desserts period. I would be happy eating either what Lesley would love or what Steve Klc would like... But at this time... what is being served is neither and far from inspiring. I think both Lesley and Steve will be happy if a great pastry chef were working in that restaurant and serving good pastry.... Even if the style was quite different from their own... And so, I think in my humble opinion, I see you both somewhat closer than what some may read after reading these posts.... Since you both love perfection, good taste and a perfect complement to a savory meal. The little curry added here or there can only do so much for a dessert.. but at the very basic level, they have to have substance. Curry cannot provide that. An example of how "Creativity" can be inspiring is to see how brilliantly Colleen Apte executed her Cornucopia at the Hotel/Motel/Restaurant show. If I were served just the candied onion rings I would never want to eat that dessert chefs food again, but after eating the dessert as a whole, I have come back having great respect for her. Each component of her dessert worked well with the other. The slight savory hint of the onion was quickly compensatd by the caramel in the corn and also the taste that was given to the palate by the beer. She worked hard (even though she made it seem as if it was nothing... credit to her for making things seem so easy.. an infectious quality that makes it comforting for novices to make an effort) and the results worked very well. At JG, they need one that will make some effort in presenting desserts that complement the food. Not just mere drama.

Smarty Pants!

Thanks everyone! I shall go with the Kitchen Aid attachment. Will order it soon. Now I need recipes.....

I am humbled by all the very generous posts. It was much fun arranging things. Hemant Mathur is one of the finest chefs I know... and so very generous. He could have fed you many more courses. I had to keep saying it is enough. The love and passion with which he cooks has no limits... and that comes across brilliantly in the food. My role was little more than what a Yenta (sp?) would do. I made an introduction.. and left the rest for the chef and you all to share together. It was great seeing how a large number of us (many complete strangers) could gather in one place and have what seemed like a fun evening. It says a lot for eGullet. Rachel (Jason was missed... sorely by me for he really has a great passion for food.. and knows a lot about Indian food) and Steve Shaw were very kind in making it to the dinner. Thanks Rachel for making the trek into the city minus Jason. And thanks are due to Ellen Shapiro for indulging Steve in his desire to make an appearance after what certainly must have been a full evening before. And thanks to Yvonne for making this happen. It was she who planted the seed. Thanks to Nina for all her help in making sure there were plenty of spirits worthy of us eGulleteers. And many thanks to Suzanne who robbed herself of quite a lot of schmoozing time by doing the dirty work that I should have done. Thanks! And thanks to each of those members that found time in their schedules to come join in this dinner. It was really fun meeting everyone in person. Thanks also to Wilfrid for helping us before the dinner... Macrosan amazed me by taking time out from his full schedule and making it to Diwan. Thanks! The chef was moved by the generosity of our members. And I would be a fool not to thank Jason and Steve for providing us with eGullet. For if we did not have this great forum, we certainly would not have enjoyed last night.

BLACK PEPPER RASAM WITH TAMARIND You can use chicken broth instead of water in this recipe. And get what would have been closest to an authentic Malaga Tanni. It is lost in India as well. Maybe this thread can revive that old recipe. Serves 4 to 6 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons canola oil 2 teaspoons black mustard seeds 2 teaspoons coriander seeds 1 1/2 tablespoons toor dal 1 teaspoon urad dal 1 teaspoon black peppercorns 1 teaspoon cumin seeds 4 whole dried red chilies or 1 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes 1/8 teaspoon asafoetida 2 teaspoons tamarind liquid (tamco) 2 teaspoons salt, or to taste 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro 1. Heat 2 teaspoons of the oil in a small frying pan or saucepan over medium-high heat. Add 1 teaspoon of the mustard seeds, the coriander seeds, the dals, black peppercorns, cumin, red chilies or red pepper flakes, and the asafoetida and cook, stirring, until the urad dal turns a light golden brown and the mixture is fragrant, about 1 minute. Remove the pan from the heat and let the spice mixture cool to room temperature. Then grind to a powder in a spice grinder. 2. Dissolve the tamarind in 1/2 cup warm water and set aside. 3. Heat the remaining tablespoon of oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the remaining 1 teaspoon mustard seeds and cook until they begin to pop. 4. Add the tamarind water, 3 1/2 cups water, the spice powder and the salt. Bring to a boil, turn the heat down and simmer 3 minutes. Stir in the lemon juice and cilantro, and serve. Mix with rice and eat! It can be preserved for a week if a little more oil is used.

Jaymes if you are including Stews... Country Captain would be a great one to have. And yes my own recipes for Country Captain come from Southern chefs. And I have at least 3 different versions. The Indian disarray made its way to the deep South as well. Share your recipe now Jaymes... Please honey bunches, sugar pie.

Is Country Captain not a thick, Anglo-Indian curry-like chicken stew traditionally served over rice or sometimes noodles??? Yes honey bunches, sugar pie, it is a thick curry. But not a soup. And yes Country Captain is served with rice. It also has sweet peppers in it.

SuzanneF, thanks for the updated and alphabetical list.

SA, The info you needed is above. See you all tonight.

Cathy, How do you roast your cauliflower??

I love phirni. Divine when made well. Every trip to New Delhi I make my pilgrimage to Karims in Old Dehi (near Jama Masjid) and while friends eat the meat preparations, I partake in several servings of Phirni. Now I am drooling as well.

Your idea sounds wonderful. When I was a kid living in Delhi, when in season, a vendor would come every evening with a cart that had lots of sweetpotatoes (shakarkandi) and a griddle. He would make a chaat out of sweet potatoes. These were sweet potatoes that had been baked till charred on the outside. So the caramel was oozing from them. They were then cubed, heated on the griddle and then tossed with lemon juice and Chaat Masala. I also make yams with peas in a Tari ka Masala (watery sauce). If you would like, I can PM or email (enables me to send you word attachment) you the recipe. If you do email me.. Please put "yam recipe" in the subject.

Is it that lunch time is looming? That description sounds wonderful. I always thought that white cardamom seeds were just a bleached version of the green ones and therefore to be avoided. v Bleached they are... But not with chemical bleach. While they are still tender and green, they are washed in brine and dried in the blazing Indian sun. It turns them white. There is no difference in flavor between the green and white.

Thanks for these great posts annchang. Looking forward to reading your other posts.

By the way... Malaga Tanni has little if anything to do with what we eat in Indian restaurants today. The original was more of a spicy peppery liquid... more like a broth or consomme. No cream and not even any chicken. But I shall explain that in more detail if someone wants to know more... Otherwise, a traditional Malaga Tanni (Mulligatawny) would be nothing like what we are used to being served.