Suvir Saran

Yes Hemant cooked at Bukhara in New Delhi. And yes Tandoori Pomfret is amazing. Pompano that we find here is good, but is not the same... many chefs are not happy using it... Indian Oven on the UWS prepares it in the Tanoor using Pompano. One gets mixed inconsistent results. Hemants food is superb. Took a friend visiting from India to Diwan tonight, and she (of great taste, notoriety and fame) was shocked that she had to travel several seas away to eat the best Tandoori food.

I do that with bananas.... Never thought of doing it with persimmons.. Thanks!

Foodman, May I send you the recipe next week? I have always made it without a recipe... And I can get some more persimmons this weekend and prepare one early next week. Will test and write a recipe then. Is that ok? Or would that be too late?

Nothing.. I am now getting inspired to use savory curry in desserts... Garlic, Dried Shrimp, Fenugreek and Asafetida are going to all become parts of my dessert ingredients...... Nothing is wrong... Nothing is bad.... I have realized the more wild my pairings of spices and foods is, the more I will be treated as a force to reckon with in this present... Maybe no one will remember me fondly in the future... But at least for now, they will celebrate me for my creativity. And for every 10 bad pairings... Certainly one could be somewhat successful and inspire a few others... And that is what life is all about on the edge... Pleasing even a few is more than enough.... And by the time they get the aftertaste of savory curry powder, my fame would be well established and I would have moved on to my next wild card... and next few moments in the limelight...

My pudding is the quite similar. Much lighter on curry though, and more persimmon and I add eggs. I do the cream with garam masala and armagnac.

I have Fuyu, Hachiya and what the vendor sold as "sweet persimmon" at the kitchen table. The Hachiya are bursting with juice and soft.... and the fuyus are firm and the sweet is also firm.

We're on for Wednesday, November 20, at 7:30 p.m. at Diwan (148 East 48th Street). Phone: 212-593-5425. Cost: $50 each (includes one glass of lassi per person and sodas). Exact change in cash appreciated. BYOB for alcholic drinks (Nina is organizing wine/beer contributions). We'll be 40 people, and there is a wait list for people beyond that. (Thanks roryrabditfield for giving me the text, I have only edited and made changes)

Correct... And yes the jelly is amazing. I also make Kaki Pots de Creme as well. And now, with my new found freedom, I will make Curry Powder Kaki Pots de Creme. Not!

What do you think when you think Curry? What are some ways in which you use Curry Powder as an accent to your food? Or is that something you have not done yet? Are there other Indian or Asian spices that you really like or enjoy playing and experimenting with? Any dishes that you really have enjoyed which have showcased spices? Where did you have them? Most memorable meal using Curry Powder or Asian ingredients?

And this Sumac thread...

Sumac is the name of this beautiful bush that grows throughout the Middle East and also some parts of North Africa now. Well for that matter it is also propogated and found in Italy, Iran,Turkey and India. The berries are supposedly better if borne to bushes grown in the higher altitudes. The sourness supposedly comes out more intense in higher altitudes. What I love most are to look at the red berries as the leaves turn color in autumn. Amazing sight for the eyes.. .and if you are like me and thinking of the culinary uses as well, you are in heaven. The mounds of sumac berries drying in the open sun are most amazing of sights. There is little if any smell to these berries. But if you bite them they are sour. There is also a neutral aftertaste to them. No sharp quality. I often will grill fish that has been rubbed with Sumac. It is a great way of cleansing the fish (for Sumac has famous astringent qualities) and then grilling the fish with a simple marinade. I do not use Curry Powder on fish, it is TOO bold for my taste. When I make Shammi Kebabs (Indian version of mince meat patties), I sprinkle sumac for adding a sour taste to the kebabs. When I have been in cities or homes with no Amchoor (mango powder) or Tamarind, but Sumac, I have used it instead as the souring agent. At Moustache on Bedford Street, they serve me onions with Sumac sprinkled on them. It is also a common garnish sprinkled on Yogurt served with Mezze. It is an essential ingredient of Zahtar. You can simply use Sumac to sour dishes as you would use lemon, tamarind, vinegar or amchoor.

You crack me up Amazing the brilliance one can find after seeing freedom. Now that I am free in taking, naming, borrowing and assigning to and from cultures, I have no limitations... Just lots of freedom and great possibilities.. Make the above chicken curry and serve to your family and friends.. .and do report back... Cannot wait to hear what your friends say... PS: If anyone cannot understand what you did... Share with them the Curry Sutra... Here it is: ".......so much of food is freeing one's self from these impositions, these associations, from previously held perceptions and rigid beliefs in how things should be or are meant to be........." Steve Klc, from the Baking Chocolate thread under the cooking forum. The above is my new found Curry Sutra.

Well make the Curry Steak into Creamy Chili Chicken Curry by forming the cheese into golf sized balls. For the rest follow the recipe for the curried steak.

mmmmm, cheese steak. Ben And now you have a new recipe for a cheese steak!

Kaki is how I have seen Persimmons referred to in Morocco and also other Asian and Middle Eastern shops, chefs, books and recipes. I have tasted amazing Persimmon Jam called Kaki Jam made in Lebanon. Most delicious. In fact on Avenue U in Brooklyn, one can find 2-4 varieties of persimmon in the Asian groceries. They have them in all stages of ripeness and the more ripe they are, the better they are for making jam. What you want to do sounds yummy... Maybe after I make some jam.. I shall try your recipe idea.... Do let us know how your experiment is...

Trassi is a paste made out of rotten shrimp. It is used for its meaty flavor and pungency. Excuse me, that's fermented shrimp to you buster. That's the black shrimp paste you're referring to, right? I think I know it as hae ko, it's Hokkien name (I think). It gets used in other SE Asian cuisines as well. For Thai cooking there's gkapi too, which is lighter and softer. I see something similar to it coming out of Hong Kong, but I haven't found any good stuff from Thailand. Something similar goes by belecan (blachan, belachan etc) in Malaysian and Singaporean cooking, it's dryer and grayer than gkapi. Since we cook more Nonya food than Thai food, we use it as a substitute for gkapi. Almost all applications require that you grill it, or fry the paste it's ground into. The high heat changes the flavors quite a bit and gets rid of the ammonia smell. There are many, many fermented shrimp products that some occidentals have trouble getting their mouths around, chin chalok (tiny pink fermented shrimp in a saucy style) for example, a favorite of mine. regards, trillium Thanks... Your post was amazing. I heard the many names through Singaporeans, Malaysian and Thai friends, chefs and vendors.. and yes through its many subtle and not so subtle variations, it is used quite similarly.. and for similar result I think... But have you had a Molten Hae Ko High Chocolate Curry Cake? Made with the very finest Valrhona, brown sugar and sweet butter, it is just amazing. What wonders one can do with curry and its many ingredients....A savory meal first using Hae Ko.. and then a dessert using it again.

Now that we have Steven Klc and some other chefs understanding and using Curry as something billions around Asia and the Middle East understand very differently, could you please explain what you really want to try? What do you really want to eat when you say Chicken Curry? Sweet chicken? Savory chicken? Not chicken at all, but maybe tofu? Would you like me to give you recipes for a Curry Chicken Dessert? Curry Chicken (as in savory chicken cooked in sauce?) or coco-choco-chicken? Please elaborate.. It will help me find a recipe that would be of interest to you. Thanks!

Open up your horizons..... What are you doing Tommy.. You are too cool to not be into this Curry Steak... I am sure you of all people could do better...

Thanks! So when can I taste?

i've already lost interest. but thanks anyway. ".........so much of food is freeing one's self from these impositions, these associations, from previously held perceptions and rigid beliefs in how things should be or are meant to be........" Steve Klc on thread on Vosges chocolates The above is my new Sutra of the month "Curry Sutra"...Tommy, if you follow it, you too can enjoy this steak.

You are welcome Ben. And you know what.. you can simply call them Ras Malai and enjoy them as such...

i've already lost interest. but thanks anyway. Well you made your promise... I am awaiting a taste....

There you go Tommy!

INDIAN CURRY STEAK For the Indian Steak Fresh Indian cheese (see link in post below) 1/2 teaspoon all purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon sooji (instant cream of wheat) Cooking Curry 3/4 cup sugar 6 cups water 6 green cardamom pods 2 bay leaves Soaking Curry 4 cups water 3/4 cup sugar 6 green cardamom pods 1/4 teaspoon rose water Cream Sauce 4 cups half and half 6 green cardamom pods 1 tablespoon sugar 2 tablespoon pistachios, ground into a flour 1/2 teaspoon saffron strands, toasted gently and ground into a powder Garnish 1/4 cup toasted coarsely crushed raw pistachios, candied and broken into pieces 1. Drain the Indian cheese completely. Make sure there is as little moisture in the cheese as possible. Knead the cheese for 5 minutes or more to loosen it up. Sprinkle the flour and sooji over the cheese and mix well to incorporate it into the entire cheese evenly (5 minutes). Let the cheese rest for 20 minutes. 2. To prepare the cooking curry, bring the water to boil with the sugar and spices. Use a 12-inch diameter pan with a heavy base. Boil for 4 minutes and then reduce heat to keep warm. 3. Divide the cheese into portions that you can shape into steaks. Remember smaller portions will be easier to handle and will not break as they cook. Make the patties as smooth as you can, for the cracks will be exaggerated after they are cooked. 4. Bring to a high boil the heat in the cooking curry. When it is at a steady simmer, place the patties on a spatula and insert into the curry. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes. The patties (steak) will expand in this duration. 5. Prepare the soaking curry by bringing the water, sugar, and cardamom pods to boil. Boil for 5 minutes. Keep warm. 6. When the patties are cooked, remove with a slotted spatula, very carefully and place in the soaking curry. Let cool, cover and refrigerate overnight or upto a week. 7. Lightly butter all sides of a heavy bottom saucepan. Use a wide pan, as that will cook the milk quicker. Add the half and half and cardamom and bring to a boil. Cook until foaming subsides. Reduce till the milk takes the consistency of heavy cream, close to 20-30 minutes. Stir the milk often. Scrape the sides and bottom to incorporate any and all milk solids that accumulate. Any skin that may form on the milk should be incorporated back into the custard. 8. Add the sugar, the pistachio flour and cook for a minute. Remove from heat and transfer to a bowl to cool. It will thicken as it cools. When cool add the saffron and mix well. Chill. 9. Plate the steaks carefully to avoid any of the soaking curry to make it to the plate. Now pour this cream custard over each steak. Garnish with candied pistachios and serve chilled. PS: I was inspired to make this after reading the wonderful posts on usage of Curry in western dishes around the site. I would have to say I was most inspired by Steve Klc's confidence provding posts on successful usage of curry in desserts... So here is my version of a Bengali Curried Steak. A fun way of serving Ras Malai.

Lets see if Tommy will keep his promise. PS: I will share with as many as I can. I eat very little steak.. But I love every little bite I have.