hitchmeer

Snowangel: That's funny. I was just at Patel grocery yesterday to get ingredients to make Bhel Puri. I will actually be up in the cities this weekend and probably be at Patel again with a friend to buy more Indian groceries. Let me know if you'd like to meet. Incidentally, does anyone in this thread know Lynn Rossetto Kasper from the Splendid Table? I've been wanting to meet her forever. I just left a message on the 800 line as well as with her associate producer about my recent Indian dining experience in New York, as I thought that the chef would be an excellent guest (see Amma under the New York thread for various member musings on this excellent restaurant). She seems like a great person. Matthew

Roz: Thanks for the kind words. I think between the two of us, we're getting the word out. I hope that more people will write of their impressions of Amma on this site. I'd love to hear about others' experiences. I'm encouraging my parents to take a mini trip to the city from their temporary home in Vermont to savor the delicacies of Suvir and Hemant's cooking at Amma. Cheers, Matthew in Minnesota

I've heard Udapi is good. I'll have to give it a try next time I'm up from Mankato. As far as St. Paul restaurants go (St. Paul is my old stomping ground), I like going to 128 Cafe on Cleveland and Zander on Selby. Has anyone tried either of these? Matthew

Hello all! I'm from the Twin Cities. Well actually I'm attending grad school in Mankato right now, but am in the cities once or twice a week. I used to work full time at Cafe Latte as a bread baker, but now that I'm in school, I just fill in now and then. I just got back from a great trip to New York where I visited Amma, Suvir Saran's new Indian restaurant. He used to moderate the Indian cuisine thread here. It was amazing. Does anyone have a favorite Indian restaurant in the Twin Cities? I really enjoyed Natraj in Uptown as well as the New Delhi Bar and Restaurant. I'd love to hear from other Minnesotans on this line. Matthew

Rozrapp (I'm sorry; I don't know your real name!): That is indeed a coincidence! We (there were three of us) were seated in the front corner to the right of the window. Perhaps you saw us. Thank you for your take on the meal - you described it much more aptly than I could. I am so glad that you and your husband enjoyed your meal as well. Perhaps the next time I'm in New York we'll actually meet at Amma! I find myself still basking in the memory of such an eventful meal. "Babette's Feast" has nothing on this (and I'm Danish)! Matthew in Minnesota

What a treat it was to visit Amma this past weekend and meet Suvir Saran. I'm fairly new both to the eGullet message boards as well as Indian cuisine. I've been a bread baker in St. Paul, MN for the last four years and only started exploring Indian cooking with my friend Rick this year. I naturally was interested in learning about making various Indian breads - this is how I discovered eGullet and met Suvir on the Indian message board. Over the last four months, Suvir has not only shared many of his excellent recipes with me, but also his exemplary knowledge and passion for this cuisine. Once I heard that Suvir (along with Hemant Mathur) was one of the new chefs at Amma, I took advantage of a free weekend and flew to New York to visit good friends and take them to the restaurant. When I met Suvir the day before my friends and I dined at Amma, I discovered that he was as charming and charismatic in person as he was in his posts. As we shared recipes and ideas on bread baking and Indian cooking, I asked him what he thought we should order; he suggested we each try the seven course tasting menu for $50. We arrived at Amma at 7pm Friday night, little suspecting that we would spend over four hours savoring one of the best meals we had ever eaten. The whole evening was an event. The ambience of the restaurant, the attentive staff and the frequent visits by Suvir himself all played into our enjoyment of the evening. The tasting menu was amazing. Each dish served to us contained the layers of flavor that I've come to know and love in Indian cooking, but was unlike any other Indian food I'd encountered before. We began with Bhel Puri - the tasty Bombay street food made with puffed rice (or Rice Krispies as Suvir jokingly told us) and cilantro. This was a great teaser for the rest of the meal to come. Each subsequent course that was set before us built beautifully on the previous course and took us to a deeper level of euphoria (the excellent wine suggestions by Amma's friendly sommelier Bikky Sharma didn't hurt either). The crispy okra served with the Tandoori Shrimp and Tandoori Stuffed Chicken nearly sent us to the floor, curled up in a state of pure delight. One of the highlights for me was the Parsi Halibut. The fish was delicate and light, but richly flavored with a coconut chutney. The timing of each course was perfect, taking us right to the edge before giving us a little space before the next course. We ended our meal with a cloud-like Mango Cheesecake, Kulfi and some excellent port. I cannot think of a better way to have spent $100.00 on myself. Amma created a wonderfully indulgent atmosphere in which to enjoy a great meal in the company of old and new friends. Do try and get to Amma if you can. It is not to be missed! I found their website today. Check it out at: www.ammanyc.com Thanks again Suvir for a great weekend! Matthew in Minnesota

Hello all! I'm just back from a trip to New York, the highlight of which was meeting Suvir and getting together with friends to eat a wonderful meal at Amma. I was reading through this thread and thought I'd offer my opinion based on my limited insight. I am fairly new to Indian cooking, but in the last year have been trying recipes as well as visiting different Indian restauants in the Twin Cities area. Each place I've gone to (Taste of India, Natraj or The New Delhi Bar and Restaurant to name three) has had its own particular vibe: enjoyable, generally a good meal, but fairly conventional in its ambience, tastes and presentational style. My meal at Amma (which, by the way, heads the list of my top three favorite dining experiences) far exceeded anything I could have imagined. Anyone wishing to experience contemporary Indian cuisine should look no further than this restaurant (Look out Suvir, I'm gonna brag about you and Amma for a bit ). The restaurant itself is warm and contemporary in its appearance, and the entire staff not only knowledgeable, but helpful and friendly to a fault. My friends and I had reservations for 7pm and were at the restaurant until nearly 12am. Hemant and Suvir dished up an amazing tasting menu that took us through a most enjoyable night. Not only this, but both chefs visited our table more than once throughout the course of the evening to meet us and talk with us a few moments - what a delightful treat! Each course was perfectly timed and had an aesthetic that was wholly pleasing. The textures and the layers of flavor were unquestionably Indian, but the quality of and care put into each course set it apart from what I'd been used to. In addition, the subtlety yet intensity of flavor (especially the okra dish) had us nearly curled up on the floor in fetal position - these were flavors I recognized, but had never experienced in quite this way. Bottom line: The food served up at Amma was the most authentic, familiar Indian food I'd never tasted before. Suvir, thanks for sharing your vision for contemporary Indian cuisine at Amma. You've certainly set a dizzyingly high standard. I cannot wait for my next visit to New York! Matthew in Minnesota

Congratulations Suvir: I just read Gael Green's article in New York magazine. I can't wait to hear how the first evening went. Even more, I can't wait until I'm next in New York so I can visit Amma! Matthew in Minnesota

Suvir: I too cannot wait for the arrival of your book. I've already learned so much from this forum and am excited to try more recipes! Matt in Minnesota

Hello all: Here is a review article about the NewDelhi Bar and Restaurant in Minneapolis. http://www.citypages.com/databank/23/1133/...rticle10659.asp I only discovered this restaurant a month ago. I went with a friend and had a great time the food and atmosphere were both wonderful. I had an excellent lamb korma and a mango lassi! If anyone from the group is from Minnesota or travels through Minneapolis, contact me and we'll go together. I'd love to go again. Matt in Minnesota

My very first experience with Indian cooking was when I was three. My family moved to St Paul, MN from Rhode Island. The house we bought was formerly owned by an Indian family. The lingering aroma in the kitchen was unlike any other I'd ever smelled before. I can still remember it even though I was very young. At three it was not an altogether pleasant smell for me. I was used already to the conventional smells of my Norwegian grandmother's kitchen - cookies baking, fresh bread cooling, etc. In addition, my family were NOT adventurous eaters - we were a strictly pot roast and potatoes and carrots every Sunday sort of family. I'm ashamed to say that tho' intrigued by Indian cuisine, I stayed away from it up until my college years. I was on a vacation with some friends in the UK. We took a weekend trip to Oxford from London. There, we had a fantastic meal at an Indian restaurant. I cannot even remember what we ate or even the name of the restaurant (I must consult my travel journal!), but it was super! Now the circle of friends I have are very much into trying different cuisines from all over. I sometimes go to a restaurant in St. Paul called Taste of India, but more often opt to cook at home with friends. So far, we've made karahi chicken with mint, cumin-scented chicken with cucumber raita, chilli meat with curry leaves (from Andhra Pradesh), naan, bhaturas, and chapatis as well as different chutneys. I've absolutely loved everything I've tried so far. I can't believe I waited so long to venture out to try Indian food. matthew in Minnesota

Hi, Indiagirl! Thanks for the suggestion. Tell me more about carom seeds, I've heard of them, but have never tried them. What is the flavor? I'm anxious to get out to penzeys tomorrow and purchase some. Matt in Minnesota

Foodman (and anyone else interested): Using baker's percentages, I think I have a workable home recipe for our Finnish Coffee Bread that we make at Cafe Latte in St. Paul. I need to try it at this scale tomorrow at work to make sure it works. It's a success, I'll be posting it here in a day or so. Warmly, Matt in Minnesota

This sounds amazing Mathew. Is there any way we can get a recipe of sorts???? I would love to try it at home sometime. FM Foodman: I only have the recipe in bulk but will try and pare it down for you in my smaller mixer at work. We may actually have a home version of the recipes in our files. I'll look tomorrow. E'mail me and keep bugging me about it to remind me. Matt

Vikram: Thanks for the post! I'm anxious to try some of these breads as well. My own interest in Indian cuisine and in particular Indian breads is fairly new, so I'm always interested in learning new things and trying new recipes. If you have any, I'd love to try them. Matt

Tonight I tried the recipe for Bhaturas that you sent me, Suvir. They were delicious. I made them to go with a recipe from the South India section of my cookbook. The recipe was simply called "Chilli Meat with Curry Leaves" and was from the state of Andhra Pradesh. We made it with beef, hot curry paste, coconut milk, onions and garlic among other ingredients. The recipe called for fresh curry leaves, but we only had dried. The book informed us that fresh is always preferable with curry leaves. The meal was amazing despite the dried leaves. My question: what difference would I have tasted had I been able to get the fresh curry leaves? Along with this and the bhaturas, we made a fruit raita with bananas, grapes, walnuts and cumin. I was sceptical about this as I didn't know how the taste combination would be. IT WAS AMAZING!!! My stomach is still very happy after this meal. Are there other fruits used in a fruit raita? Matthew in Minnesota

Success! I made the black rice pudding again today after having soaked the rice in water for 4-5 hours. MUCH BETTER! Thanks again for the help. I'm anxious to try the other recipes. Matt

Suvir: At home, I'll be doing some Indian cooking with my friend this Sunday and I'll be trying a new Indian bread recipe from the selection that you sent to me. I'll let you know how both the bread and the entire meal come out. Matthew in Minnesota

I work in the back bakery of Cafe Latte - a restaurant/ bakery/wine and pizza bar in St. Paul, Mn. I bake a variety of bread and scones everyday. Our daily loaves include, Pan de Casa - a light, yeasted sourdough, Whole Wheat, Baguettes, St. Paul Sourdough, Focaccia, 10-Grain, and Dakota Seed. In addition, we usually make a sweet bread (I made one of my favorites this weekend - Finnish Coffee - an egg-rich bread sweetened with honey, maple syrup and molasses, swimming in toasted pecans, and marbled with cardamom, cinnamon, and fresh ground espresso beans - the entire bakery smells fantastic when it's baking in the oven! ), as well as a savory bread (such as Canadian Harvest with wild rice, carrots and onions). As far as scones go, I make traditional (a very basic, buttermilk scone - similar to a flaky biscuit), English Currant, some type of berry scone with streusel topping, and usually another berry type containing white or milk chocolate. If anyone is ever visiting the Twin Cities area, please feel free to come visit me at the restaurant!

Today I made a recipe called Oasis Naan. It called for a topping of scallions, caraway or cumin seeds (I used caraway) and salt. They came out quite nice. Not only did everyone at work like them (I work in a bakery in Minnesota - everyone is encouraged to try new breads and pastries), but they were also popular at a pre-Father's Day celebration at my parents' house. I'm anxious to try the recipes you sent me, Suvir. Thank you once more. Matthew In Minnesota

Thanks for the advice! I'll try the recipe again keeping that in mind. Do you know of any other sweet or savory recipes using black glutinous rice? Matt

Suvir: Thanks for all of the links. I'm anxious to look more closely at the messages. Looks like a lot of great recipes! A few years ago, I tried a Persian naan recipe from a Julia Childs cookbook on baking (the contibuting bakers were Jeffrey Alford and Naomi Duguid). I remember liking this recipe. It was very basic and satisfying and topped with sesame seeds. In the book I've been using now there is a recipe for naan, but it looks considerably different from the type I made. The earlier recipe had you stretch the bread and pock it with your finger tips - it also contained no fat. In the new book, the naan appears puffier and calls for ghee and poppy seeds. The new book I am using is called " Best-ever Curry Cookbook" by Mridula Baljekar and my friend and I have been enjoying every recipe we've tried so far. The other bread recipes in this book are for: red lentil pancakes, parathas, missi rotis, tandoori rotis, pooris, and bhaturas. I haven't tried any of these yet because I wanted to compare them to the recipes I found here. If you could send your recipes for these as well as your recommendations as to which ones you like best and what types of foods and condiments they best compliment, that would be great! In the meantime, I'll check out the threads of the other postings. What a great resource this site is. Hungrily , Matthew

My friend and I have been getting together weekly to make different curry dishes and try out new recipes. Generally we will make chapatis along with the meal to have with apricot chutney. We are wanting to try other breads to go with our meals - any suggestions? Also, I was making a cucumber raita to go with cumin scented chicken. I was wondering first of all how hot this is supposed to be - our recipe called for 1 fresh green chilli seeded and chopped (along with 1/2 a cucumber, 1 1/4 cups yogurt, 1/4 t salt and 1/4 tsp cumin)? The reason I asked was because in spite of the presence of the chilli, it didn't seem inordinately hot to me (I suppose the yogurt has a cooling effect). Second, is raita only a meat accompaniment? Thanks for any help! Matthew

I got so much valuable help from this community on my Thai fried rice, I thought I'd try again. I made a black rice pudding from a Thai cookbook the other night. It called for cooking the rice in coconut milk and then to bake it (the dish sitting in a larger dish of water. Everything looked good, but the rice wasn't fully cooked by the end. It was so dissappointing to have this beautiful dish and not be able to enjoy it. Should I have soaked the rice first before cooking it in the coconut milk? The recipe didn't call for this and as it was my first experience with this type of rice I didn't know what to do. HELP!!!!

Thanks to everyone for the great ideas! I'm anxious to try them out.