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Actually the ones with the hole that look like donuts are made from a different lentil altogether. Is that the recipe you are looking for? If so, here it is: (Adapted from Betty Crocker's Indian Home Cooking, Wiley 2001) “Doughnut” Fritters Medu Vadaas About 8 fritters (4 servings) • Homes in southeastern India pay tribute to Hanuman (the monkey god) by stringing a garland made of these fritters, with the assistance of eager children. The fritters are shaped in the form of doughnuts, making them easier to string. These vadaas are also a staple in South Indian restaurants, often served with Pigeon Pea Stew, a savory stew of vegetables, lentils and chilies. • The earthy, sourdough-like flavor of split and hulled black lentils are crucial to this recipe’s success, so substituting another lentil will not give you the same results. 1 cup dried split and hulled black lentils (urad dal), sorted, rinsed and drained 3 cups warm water 3 or 4 fresh Thai, serrano or cayenne chilies 1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns 1 tablespoon chopped gingerroot 1 teaspoon salt 10 to 12 fresh karhi leaves, coarsely chopped (2 tablespoons) or 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro Vegetable oil for deep-frying 1. Place lentils, water and chilies in medium bowl. Soak at room temperature at least 2 hours or overnight. 2. Drain lentils and chilies. Place lentils, chilies, peppercorns and gingerroot in food processor. Cover and process until smooth. Place lentil mixture in medium bowl; beat with spoon 3 to 5 minutes or until light and fluffy. Stir in salt and karhi leaves. 3. Heat oil (2 to 3 inches deep) in wok or deep 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat until thermometer inserted in oil reads 350º. 4. Grease palms of hands with oil. Shape lentil mixture into 1/2-inch-thick patties. With finger, poke a hole through the center of patties, making a doughnut-like shape. Gently drop into hot oil and fry 3 to 5 minutes, turning occasionally, until golden brown. Remove with slotted spoon; drain on paper towels. 5. Serve fritters by themselves or with Coconut-Cilantro Chutney. 6. Leftover batter can be tightly covered and refrigerated up to 2 days. Freezing is not recommended because it increases the batter’s water content when thawed, making it very difficult to handle. 2 Medu Vadaas: Calories 250 (Calories from Fat 125); Fat 14g (Saturated 2g); Cholesterol 0mg; Sodium 590mg; Carbohydrate 29g (Dietary Fiber 11g); Protein 12g %Daily Value: Vitamin A 22%; Vitamin C 38%; Calcium 2%; Iron 26% Diet Exchanges: 2 Starch, 1 Very Lean Meat, 1 1/2 Fat

I have a karela recipe, for some odd reason I have always loved karela, even as a kid. 1. Wash and peel the karelas but keep the peel. 2. Slit them in half so you have pocket like things. Scoop put seeds if there are some tough ones. Sprinkle some salt on the karelas and let it sit for a while. It will leave some water content, this will reduce the bitterness a bit. 3. Sprinkle the peels with some salt and let it sit as well. After a while, sueeze out the juice using your hands and discard the water. 4. In a small wok heat oil. Add finely chopped onions, dhaniya(coriander powder), red chili powder, turmeric. Now add the peels and saute this mix for a while, it should be pretty dry. Add some coarsely groung saunf(anise seed?). Add amchur powder (raw mango powder) and take it off the heat. 5. Squeeze some of the juices out of the slit karelas and discard all juice. Stuff the karelas witht he mix and tie some string to ensure it doesnt spill. 6. Use a realtively flat pan and heat soem oil/ghee in it. Shallow fry the karelas at low heat for a while till it auires a nice color. Cook on low heat for a while. If the karelas are exceptionally tough, you can cover the pan for a while. But cook it uncovered for the last 5 minutes so it acuires a crispness about it. 7. enjoy with hot rotis. ITS EASIER THAN IT SEEMS.

I don't read cookbooks, but like to look at the pictures (which gives me equal access to the books in Chinese, of course). This one sounds interesting though. From the Publishers Weekly review (cribbed from Amazon's web site): Wok arcana, yeah! For a title, though, you can't top Hugh Carpenter's Wok Fast (and don't look over your shoulder?)

I am not the person who said it first, but I don't like "China Moon", either. Speaking of good cookbooks, I was browsing our local bigbox bookstore last night and came upon Grace Young's new cookbook "Breath of the Wok" or some such title. Didn't have time to look too deeply at it. Has anyone read it yet and could you give a short precis?

Dejah: Zha Jiang Mian in Cantonese is Jah Cheung Meen. Jo-mel: I have a different process: First brown the pork (should marinate it a bit) with a little bit of oil, remove from pan. Then heat the wok with a bit of oil, add garlic, cook for a few seconds, add the chili bean paste, brown bean paste and hoisin sauce and "cook" the sauce for a few seconds until high heat, then dash in the sherry. Add chicken broth and sugar until boil. Add corn starch slurry to thicken sauce. Then lastly re-add the meat and cook for a few more seconds before pouring over the noodles. Sesame oil is to be dripped on top at last. The difference is all in the process...

Here's a Tamilian version...enjoy. Ammini, great to meet you. Hope to chat soon. Great website by the way. Pigeon Pea Fritters Aamai Vadaas About 18 fritters (6 servings) 1 cup dried split and hulled pigeon peas (toovar dal) or yellow split peas (chana dal), sorted and rinsed 1 tablespoon dried yellow split peas (chana dal), sorted and rinsed 3 cups warm water 2 or 3 dried red Thai, serrano or cayenne chilies 2 or 3 fresh Thai, serrano or cayenne chilies 1 tablespoon coarsely chopped gingerroot 10 to 12 fresh karhi leaves, coarsely chopped (2 tablespoons), or 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon asafetida (hing) or garlic powder Vegetable oil for deep-frying 1. Place pigeon peas, yellow split peas, water and dried and fresh chilies in medium bowl. Soak at room temperature at least 2 hours or overnight. 2. Drain peas and chilies. Place peas, chilies and gingerroot in food processor. Cover and process until smooth. Place pea mixture in medium bowl; stir in karhi leaves, salt and asafetida. 3. Heat oil (2 to 3 inches deep) in wok or 5-quart saucepan over medium-high heat until thermometer inserted in oil reads 350º. 4. Shape batter into 1/2-inch-thick patties. Gently drop into hot oil and fry 3 to 5 minutes, turning occasionally, until golden brown. Remove with slotted spoon; drain on paper towels. 5. Serve fritters by themselves or with Yogurt with Stewed Tomatoes (page 00). 3 Fritters: Calories 175 (Calories from Fat 125); Fat 14g (Saturated 2g); Cholesterol 0mg; Sodium 410mg; Carbohydrate 12g (Dietary Fiber 4g); Protein 4g %Daily Value: Vitamin A 44%; Vitamin C 24%; Calcium 0%; Iron 6% Diet Exchanges: 3 Vegetable, 2 Fat Yogurt with Stewed Tomatoes Pachadi 8 servings . 1 cup plain yogurt 1/4 cup water 1 tablespoon vegetable oil 1 teaspoon black or yellow mustard seed 1/8 teaspoon asafetida (hing) 1 medium tomato, finely chopped (3/4 cup) 1 or 2 fresh Thai, serrano or cayenne chilies, finely chopped 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh cilantro 1/2 teaspoon salt 1. Beat yogurt and water in medium bowl, using wire whisk, until well blended; set aside. 2. Heat oil in 6-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add mustard seed. Once seed begins to pop, cover skillet and wait until popping stops. 3. Add remaining ingredients. Cook 2 to 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tomato is softened. 4. Fold tomato mixture into yogurt. Serve immediately or chill. Cover and refrigerate any remaining yogurt mixture up to 2 days. 1/4 Cup : Calories 40 (Calories from Fat 20); Fat 2g (Saturated 1g); Cholesterol 0mg; Sodium 170mg; Carbohydrate 3g (Dietary Fiber 0g); Protein 2g %Daily Value: Vitamin A 2%; Vitamin C 2%; Calcium 6%; Iron 0% Diet Exchanges: 1/2 Vegetable, 1/2 Fat

This is the one I use. Some recipes seem to have either all hoisin or all brown bean, and some have a combo. This is a combination of several recipes that I've come across. Not sweet, not salty, -----just right to my taste. ZHA JIANG MIAN ---------BEIJING NOODLES WITH MEAT SAUCE Ingredients: 1 pound fresh noodles Optional vegetable garnish: 2 Tbsp. oil Blanched bean sprouts 1 Tbsp. minced garlic Julienned cucumber 1 pound ground pork 2 Tbsp. sherry 4 whole scallions, chopped Seasoning sauce: ¼ cup brown bean sauce ¼ cup hoisin sauce ¼ tsp. chili paste with garlic (Optional seasoning sauce: 1/2 cup brown bean sauce 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper) Sauce: 1 cup chicken broth 1 tsp. cornstarch 1 tsp. sugar 1 tsp. sesame oil (Optional vegetable garnish blanched bean sprouts julienne cucumber) Preparation: ----Boil the noodles until just tender – about 4 minutes. ----Drain. Mix with a little oil and keep warm. ----Mince the garlic and have ready. ----Pour sherry in a small cup and have ready. ----Chop scallions and have ready. ----Combine seasoning sauce in a cup. ----Combine sauce in a cup. Cooking: Heat a wok. Add oil and heat. Add garlic and stir till aromatic. Don’t burn . Add pork and break up while browning until all pink is gone and pork is somewhat dry. Add sherry and mix in. Add scallions and mix again. Add the seasoning sauce mix and stir well. Stir the sauce to loosen the cornstarch and add to the wok. Stir until all is smooth, thick, and bubbly. Place warmed noodles on a serving platter, pour sauce over and serve. Optional vegetable garnish may be placed on top.

Surfas, in Culver City, is in the L.A. area, but about an hour from Anaheim. It is a wonderland of spices, sauces and edible goodies, as well as well-priced tools and toys. (They had molcajetes , and also tortilla presses, last time I was there...as well as lots of woks and wok accessories, paella pans in many sizes, and lots of other fun stuff.) Their chief business is restaurant design and supply, but don't let that put you off, as lots of their stuff is great for home cooks. Their website seems to be down at the moment (or at least, I can't seem to link to it) but I believe it is www.surfasonline.com (it's not a great site, but will give you the address and phone, and maybe driving directions.) Happy shopping!

Given your formula, our budget is $25,000. Play away!!! Some preliminary thoughts. $25,000 isn't a whole lot - especially when you're talking about construction in New York. On the other hand - you're working with a relatively small space. For starters - I'd try to minimize or eliminate any major construction (like moving plumbing - venting - electrical - whatever). Try to keep the major appliances/fixtures about where they are if moving them would require major construction. Just rip everything out - and reinstall new stuff. Your wife wants more storage - and - basically you don't cook (typical for New York ). Your mother sometimes does high temp wok cooking - but I doubt you want to get into a high end gas stove/vent setup just for an occasional meal. You could do take-out for 100 years and still be ahead of the game. What I hear is you want a kitchen that looks more contemporary - holds more stuff - but will basically get light use. Correct me if I'm wrong. In light of what you said - I'd put the major part of my budget into high end cabinets - maybe $15,000. The highest end you can afford with all the fancy storage options (full extension drawers - floor to ceiling storage cabinets - cutting board cabinets - etc.). Go to a place like Poggenpohl or Siematic and see what the low end in these lines would cost. Get catalogues and look through them. Note that many of these places offer free cabinet/kitchen design (although most will ask for a small non-refundable deposit before they draw up plans in case you don't go ahead with the project). So take advantage of in-house design. $4,000 into appliances to give you the look you want. $6,000 for floors and lighting and countertop. (Lighting is important because it can make or break the look of the place.) These aren't absolute numbers - just a rough idea of priorities. Anyway - I'd start by spending a few afternoons in cabinet showrooms. What do you think? Robyn P.S. I am 5' tall - and when it comes to cabinets - if I can't reach it - it's relatively worthless (except for things I only use occasionally). Concentrate on as much low pull out storage as you can squeeze in. Also - even if your cabinets go to the ceiling - you can lower the cabinets an inch or two below normal - then adjust the shelves so you get as many as possible within arm's reach. You can even try to find an area where you can sit a tall cabinet on a counter - which gives you a huge amount of storage space.

My Mom's recipe for bao has been posted in the China and Chinese cuisine thread, in the RESTAURANT, CUISINE AND TRAVEL FORUM. For ma pao tofu, I cut medium firm tofu into cubes, put them into a colander and let them drain. While waiting for the cubes to drain, I brown ground pork (or any ground meat, or no meat at all), diced onions and any fresh hot peppers I may have on hand. Seasoning is held off until the dish is finished cooking. I brown the tofu cubes in about 1/2 cup of oil, drain off the oil, and add the meat and onions back into the wok. Instead of using mashed black beans, etc, I use LEE KUM KEE chili bean sauce (Toban Djan). This works really well. I usually add about 3 tbsp....adjust according to your tolerance. If you like lots of sauce, add some stock or water and thicken slightly with cornstarch slurry. I may season at this time, if I think it needs salt. Just before plating, I add chopped fresh mint, and some whole leaves on top. Mint and heat seems to go well together, in my opinion. My daughter China-Li thinks I am obsessed with mint, basil, cilantro and rosemary . . . I also like to put wilted lettuce, iceberg or romaine under the tofu, whether it's ma pao or tofu in oyster sauce.

Check out this Thermador cooktop which is what I would get today instead of the cooktop I do have. I like the star burners much better than the ring shape. This has enough output to cook with a wok. I have a separate wok burner which I rarely use because it throws out too much heat for me.

Trillium, I've been doing that for years, porch cuisine with my big honking burner. I love it. We do everyting on it. if I'm having a big corn boil, I can do 36 ears at a time in a big sock pot, same for lobster. My wife does her preserves on it. It's the only way to achieve "wok hei" outside of a restaurant kitchen. The good part is that these super hot "turkey fryers" only cost about Cda.$60.

I was wondering why no one had brought up these burners. The partner is a home-brewer and we bought a Camp Chef burner with leg extensions to do the wort boils outside on the porch. Not long after we went out and bought a big-ass wok, a couple of spatulas and have been stir-frying like crazy all summer long. It really is nice to do stir-frying outside, because you don't smell up the house. Kang kung (aka ong choy) and other veggies taste so much better cooked this way, and all the stuff with tons of chillies (Thai and Singaporean stuff mostly) is much easier on the nose and lungs when it's cooked outside. regards, trillium

Another thing to think about regarding your range-top: if it's being used to cook chinese food you might want a range that can accomodate a wok-ring. Additionally, you want something that puts out a lot of BTUs.

Pake Pork Chop thank you for your informative interesting approach to this source with details that answered questions about things I've been curious about for years. I'm curious if anyone recalls the unusual Chinese Restaurant that used to be located on King or South Bretania Street that relocated to Kalihi about 1985/86. What was so special was that the Chef prepared daily fresh pans of "Asian Style Chinese Candy Treats" that my kids always brought home on the way from school. I used to stop by in the afternoon for orders of Roast Duck Mai Fun that we enjoyed, but the main reason was watching him make the candies from a wok and baking sheets, then placing them into a Bakers Rack to Cool. He would be a terrific hit at our "Pikes Market". Fortunately when the moved to Kalihi two of my kids were already driving so we were always stocked up at home. I have never been able to find such a good variety anywhere else, and I've sure looked especially in San Francisco and Seattle to no avail. Another topic also beginning in Hawaii was the export of "Chinese Vegan" and "Hakka Food" from Honolulu to Seattle where both original restaurants are still doing well. Any other Honolulu Chinese Exports ? Irwin

Sure. I will post it once I get a chance to type in the recipe. Probably tomorrow. My wife and I like lean lean pork. I know it's less flavorful, but that's one big reason why we don't buy the fatty BBQ pork from restaurants. The others would be the red food dye, and that most restaurant burn the tips of their BBQ pork. In places like San Francisco or San Gabriel Valley, I like the taste of the BBQ pork they make in restaurants. Very tasty. But I now live in Sacramento, so far I haven't found any restaurant that can make BBQ pork up to par. I am not sure on the name of the cut. Probably shoulder loin? I like the cut with no fat at all. Jo-mel: maybe I had mis-spoken. I made Shrimp with salt and pepper (椒盐虾) It's fairly dry. I shouldn't have said "salt and pepper sauce". Let me know if you still would like to know how I make mine. Would be happy to share. The image uploading at Gullet is very easy. In recent year, turkey fryers are popular. I like those turkey fryer burners. When in family gatherings, I like to borrow the burner and the wok from my brother-in-law and make some more restaurant-like Chinese dishes (with wok-chi) in their backyard.

THE LAST SUPPER With this cooler weather, and the way I've been using chilis, banana and habanero peppers, one would think I was stoking up my internal stove for winter. One chicken thigh and a breast were hiding in the fridge. These I browned quickly in a small cast iron casserole. I added a splash of cooking wine and light soya, the leftover wood ear, Chinese mushrooms, gum choy (lily buds), and some chicken stock. The dish went into the oven at 350F, with the lid on. There really wasn't enough for three people, so I decided to save this dish for China-Li as a late night supper. She's not back from her volunteer job yet. For Bill and myself, I made ma pao tofu with ground pork. Wow! This is the second item we've eaten today that didn't require much chewing, and I still have all my teeth. I had saved some green papaya from the early afternoon snack. The bone from a piece of pork butte steak was used to make a clear broth. After simmering the bone while the rice cooked, I added a few slices of pork and the papaya. Even though it seemed a shame to cook this beautiful fruit, it did make a nice soup that is beneficial for the lungs and digestion. With the now boneless pork butte steak, I sliced it into thin strips, added seasoning, cornstarch and oil and put it into a shallow bowl. On top of this, I added chopped preserved mustard greens (mui choy) on my half, and thin slices of preserved turnip (ham choy) and habanero peppers on Bill's half. I steamed this in my wok. I know -- I know. You are not supposed to use your wok for steaming, but I do. Vegetables are a must for me. Tonight, I had a dish of bok choy, stir-fried with garlic and slivers of ginger. A dish of chocolate ice-cream was our last dessert! This has been a hectic week for me, but made very enjoyable by the opportunity to share my cooking with you. I already have a Web site dedicated to many food-related topics: http://www.hillmans.soupbo.com/soos/ The experience of doing this blog was so satisfying that I have adapted it to Web page format for display at: http://www.hillmans.soupbo.com/soos/foodlog.html I've thoroughly enjoyed the interaction with other eGulleteers that this medium has provided. I look forward to an ongoing interchange with fellow foodies. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Dejah has left the building ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

HMMMMMMMMMM-----------!!!!!!!! There! That is my rant!! LOL! Before my first wok, for years, I used a large iron frying pan. Worked beautifully. Great tool! HZRT - What is the 'salt and pepper SAUCE' you used in that shrimp dish? Anyone---- About posting pictures --- is there a trick to doing it? I know how to transfer an image, but even getting my digitals to Webshot has been difficult. ahem.... I just have a household General Electric stove, at least 15 years old, and it works very well with my 14" cheapy rustable wok. My s-i-l has a gas stove, and I find it slower to heat my wok than my electric. I DO agree with you that, unless you have 80,000btu burner, one cannot reproduce that restaurant flavour. I miss my old restaurant stove. In fact, I dragged it out of the restaurant before the demolition crew came in. It is sitting in our garage. I thought of installing it for an outdoor kitchen, but the thought of having to clean up the baked- on grease on the backside from the late 70s on kinda discouraged me. One of my friends is going to haul it to his farm and use it for an outdoor kitchen. Jo-mel: As for posting the pictures, this is our proceedure: Download the pictures from your digital camera to a folder in your computer. Then when you go to upload your pictures on image egullet, you hit "BROWSE", then go into your folder and type in the jpg number. Once you have entered all your pictures, hit the "upload" button. It will show you your entries. Copy the line and paste onto your post. I think this is what you are asking...but the WEBSHOT kinda threw me... Is this the info' you need. Funny. It took doing the blog for me to figure out how to post a picture.

Laksa, great question. I have the "big" burner at my cottage, where I do all my entertaining and it is placed on the deck attached to the kitchen. But you can get a commercial stove or wok burner installed inside your home, providing you have a commercial grade fire suppression system installed too. Of course, the insurance companies have to be appeased with a sacrifice of substantial money. You have to check out the local regulations.

HMMMMMMMMMM-----------!!!!!!!! There! That is my rant!! LOL! Before my first wok, for years, I used a large iron frying pan. Worked beautifully. Great tool! HZRT - What is the 'salt and pepper SAUCE' you used in that shrimp dish? Anyone---- About posting pictures --- is there a trick to doing it? I know how to transfer an image, but even getting my digitals to Webshot has been difficult.

Do you need a special permit for installing that burner in your home? When I get my own house, I would like one of those "jet engine" wok stoves. For the time being, I make do with a really thick cast aluminium wok. I feel the thickness of the metal helps conduct heat better, even if the heat source is inferior.

For the average home electric range or low btu domestic gas range, a fry pan is what I use. A wok is so inefficient and clumsy in those circumstances. However if I have a crowd to cook for, I'll use a wok over my 80,000 btu burner. Now, that's cooking with gas. This is a big gripe of mine, when every Tom,Dick and Harry( or Tina, Daisy and Jane) evening community college cooking instructor and all the glossy cooking magazines extol the virtues of using the wok, for with a wok, you get instant and delicious "stir fry" dishes just like the Chinese takeouts. Truth of the matter is, by using a wok over a weak flame you cannot "fry" anything in reasonable time. What you get is a soggy, sodden slew of substance that would not have the remotest of resemblance to Chinese food, in my estimation. There, that's my rant of the day.

I don't have an tandoori oven. My wife has already been complaining that I have too many gadgets in the kitchen. Can you imagine if I bring in a tandoori in the backyard just for making tandoori chicken??? Just baked in a conventional oven. For that same reason (too many gadgets), I don't have a wok either. All my Chinese food dishes are made on a 12 inch flat pan. It's funny I see some people... when they get excited about cooking Chinese food, the first thing they do is to buy a wok as if it is a prerequist. For some thirty odd years of cooking, I have never owned a wok. My digital camera went to heaven some time ago. Maybe it's time to shop for the new generation models. Recipes to follow.

PPC - sorry for not replying sooner - that is such an amazing post. So much history in it that I have to sit down for a while to digest it all. I assume this will turn into another episode of "Wokking Around Town"? I hope you're also turning all this into a book - I'm sure there would be a lot of demand for it - I'd run out and buy the first copy. A lot of "what's happened to them now" stories. Such as Titus Chan - I believe he must have been the first non-Western chef ever to have his own TV series distributed nationally. Yong Sing is the shuttered restaurant on Alakea and Hotel, correct. I'm surprised someone else has not opened up there yet. Perhaps the rents are too high for such a large establishment? One place I remember from my own youth in Manoa is Manoa Chop Suey. Now turned into a Starbucks - almost a cliche, but such a typical example of the passage of time. It's interesting that in Hawai`i, the word "chop suey" when attached to a restaurant doesn't have the same negative connotations that it might on the mainland. Again, thanks for the great post!

On the top shelf of the pantry is the wok, and inside the wok is the special candy that's just for mommies (at the moment, it's Seattle Chocolate mocha truffles.)