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Here's the link: After Centuries, the Vegetarian Feast of India Finally Arrives

Dr.Katy Dalal has come out with Jamva Chaloji - 2, a sequel to 'Jamva Chaloji' ("Lets Feast") the excellent book of basic Parsi recipes she compiled quite a few years ago. The first book, published by Vakils in Bombay, is in its third printing and along with the Penguin book on Parsi cooking, it could be seen as the standard reference book to Parsi daily cooking. So this book is very welcome and all the more so because in it Dr.Dalal has decided to focus on all the rarer recipes, the ones cooked for obscure festivals or by Parsis in the villages of the Gujarat and Maharashtra coasts they used to live in, but which are now being forgotten as their children move to the cities and have no time for elaborate rituals. Dr.Dalal is an archaeologist by training, before she became known as a cook, so she's by far the best person to do this work. Its a fascinating book to read, and a delightful one too, since she's interwoven the recipes with her own memories of visits to the villages as a young girl, and in particular of her great-grandmother Soonamai whose recipes and cooking practices are evidently still her inspiration. There are all the recipes which coulod probably only be made in the village - like tadi-nu-batervo or mutton cooked in toddy (fermented date palm sap). Toddyn is highly perishable, so you probably won't be able to get it in Bombay. I've certainly never come across it, though you do get neera, the sweet, unfermented version and perhaps the solution would be to buy this and let it ferment. (Episure, do you think this would work? And do you know of any other way to get toddy in Bombay?). The book also benefits from Dr.Dalal's obviously excellent connections in the Parsi community - she can track down the one agiary (fire temple) in Bombay (Mehella Patel Agiary behind Novelty Cinema in Grant Road) whose head priest has a wife who is the last person to make muktad-nu-bhatiyu which, as far as I can make out (Dalal is not always entirely clear and while its not a problem, the book could have done with just a bit more editing, that's the only criticism I could make), is an elaborate package of different dishes including chicken, fish roe, a spicy omelette and other things. Or if you want vasanoo, a heavy Parsi sweet made of some 32 different ingredients that few people have the patience to make these days, she tells you the exact family to go to in Cushrow Bagh, one of the main Parsi colonies, who still make and supply it to others. A lot of these recipes are obviously quite difficult or labour intensive which is why they aren't made these days, and Dalal doesn't hide that. Sometimes one can think of other reasons why they aren't made like her recipe for eeda-pak or egg halwa the ingredient list for which starts with 50 egg yolks, 500 gms almonds bioled and skinned, 150 gms pistachios, boiled and skinned (almonds and pistachios to be fried and ground), 100 gms charoli, 100 gms white pumpkin seeds.... Dalal obviously knows this is going to be a hard sell since she writes "This is one of the most delicious sweets I have ever eaten and I request all my readers to make it at least once in their lifetime..." Yes, well one can see why you're not likely to be able to eat this in more than one lifetime! Still, Dalal's pleading for such recipes is quite persuasive and while I don't think I'll be running out to buy 50 eggs anytime soon, I can certainly see myself making other recipes like Soonamai's special cucumbers stuffed with mince, or bhaji-ma-sookka-dana (dried green peas cooked in spinach) or gamti-amlette (country omelette - a typical spicy, had fried Indian one, but with pieces of green mango added) or papau-ma-gos (mutton in papaya gravy) or maybe even kolmi, sekti-i-sing, ne-kacchi-keri-ne-kohru-nu-dohru (prawn, drumstick, raw mango and pumpkin gravy). And even otherwise, there's still the pleasure of just reading Jamva-Chaloji-2! Vikram

There's a street snack that's sold in Bombay that's always intruiged me, not that common, but you can find it fairly regularly at Chowpatty or near Fountain and a few other places. What's remarkable about it is the way it looks - a large cylinder of what looks like ivory wood, with a thin reddish tan layer outside. If you want to eat it the guy selling it will carefully slice a thin section from the cylinder, remove the tan park and give it to you. It tastes sweet and crunchy, a bit difficult to swallow since its a bit fibrous, but quite nice. One guy I asked told me its called kandhamul, but does anyone know what its English name is or what plant it comes from? Could this be what's called hearts of palm? Vikram

The questions are triggered by the recent article in Wine Telegraph The spice is right. Couple of quotes: "...Pinky Lilani is a is an adviser to British manufacturers of Indian supermarket meals, but she has published a cookbook, Spice Magic and holds cookery demonstrations in her kitchen.... ...Besides the recipes, Lilani’s book also offers a guide to the four basic techniques of Indian cooking. They are bhunao, whereby you keep spices simmering until they blend perfectly; dhuan, which is the tradition of placing red-hot charcoal in a dish of chicken or smoked salmon and then sealing the lid so that the smoke infuses the food; dum, in which rice is cooked in its own steam; and tarka, in which spices are added to hot oil to release their flavour...." And now couple of questions: Has anybody read her book or attended the class? What do you think? Can somebody describe the dhuan method? Thank you, Helena

i made reference to the penguin kerala cookbook a few days ago. my first experiment with a fish recipe from it was an unqualified success. now, i'm thinking of branching out into chicken-land. the recipes in the book all seem to call for boneless chicken--is this a common phenomenon in malayali home-cooking? if so, is stock added at some point--the recipes in the book don't indicate this step. now, most restaurants in north india that serve malayali food also use boneless chicken but i've taken this as being a restaurant phenomenon; this may be due to the fact that bengalis rarely, if ever, use boneless chicken in curries--and all right thinking punj restaurants in delhi also offer a bone-in/boneless option with butter chicken. since this cookbook series seems to be aimed at an indian, not western audience, i doubt it is pandering to squeamishness about bones. can anyone offer any informd insight? or failing that, any wild speculation?

Dear all, As promised earlier in the "Rare Ingredients" thread, here is the recipe for Masala Bhein along with pictures. Hope you will enjoy this as much as we do. For those who live in the States, you can find these easily in the Korean grocery stores. Here goes: Masala Bhein (Lotus Stems or Kamal Kakdi) Ingedients: Lotus Stems - 4 medium pieces Oil - 5 Tbsp Water - 1 Cup Masala Mix: - Turmeric powder - 1 Tsp - Salt - 1 and 1/2 Tsp - Coriander powder - 5 Tsp - Ginger powder - 1/4 Tsp - Black Pepper - 1Tsp - Garam Masala - 1 Tsp - Amchur (Dry Mango powder) - 1 Tsp Method: 1. Trim both the ends of the stems. 2. Cut into some 1 to 1 and 1/2 inch long pieces and some 1/4 inch pieces. 3. Wash with lukewarm water thoroughly. Make sure all the grooves are clean of any dirt. 4. Mix all the spices in a bowl. 5. Hold the big pieces over the masala bowl and fill the holes with the spice mix. Make sure that the pieces are a little damp so that the spices stick to them. Fill the big pieces from both sides. For smaller pieces put them together in the leftover masala mix and roll gently to cover with the spices. 6. Heat oil in a pressure pan or cooker. 7. Put all the pieces in the oil and saute gently on low heat for 5 minutes. 8. Add one cup of water and stir gently. 9. Cover the pressure cooker and cook on high heat till the first pressure whistle comes. 10. Let it cook on low heat for 15 more minutes. 11. Open the cooker and check to see the tenderness. (Should be similar to a hard boiled potato). If they are still hard, let it pressure cook for a few more minutes. 12. If there is still some water, let it simmer for a few more minutes with the lid open. Serve with freshly made chapati or tandoori roti and Enjoy!!!

I am interested in a good recipe for carrot halva. I was wondering if any one would share one that they enjoy. Thanks, Cory

(perhaps this belongs in the rare ingredients thread. then again it might not be rare to anyone other than me) tonight i dipped into my penguin "kerala cookbook" for the first time and made a country style fish "curry". it called for cambodge which is not available here. however, the writer indicates that kokum (which he says is related to and often confused with cambodge but is not) is a good substitute and i remembered seeing kokum in the local indian grocery (which as i've said stocks more southie than north-indian stuff). so i hied me to the store only to discover that they have packets of both black and white kokum. i recalled my friendly store-manager's exhortations to "ask if you have questions" and asked her what the difference was. first she hit me with, "this one is black, and this one is white"; seeing the expression on my face she then added, "i think the white one is the dried one and the other one is the wet one". i decided to make a judgement call and bought the "wet" black kokum. the recipe called for soaking the cambodge and so i decided to soak the black kokum too. i don't know if this was the right kokum or whether it needed to be soaked but the resultant dish was excellent. we ended up eating a pan-indian dinner (indian fusion if you will): a fish curry from kerala, punjabi style kali urad dal, and bengali style alu-gobi. it all went together quite well. i'm going to start experimenting with more of the recipes--probably stick mostly to the coconut-free ones (did someone say "elevated cholesterol"?). has anyone else tried anything from this entry from the penguin series?

I haven't been to Dallas in years. However, my work is taking me there again soon. I remember years ago eating in a fairly good Indian restaurant. I have no clue what part of town I was in. However, I haven't had Indian in a while, so can anyone recommend some good places? Non-Indian as well. I have meetings with some large department stores, so I will be all over the city. And I will have a car rented. -Ophelie

Pork Vindaloo (Adapted from “Everything Indian, by Monica Bhide, Adams Media) This recipe is from The Beginner's Guide to Regional Indian Cooking in the eCGI. 3/4 c rice vinegar 1/4 c water 1 tsp black peppercorns, roughly pounded 1 T minced garlic 2 tsp red chili powder 1 ½ lb. boneless lean pork, cubed 3 T vegetable oil 1 T ginger root. julienned 1 large red onion, peeled and finely chopped 6 whole dried red chilies, roughly pounded 1 1inch cinnamon stick 1/2 tsp turmeric powder Table salt to taste In a non-reactive bowl, combine the rice vinegar, water, black pepper, garlic, red chili, green chili and pork. Refrigerate, covered, for an hour. In a deep pan, heat the oil. Add the cinnamon, ginger root and sauté for about ten seconds. Add the onion and sauté for about 7-8 minutes or until golden brown. Add the red chilies and turmeric powder and sauté for another 20 seconds. Remove the pork pieces from the marinade and set the marinade aside. Add the pork and sauté on high heat for about 10 minutes or until the pork is browned and the oil starts to separate from the mixture. Add the marinade and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer covered for about 30-45 minutes or until the pork is tender. Add salt to taste. Serve hot Keywords: Main Dish, Pork, Indian, eGCI ( RG891 )

Pork Vindaloo (Adapted from “Everything Indian, by Monica Bhide, Adams Media) This recipe is from The Beginner's Guide to Regional Indian Cooking in the eCGI. 3/4 c rice vinegar 1/4 c water 1 tsp black peppercorns, roughly pounded 1 T minced garlic 2 tsp red chili powder 1 ½ lb. boneless lean pork, cubed 3 T vegetable oil 1 T ginger root. julienned 1 large red onion, peeled and finely chopped 6 whole dried red chilies, roughly pounded 1 1inch cinnamon stick 1/2 tsp turmeric powder Table salt to taste In a non-reactive bowl, combine the rice vinegar, water, black pepper, garlic, red chili, green chili and pork. Refrigerate, covered, for an hour. In a deep pan, heat the oil. Add the cinnamon, ginger root and sauté for about ten seconds. Add the onion and sauté for about 7-8 minutes or until golden brown. Add the red chilies and turmeric powder and sauté for another 20 seconds. Remove the pork pieces from the marinade and set the marinade aside. Add the pork and sauté on high heat for about 10 minutes or until the pork is browned and the oil starts to separate from the mixture. Add the marinade and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer covered for about 30-45 minutes or until the pork is tender. Add salt to taste. Serve hot Keywords: Main Dish, Pork, Indian, eGCI ( RG891 )

Matar Paneer ( Indian Cheese ) 10 c whole milk 1/2 c buttermilk / yogurt (more maybe needed, so keep some extra In a large heavy bottomed pan, bring the milk to a boil over medium heat. Stir often to ensure that the milk is not sticking to the bottom of the pan. When milk starts to boil, lower heat and add the buttermilk and stir until the milk starts to separate into curds. Remove from heat as soon as this happens. You can even add a few ice cubes to the curd-whey mix. The heat will make the protein tougher. Hence the need to expose the cheese to as little heat as possible. If the curds are not forming, add a little more buttermilk and cook for a couple of minutes more. And do the above as soon as the curds form. Pour the curds-whey mix into a collander lined with several layers of cheese cloth or even a layer of muslin, draining onto a dish that will collect the whey. Collect the sides of the cheesecloth or muslin and tie them up together and twist gently to help drain the whey from the curds. Place the bundled curds on a tray and press this bundle with a heavy pan/container or obejct. Make sure this heavy weight covers the bundle fully. To make cheese for dessert recipes or for koftas or even a bhujia, weight it down for no more than a half hour. For recipes where cheese cubes are used, weight the bundle down for an hour or more. This will make the cheese form a firm mass that can be cut into neat cubes. Note: I use buttermilk as it makes for cheese that has very little sour flavor. People use lemon or vinegar, these curdle the milk quickly but leave a strong aftertaste. This aftertaste is not nice when making desserts with cheese. Try and use the cheese the same day as you make it. The more time it is kept the dryer it becomes and the harder it will be. When making soft cheese for desserts. Weight it down for a shorter time as I write above. You can leave more moisture in, if you know you will not use it till the next day. The cheese will get dryer in refrigeration. For the firm cheese, you can make the firm cube and store it overnight in chilled water. But you cannot put the cheese in water until a firm cake, with all the whey drained is formed. So, first make your cheese cube, and if you are not using it the same day, immerse it in a container of water, seal with a cover and cut only when ready to use into smaller cubes. Keywords: Side, Indian ( RG886 )

Matar Paneer ( Indian Cheese ) 10 c whole milk 1/2 c buttermilk / yogurt (more maybe needed, so keep some extra In a large heavy bottomed pan, bring the milk to a boil over medium heat. Stir often to ensure that the milk is not sticking to the bottom of the pan. When milk starts to boil, lower heat and add the buttermilk and stir until the milk starts to separate into curds. Remove from heat as soon as this happens. You can even add a few ice cubes to the curd-whey mix. The heat will make the protein tougher. Hence the need to expose the cheese to as little heat as possible. If the curds are not forming, add a little more buttermilk and cook for a couple of minutes more. And do the above as soon as the curds form. Pour the curds-whey mix into a collander lined with several layers of cheese cloth or even a layer of muslin, draining onto a dish that will collect the whey. Collect the sides of the cheesecloth or muslin and tie them up together and twist gently to help drain the whey from the curds. Place the bundled curds on a tray and press this bundle with a heavy pan/container or obejct. Make sure this heavy weight covers the bundle fully. To make cheese for dessert recipes or for koftas or even a bhujia, weight it down for no more than a half hour. For recipes where cheese cubes are used, weight the bundle down for an hour or more. This will make the cheese form a firm mass that can be cut into neat cubes. Note: I use buttermilk as it makes for cheese that has very little sour flavor. People use lemon or vinegar, these curdle the milk quickly but leave a strong aftertaste. This aftertaste is not nice when making desserts with cheese. Try and use the cheese the same day as you make it. The more time it is kept the dryer it becomes and the harder it will be. When making soft cheese for desserts. Weight it down for a shorter time as I write above. You can leave more moisture in, if you know you will not use it till the next day. The cheese will get dryer in refrigeration. For the firm cheese, you can make the firm cube and store it overnight in chilled water. But you cannot put the cheese in water until a firm cake, with all the whey drained is formed. So, first make your cheese cube, and if you are not using it the same day, immerse it in a container of water, seal with a cover and cut only when ready to use into smaller cubes. Keywords: Side, Indian ( RG886 )

Perhaps by now some of you have seen this year's finalists in the Outlook-Picador Non-Fiction Contest. Interestingly enough, most of the finalists have essays about food, though there's no clear explanation why this is so. The one whose title intrigued me the most is called'Invention of Tradition' in Indian Food, by Venu Madhav Govindu. Invention of Tradition (the phrase itself coined by Hobsbawm and Ranger) in general is a topic that interests me! The essay is a breezy and pleasant run-through of many foodstuffs that have been imported and adapted into Indian cuisine. Initially, he talks about the way in which certain foods, such as samosas and tea, have been adopted from neighbors West and East, but have been transformed by the Indian sensibility into something completely different. On the other hand, he points to coffee as something that has been adopted wholesale, without much change, yet has become fulcrum of Tamil identity. At this point, his essays seems to move in what seems like a myriad of direction. He mourns the declining quality of mangoes and the replacement of the begun bhaja in the Bengali banquet with the indifferent 'bhejitebil chop'. After a brief aside about Raj cookery and street food, he criticizes that Punjabi and Udipi-dominated restaurant cuisine, calling for more diversity. By the end, I wasn't sure what his main point was. Perhaps there wasn't meant to be one. However, I was hoping for something more about the economic, political, and cultural reasons why certain foods were adopted wholesale, others were rejected, and yet others were transformed and assimilated in different regions of India. I would also have appreciated more discussion of the process by which certain foods became "traditionalized" - was this purely unconscious, as seems to be tacitly implied, or were there ideological considerations at least partly responsible? Would like to hear the thoughts of everyone here on this and the other essays. . .

I'm engaged in a research project, a collaboration uniting traditional Indian desserts and ingredients with contemporary techniques and styles. In addition to the many custards and lassis, what I've been told of falooda fascinates me, and mirrors what some progressive pastry chefs have been toying with in recent years. What I am looking for are not only traditional and not so traditional versions/recipes, but also some of its history, or interesting stories and associations. Thanks to all in advance!

i made a maccher-jhol (fish-curry would i suppose be the easiest translation) with turbot the other night. now, most bengali fish preparations call for the fish to first be lightly coated with salt and turmeric and shallow-fried before being later inserted into the sauce and simmered till completely done (the one exception to this rule is shorshe-ilish where the fish is traditionally dropped into the sauce raw and "steamed" in it--though this is not how bong does it). turbot it turns out is much like cod in that it is a very delicate, flaky fish. it doesn't take well to movement in the pan (i'm guessing europeans usually bread it and fry it, or grill it)--it was all i could do to not have it fall apart on me. since i am not an expert on fish commonly available in the u.s i would appreciate it if we could put together a list of fish that respond well to most indian style jhol/curry preparations. here's my list: easy in curries: mahi-mahi shark tilapia mackerel tough to handle in curries: cod turbot fish that i don't think are well suited to most indian curries (though maybe to the tandoor): swordfish monkfish salmon what else? i've never tried making a bengali style fish dish with orange roughy or sea bass or trout or catfish--thoughts?

#1 mistakenly substituting 1 tspn kalo-jeere (black cumin) for 1 tspn kalonji (nigella). i did this last night to an alu-kofi (potato-cauliflower) dish and ruined it. i know the difference between the two--still can't explain why i used the one instead of the other.

Post your questions about the Beginners Guide to Regional Indian Cookery here.

Beginners Guide to Regional Indian Cooking By Monica Bhide and Chef Sudhir Seth Introduction Interactive Map of India When someone asks me if I know how to cook Indian food, all I can do is smile. Sure I can cook some of it, but can anyone truly cook food that represents a country of more than 1 billion people, with over a dozen languages, 800 recognized dialects, and several religions, India is as diverse as it gets! The Aryans who occupied the North and the Dravidian’s who occupied the South were the first influencers in India. India’s cuisine has also been influenced greatly by the multitude of invaders throughout the country’s history; the Mughals, British, Turks, and Portuguese all left their mark. By adding their own cooking styles and ingredients, they provided a rich diversity, resulting in a unique cuisine. In the words of the legendary Madhur Jaffrey “Nothing was ever discarded. It was made Indian.” India is also a country with a 3000 year old religious heritage. Home to Buddhism, Hinduism, Sikhism, Islam, Jainism, Christianity, Zoroastrianism, and the Bahai religions (to name a few) – all dictating what can and cannot be eaten. The Jains don’t eat garlic, the Muslims don’t eat pork, and the Hindus don’t eat beef. Other faiths have limitations on any vegetable grown under ground. Then there are days when people fast and on those days’ special meals need to be prepared according to the guidelines for that particular faith. There are specific norms for food that are followed for major life events like pregnancy, birth, baby’s first foods and death. From the lap of the Himalayas in the North to the coast of southern Indian, from the Ghats of Western India to the eastern Bay of Bengal, from the deserts of Rajasthan, to the backwaters of Kerala, from the luscious fields of Punjab to the mountains of Kashmir -- the geography, climates and the landscape are as diverse as they get. The different Indian states are so unique in their geography, culture, language and tradition that they are almost like individual nations. In addition to all the factors mentioned so far, another important factor that has influenced the cuisine is the focus on the medicinal values of the ingredients. The Vedas or ancient Indian texts explain how to combine food, exercise and meditation to obtain the right balance in ones physical, spiritual and mental forms. Religion has not only integrally affected what is cooked but how it is prepared as well. The Muslim tradition of preparing “halal meat” or the Hindu tradition of not tasting a meal as it is being cooked (since the first offering of the meal has to be for the Gods and for a cook to taste it while it is cooking is considered “unclean”) has certainly had its impact on how foods are prepared. The Hindu cook relies on the sight, texture, smell and color of the spice mixes to know exactly when they are ready as opposed to taste. The history, climate, geography, religion and regional areas have all influenced the cuisine. Intrinsic culinary traditions are constantly being updated by the ever changing political and socio-economic landscape. I liken the country to a quilt with each part of the quilt (a state) being unique and yet an integral part of the whole. What holds this diverse cuisine together is the aromatic and flavorful spices. The art of Indian cooking is in blending these spices so they are in perfect harmony in each dish. The basics of an Indian meal, despite of all the contrasts and contradictions, are similar. There will generally be some lentil, regional vegetables, pickles, chutneys, rice or bread, possibly a meat or fish dish, served at every meal. Desserts are usually milk based. Food is eaten with fingers, using pieces of bread to mop up the vegetables and curries. I remember reading somewhere “trying to eat Indian food with cutlery is like trying to make love through an interpreter”. With due respects to the author of that line, I completely agree! The meal is completed with a digestive like “Paan ”, areca nuts, sugar coated fennel seeds and many others. (Paan is made of betel leaves, which are filled with all kinds of ingredients to create this legendary digestive) I hope you will try the recipes in this class. By the time you get done you will have sampled a dozen regional cuisines that are distinctly different in terms of their taste cooking methods and presentation. I have only attempted a dozen or so regions, there are so many more.. Perhaps in a part II of this course! I am attempting to give you a glimpse of what lies in each region. There is so much more. The information here is a mere starting point into the cuisine of a very diverse country. Kashmiri Cuisine It has been a very long time since last visited the state of Jammu & Kashmir, nestled in the heart of the Himalayas, but it left an impression. Shikaras (large houseboats) on Dal Lake, sumptuous meats, perfect apples, an aristocratic valley so picturesque it felt like paradise. In fact, if I remember my history correctly, when the Mughal Emperor Jahangir first saw Kashmir he said “Agar firdaus bar ruhe zamin ast, hamin asto, hamin asto, hamin asto” (If there is a paradise on Earth, it is here, it is here, it is here). Kashmiris are primarily meat eaters. There are two main types of cuisines, that of the Kashmiri Muslims and that of the Kashmiri Pandits (Hindus). The Kashmiri Muslim “Wazawaan ” an elaborate ritualistic meal for special guests is nothing short of spectacular. It can have thirty or more courses of specially prepared Rogan Josh, Kormas (meats cooked in cream based sauces), Ristas (meatballs), and vegetables. Mouth watering desserts generally made of dairy products follow and the meal is then topped off with the “kawah ” a green tea transformed into a magical portion with just the right amount of saffron, cardamoms and almonds. The meals are prepared by the Wazas – the master chefs of Kashmir. They are the descendants of Mughal rulers who come here in the early 15th century. The Kashmiri Hindus eat meat and this sets them apart from the Brahmins of the rest of India. Kashmiri dishes are very rich, reminiscent of their lavish history with the rich Mughal rulers. Nuts, fruits, saffron, meats are used a lot in the preparation of the food. One very unique ingredient in Kashmiri cooking is the use of Mawal - dry cockscomb flowers. Another unusual spice mixture, in the form of small flat discs, is Ver or Vari. It is prepared in a manner unique to each household and is used in small amounts to season dishes. Kashmiri Lamb Chops or ribs (Kabargah) Ingredients ¼ cup water 1 Cinnamon stick 4 black cardamoms, crushed 2 cloves 2 bay leaves 2 pounds lamb ribs 2 ½ cups milk Salt to takes ½ cup plain yogurt 1 teaspoon red chili powder 2 + 4 tablespoons gram flour (chickpea flour) Oil to panfry Heat ¼ cup of water in a pan. Add the cardamom, cinnamon, cloves and bay leaves. Simmer for a minute. Place the ribs/chops in a pot. Add the milk and salt. Cook until the milk is absorbed. While the meat is cooking, prepare the yogurt marinade. Mix together the yogurt, red chili and two tablespoons of gram flour and set aside. Set the other four tablespoons of gram flour on a flat plate Remove from heat and transfer the meat to a platter. Set aside Heat the oil in a large skillet. Dip each chop in the marinade, then coat generously with the dried gram flour. Pan fry it until golden brown on each side Remove the meat from the ghee and drain on a paper towel Serve hot. Maharastrian Cuisine: Host to the biggest film industry in the world (Bollywood), the financial powerhouse of India, a food lovers paradise, a bustling metropolis, and home of the famous Dubbawalas – and all this in just its capital city Mumbai (formerly known as Bombay). I fell in love with Mumbai eleven years ago and my love grows stronger each time I visit. From the very ethnic and regional to the very eclectic and international, the restaurants cater to your every taste, whim and pocketbook. I learnt the art of Maharastrian cooking from my mother in law. The right amount of buttermilk to make the perfect Upma (a semolina pudding), the right way to temper aSaar (a warm and soul warming tomato soup), how much practice it takes to make perfect Modaks ( rice flour dumplings), how to mold tapioca to create melt-in-your-mouth patties called Sabudana Wada and of course how to make the perfect pomfret. A dessert specific to this area is called the Puranpoli (bread stuffed with channa dal and jaggery). My husband taught me to eat it crumbled with tablespoons of warm ghee and milk. I think it has got to be the ultimate comfort food. Maharashtra also has the credit for producing India’s leading mango called Alphonso mangoes. Home to the cities of Kolhapur and Ratnagiri, Maharashtra also has some of the spiciest food served in India. Kolhapur’s mirchi or chili is legendary. The Konkan coast also boasts a wide variety of seafood – fresh prawns, pomfret, squid, crabs, you name it and you can find it. During the research for my new book, I had the chance to meet and talk with some of the fisherwomen of the Koli group in this area. They show such ease in preparing such wonderful fish dishes teased with the right amount of masalas. On my last trip to India, I was able to spend time with a dear friend of my mother in-law’s who is Jewish (Bene Israel Jew). Mumbai has a small Jewish community and she was telling me about a kosher Indian restaurant that she could take me to. But the highlight of the meeting was when she produced a half hand- written half –typed cookbook published many years ago. It was a present for me. It has some of the most interesting recipes from Egg Vindaloo to Jewish Puff puris (balloon breads) to Sabbath cake to a dish called Birda ( a bean dish). The recipe message for Birda reads “this dish is prepared by the Bene - Israel Jews of India, particularly on the 9th of Ab to be had after the fast.” Another message reads “ We Bene –Israel Jews according to tradition eat fish which have an eye on each side rather than two eyes in the front.” There is so much history in each recipe. I am forever thankful to this kind lady. India is also home to the oldest Jewish Synagogue in the Eastern region. India forum has had some interesting conversations on Jewish Indian cuisine. The city of Mumbai is also famous for its street food. You have to experience the walk on Chowpatty beach, the endless stalls of street vendors selling Bhel Puris, the Pav Bhaji ( bread served with a spicy vegetable dish) sprinkled with lemon juice, the sugarcane juice, and the Vada Pau (a vegetable burger for lack of a better description), the list and the tastes are endless. Macchi Fry Koliwada (This recipe was given to me courtesy of the Marriott Hotel in Mumbai). Ingredients: 2 fillets white fish, large cubes 1 teaspoon minced garlic 1 green chili, minced Salt to taste 3 tablespoons of chickpea flour (gram flour) 1 tablespoon lemon juice ¼ teaspoon turmeric ½ teaspoon red chili powder Oil to pan fry Marinate the fish cubes in a mix of the garlic, green chili and salt. Leave for 10 minutes. Prepare the second marinade. Mix the gram flour, turmeric, chili powder, lemon juice and a small amount of water to make a very thick batter. Dip each fish piece into the marinade to ensure that it is well coated. Pan fry until crisp on the outside and cooked on the inside. Serve immeadiately. Tamilian Cuisine Tamilian cooking comes to you from the south eastern Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Its capital city Madras (now known as Chennai) is home to the legendary Madras curry powder developed for the British. I first visited Madras (Chennai) in 1990 and what struck me was the sheer choice of foods prepared from rice. Rice in its many forms – Dosas ,(Rice and lentil crepes) Idlies (steamed rice and lentil cakes), Uttthappams (pan fried rice and lentil pancakes) to name a few. These are served along with a lentil curry called Sambhar . The real crowning glory of the food here, in my opinion, are the range of chutneys, papadums (lentil wafers), pickles and spice powders that are available. Many of the people here are vegetarian and rice is a large part of their diet. I am also a huge fan of the strong filtered Madras coffee. In addition, Tamil Nadu is famous for the fiery cuisine of the Chettiyars from the area of Chettinand. Tamilian cooking uses a lot of black pepper, red chili powder and mustard seeds. Hyderabadi Cuisine Hyderabad is located in the southern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. My family lived in the gorgeous area of Banjara Hills there for a while. I was too young and so have no recollection of the city, though my father tells stories of the Hyderabad “chowki ka khana ” that are quite remarkable. Chowkies are low tables that seat people on the floor and were used in Hyderabad for formal dining occasions. Multiple courses of meats, vegetables and rice dishes were served accompanied by live musicians singing. Dishes were prepared with aromatic spices, were plated in a beautiful manner and served by gracious hosts. One of my favorite Hyderabadi dishes is a pilaf made of layers of rice and goat meat cooked entirely in milk. The flavors are provided by spices in a “potli ” or a bouquet garni which may have up to 21 spices in it ranging from coriander seeds to dried rose petals to sandalwood powder to dried vetiver roots. The end result is a very fragrant dish that is pure white with aromas that will make you thank God for being alive! My father tells me of a saying in Hyderabad that the best food comes when it is made with mohabbat or love. His favorite dish he tells me is the Batter Ka Achar or pickled quail. I take his word for it when he calls it heavenly, I have not been lucky enough to try it or even find a recipe for it. Hyderabadi cuisine is the culmination of the local ingredients like curry leaves, tamarind and mustard seeds tying the knot with the kebabs, pilafs and meat dishes brought in by the Muslim invaders. From the minced lamb to prepare Shimkapuri Kebabs to the layered rice and meat Biryanis, Hyderabad is a gourmet’s paradise. And then there is the typically Hyderabadi “Irani Chai”. A large number of Iranians came to Hyderabad in the 1600’s. Their tea, different from other parts of India, was absorbed immediately and became an integral part of the local culture with Irani Chai houses springing up all around the city. Mirchi Ka Salaan 8 - 10 large green chilies Oil to deep fry Salan Paste 2 tablespoons peanuts 2 tablespoons desiccated coconut 1 tablespoon sesame seeds 2 tablespoons coriander seeds 1 tablespoon cumin seeds 2 -3 red chilies, whole ¼ teaspoon black peppercorns 1 teaspoon brown sugar or jaggery. 1 small red onion, chopped 2 Serrano green chilies ½ teaspoon onion seeds ½ teaspoon mustard seeds ½ teaspoon cumin seeds 4-5 cloves 1 sprig of curry leaves 1 tablespoon garlic, minced salt to taste 2 tablespoons tamarind paste Fresh cilantro for garnish. Slit and deep fry the green chilies in hot oil. Remove and keep aside. Roast all the ingredients for the paste on a dry skillet. Then grind them together along with the onions and the green chilies. Heat oil and add the onions seeds, cumin and mustard seeds, when crackling add the cloves and the curry leaves. Add the garlic and stir for a minute. Add the salan paste and continue stirring. Add a few tablespoons of water at intervals to avoid paste sticking to the pan. Add the tamarind pulp and ½ cup of water. Stir for 5 minutes until the gravy resembles the consistency of a sauce and the oil begins to separate out. Add the salt and the fried chilies to the hot gravy. Simmer for about 5 minutes. Remove and garnish with finely chopped coriander leaves. Bengali Cuisine When ever I write about Bengal, a state on the eastern shores of India, I am not sure where to begin. Why? Because this land offers so much and is so diverse, I always seem to fall short of words. It certainly is a state blessed – huge palms, flowing yellow mustard fields - giving the land a yellow hue and earning it the name – Sonar Bangal – Golden Bengal. I have a few close friends from the area and the best way to describe them would be refined and passionate – about their heritage, their language, their desserts and by God their fish. Even the Brahmins of Bengal (Brahmins are traditionally vegetarian) east fish, calling it Jal Toria or fruit of the ocean. No part of the fish is wasted – and each is prepared with such grace and perfect balance between the spices and the fish. Bengal's many rulers over the years – the Mughals, the British, the Chinese, have brought great variation to the cuisine. The Mughals brought in the Qormas (cream based meat dishes), and Kebabs , the Hakka Chinese brought in the Calcutta style Chinese dishes like Manchurain (deep fried morsels of meat or vegetables served in a sauce of chilies and soya sauce). Trust me, once you try this style of Chinese it will have you hooked. Bengali cuisine is known for its substantial use of mustard seeds. Mustard oil is the widely used cooking medium giving Bengali recipes a very distinct taste. The crowning glory of Bengali cooking has to be the desserts. When I was in college in India, there was a Bengal sweet shop called KC Das close to where I lived. Shamelessly, each evening friends and I would stand in line to buy the Misti Doi a sweet yogurt prepared in an earthen pot. The kind shop keeper saved a few for us each night. For some reason he would chide us away from it during the winter months, saying it would cause us to catch a cold – old wives tales I think. On those nights we would get luckier for he would provide us with mouth watering Rasgollas (cheese balls sweetened with sugar syrup) There are two ingredients that are unique to the cooking here. Mustard oil as the cooking medium and the very aromatic Panch Phoron five spice mix – fenugreek seeds, cumin seeds, mustard seeds, fennel seeds and onion seeds – mixed in just the right proportions. I call this spice mix the way to instant “gourmet-dom”. Use it and you will see what I mean – it creates such perfect dishes people think you are an amazing chef when the spices are really doing all the work. Shorshe bate Macch – Mustard Fish (with due credit to Bong from eGullet for his notes that are used here) ¼ cup black mustard seeds ¼ cup white mustard seeds A touch of garlic (Not traditional but the Chef loves it so we added it!) 4 fillets white fish (small Tilapia fillets) 1 teaspoon turmeric salt to taste Mustard oil to panfry the fish 2 Serrano green chilies, slit Soak mustard seeds (I use 50% black and 50% white) in water for 10-15 minutes. In a blender, grind mustard seeds and garlic with enough water. Start with a relatively less water and slowly keep adding water as needed. The final consistency will be a bit more liquid than Dijon mustard. Make sure that there are no whole seeds left over. In my blender, this process takes about 10 minutes. This will be your gravy. Don't forget to add a bit of salt and mix some more. Set aside Marinate fish fillets with the turmeric and the salt. Heat a shallow pan with a little bit of mustard oil, over medium high heat. When oil starts to smoke, add in the fish pieces so they are in a single layer. After a minute or so, turn them over, and cook until brown. Remove from heat In the same oil add the mustard paste. Add some slit green chilies for some heat. Cook the mustard paste until it starts boiling and then add the fish. Simmer for another 3 – 5 minutes. Serve hot. Punjabi and Delhi Cuisine: Punjab is the Land of Five rivers is a highly agricultural state. The cuisine of this state is greatly influenced by the Mughal cuisine (see note on Mughal cuisine). The world famous Tandoori style of cooking has its roots here. Punjabi’s are bread eaters compared to a larger portion of India that prefers rice as it staple food. The heart of Punjabi cooking lies in the masalas (spice mixture) and gravies that are prepared with ginger, garlic, onions and tomatoes. This thriving agricultural state boasts a cuisine that is rich in vegetarian as well as non-vegetarian choices. Other than the obvious Tandoori dishes that are famous here, of equally importance is the Punjabi preparation Sarson Ka saag (a velvety preparation of mustard greens seasoned in with ginger, garlic, green chilies) that is served along with a corn bread called Makki Ki Roti. Tandoori cooking was introduced in Delhi by Kundan Lal of the Moti Mahal restaurant in Dariyaganj. Why do I tell you this, because eGullet’s very own Vivin’s family owned this restaurant. India’s capital city, New Delhi, is a world all its own. There is so much history here in one city that even an entire book cannot do it justice. All the rulers ( the Mughals, the British and others) bought with them their own cuisine and left a mark, from which emerged a very singular cuisine – a delectable mix of various cultures that now defines “Delhi Cuisine.” The Mughalai Tandoor chicken, Seekh Kebabs, biryanis (rice and meat dishes), the appetizing Naans and other breads are a core part of the food in Delhi. Then there are the British introduced sandwiches, trifles and cakes which are found on many a menu. (A point to note here: When I added Custard and Jelly to one of my books as an Indian dessert, the editor thought I was kidding. Not really. A lot of the British desserts are still very popular in Delhi and really are “Indian” !) And of course the British left behind their love for scotch whiskey. During the partition of India and Pakistan, a large number of Punjabi’s came and settled in Delhi. They brought in the hearty fare. Delhi is home for me. The Punjabi food of Delhi is close to my heart since I grew up eating it each day. Aloo Ka Parathas (Indian griddle breads stuffed with spiced potatoes) of course with fresh home made white butter served with a tall glass of Mango Lassi (yogurt based mango drink) are on top of my list for favorite Delhi foods. (For more on North Indian breads, see our North Indian breads class). Delhi’s food has also been greatly influenced by other communities like the Banias, the Khatris and the Kyasthas. I do find it interesting that the “national drink” of India – where a large part of the country is quite warm – is hot tea! In Delhi even in the summer months with the terrible hot winds called loo blowing, we would still drink tea. Piping hot Chai ( tea) topped off with Malai (clotted cream). Paneer ki Bhurjee: Fresh paneer cooked with tomatoes and cilantro. 2 tbsp oil 2 Serrano green chilies, minced 1 teaspoon cumin seeds 1 small red onion, finely chopped ¼ tsp ground turmeric ½ tsp chili powder 1 small tomato, diced 2 cups paneer *, grated 2 tablespoon fresh cilantro, finely chopped salt to taste * You can buy paneer at your local Indian grocer or prepare it at home see this recipe Heat oil in large pan. Add chilies. After 20 seconds stir in cumin and onions. Cook onions until soft and begin to change color. Add the turmeric and the red chili powder. Add tomatoes. Cook for a few minutes. Don’t mash the tomatoes, just lightly sauté them. Add paneer. Cook for another minute Season with salt. Garnish with cilantro and serve. Rajasthani Cuisine The princely state of Rajasthan is a desert, but don’t let that fool you into thinking the cuisine is lacking. Home to Indian royalty, Rajasthan is famous for its elaborate dishes. When I was a child we lived for a while in Jaipur, Rajasthan’s pink city named so for all its pink buildings. I don’t have memories from that time, yet when I visited a few years ago the welcoming city made me feel as though I had never left. Think vivid when you think of Rajasthan – brightly colored clothes, the pink walls of Jaipur, the music, the dancers, all larger than life. The Muslim influence is very strong here and so there are a wide variety of meat preparations. Lapsi a popular wheat porridge is a very delightful dish. Maharani Gayatri Devi, wife of the Maharaja of Jaipur was listed by Vogue magazine as one of the most beautiful women in the world. Her book on the cuisine of this state has done helped not only to bring in the traditional recipes but to document an era. Jaipur is one of the few places, I have been served Papads (lentil wafers) in a curry. In most other parts of India they are eaten dried as wafers would be. Dry mango powder and garlic are used a lot in the cooking. One of the most famous dishes of Rajasthan is called Dal Bati Choorma: Bati, a round bread imbibed with clarified butter and traditionally cooked in the scorching desert sand, Dal, a lentil curry and Choorma a sweet bread laced with jaggery and butter. A bit heavy to digest, but a must try. (For some good information on Jaipur visit http://www.jaipur.nic.in/tourist.htm) For this class Chef Sudhir picked a very unique dish called Gatta curry . Chickpea flour dumplings cooked in a sauce. Rajasthani Gatta curry Gatte: 2 cups chick pea flour or gram flour 3 tbsp oil 1/2 tsp salt 1/4 tsp chilli powder 1/4 tsp turmeric Pinch of asafetida ¼ teaspoon cloves, roughly pounded Water to knead 2 -3 tablespoons of oil Curry: 2 tbsp oil 1 tsp cumin seeds Pinch asafetida 1/2 tsp chili powder 1/4 tsp Garam Masala 2 tsp powdered coriander seeds 2 tsp salt 1/2 tsp turmeric powder 1/2 cup plain yogurt Fresh cilantro Sieve chickpea flour. Add salt, chili powder, turmeric, asafetida and cloves. Add about 2 -3 tablespoons of oil. Add water and knead to a stiff, smooth, glossy dough. Leave to rest for 15 minutes. Shape into cylindrical rods Boil in 4 cups of water till they come up and are covered with tiny bubbles. Add a few drops of oil to the water. This will keep the water from boiling over. Lift out of the water, leave to cool. Discard the water. Cut the cylinders into bite size pieces. To prepare the curry: Heat the oil Add the cumin seeds and the asafetida. Add turmeric, salt, coriander powder, 'Garam masala' and chilli powder. Add 3 cups of water and bring to a boil Lower the heat and add the yogurt Simmer for about 2 -3 minutes Add the yogurt and chickpea flour sausages or the gattas prepared earlier Simmer for a few minutes and serve hot garnished with the cilantro Cooking of UP and Bihar The state of Uttar Pradesh is home to India’s holiest city of Benaras and the holy river Ganges. The primarily Hindu city of Benaras’s other claim to fame is its silk sarees, the typical attire for Indian women. When I was child, I had visited the city of Nawabganj (close to Lucknow) from Delhi via a train. Lucknow is a largely Muslim city. My most vivid memory is of a couple from UP who were traveling with us opening their tiffin (a carrier for food) and offering to share with us the most delightful Pooris (fried Indian breads) and some kind of a yellow spiced potato dish. I distinctly remember the food was so good that my cousins and I shamelessly finished off the food belonging to this sweet old couple. They watched with kindness in their eyes and my father watched with embarrassment as we freely ate the food of strangers! Then they reached into their bag and produced the mango. Lucknowi mangoes, even my father could not resist! Lucknow is also famous for its velvety Kakori Kebab (a kebab prepared with minced meat and many fragrant and wonderful spices), Raan (a whole leg of mutton, perfectly prepared) and the hospitality of their people. To the outside world, UP is probably best known for its white marble treasure, The Taj Mahal, nestled in the city of Agra. Bihar is the state where the Buddha obtained enlightenment. It is a state with a colorful past with various rulers leaving their legacy on the culture and cuisine. I have found Bihari food to be simple yet flavorful. The Bihari city of Patna is famous for it unparallel quality of rice produced here. Rice is served in many forms here, the sweet rice dishes being the most distinctive – powdered rice cooked with clarified butter, milk and sugar. Another dish unique to Bihar is the Makhahe Ki Kheer . Makhanas are puffed lotus seeds and are cooked in milk to prepare this very sweet pudding. Sattu, roasted chickpea flour is used as a basis for many of the dishes of Bihar. Bihari Aloo Ka Bharta 3 medium potatoes, boiled and peeled 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 1 small onion, finely chopped 3 garlic cloves, crushed 1 teaspoon cumin seeds 1 inch ginger root, peeled and chopped 1 -2 teaspoon uncooked mustard oil or vegetable oil 2 -3 whole dried red chili Salt to taste In a bowl mash the potatoes and set aside. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a ladle or a small saucepan. Add the cumin seeds, onion and cloves. When cumin begins to splutter transfer the content of ladle to the mashed potatoes. Roast the dried red chilly over slow fire – Hold the chili using a tong and then hold it over an open flame for just a second Crush the roasted dry chilly onto the mashed potato. Add salt, and the uncooked mustard oil to the potato mix Mix well Garnish with cilantro leaves before serving Keralite Cuisine The state of Kerala, also called coconut country, is in the southern part of India. Geographically it is over 600 km. in length and only 75 km. wide. It is a state with over 90% literacy, emerald back waters, miles of coffee and tea plantations. Kerala is the heart of the Indian spice coast. Vegetarian choices abound and their preparation is very simple. I love the fish dishes of Kerala cooked with pungent curry leaves, mustard seeds and the ever present coconut milk. Kerala has a large Christian population and beef dishes are quite common here – as opposed to the rest of India where the cow is considered scared by the Hindus who will not eat beef. My first trip to Kerala was for a wedding in 1989. We were served a lavish wedding dinner on traditional banana leaves (an important fact I learnt was that the narrow part of the leaf should be to the guests left hand side) adorned with pickles, chutneys, rice, papads, vegetables curries of many types, small bowls for sambhar and rasam (lentil based dishes). All of the dishes are served and placed on the leaf in a predetermined order. Dessert is the intensely sweet Payasam (vermicilli cooked in milk and lots of sugar) followed by a steaming hot cup of South Indian coffee. Kerala is the natural home of black pepper, cardamom, coconut and tapioca and their presence is dominant in the cuisine. Keralite “irachi ” (meat) is generally cooked with strong spices and is a dry preparation. Of course no discussion of Kerala cooking can be complete without discussing the appam a bread that looks like a pregnant crepe really. Served with mutton or chicken stew this mouthwatering bread takes a bit of practice to prepare (For more on South Indian breads, please see A Sampling of South Indian Breads) Kerala Prawn curry 2 pounds tiger prawns ½ teaspoon turmeric powder Salt to taste 2 tablespoons lemon juice 3 tablespoons vegetable oil 1 teaspoon fennel seeds 2 Serrano green chilies, split 2 small red onions, finely chopped 1 sprig curry leaves 2 medium tomatoes, finely chopped 1 teaspoon minced garlic 1 teaspoon minced ginger ½ teaspoon Garam Masala 1 can coconut milk Cilantro leaves to garnish Remove the shell from the prawns Marinate the prawns with salt ,turmeric pd and lemon juice and set aside. Heat oil in a medium size pan. Add the fennel and green chilli. Add chopped onions. Fry until transparent. Add the curry leaves Now add the tomatoes and ginger garlic and keep continue to cook until the oil separates Add prawns and the Garam masala powder. Cook for another 2-3 minutes. Add a can of the coconut milk and bring it to a simmer. Adjust salt Garnish with chopped cilantro Goan Cuisine I am at a distinct disadvantage here not having visited this tourist heaven. My experiences of Goan food have been at the home of Goan friends. Goa, a tiny state, sits on the western shores of India. While the rest of India was heavily under the influence of the British and or the Muslim invaders, Goa was under Portuguese rule for many years. The Portuguese came to Goa in the 1500’s, after the Muslim sultans of the Bahamani dynasty, and stayed for over 400 years. The food reflects a love of vinegar, meats and strong spices – all things necessary for the perfect Vindaloo . Goa is a largely Christian state. Sandy beaches, rolling hills, lush fields, rivers, coconut groves, mango, cashew, areca and bananas trees form the landscape of Goa. And the fish. Goa is famous for its fish preparation. How good are the dishes? Well --“..the Goan poet Bakibab Borkar address the God of Death Yama and says “ Please sir, Mr. God of Death, Don’t make it my turn, Not today. There is fish curry for dinner” I do owe a thanks to my friends for introducing me to the very potent cashew nut and coconut palm alcoholic drink of Goa called Feni Pork Vindaloo (Adapted from “Everything Indian, by Monica Bhide, Adams Media) 3/4 cup rice vinegar 1/4 cup water 1 teaspoon black peppercorns, roughly pounded 1 tablespoon minced garlic 2 teaspoons red chili powder 1 ½ lb. boneless lean pork, cubed 3 tablespoons vegetable oil 1 tablespoon ginger root. julienned 1 large red onion, peeled and finely chopped 6 whole dried red chilies, roughly pounded 1 1inch cinnamon stick 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder Table salt to taste In a non-reactive bowl, combine the rice vinegar, water, black pepper, garlic, red chili, green chili and pork. Refrigerate, covered, for an hour. In a deep pan, heat the oil. Add the cinnamon, ginger root and sauté for about ten seconds. Add the onion and sauté for about 7-8 minutes or until golden brown. Add the red chilies and turmeric powder and sauté for another 20 seconds. Remove the pork pieces from the marinade and set the marinade aside. Add the pork and sauté on high heat for about 10 minutes or until the pork is browned and the oil starts to separate from the mixture. Add the marinade and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer covered for about 30-45 minutes or until the pork is tender. Add salt to taste. Serve hot. Gujarati Cuisine “Sugar and Spice and everything vegetarian” – I think that sums up the cuisine for me!! It is simple and delightful and uses vegetables in a remarkable way. Situated on the western coast of India, Gujarat is paradise for vegetarians. Leafy green vegetables, fruits, millet, rice and lentils dominate. Millet is said to be very high in protein. Butter and milk are used abundantly. The Gujaratis are known for their wide variety of pickles and chutneys. “Farsan ” or crispy fried snacks are a staple part of the cuisine. Gujaratis have a sweet tooth and many parts of the state use sugar liberally in cooking (including in dals, and rice). Food is traditionally served on large steel plates or Thalis. The cuisine has been greatly influenced by the Jains and the Buddhists. A little known secret: a group of Muslims known as Bohras, who live here, prepare the most delicious meat dishes. When I think of Gujarati food, I must admit I am partial to the dhokla , a salty steamed cake made from chickpea flour tempered with mustard seeds, fragrant curry leaves and green chilies. It is delicious particularly with a well made cilantro or green chili chutney Gujarati Shrikhand 4 cups thick yogurt (yogurt with whey removed, see pictures below) 1/4 teaspoon saffron (soaked in a tablespoon of warm milk) 1/2 cup fine sugar Pinch of cardamom powder Garnish with crushed pistachios (optional) Place all the ingredients in a bowl. Mix well. You can do this with a spatula or a hand held blender. Adjust sugar to taste Chill for about 30 minutes Serve. How to prepare thick yogurt Preparing to hang the thick yoghurt Thick yoghurt set over a colander Draining the whey The finished product Parsi Cuisine Parsi cuisine is a critical part of the Gujarati cuisine and culture. "Dheekra" was the single word that started my love affair with Parsi food. I had heard that word many times in Indian movies, but growing up abroad I did not know what it meant. I asked my father. It means a "child" he said, it is Parsi. What was Parsi? Who were these people, always portrayed in Indian movies to be a fair skinned intellectual lot? Dad told me of the legendary meals he had had in Mumbai as a child at the homes of Parsi friends. The dishes that melded sweet and sour and spicy and salty. The elaborate preparations that made each guest feel like a king. I had to learn more. I started by reading Rohinton Mistry and so many others. I began to scratch the surface of a very complex culture. I fell in love with the characters they created, living together in a multi-storey building in Mumbai. A community that is small in number, it has contributed to the worlds political, business and arts in amazing ways. Think Jrd Tata & Godrej (India’s leading business families), Vidal Sassoon and Zubin Mehta . . . when you think of Parsi’s. They are a very intellectual community, very talented. They came from what was Persia, now Iran, and landed in India in the state of Gujarat. Unfortunately this wonderful people is fast decreasing in numbers. This is primarily due to the structure of Zoroastrainism - their religion. There are no converts allowed. One can only be born a Parsi. Marriages outside the community are not encouraged and anyone born of a non Parsi mother or father of such a marriage is not considered a Parsi and is not allowed into their Fire Temple or place of worship. Their cuisine is a tantalizing marriage of Persian and Gujarati styles. Flavoring their curries with nuts and apricots, they brought the richness of Persia to the simple Gujarati food. Parsi food is not hot with chilies but has complex flavors and textures. They are primarily non-vegetarians and enjoy eating chicken, mutton and eggs. As the Parsi’s say, Chalo jumva avoji . . . Come, let's eat. Parsi Murgh Farcha Pieces of chicken marinated in a gently flavored masala paste, dipped in crumbs and beaten eggs and fried. 6- 7 tender chicken breasts 1 teaspoon Garam Masala 1 tablespoon of minced fresh mint 1 tablespoon coriander powder ½ tablespoon cumin powder 2 Serrano green chilies, minced Salt to taste 1 teaspoon sugar 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 2 eggs, beaten 1 tablespoon cilantro leaves, minced ½ cups dried plain breadcrumbs Oil to panfry Make slits in the chicken breast. Marinate it with a mixture of the Garam masala, mint, coriander powder, cumin powder, green chilies, sugar, salt and vegetable oil. Allow the chicken to marinate for at least 2 hours in the refrigerator. In a bowl combine the eggs and cilantro leaves Create an assembly line – marinated chicken, eggs, breadcrumbs (placed on a flat plate) Now first dip the chicken in the breadcrumbs and then the egg wash Panfry it till done. (Chef Sudhir’s tip is to do it this way then the eggs seal the juices and the chicken is more tender this way) The best way to tell if the chicken is cooked is to poke a knife through it. If no water seeps out from the chicken, it is cooked Mughal Cuisine: Although this does not qualify as a regional cuisine, I had to mention the most popular style of Indian cooking that is so familiar in most of the Western world. In the 1500’s the Persians came to India and brought with them their food, customs, literature, music and architecture. This is reflected strongly in most part of North and Central India. The Persians loved the rich life and legend has it that the Emperor Akbar had over 400 cooks to serve his over 300 wives. The cuisine reflects the use of nuts, nutmeg, mace, poppy seeds, cream, yogurt, clarified butter, dry fruits, cinnamon, cloves, rice and meats. The Muslims also brought in the oven baked breads like “Naans ” that are so synonymous with Indian cuisine the world over. Persian rice dishes are what legends are made of, the perfect rice and meat layers of the Shahjahani biryani or the colorful rice in the many pulaos. The Wazawaan of Kashmir , the Tandoori style of cooking in Punjab and the Chowki Khanna of Hyderabad to name just a few are reminders of the opulence of a time gone by. (The meat referred to here is goat meat, which is what is preferred in India even today, compared to the West where I think lamb is preferred). One of the features that I love best about this style of cooking is adding a layer of fragile strips of edible beaten silver or gold foil to the final dish. It gives the dish a spectacular and royal look. Secrets of the Indian Spice Cupboard “Its not too spicy is it?” has got to be the most common phrase that I have ever heard in all my years of teaching and writing about Indian food. With that one simple question many people brush aside Indian cuisine. Spices are not about heat. They are about aroma and flavor. They add sweetness, bitterness, heat, sourness and even color. These multifaceted little powders, roots and seeds form the heart of Indian cuisine. Used in the right way they can add great depth and wonderfully complex flavors to your dishes. Spices form the heart of the cuisine. There are many aromatic and flavorful seasonings that home cooks can choose from to create their masala (spice mixture) masterpieces. To learn to appreciate the art of Indian cooking, you need to understand the spices that are used. How to use them, when to use them, and in what order to use them, are all critical ingredients in becoming a good Indian cook. In India spices are used in two forms, wet and dry. The wet spice mixtures are made by mixing spices with water, oil or vinegar. The dry mixes are generally made by dry roasting spices on a hot skillet and then grinding them. Learning how to mix spices -- like an artist learning how to mix paints -- takes inspiration and practice. My advice is to let your taste buds be your guide; there is no wrong or right mixture. If it tastes good to you, it’s a good spice mixture. In Indian cooking a spice mixture is considered good if it provides a harmonizing taste to the dish – no spice is too overpowering or too weak. It’s just right! Cooking Guidelines Spices tend to burn easily so make sure that you have all the ingredients ready to go. Don’t start the recipe and then go looking for and measuring each spice. In many Indian recipes the spices need to be added in quick succession and you will not have time to go looking for them in the middle of the cooking process. A few tips to remember when cooking your spices: If you are using oil to cook your spices, ensure that the oil is hot before you add the spice. Hot oil has the ability to retain the flavor of the spice. If you need to roast the spices on a dry skillet, again make sure the skillet is hot before you add the spice. Spices cook very quickly and can burn so make sure you are constantly stirring and be ready to remove them from the heat as soon as they brown. If you need to bruise or crush spices for a recipe, don’t do it to far in advance. The spice will loose its freshness, do it just when you need it. Please make informed substitutions! I get so many letters from people asking why certain recipes they have don’t work, and nine out of ten times it is because they are substituting the wrong things! If you don’t know what a certain ingredient is, ask your local Indian grocer or check the glossary from any good Indian cookbook or an online resource like foodreference.com for more information. You can use ground spices for whole spices in some cases, just ensure that you do not over or under spice the dish. Taste to adjust seasoning as necessary. Grinding and Storage Guidelines Dump out every jar full of pre-ground spices that has been sitting in your cabinet for more than a year. Spice racks are not inanimate objects to be given as bridal-shower gifts and kept for life. They're living things, the soul of Indian cuisine. Buy spices in small quantities and replenish them at least annually. If you open a package of spices and it has little or no aroma, the spices have lost their potency and shouldn't be used. Even for the mixed masala or spice mixtures, prepare them fresh when you need them -- you will notice the difference. If you don’t want your ground coffee tasting like ground cumin, keep your coffee grinder and spice grinder separate. (Labeling the grinders appropriately really helps). Coffee grinders really work best for powdering spices. For roughly pounded spices you can use a mortar and pestle or even place the spices in a plastic bag and use a rolling pin. Most people store their spice right next to their stove. Bad idea. Store your spices in a airtight jar, away from direct heat or sunlight. Also never use a wet spoon for remove spices from a jar. This will keep them fresh longer. The best place to store the spices in a cupboard or a drawer. If you can use glass or clear plastic jars – this way you can see how much spice you have left! My final advice -Teaspoons of spices are never too much, tablespoons of oil are just enough and a little imagination goes a long way. My spice rack currently holds over a forty different spices and mixes. For a basic Indian spice pantry I would recommend the following (also check out this informative thread in the India forum). Asafetida: (Hing): This is a digestive spice and is generally used in very small quantities (add a pinch of asafetida). It has a very strong smell and is also called "the stinking spice". This smell however completely disappears during the cooking process. The spices adds a very unique flavor to the dish. Bay leaf: (Tej patta): These are used whole in sweet and savory dishes. They are leaves of the laurel tree and are very fragrant. These are removed from the dish before serving and are not eaten Black cardamom pods: (Moti or Bari Elachi): As the name suggests these are large black cardamom seeds. They are used both in savory and sweet dishes primarily in North Indian cooking. They provide a woodsy flavor to the dish. Please remove from the dish before serving. Black peppercorns: (Kali Mirch): These come from the Malabar coast of India and are berries of the pepper plant. As the name suggests they have a rather strong pepper taste. They can be used either whole or crushed. Carom seeds: (Ajwain): These seeds are also called Bishop’s weed. The flavor is very strong and similar to the flavor of Thyme. Chickpea flour (besan): This flour is made from chickpeas. It is used to prepare batter for fritters, as a thickener in curries, or to prepare desserts. Cilantro (Hara Dhaniya): Fresh cilantro has a strong lemony flavor and is used liberally in North Indian cooking to provide the final garnish to dishes. In the west it is also called also known as Chinese parsley. Please note that dried coriander powder is not a substitute for fresh cilantro. Cinnamon stick (Dalchini): In India cassia bark is often sold as cinnamon. True cinnamon comes from the inner bark of an evergreen tree. It is used in most dishes in the whole stick form and impart a strong sweet flavor to the dish. Clarified butter (ghee): Ghee is clarified butter from which all milk solids have been removed. It is often used in India as the cooking medium since it has the ability to be heated to very high temperatures. It also retains spice flavors better than other cooking mediums and provides a distinct nutty flavor to the dishes. There are two types of Ghee – one made from vegetables and the other made from butter. You can prepare Ghee at home or buy it at your local Indian grocer. Cloves (laung): The best way to describe these dried flower buds is that they look like little brown nails. They come from an evergreen and have been used in India for centuries. Whole cloves and clove oil is thought to have legendary toothache healing properties. Cloves are bitter in taste and are added to sweet and savory dishes. Coconut Milk (Nariel ka doodh): Coconut milk is prepared from the white meat of the coconut. You can buy coconut milk in cans at your local grocery. Please do not substitute coconut water for coconut milk. Coconut, desiccated (Sukha nariel): Dried coconut flakes used in many sweet and savory dishes. You can buy these at your local grocer. In many Indian homes, there is a special grater that is kept on hand to grate fresh coconut. You can substitute fresh grated coconut for desiccated coconut. Coriander seeds (dhaniya): These tiny seeds pack a real punch. Very strongly flavored they are used whole, crushed or ground. A tip here – grind these fresh, you will see the difference in the taste of the dish. Cumin seeds (jeera): Cumin is one of the most widely used spices in the world. It can be used as it, fried, roasted, ground up, indeed it is very versatile and really adds a warm flavor to the dish. Buy the safeed jeera or the brown cumin seeds for the recipes here. Curry leaves (kari patta) These small point leaves are very fragrant and add a unique lemony flavor to dishes. Bay leaves are not a substitute. (Identity Crisis: Will the real curry leaf please stand up) Fennel: (Sauf) These small oval shaped seeds similar to aniseeds have a liquorice like flavor. Fenugreek leaves, dried (Kasoori Methi): These dried leaves are highly aromatic and are used as a seasoning. They are extremely strong in their taste and aroma. Use them sparingly --a little goes a long way. Fenugreek seeds (methi dana). These seeds look like flat brown disks. They have a bitter taste that disappears on cooking. Garam Masala (Warm Spice mix): This is a mix of dark and strongly flavored spices. It is used whole or ground and is generally used in meat dishes. You can buy this from your Indian grocer or [url=http://Garam Masala prepare it fresh at home. Green cardamom pods (choti elaichi) Cardamom is a very aromatic spice. The pods, containing black seeds, are used whole or ground up. For most recipe you can grind the whole pod unless otherwise indicated. I would shy away from buying ground cardamom, it really is best to grind it fresh. You can buy cardamom seeds (removed from the pod). Jaggery (gur): Jaggery is basically thickened sugar cane juice. Brown sugar can be used as a substitute. Mint (Pudina): Used in preparation of many dishes, mint leaves are used whole or pureed. Rarely if ever is dried mint used in Indian cooking. Mustard seeds (Rai) Yellow and black seeds add a toasty flavor to the dish. Usually the recipe will indicate which type of seed should be used. Mustard oil obtained from mustard seeds is a very popular cooking medium in Eastern Indian cuisines. Red chilies, whole dried and powder (Sukhi lal mirch): Red chilies are used to give heat to a dish and used liberally in many Indian dishes. You can buy many varieties of these from the very mild to the very strong. You can either buy dried red chilies and grind them to make your own powder or buy the prepared chili powder. Cayenne pepper can be used as a substitute if you like. I would advise you to get the traditional red chili powder from your local Indian grocer. Saffron (Kesar): The world’s best saffron comes from Spain and from India’s Kashmir valley. Saffron adds a unique flavor and a gorgeous yellow amber color to dishes. Turmeric is not a substitute. Saffron is a very expensive spice and a pinch is all you need for most recipes. Tamarind (Imli): Tamarind pulp is used to add tanginess and sourness to dishes. You can buy prepared tamarind pulp from Indian grocery stores. Turmeric (haldi): Turmeric comes from a rhizome similar in appearance to ginger root. It gives Indian dishes the characteristic yellow color associated with curries. It is used in a dried powdered form and is also cooked as a vegetable in its raw form. A word on Yogurt and Paneer (Indian Cheese) You can buy yogurt at your local grocer to use in the recipes here. Just be sure its unflavored plain yogurt. You should also drain any extra whey (either by placing the yogurt in a filter over a bowl or hung in a cloth over a sink) – this gives the right texture to the yogurt. Paneer is now easily available at Indian grocery stores. You can buy it whole in a slab, cut up or cut up into cubes and deep-fried. It is also fairly easy to prepare at home. (To prepare paneer at home, see Paneer). I leave you with this thought from UK’s famous Keith Floyd “ There are as many versions of masalas in Indian cooking as there are sexual positions in the Kama Sutra, if not more……” Maps courtesy of www.theodora.com/maps used with permission.

"Curry leaf and gongura pickles are great with steamed rice alone.. or with anything else. " I was surifng through old threads on egullet and found this statement in one of Suvirs posts. 1. What is Gongura? I recetly read aout it somewere else as well, How does oe make it and does anbod know if it is available in Bombay. 2. Are either of these pickles available in Bomby? Rushina

Sambhar is usually my fallback on days whe I am feeling lazy about doing a full meal or pressed for time, I just Pressure cook all the vegetales with the lentils amchur/ tomato / tamarind and spice powders. I then temper with thick flakes of garlic, Asafeotida, Fenugreek, split chickpeas, mustard, curry leaves, and Cumin. What I end up with is a thick lentil vegetable curry with the consistency of a stew. It is great especially on cold days in Dehra Dun. However a South Indian friend recently enlightened me that the way Sambhar (if one can call it that) is made by me is wrong. That 1. no self respecting South Indian would ever put carrot in Sambhar 2. Only one vegetable goes into a Sambhar at a time. My maid of Tamil origin made Sambar totally diferently from me as well as my friend. I am now ent upo making it the proper way ene this post - What is the right/original form? Also does it have regional varitions? Rushina

I was reading an article on the LA Times about these two kitchen historians who are experimenting with preparing British food really authentically, down to wearing period style clothing when cooking it. This is throwing up interesting insights into the cooking of the food in areas like the difference that original utensils made, particularly when it came to the metal used: This reminds me of something you often hear with traditional Indian cooks, about how important it is to use certain types of metal utensils only. For example, my grandmother insists that certain types of Malayali dishes can only really be made in a heavy - and I mean HEAVY - brass urli (a squat, very wide mouthed pan). Needless to say this is something that's increasingly being forgotten partly because of the difficulty and expense of getting these utensils and also because many of them were a real pain to use. Also, the utensils don't work with all heat sources - a really heavy urli just won't fit on a modern gas stove. But I thought it would be interesting to collect examples of dishes where the type of metal used really does make a major difference to the dish, and perhaps suggestions on how one can continue to use these in a modern kitchen? Vikram

Do you all know that Wheat gluten is made into spiced and dried Badis\Vadis and used in curries? And rarely do I come across Puffed Lotus seeds(Makhana) and Lotus stems in Indian cooking. Triphal/Tirfan/Sichuan Pepper as discussed in a recent thread. Star Anise aka Chakriphool/Badian. Suran(Elephant Yam/Foot) buds Here in Bangalore I have come across a dried wild orange peel called Narthanga. I will be trying it out next week.

Pahari food – Cuisine of the Gharwal Himalayas. This started out as a post for egullet, then as things began to take shape I saw the potential of an article in it (still got to find a magazine to take it!) but as I ask more and find out more, I think I am heading for a book on the subject! Before I get into the crux of the matter, here is a bit on the location of Uttaranchal. Uttaranchal lies in the Himalayas - (Sanskrit for “abode of snow”). The Himalayan Mountain range forms the earth's highest mountain region, containing 9 of the 10 highest peaks in the world. Among these peaks are the world’s highest mountains, Mount Everest on the Nepal-Tibet border; seconded by, K2 or Mount Godwin Austen. Rising sharply from the Gangetic Plain and averaging 320 to 400 km (200 to 250 mi) in width the Himalayas stretch from the bend of the Indus River in the northwest they in a broad continuous arc for nearly 2600 km (1600 mi) along the northern fringes of the Indian subcontinent, to the Brahmaputra River in the east. The Himalayan range, averages 320 to 400 km (200 to 250 mi) in width. Uttaranchal lies in the Northern part of India amidst the magnificent Himalayas and dense forests. The state is bordered by Himanchal Pradesh in the Northwest and Uttar Pradesh in the South and has international borders with Nepal and China. Uttaranchal, the 27th state of the Republic of India (total states being 28) was carved out of the former Uttar Pradesh and formed on 9th Nov 2000 after a long struggle of the Uttaranchali people. The State is divided into three distinct geographical regions, the High mountain region, the Mid-mountain region and the Terai region. These are further divided into 13 districts. Almora, Pauri Garhwal, Tehri Garhwal, Bageshwar, Chamoli, Haridwar, Champawat, Nainital, Dehradun, Udham Singh Nagar, Uttarkashi, Pithoragarh, Rudraprayag. Dehradun is the capital city. Dehradun is situated at the Himalayan foothills in the fertile Doon Valley. The valley is well known for its salubrious climate and natural beauty. It is also an important educational center of the country. Some of the best public schools and convents are housed here (Welhams, Doon and The Indian Military Academy). Dehradun boasts the Oil and Natural Gas Commission and many more offices of Central and State Govt. including the Forrest Research Institute, which is a beautiful area (if you are visiting and can mange to wangle a room through a contact the FRI guest house is a great place to stay. It also boasts the Oil and Natural Gas Commission and many more offices of Central and State Govt. Dehradun is linked with rail, road and air routes to all the parts of the country. Dehra Dun caters to most taste buds. There is a plethora of restaurants including a “Dominoes” on offer. I confess though that I have yet to go through the gamut of them since eating out is not a norm. We end up going there for such short intervals that we prefer to have all the home cooked Pahari food we can manage rather than eat out. The restaurants: As I said there is a lot on offer. Nanking and Countdown are good for the occasional Chinese meal. Nanking is more presentable in terms of Ambiance and food and also offers some Thai food. (Never tried it). Countdown is famous for its large bowls of soup smothered in crispy noodles. (I love soup so we end up there for that a lot in the winters.) The President Hotel has an in-house restaurant that is very popular but I have not tried it. The Great Value hotels in-house restaurant is fairly good with some good kebabs and decent Hot and sour soup. (I measure Chinese restaurants in India by the standard of their Hot and sour soup). The Street Food: No matter how short my trip, and whatever the risks of falling ill; I make a pilgrimage to have theli soup and momos every time I go to Dehra Dun. I got married in October, early winter in Dehra Dun and on my fourth day there my husband took me to try out some theli soup. It was love at first sip! Soup vendors set up carts in little nooks and crannies all over the city and dish out steaming hot soup, cowmen, and Momos. There is nothing to beat the theli soup in on a cold foggy night in Dehra Dun. I am particularly fond one of the that is run by a Sardar in the lane adjacent to Astley Hall, It is tomato soup generously garnished with cream, chicken bits and some sort of signature masalla. Momos are steamed mincemeat wrapped parcels rather like steamed wontons and native to Tibet and Nepal. They are served with a watery soup and spicy chutney. I first tried them at the royal palace of Nepal in my school going days and have loved them ever since. I do not know to date if one can get them in Bombay (VIKRAM – can we??) but I know they are available in Delhi and definitely in Dehra Dun. Most of the soup vendors offer chowmein and momos and a variety of other quickly prepared Chinese dishes but the places I frequent for momos (no question about what meat goes into them) are one on the outskirts of Dehra Dun past the Osho restaurant complex and the other is on the main Rajpur Road opposite the large petrol pump. Both are located in less than savory places so I have never actually been to them, just sat in the car while my grumbling husband (not a fan of street food) or some other chivalrous male relative gets me some. The Bakeries: My husband’s family lived above the Grand bakery in the main market of Dehra Dun, Paltan Bazaar and they are all still partial to the cream rolls made by them. Happy legacies of the Raj are the bakeries of Dehra Dun and Mussourie. Long before I heard of Dehradun and met my husband fame of the Stick jaws from Elloras' had reached me via the boarding school legends. (Welhams is a famous girls boarding school in Dehradun and I was a student of Mayo Girls College in Ajmer). Aside from Elloras’ and Grand there are several other bakeries. The Sweetshops: Another landmark of Dehradun is their sweetshops. Kumar’s is the better-known one and is smack dab in the middle of Ghanta Ghar Chowk. My family however swears by Bengalis a little up the road from Ghanta Ghar on Main Rajpur Road. They are famous for their Ras Malais. (Little flat dumplings of cottage cheese in a reduced milk sweet sauce. They also have “chocolate” and sometimes stock Singhori, which are two famous Pahari sweet preparations. Chocolate is milk reduced to its solid form, set and then cut into chunks. I do not know if they actually add chocolate to it but I intend to find out. Singhori is a sweetmeat made and filled into a leaf. The result is little cones of the sweet fragrant with the leaf. I think the leaf is called a Malla ke Patta. (I will elaborate on this on my next trip to Dehra Dun). Okay now that I have covered everything else, here is the low down on home cooked Pahari food. There are no restaurants that I know of where one can have any of these foods, though there is a growing awareness of Uttaranchal and the tourism department is promoting all things Pahari including it’s cuisine. Several Melas and Craft Festivals have had Gharwali food stalls but I have not sampled any of them. Pahari cuisine is one of the simplest I have either sampled or cooked. The ingredients of most of the dishes can be counted on both hands. I have an unconfirmed theory that Pahari people were very hard working people and food out of necessity had to be simple, flavorful, filling and easily prepared. Pahari food is divided into two branches, Gharwali from the Gharwal area of Uttaranchal and Kumaoni from the Kumaon area of Uttaranchal. This is only the surface of the untapped knowledge on Pahari food. There are a lot of master chefs in my husband’s family starting with his mother that I need to speak to before I will have covered everything about Pahari food and I am looking forward to every step of this discovery. I hope that all of you will enjoy it as much. Some general notes. There is a predominance of Urad Daal (Black Gram) in Pahari cuisine with many variations on it, as you will find out in pages to come. In fact a story my father – in – law if fond of telling is that the ghanta ghar or bell tower of the Tehri region used a paste of Urad Daal instead of cement and has stood unmoving to date. There are a lot of influences of North Indian food as in Parathas, Pikles some sweet dishes have all been adopted from north Indian cuisine. Festive food for example - the most important among them are Roat and Arsa, Urad pakori but pooris, kaddu ki Subzi (pumpkin tempered and cooked down to a mush. A particularly good version of this I had was with a tempering of whole red chillies and methi seeds. The flavour of the chillies had spread into the dish but the spice was withheld due to the chilies being whole) and alu ka saag are the most common dishes made during these occasions and the festive seasons Ingredients The recipes that follow are all complete though several might have variations, where I know of them I have listed them. Almost everything is cooked in Mustard oil and sometimes in ghee. Tomatoes not being native to India they were not easily available in this region and came at premium prices so yogurt and Amchur (dried powdered green mango) were generally used to add the sour flavor to dishes. Tomatoes are now widely available in the main cities though I am guessing that they would still be pretty seasonal in the higher altitudes if found at all. I have included recipes of which I think ingredients will be easily available and descriptions of others that use local ingredients. However I can anyone who requires recipes of something they find particularly interesting please let me know and I will pm it to you. Garhwali Recipes Alu tamatar ka jhol Ingredients Potatoes - 250 grams Onion - 50 grams Tomatoes - 100 grams Ginger - 2 cm piece (finely chopped) Garlic - 4 to 5 cloves Red chili powder - 1 tsp Turmeric powder - ½ tsp Garam masala powder - ½ tsp Fenugreek seeds - ½ tsp Cumin seeds - 1 tsp Coriander leaves - 1 tbsp (chopped) Ghee - ¼ teacup Method 1. Put the frying pan on a moderate flame. Pour the ghee and allow it to get hot. Add cumin and fenugreek seeds in the hot oil. When the seeds start crackling add garlic cloves and chopped ginger. 2. Stir-fry till the garlic and ginger turns slightly brownish. Now add chopped onion. Fry until onion becomes tender. Add red chili and turmeric powders, chopped tomatoes, and fry for a couple of minutes, till tomatoes become soft. 3. Add one teacup of water; add pealed and big pieces of potatoes and garam masalla and cook for about 10 minutes in moderate flame. 4.Add 2-tea cup or more water and salt to taste and cook on slow fire for another 10 minutes until potatoes get tender. Remove from fire and sprinkle chopped coriander leaves. Serve hot. +++++ Baadi - A practice that is still prevalent in India is that of the ladies of the house serving the men first and only eating after they are done. My mother – in – law tells of days when she made 200 rotis for every meal. Sometimes there was no prepared dough left if the male members ate with too much gusto. The lore is that Baadi was a dish quickly prepared by the ladies of the house at such times. Baadi is a rather unappetizing sounding dish that is made as a substitute to Rotis or bread made from Kwada ka Aata (also known as Choon or Mandua flour and is black in color). The recipe for Baadi call for the flour to be roasted with ghee for a bit after which water is added and this whole is cooked for a while till it is semi solid. This is then rolled into balls and swallowed whole. Baadi is best eaten with Gahat ki daal or Phaanu. Hot Baadi and hot Phanu is now very popular food in Uttaranchal. +++++ Black and White Roti – A flat, unleavened bread with a distinction of being black on the inside due to the use of the Mandua flour that is black in color. This bread is eaten with a lot of Butter or Ghee. It can also be eaten with Curd and Mango Pickle or Mixed Pickle. +++++ Chainsoo - Chainsoo is a preparation of Urad daal (black gram). Due to the high protein content of this daal it is said to be difficult to digest but that gets nullified by the roasting of the daal. In the far reaches of the Gharwal regions where electricity has not reached, this daal is probably still made the old way by grinding on a Silbatta, which resulted in the ground daal being damp. After the advent of the dry grinder it is possible to grind this daal without the addition of water and results in a much more flavorful version. Ingredients Whole Kali Urad (Black Gram seeds) - 1 cup Mustard Oil - 1/2 cup (can be substituted with refined oil if mustard is unavailable) Garlic - 4 to 5 cloves (more if you are a garlic lover) bruised Ginger – 1 inch piece reduced to a paste in a mortar and pestle Cumin seeds - 1 tsp Black peppercorns - 4 - 5 Red chilies whole - 4 to 5 Asafetida - a pinch Dry coriander powder - 1/2 tsp Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp Red chilies powder - 1/2 tsp Water - 3 cups Salt - 3 tsp or to taste Garam masala-1/2 tsp Amchur – to taste Method 1. Grind the Black Gram coarsely. Place an iron kadhai** on a moderate flame. 2. Heat the oil in the kadhai, splutters the Cumin. Roast the daal for a while till the aroma of roasted daal rises from the vessel, Add all the dry spice powders except the amchur. 3. Add the salt, ginger and water. Bring the whole to a rolling boil. 4. Cook till the daal becomes very soft. Lower the flame, and Simmer for 20-30 minutes. Add the bruised garlic about 2 minutes before you remove from the flame. Before removing from the flame, stir in the Garam masalla. Garnish with pure ghee and chopped coriander leaves. Serve with hot steamed rice. - In our home we cook the Chainsoo in the Ghee itself, and do not add any later. We do however garnish with coriander. - In a variation to the shorter process above the whole daal is roasted, then ground and stir-fried in the oil. **Though an iron kadhai is preferred for this recipe because of the chemical input of cooking in it, any deep heavy utensil may be used instead) +++++ Gulgula - A sweet, local snack prepared in Garhwal that is also made on festive occasions as a foil to the Urad Pakoris. Ingredients Wheat Flour - 100 Gms. Jaggery - 200 Gms. Fennel seeds 5 Gms. Mustard Oil 200 Mls. Water As required Cardamom Powder ½ tspn Method 1. Soak and dissolve Jaggery in hot water and let it cool. 2. Make a paste of the cooled jaggery and water and the flour. 3. Add Fennel seeds, Sweet Spice powder and mix well. 4. Heat Oil in a pan and put a spoon full of the mixture. Deep-fry. - A smashed banana can be added to the batter before frying. +++++ Jhangora Ki Kheer – A sweet preparation, which is served as a Dessert and is prepared with Jhangora (a local cereal), Milk and Sugar. +++++ Jholi - In Garhwali, Jhol means very thin gravy. A Jhol can be made out of tomatoes, potatoes and other tubers. On the other hand Jholi is gravy made out of curd. It is comparatively much thicker than a Jhol and similar to Phanu in preparation. (Some of the Indian egulleters might recognize this as a Kadhi) Ingredients Besan (chick pea flour) or Rice flour - 1 cup Curd - 3 cups Oil or Ghee - 1/2 cup Garlic - 4 to 5 cloves Cumin seeds - 1 tsp Red chilies whole - 4 to 5 Asafetida - a pinch Dry coriander powder - 1/2 tsp Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp Red chilies powder - 1/2 tsp Water - 3 cups Salt - 3 tsp or to taste 1 cucumber grated or chopped spinach or spring Onion leaves -optional Fenugreek seeds Method 1. Mix besan, turmeric powder and salt. Gradually add water continuously folding with a spatula to make a thick paste. Add Curd and blend the mixture well. 3. In a sauce pan or Kadhai heat the fat. Add the Cumin and splutter, add the Asafetida. Immediately pour the curd mix into the frying pan. 4. Let the Jholi cook for about 10-15 minutes till the gravy starts thickening and the raw smell of the flour is gone. If you are using rice flour then cook it for few minutes more. Add more water to keep the consistency thin. 5. Before taking it off from heat, add the optional grated cucumber or a handful of chopped spinach leaves or chopped spring onion leaves. Cook for few more minutes till the leaves are tender. Garnish with additional ghee (entirely optional), coriander leaves and green chilies (slit apart into two pieces) and serve with steamed rice. +++++ Kafuli - Kafuli is a thick green curry (for want of a better word) made as an accompaniment to steamed rice or Rotis made from green leafy vegetables. In Pahari cooking it is made with Pahadi palak or Rye. However a lot of Paharis have moved away from their home ground to areas where Pahadi palak and Rye are not so easily available. They have adapted the recipe to normal Spinach as follows. Ingredients Spinach - 2 bunches, Fenugreek leaves, (Methi) optional - 1/2 bunch Green chilies - 4 to 5 Oil - 2 tbsp (preferably mustard oil) Garlic - 4 to 5 cloves, Ginger - a 3 cm piece, Cumin seeds - 1 tsp Asafetida - a pinch Dry coriander powder - 1/2 tsp Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp Rice powder or rice paste - 1 tbsp Curd- 2tbsp (optional) Water - 1-2 cup Salt - 2 tsp or to taste Method 1. Chop previously washed spinach and Fenugreek in running water and boil both vegetables along with the green chilies in a little water till tender. (A Pressure cooker or microwave can be used here). When cooked smash it against the walls of the utensil it has been cooked in. The result should be a coarse puree.(Do not use a blender as that will result in a smooth puree and the dish will lose its texture). 2. Finely pound ginger and garlic. Heat the oil in a frying pan. Add garlic and ginger. When the garlic and ginger are browned, add the cumin seeds and Asafetida. Add spinach and fenugreek puree, turmeric powder, dry coriander powder and salt. 3. Add required amount of water to Kafuli and bring to boil. Now add rice paste or rice powder dissolved in water to thicken. 4. Cover and cook for 8 - 10 minutes on slow fire till the gravy is thick. If dry add some water and boil. Garnish with pure ghee and serve hot with roti or steamed rice. - To add sourness, we usually add a tomato or two into greens in the first step in which case we omit the curd. +++++ Kandalee (Green Leafy Vegetable Dish) - The Kandalee leaves are locally known as 'Bichhu Ghas' and are available in Uttarakhand. I believe this is or is a form of Poison ivy The leaves have to be bruised with a heavy object before they are cooked to remove all the thistles. +++++ Kulath / Gehat Daal - This is a very special dish in the region of Uttarakhand. The pulse Kulath is a weakness of most Paharis. It can be eaten with Boiled Rice, Roti, Bread or Pita. Kulath Gahat Soup / Kulath Paranthe - A clear soup is made of Kulath Daal. The cooked kernels of the daal are then used to make a version of the stuffed paranthas that are so loved in North India. +++++ Mandua ki Roti – flat unleavened bread made by mixing Mandua flour with normal Flour. Mandua Flour is a local cereal and very high in fiber, which makes it very nutritious +++++ Phaanu - Phanu is also made of daal like Chainsoo, but in this case the Daal is soaked in water for about 4 to 6 hours before its use. Different daals like Gahat, Arhar or green Mung can be used to prepare Phanu. Ingredients Gahat / Kulath, (Horse gram) or Arhar - 1 cup soaked overnight (in the case of Arhar 1-2 hours) Oil - 1/2 cup (preferably mustard oil) Garlic - 4 to 5 cloves Ginger - 1/2 inch piece Green chilies - 3 to 4 Jakhiya or Cumin seeds - 1 tsp Asafetida - a pinch Dry coriander powder - 1/2 tsp Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp Water - 3 cups Salt - 2 tsp or to taste Method: 1. Rub the soaked daal in running water so that the loosened seed coverings come off. Swirling to wash the coverings away. Then, grind it into a dry thick paste in blender along with green chilies, garlic and ginger. 2. Place a pan on a moderate flame. Spread a little oil on the base of the pan and spread a little of the Daal paste on it to make a pancake. When it is cooked through use the end of a spatula or a knife to cut the pancake into diamond shapes or strips. Push to one side and add the rest of the oil to the pan. Splutter the Jakhiya/Cumin and add the Asafetida. 3. Mix water with the remaining paste making it of pouring consistency. Now add Gahat paste, turmeric powder, dry coriander powder and salt to the pan. Stir and cover. 4. Cover and cook for about 10 minutes over a slow flame. The gravy should have pouring consistency. If thick add some more water and heat till it boils. Garnish with pure ghee and chopped coriander leaves. Serve with steamed rice. +++++ Thinchwani – Thinchwani is traditionally made using Pahari Mooli (White Radish), which is round in shape or potatoes or a combination of both. I have had this just once when one of my husbands relatives from higher up in the hills came a visiting and brought these Moolis with them. Normal Mooli or White Radish can also be substituted. The preparation is called by this name as the radish root or potato is never cut, but crushed (thinchao) into pieces. Ingredients Radish root - 3 to 4 Potato - 1 Oil or Ghee - 2 tbsp Garlic - 4 to 5 cloves Ginger - 3 cm piece Onion-1 medium chopped Yogurt I bowl or Tomato- 3- 4 chopped Dry Faran or Cumin seeds - 1 tsp Red chilies whole - 4 to 5 Asafetida - a pinch Dry coriander powder -1/2 tsp Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp Red chilies powder - 1/2 tsp Water - 6 cups Salt - to taste Sesame – roasted two table spoons Method 1. Wash the vegetables well, peal and crush them into small pieces. Crush also ginger and garlic. 2. Heat oil in a frying pan on a moderate flame. Add the crushed vegetables and ginger and stir-fry for 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from pan and set aside. 3. In the remaining oil add the cumin seeds, when they start to splutter add the red chilies and asafetida. Put in the chopped onion and fry till light brown. Add the spice powders and fry for few seconds more. Add the fried vegetables, salt and some water. 4. If using tomatoes add them in now. When the tomatoes are cooked add remaining water and pressure cook or cook on a slow fire for about 30 minutes or till the radish becomes soft. If using yogurt then add the yogurt after the vegetables are cooked but before water is added. Garnish with coriander leaves and green chilies (slit apart into two pieces). +++++ Til (sesame) ki Chutney - This chutney is mainly prepared during winters and is really good with Tor daal and steamed rice or with Gahat ke paranthe. It can also be used as a dip for various snacks. Ingredients Til (sesame seeds) – 200 gms Corriander leaves- 1 handful Ginger – I inch piece Green chilies- 2-3 nos. Lemon Juice – Juice of 1 Bada Nimbu or big lemon ¾ cup juice of small lemons Salt to taste Sugar 1/2 tsp (optional) Mint leaves - handful Cumin – Roasted 1 tsp Method 1. Dry Roast sesame seeds in a pan on a moderate flame for 4-5 minutes. Take care not to overdo it. 2. Grind sesame seeds with coriander leaves, garlic cloves and green chilies. Add lemon juice and grind to a fine paste. Adjust salt and sugar. - A variation of this recipe is the Mooli and Til Chutney my mother in law makes. She cuts a couple of moolis (White Radish) into finger length sticks and leaves them under a fan to dry for a couple of hours. Then adds them to the chutney with chilies cut in half lengthwise. - This chutney is usually made with “bade Nimbu” large lemon that people normally have growing in their kitchen garden. They are quite huge so one is generally enough but can be substituted by the other normal ones. - In Our home we also add a tbsp of roasted Cumin to the sesame when we grind it. +++++ Roat – Roat are a mildly sweet pancake traditionally made in large quantities at weddings to give to the groom’s party for their journey home. They are favored because of their long keeping quality. They are traditionally made in a wooden mold but work just as well as follows. Whole meal wheat flour (Gahun ka atta) - 2 cups Cold milk - 1/2 cup Butter Oil (Ghee) - 150 grams Green cardamom (Ilaichi) - 1/2 tsp Aniseed (Saunf) - 1 tsp Jaggery (gur) - 1 1/2 cups Water - 1 cup Method 1.Heat the water and dissolve the jaggery in it. Sieve the jaggery solution through a muslin cloth. Set aside, and allow the solution to cool. 2. Mix thoroughly the wheat flour with the milk along with two-tbsp. ghee. Add Saunff, Ilachi and mix well. Add the jaggery solution to the prepared wheat flour, gradually kneading it. 3. Continue adding the jaggery solution and kneading the floor till it turns into a stiff dough. Make thick roats like roties out of the dough. 4. Place an iron tawa on a moderate flame. Pour about a tsp of Ghee on it. When the ghee gets moderately hot, place the roat on the tawa. Turn the roat upside down and add more ghee to cook if needed. Cook each roat till it becomes brown. Remove the roat from the tawa. Serve it when cool. +++++ Arsa - A sweet delicacy, which is again made on occasions of Marriages and Festivals. It is a very unique sweet and can be stored for upto 15-20 days. Since it is prepared from rice and jaggery (Brown Sugar), it is very sweet and nutritious. It is traditionally made in Mustard Oil but can also be made with ghee (clarified Butter). Ingredients Rice flour (Chawal ka atta) - 2 cups Mustard Oil - 150 grams Resins - 100 grams Sugar - 1 1/2 cups Water - 1 cup Method 1. Heat the water and dissolve the sugar in warm water. Allow the solution to cool and sieve it through a muslin cloth. Set aside. 2.Add the sugar solution gradually kneading the rice flour into a soft dough. Place an iron frying pan (kadhai) on a moderate flame. Pour about 100 grams ghee in it. When the ghee gets moderately hot deep fry small poorie like arsas made out of the dough. 3. Cook each arsa till it becomes brown. Remove off the flame. +++++ Swala - These are salty Puris, which are stuffed with Tur Dal. Swala can be eaten with lots of Butter or Curd. They are high in fat and very tasty. +++++ Tor Ki Daal - Like Kulath or Gehat ki daal Tor is another specialty of the Gharwal region. It is equally well loved. Tor daal is seasonal and usually made in the winter as it is considered heavy. Dadhim Chutney Naal Badi ka saag Mooli Ki chatni Gehat Ka Paratha Paleu – Jhungriyal in Matha Pinna Ka Saag – Til is crushed into a crumbly paste to facilitate a release of the oils. This resulting paste is then cooked wit flour and chickpea flour and water in which rice has been boiled to make a savoury curry. Kumaoni Recipes – Since I am married into a Gharwali family, I do not have too much information on Kumaoni recipes. I have listed as many recipes as I could collect, but will have to get into detail at a later stage. Ras - A very appetizing and highly nutritious dish made from a mixture of several daals. It is typically eaten in winters along with steamed rice and bhang ki chatni. It is usually made in iron Kadahi. Gandherni and Jamboo are two ingredients that I need to find out more about but it does not sound as if the recipe will suffer greatly without them. Ingredients Gahat (Horse Gram) - 1/2 cup Rajma-(Kidney Bean) 1/4 cup Lobia (Cowpea) - 1/4 cup Kala Chana (Black Chickpea) - 1/4 cup Kabuli Chana (White Chickpea)- 1/4 cup Whole Urad (Black Gram) - 1/4 cup Bhatt (Black Soybean)- 1/2 cup Corriander powder-1tsp Cumin powder-1tsp Red chili powder-1/2 tsp Garam masala-1/2 tsp Ghee-2tb.sp Whole red chilies Salt to taste Method 1.Soak all the daals overnight and next day boil them in plenty of water till soft. 2.Mash the daals well and strain the Ras ie. The stock. Mash and strain the remaining pulp again till the water runs clear. 3.Put the stock on heat and keep boiling till it starts to thicken. 4. While boiling add turmeric, coriander powder, cumin powder, red chili powder, garam masalla and salt to the ras. 5.When Ras is gravy like consistency, take off from heat. 6.For tadka (tempering), heat ghee, put whole red chilies, pinch of asafetida, Cumin, Gandherni and Jamboo. When seeds crackle, pour over Ras. Serve with lots of ghee and rice. +++++ Bhaang ki Chutney Ingredients Bhaang (Hemp) seeds- 1-2tbsp Corriander leaves (optional)- 1/2 cup Green chilies- 2-3 nos. Juice of lemon- 2-3 tb sp. Method 1. Roast bhaang seeds in a dry pan till they crackle. 2. Grind together with Coriander, green chilies, salt and yogurt. - In place of yogurt, lemon juice can be used. Strain the chutney to remove the coarse covering of bhaang seeds. +++++ Singhal Ingredients Semolina (Sooji) - 2 cups Curd - 1 cup (well churned) Butter Oil (Ghee) – 250 grams Sugar – 50 grams (ground to a fine power) Banana – one (made into pulp) Method 1. Mix thoroughly the Semolina with 50 grams Ghee and add the banana pulp. Mix again to a uniform consistency. Put aside. 2. Take the curd add the sugar power and mix well. Soak semolina mix in curd mix. Keep aside for about 10 -20 minutes, depending upon the ambient temperature. 3. Place an iron frying pan (kadhai) on a moderate flame. Pour about 200 grams ghee on it. When the ghee gets moderately hot make thick jalebis with the semolina paste. Cook for about 5 to 10 minutes by turning repeatedly to the opposite side till reddish brown. 4. When both sides are cooked decant and takeout the singhals. Put off the flame when all singhals are cooked. Garnish with cardamom powder and serve hot. +++++ Bhatt ki Churdkani Ingredients Black Bhatt (Black Soybean) - 1 cup Onion- 1 medium Cumin - 1/2 tsp Coriander powder- 1tsp Cumin powder- 1 tsp Rice paste or plain flour Chilli powder- 1/2 tsp Oil-2 tbsp Salt to taste Water-4 or 5 cups Method 1. Soak bhatt overnight. 2. Heat oil in a karahi. Add Cumin, chopped onion and soaked bhatt together in the karahi and fry till the onions start getting brown. 3. Now add 1-2 tsp of plain flour and fry again for few minutes. Put Turmeric powder, Coriander powder, cumin powder and chilli powder. Fry for few more seconds. 4. Add 4 cups of water and cook on high flames. Cover and simmer for 30-40 mins or till bhatt is soft and curry is thick. The color of churkaani should be dark greenish black. It is served with hot steamed rice. Shai Ingredients Semolina (Sooji) - 2 cups Curd - 2 cups ( well churned) Butter Oil (Ghee) – 150 grams Cooking Soda – 1/4 tsp Saunf – 1 tsp Sugar – 1 1/2 cups (ground to a fine power) Dry fruits (assorted) – 25 grams (cut into slivers) Method 1. Mix thoroughly the Semolina with the cooking soda along with one tsp. ghee. Add the curd and mix well into a uniform paste. 2. Place an iron frying pan (kadhai) on a moderate flame. Pour about 100 grams ghee on it. When the ghee gets moderately hot add saunf and the semolina paste to it. Reduce the flame. Cover the frying pan. 3. Cook like a pancake for about 15 to 20 minutes, occasionally removing the cover and tossing the cake upside down. Continue till both sides of the cake turn reddish brown. If needed add few more teaspoon ghee. 4. When both sides are cooked add the sugar. As the sugar melts and gets absorbed by the pancake, put off the flame. Garnish with dry fruits and serve hot. Badil Ingredients Black gram (Kala chana) whole - 1 cup Mix of Arhar, Munn, and chana daals - 2 cups Oil or Ghee - 1/2 cup Garlic - 10 cloves Ginger – 2 cm. Piece Ajwain – 1 tsp Green chilies – 3 to 4 Cumin seeds - 1 tsp Black pepper - 4 nos. Cinnamon - a 1.27 cm piece Clove - 4 nos. Asafetida - a pinch Dry coriander powder - !/2 tsp Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp Red chilies powder - !/2 tsp Water - 2 cups Salt - 3 tsp or to taste Method 1. Put the frying pan on a moderate flame. Pour one-teaspoon oil. When the oil gets hot put a tarka of (asafetida) and Ajwain in the hot oil. When tarka is ready add two cups water and salt to taste. 2. When the water starts boiling then add the mixture of all the pulses (daals). Cover with a lid and cook for about 10 minutes on a moderate flame. If the water dries up add some more water. 3.Crush and grind the pulses mix with a ladle. Continue doing this till the pulses mix does not stick to the ladle. 4. Now apply some oil on a thali and pour the cooked pulses mix on it. Spread uniformly, and allow it to cool. On cooling and solidifying cut it into small cakes called badil. 5. Fry these badils in oil on a steel tawa. Serve on a plate with sweet& sour chutney and garnish with coriander leaves and grated coconut. Bhathawani Ingredients Daals: Black soybean (black bhatt) whole - 2 cup Black gram (kala chana) whole – 1 cup Gehat (Horse Gram) l - 1/2 cup Urad whole and Rajmah whole - ½ cup Green masala: Garlic – 8 to 10 cloves Onion – one Ginger – 2 cm piece For the Dry masalla: Cummins seeds - 1 tsp Black pepper - 4 nos. Cinnamon - a 1.27 cm piece Clove - 7 nos. Cardamom – 5 nos. Red chilies whole - 4 to 5 Coriander powder - 1 tsp Poppy seeds (khaskhas) – 1 tsp Rice thickener Rice powder – 1 tbs Salt - 2 tsp or to taste Water – one cup Misc. Ghee- 2 tbs Cumin- ½ tsp Fresh Coriander leaves – ½ cup Method 1. Wash the daals and soak them in water for about two hours. When the seeds have become well soaked, boil them with water in an iron utensil. Cook for about one and a half to two hours. Longer the daals are cooked the tastier the broth becomes. Alternately the daals can be cooked in a pressure cooker for 30 to 45 minutes. 2. Remove the seeds and keep the liquid broth aside. Grind all the green and dry masala into a uniform paste in little water. Mix rice powder, salt and water to make the rice thickener. 3. Add the masala paste to the rice thickener. Put an iron frying pan on a moderate flame. Pour the liquid broth and masala paste with the rice thickener. Cook for about ten minutes to get Thathawani. 4. Temper the Cumin in the hot oil and add to the Thathawani. Garnish with ghee and coriander leaves if desired. Common Urad ki Pakoris – Urad Pakoris are savoury fritters made from a paste of whole Urad Daal that has been seasoned with ginger, garlic and green chilli. These are then shaped into little circles with a hole in the middle and deep fried in mustard oil. Glossary of Ingredients Aamchur – Mango Powder – available as dried off white slices of Mango or a similar colored powder. Gahat / Kulath - Horse Gram – this Pulse is Oval in shape, small and brown, somewhat like Whole red lentils. It has a strong, earthy aroma and a fresh flavour. In the Gharwal region it is considered a heavy, hot daal and is generally consumed in the winter. Historically traces of this pulse have been found in the Indus Valley Heeng – Asafetida – The resin exuded by the roots of the shrub Ferulla Alliacea, Asafetida is most commonly available in dried powder form of a light ochre color. It is also available in the form of a dark Ochre Lump. The purest form is white and semi solid which turns reddish brown on exposure. Tor – (could be) Arhar / Thuvar – Pigeon Pea – I have concluded that this Pulse is either the whole form or a cousin of the commonly known Arhar. I am inclined toward cousin because I am told that it does not cook if husked and split like Arhar does. I also have not found any information on it under the name Tor. I am still looking though and will post a picture ASAP. This daal is small and round Burnt sienna in color and is also considered a winter daal. Urad Daal - Black Gram / Black Lentils – Small and Oblong the seeds are black in color. Husked, split black lentils are generally creamy white. Historically mentioned in the Vedas Urad is thought to be indigenous to India and of the same family as Mung.

It appears as though there are a few Bengali cooks on here. I recently got a fresh batch of radhuni seeds and am looking for new ideas for their use. Besides their use in panch phoron and maybe in a dish like lau shokto what do you do with them? Any vegetable you think they go especially well with. What about ground radhuni?