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I have been asked by a company to come up with some yoghurt based dips that once sealed and refrigerated can have a 2 week shelf life. I immediately thought of raita. Does anyone have any interesting twists on raita that I could try out? thanks Helen

I tried my hand at a Basmati rice dish last night, using Julie Sahni's Classic Indian Cooking. The dish called for the rice to be prepared by 1/2 hour of steeping, then some frying (until translucent) and then about 20 minutes of cooking at various temperatures with the reserved water from steeping. The ratio of water to rice was 2:1. When finished, the rice had a watery taste to me, not the rice-y taste that I associate with Basmati. What did I do wrong?

We've already had a thread on what defines "Indian" cuisine. Does spicing as a whole make Indian special? I grew up with a distinct love of spiced (not necessarily spicy) foods above and beyond most unspiced foods (hamburger and fries being the notable exception). While this manifested itself as a love of Chinese, Thai and Malaysian cuisines in my youth and early teen, by my midteens I had discovered Indian food and changed my food allegiances permanently. The deciding factor in my shift was the Indian use of spicing - both hot and savory. The flavor range Indian spicing provides is unmatched to the best of my knowledge. I think what I'm getting at is.. why do you like Indian cuisine? /ramble off

I can't make sense of this. Didn't someone say they would work tirelessly to ensure this very important forum was kept as vibrant as could be in Suvir's absence? It's really strange with him not around. I wanted to ask Suvir how he deals with passing on Indian cuisine recipes and methods to interested people when the only communicaton available is voice and speech. No paper to write out ingredients or amounts or methods. No PC and printer and definately no eGullet to hand. I tried my very best to do this today for a Chef asking how to make Bhuna. In between me being unsure of English names for a few ingredients, babbling into intricate detail causing lengthy digressions, the Chefs enthusiam for clarity, what always seems clear in my mind when executing became a complete, silly mess of information. It was funny/daft, but I felt sure they must have been a better way to get this information over. For example, when outlining even the simplest step like melting the ghee, I found myself bleathering off about, "Oh...and...remember to season the ghee. I should have mentioned this before. You need to season it with garlic and ginger. Oh, and mixed peppercorns. You should buy some of those, you know...red ones, white ones, black, green....blah blah blah..." This on top of the obvious questions to me like, "What is Haldi? (turmeric) what is Kasuri Methi (fenugreek) what are Zeera seeds (I still can't remember)." Seeing as how Suvir is away for a wee while on more important matters, I still felt it a question worth asking. I thought it best asked here as it sprang from a conversation about Indian cuisine, but I'd still imagine relates to most Chefs when trying to get ideas and information over to their colleagues, peers and students. How do you get clear, usable information about cooking over verbally?

South Indian lentils with Onions(Sambaar) Sambhaar is the sauce served with Dosas (lentil and rice pancakes) in southerin Indian restaurants. There are as many sambhaar recipes in Southern India as there are households. This was one that my mother learned from my fathers bosses wife. My mother would make sambhaar with different vegetables depending on what was available fresh and what was necessary to use. You can substitute onions with small red radishes that are left whole or even pearl onions. You can also use any other vegetable or a mix of many. This is a great lentil dish to eat with rice and serve for a special party. The flavors are intense, the spicing very different from most anything people have ever eaten. Suvir Saran SAMBHAAR POWDER 2 tsp black mustard seeds 1/2 tsp fenugreek seeds 2 tsp coriander seed 1 tsp cumin seeds 4 whole dried red chilies 1/2 tsp black peppercorns 1 T channa dal 1 tsp (heaped) urad dal LENTILS 3 T canola oil 1 tsp black mustard seeds 3 whole dried red chilies 1/4 tsp asafetida 8 fresh curry leaves 1 pt smallest possible pearl onions, peeled, or 4 small onions, quartered 2 hot green chilies, stemmed and cut in half crosswise 8 fresh curry leaves 1-1/2 tsp tamco dissolved in 1/2 cup warm water 4 medium tomatoes, coarsely chopped 3 tsp salt, or to taste TEMPERING OIL 1 tsp black mustard seeds 1 tsp coriander seeds 1/4 tsp fenugreek seeds 1 tsp dried, shredded coconut 1/2 tsp cumin seeds 1 whole dried red chile 1 T canola oil 1/8 tsp asafoetida 1. Combine the mustard, fenugreek, coriander and cumin seeds, chilies, peppercorns, channa dal and urad dal in a small frying pan and dry roast, stirring, until the spices are fragrant and lightly browned, 2 to 3 minutes. Cool, and then grind to a powder in a spice grinder. 2. Heat the oil with 1 teaspoon mustard seeds, 3 whole red chilies, 1/4 teaspoon asafoetida and 8 curry leaves in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. When the mustard seeds crackle, add the onion and then 1 teaspoon turmeric and cook until the onions wilt, about 3 minutes. Add a little water as needed if the spices stick to the bottom of the pan to keep them from burning. Now add the spice powder and stir 2 to 3 minutes to roast the spices. Drizzle in a little water as the spices begin to stick to the bottom of the pan so that they cook evenly and don't burn. Add 2 tablespoons shredded coconut and stir 1 minute. Add tomatoes, tamarind water and salt and cook over medium-high heat 3 minutes. Add 2 1/2 cups water and the cooked dal. Bring to a boil, turn the heat down and simmer vigorously until the mixture thickens and the lentils break down, 7 to 10 minutes. Skim once the liquid comes to a boil to remove the foam that rises to the top. 3. For the tempering, combine the spices in a spice grinder and grind to a coarse powder (the powder should have some texture). Heat 1 tablespoon oil with the asafoetida in a small frying pan over high heat. Add 8 curry leaves. When the leaves begin to sizzle, add spice powder and turn the heat down to low. Add the spice powder and cook, stirring, until fragrant and dry, about 1 minute. Add the mixture to the sambhaar and stir. Serve hot. Keywords: Indian, Intermediate ( RG122 )

I am trying to make a collection of spices etc. that would have been used historically in European cooking. I have just found out that one of these spices "long pepper", while un-known in Europe for hundreds of years, is still used in some Indian cooking. In hindi it is known as "Pipli". Would there be any chance of getting this spice in the UK (from an Indian food store) or via the web do you think?

I like Moti, and Raj Mahal but anybody want to recommend one to take an Indian person? My favorite Indian restaurant in Japan was Gaylord in Kobe - but that was pre-earthquake - anybody know what happened to the place?

So I'm not sure if it's appropriate to post this here or if I should post in the "elsewhere in Asia" section, since what I'm searching for is a Pakistani dish. I apologize in advance and would like to note for the record that I'm aware that India and Pakistan are two different countries. We're missing the cabbie restaurants we used to go to in Chicago and would like to start recreating some of the food we ate there here in Portland. I've been told that the style of food at those restaurants most closely resembled truck stop restaurants in Pakistan. I've had a lot of trouble finding a recipe for the "frontier" style gosht or chicken (I believe the frontier refers to the northwestern area). I remember that it had tomatoes, bell peppers, aka capsicum, and onions but I can't remember the seasoning, just that it tasted really, really good in the wee hours of the morning (yes, our inebriated state while eating it might be why I can't remember enough to recreate it). It did not have yogurt or bananas. Any help? regards, trillium

Even though it is about as Indian as Alec Guiness in Passage to India. I am making this for friends tonight and thought I would share the recipe. It is delicious and works really well Anyway INGREDIENTS For the chicken 4 chicken breasts cut into big chunks 1 large piece ginger 7 cloves fat garlic 4 green chillies 1 bunch corriander 1 large tub yoghurt 1 tsp turmeric 1 tsp ground corriander 1 tsp ground cumin 1 tsp ground red chilli powder 1 tsp ground cinnamon 1 tsp ground fennugreek Juice of one lime For the sauce 1 tin tomatoes 1 large onions chopped 3 tsp ginger garlic paste 1/2 tsp turmeric 1/2 tsp ground corriander 1/2 tsp ground cumin 1/2 tsp ground red chilli powder 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon 1/2 tsp ground fennugreek 1 small carton cream Method blend the ginger and garlic into a paste in a grinder with some salt and a little water. Put half over the chicken and keep some for the sauce. In a blender, mix the yoghurt, corriander leaves and chilles and lime juice and pour over the chicken. Add the lime juice and the dry spices and mix throughly. Cover the chicken with plastic wrap and put in the fridge for at least 5 hours ( better overnight ) When ready to cook, place the chicken on a foil layered baking tray and cook for 25 mins. For the sauce just sweat the onion and ginger/garlic paste in oil and add the dry spices. Cook for one minute to allow the spices to lose their rawness. Add the tomatoes and a tinful of water and allow to cook for about 20 mins making sure it does not go too dry. When reduced to quite a thick sauce add the carton of cream and cook through gently. Mix in the chicken chunks ( which should have been kept warm ) and warm through Before serving, add corriander leaves and squeeze lime over the top Very very simple and delicious Hope you like it S

I have a huge, organic chicken in the freezer crying out to be cooked. I've always wanted to try making Murgh Massalam [sp?] but can't seem to find any decent recipes. Can any of you enlighten me, the simpler the better.

I have just discovered parippu vadas. I think they are very nice but maybe seem a little dry. Are they conventionally served with some sauce, or raita, or chutney or other complement?

I'm in the process of creating my 2003 menu for my Indian Takeaway and need some new dishes. All the usual UK takeaway suspects are there, the Bhuna, Dopiaza, Madras, Patia, Karahi etc and a few I made up. One of them I called Lasan which I understand means garlic. Anyway, it turned out to be very popular and I'd like to extend the choices with slight variations on the dish. Aside from the ginger garlic paste and extra crushed garlic I use in Lasan, I have tried adding some garlic and black pepper butter just as the suace is finished to enrich the end result. It's worked rather well although the garlic flavour is pronounced to say the least. No matter, some customers like that so I'm fine with it. Would it be accurate to call the dish Dolasan? I'm under the impression that Dopiaza just means double onions so would pre-fixing Lasan with Do be accurate? One of my Indian friends suggested I simply call it Chicken Garlic but I'm not convinced it sounds as attractive as Chicken Dolasan.

Suvir: Whats your favorite preparations for pakora? what veggies and spice mixtures do you use? This is one of my favorite indian snacks, the indian answer to tempura.

Bhel Poori is here. +++ Be sure to check The Daily Gullet home page daily for new articles (most every weekday), hot topics, site announcements, and more.

Following on Suvir's request to Eddie regarding an essential Chinese Pantry, can we begin to pull together the essential ingredients for an Indian Pantry? A few brand names would be helpful, too. Curry leaves and Chaat Masala are two things I can think of. Thanks.

While thinking about Suvir's thread, 'why you don't cook/eat Indian food,' I wondered if there is really such a thing as Indian food at all. Can there be such a thing as 'Indian food'? It seems to me that India may be the most geographically and culturally diverse country on the planet. Russia may also lay claim to the title, but here, we're concerned with India. If someone from Mumbai were to eat at the house of someone from Calcutta, would they say, "Yes, this is Indian food?" How about if they ate in Delhi, or Amritsar? Certainly, it was prepared in India, but the food would be very different. Is it 'Indian'? I think that the concept of 'Indian food' is one that has been created by people outside of India. 'Indian food' outside of India appears to be a mixture of different foods from many different areas, all put into into a single category. By analogy, consider Italy. Italy has geographic diversity, but not nearly as much cultural diversity as India, and the cooking in various areas of Italy is very different. But in the US, there's a thing called 'Italian food' that again is a mixture. It's starting to be distinguished by regions, but this isn't common yet in the popular culture. 'Indian food' in the US also seems to be a very strange mixture of regional foods from different areas. I'd welcome some distinction between regional Indian cuisines, but I don't see it happening yet. Is this likely in the US? When will it happen?

Are there many Indian restaurants in Israel? How popular are they? How long have there been Indian restaurants in Israel? I know for a fact that many Israeli and Indian software companies work with each other to service the same clients in the US and other Western nations. Each of these countries has a niche the other has not fully exploited and so they are happy sharing these clients. There is great travel between their employees and also many Indians working in the US, for software companies are traveling to Israel. Has any of this helped in changing the face of Indian restaurants in Israel? What kind of dishes are commonly found in these restaurants? Has Indian food made any impact at all in the life of the Israeli restaurant eating crowd? Are most, many or all of these restaurants Kosher? Is that a necessity?

I wanted to take a moment to thank the Egullet Team and all egulleters for all the wonderful discussions these past two weeks and for giving me the honor of being a special contributor One story, I do want to tell. When Suvir and I first talked about this opportunity, I was really quite nervous. I am not a professional chef by any stretch of the imagination and the "foodies" on egullet are really a very knowledgeable lot. So I said to Suvir, "I will do this and then perhaps you can help me become the next Suvir" and his response, " Or I can stand by you, be a friend and help you as you become you". Touche So to Suvir Saran, a class act all the way, thank you for this honor and privilege. I have learnt a lot from you the past few weeks and I hope that this will continue. I also wanted to take this opportunity to announce the winners of the book. If you would like to PM me your address, I will send the book to you ASAP -- Foodman -- Dstone001 -- Nolongerlurking thankyou all. I will be around on egullet, I hope for a long time to come. If I can ever answer any questions or provide any assistance in the wonderful world of Indian cooking, please do not hesitate to ask.

What are some of the reasons why you may never eat or cook Indian food? What have you done about this fear/phobia/notion? How did you get to this point?

Monica, Does your son have a favorite dish? Is it Indian or another? What was yours as a kid? Do you know? What do you think of when you cook with kids in mind?

Do any of your indian or indian inspired dishes use alcohol? Do tell me about it, I would like to explore this a bit. The only thing I ever use is Feni or Cashew nut wine (or in desparation my hubby's vodka) when I make some Goan food. it is my understanding that a lot of traditional dishes in India do not use alcohol .... do your indian inspired ones?

Balti cooking, which has gained popularity in the UK, is one of my favorite forms of cooking. It gets its name from "Balti" which literally translates to bucket in India. The cooking is an indian /pakistani style of cooking that uses the wok or Balti as the main utensil One myth is that Balti originated from Baltistan, a place in the is situated in the dry arid Karakoram mountains between the international borders of China & the northern sector of the disputed "Kashmir" territories of India & Pakistan. I was informed of this by a friend who is from the Baltistan area. My family is from Multan originally, a close neighbor. Balti cooking was created, it is my understanding in the UK. There are some wonderful Balti sites and recipes out there. I have eaten some prepared at the homes of friends here, but alas have never been to the UK to taste the magic there Simon, can you tell us a bit more on this cuisine? Does anyone have recipes they would like to share?

Per Suvir's request I plated and took a picture of the Korma that I prepared from his recipe. It was great. I've cooked several Indian dishes before and would love to try more. I usually cook a chicken curry and serve it with some fragrant lemon rice and chutney. The array and use of spices is my main attraction to all Indian dishes in addition to cooking with yogurt. Not to mention the subtle similarities between Indian and middle eastern (Lebanese) cooking. the combination of Cardamom with cinnamon, chillies, cloves, coriander and yogurt is heavenly. I guess I will be trying the Biryani next Suvir. Thanks Again FM

Anil, I am headed to Bombay in a few weeks, any places you would recommend that I try.. I love the secret hole in the wall places that no one knows about

Hi. I was lucky enough to be asked to review Monica's Spice is Right Cookbook for the magazine internationalwoman.net and I found it very easy to follow, even for a novice like me! I grew up eating Indian food but it's not available where I live now, so this was a new thing for me to try but all the dishes turned out authentic. My question for Monica is....when are you bringing out your next book?