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I can appreciate that the Owner of the Indain Foods store here in town doesn't want to give out his Dal "family recipe" without me signing up for his Sunday cooking class for $40 - I brought him my Food TV recipe today and let him have a look over so I could buy the ingredients at his store - basically, he scoffed at the recipe and wasn't much help after that. Anyone out there know how to give lentils that necessary love that turns them into Dal?

Howdy! Currently have Julie Sahni's Chickpeas in Ginger Sauce from Classic Indian Cooking on the stove, but I've encountered a problem that seems to be recurring with many of her recipes. After frying some onion, garlic and ginger, adding some spices and some chopped tomato, I'm supposed to add the chickpea juices and some water, reduce the heat to low, simmer for about 10 minutes or until its reduced to a thick pulpy gravy. But isn't reducing when the water cooks off? So how can it reduce if it's covered? Sure isn't thickening while covered. My wife always yells at me to not put any water in at all, but I feel her approach can't be right either.

The Yuva birth announcement (this is what the PR people call the press release about a new restaurant opening) didn't look all that auspicious. Another Indian restaurant on 58th Street between Third and Second Avenues! I might have skipped the press preview altogether, but we had babysitting and it was something to do. I'm still deciding whether the meal I had at Yuva tonight was the best Indian meal I've ever had. The first bite I took was of a crab cake like no other, described on the menu simply as "spiced crab skewered and grilled." The dish arrived looking like an haute cuisine version of two golden corn dogs (yes, on sticks). My first taste totally redefined my expectations of the rest of the evening. It was so . . . light. And when I say that, I mean it. Servers are constantly telling me how light the crabcakes are at their restaurants. They're never light. They're crabcakes. But this thing was like air, if it's possible to imagine air with a lot of crab in it. I had the press release, I mean birth announcement, folded up in my pocket. I confess I hadn't read it or planned to read it -- I had just taken it along so I could remember the address, not that you need a piece of paper to remember that you're going to an Indian restaurant on 58th between Third and Second any more than you need to write down the address of Grand Central Station. The chef, it turns out, is a fellow named Dhandu Ram. He's not just a chef, he's a "Master grill chef," and as ridiculous as it sounds he does indeed cook such good stuff that it's hard not to agree that he's entitled to be referred to as a master grill chef. He's said to have cooked at the original Bukhara Grill in New Delhi. The owners of the restaurant are a very nice seeming guy named Kedar Shah and his wife Hritu Deepak -- yes, Hritu Deepak the Indian soap star and face model. In case you were wondering what had become of her, she moved here to marry Kedar and she's now a restaurateur. They're both in their early 30s and they both look really good. Yuva, they say, means "youth." Every dish we tried -- about ten of them -- was exceptional. Most displayed a level of refinement, lightness (really) and subtlety that has been long overdue at this price point (appetizers under $10, a lot of entrees under $20 though of course rack of lamb, lobster and whole fish are more, breads $3-$5), and I'm not really sure you get it at the Dawat price point anyway. This is not rustic cooking. It's delicate, exquisite, a little restrained but totally flavorful. Chapli kabaabs (their spelling) were similar in weight (or lack thereof) to the crab cakes. You don't expect a dish described as lamb patties with red onions, crushed peppercorns and nutmeg to be anything but rustic and weighty. But these kabaabs were so fragile you could hardly cut them without crushing them. Amazing. "Sea splash" is a tasty cousin of ceviche: steamed shrimp and scallops with tamarind, Thai basil, red onion and an unfortunate (but harmless) splash of truffle oil. The other appetizer we tried was green papaya salad, the strands so long and fine they had to be twirled on the fork like spaghetti, in a chili mango vinaigrette -- excellent mix of crunchy texture, sweetness and spice. The selection of breads is remarkable and includes a few things I'd have ordered if I'd had foreknowledge of how good the restaurant would be. We were smart enough to order the Kabuli naan, layered with a paste of cashew nuts, almonds, pistachios and raisins. Pretty sure there was some unadvertised coconut in there too. Very interesting flavors, maybe a little sweet to eat with the meal but quite delicious. Also excellent was the aloo parantha, stuffed with potatoes and spices. On my list for next time: "Sheermal: pan fried rich flaky saffron flavored sweet bread (a unique delicacy of peshawar)." I'm so there. We had a mixed platter of items from the tandoor, all top notch: tandoori shrimp, hariyali kabab, malai tikka, boti kabab and aatish kabab, served with avocado sauce, red bean sauce and pomegranate sauce. Also a dish called "chicken mushroom," which is chicken in a white wine, almond and mushroom sauce. I'd have liked to try a bunch of the vegetable sides, but only thought to order the Yuva dal, terrific lentils cooked overnight with tomato and butter. The restaurant is contemporary and Western in feel -- there are some Indian touches here and there but you'd be forgiven for thinking you'd walked into a small, classy restaurant operated by a former Jean Georges or Lespinasse sous chef: sixty seats, a glass wall overlooking the kitchen (where the two chefs are working their asses off and throwing a lot of flames), big white plates in square-ish shapes. Most of the dishes are plated to that standard as well -- colorful, appetizing, low-key -- though there's the occasional tacky misstep like a superfluous carved radish that should be retired to the Carnival Cruises midnight buffet. Jehangir Mehta from Aix -- a terrific pastry chef -- is the consulting pastry chef, and the two desserts we tried were good (particularly the rasmalai), but not on par with the savory cuisine. He needs to do some tuning up to get there. Totally usable wine list with choices running from a New Zealand sauvignon blanc for under $30 up to Silver Oak '00 for $126 (also Opus for some ridiculous amount). YUVA FRONTIER INDIAN GRILL 230 East 58th Street (between Chola and Dawat) 1.212.339.0090 (edited to replace raita with rasmalai)

A friend is having a BBQ on the 13th at a state park near here. I'd like to bring something unique - are there any Indian dishes that would make good BBQ side dishes? Failing that, do you have any other recommendations?

I have a craving for bitter melon curry. If you happen to live in the San Francisco Bay Area and have been to Naan 'N Curry and have tried their bitter melon curry, that is the type of thing I am looking for. I am looking for a good recipe. The only things I know are in the version I have had are bitter melon, curry leaves, black cardamom, cinnamon, tomato, and onion. Any other bitter melon fans?

My first trip to London. I've been invited out to dinner to a vegetarian restaurant called Blah Blah Blah that's near Shepherd's Bush on Saturday, and Friday night I suggested Indian near our hotel in Covent Garden. Any reviews of the former or suggestions for the latter? Any other must-eats?

I just got back from Korea where I found an Indian spice store where I bought everything to stock my kitchen in Japan for Indian cooking.(a little bit complicated right?). I love making Indian food at home but most of the time I use a recipe. I would like to learn some base techniques and recipes so I can begin to be more creative with Indian cuisine. I know about adding spices to the oil. And I have made a lot of recipes which start by caramelizing onions. What other bases are there? Good dishes to experiment with?

I went to Metropole for dim sum with my parents on the advice of the Shanghai and Hong Kong thread. It is the largest single floor restaurant I've ever seen. I'm guessing 750-1000 seats. Although it was the Good Friday holiday it didn't seem too busy. Bean curd sheet roll. Fried taro ball. Shrimp har gaw, phoenix claw. Dumpling in broth, ground pork in tofu. Pig ear, jellyfish. The pig ears were pressed together and braised for a long time to soften the cartilage. Difficult to chew cartilage has always been my complaint with pig ear dishes but this was much softer and a pleasure to eat. Youtiao wrapped in rice flour sheets. Unique but strange-tasting. The dessert case. Check out the whipped cream bunnies in the lower right. Rice flour and tapioca dessert. The yellow dot is a single kernel of corn. Unwrapped so you can see the green tapioca pearls. I was rather disappointed with the meal. On the one hand it was definitely the best dim sum I've had in the past year -- each dish was perfected to a degree unparalleled in the U.S. -- but I was really expecting to be blown away with tons of original dishes that I've never seen before, and other than the pig ear all the dishes I saw were just the classics. Maybe I had unrealistic expectations but was I really so wrong to expect a lot from a highly recommended restaurant in Hong Kong, the dim sum capital of the world?

I got to know more about cooking after leaving India, I guess distance gives you a new perspective and some times a clearer one. I wanted to share those ideas I've used to substitute for standard cooking methods I learnt from my area of origin. Main theme to start with was does our mood tend to influence the kind of vessel or style of cooking for instance using a sauce pan inplace of a regular kadai or wok(other than due to lack clean ones).. Often times I am looking for a different texture (might I call that a mood ) so I tend to use a certain vessel. I put a list together on the kinds of cookwares steamer yet to be used Sauce pan Pressure cooker Dutch Oven Tava or griddle Baking (method rather than vessel) Kadai (a recent favourite of mine ) give us all other[moods and vessels cookwares] you've had in the distant past too maybe as a result of this I will know more about myself

I'm not typically a big fan of Indian type food apart from the Bangladeshi dishes I had at Mina Foods in Queens a couple years ago. but when my new lady friend, who lives in Troy, suggested a Latham Indian restaurant for us to try, it seemed worth exploring. Karavalli Indian Restaurant The acquaintances of hers who suggested it have traveled extensively, spent time in India and declared it to be the best Indian food they'd ever had in the US. After one visit I'm inclined to think they're right. I look forward to another visit and a chance to try more dishes. Decor and atmosphere was pleasant, tasteful and on the upscale side with a distinct lack of cheesy elements. Service was friendly and unobtrusive. Although prices were just a tad high by the standards of the typical Indian restaurant (excluding haute places in NYC) the portiosn were generous and it was a good value. The menu includes dishes from a number of regions rather than focusing on one regional style of cooking. The menu even includes a few traditoonal dishes from the old Jewish Quarter of Calcutta. My partner had Lamb Sagg, I had Chicken Ammwalla and we shared the Tamarind Eggplant appetizer and an order of naan. In terms of having an intriguing combination of textures and flavors I think the eggplant appetizer may be the single best zppetizer I've ever eaten and most certainly the tastiest dish I've any kind that I've had in the past few years. Definitely worth a visit and I look forward to going back soon.

We tried them, can't stop thinking about how good they were, and want to make them at home. Anyone have a good recipe? Thanks, -Mike

I posted this query in the general Cooking forum, but got no response, so I'm trying here... Does anyone know how the self-contained Multi-grinder compares w/ the Asia Grinder attachment for the Mixie? Pros/cons regarding performance, capacities, sturdiness etc.? I don't really need the Mixie's blender attachment, but perhaps the small quantity attachment might be useful? I'm interested in finely ground spices and making wet pastes - not crushed ice etc. Also, any recommendation on where to buy in San Jose or Santa Clara? Or online?

I'm the mother of an almost-six-month-old, and I'm thinking a lot about how to raise a daughter with a good palette. Rice cereal (the traditional first food in America) doesn't seem like a good start-- I certainly wouldn't eat it very happily. So I'm wondering about other countries and other traditions-- What's the traditional first food for babies in India? (I'm also going to post this in the following forums: Italy, Spain, Japan, France, China, Middle East, and Mexico. Apologies to those who run across this question in other places!)

Anyone have recommendations for buying (cow) ghee? The local Indian markets have different brands. Any suggestions? Some have more separation than others - that is, more liquid floating over the solids. Is this good, bad or doesn't matter? How long is the shelf life after opening? I assume it doesn't need refridgeration?

A friend in a culinarily challenged part of the world says he has never seen ajwain in his local stores, so I was wondering if substituting one or several other more easily obtained members of the same spice family might be useful. The recipe is for a curried sprouted bean soup (Kwati) from Nepal, if that helps, and it already calls for cumin. I was thinking increase the cumin by the same amount, but would any combo of cumin plus a bit of caraway, celery seed, or fennel come closer?

Hello all. Some of you might be interested in my experiences building a tandoor from scratch in an oil drum. I've put lots of photos on oildrumtandoor.blogspot.com. I've also given step-by-step instructions in case anyone wants to copy (and improve) my approach. So far we've cooked: - whole tandoori chickens - tandoori king prawn - naan breads - sag paneer - roast peppers and onions - aubergine tikkas - home made paneer - corn and potato seekh - lamb seekh I would welcome any help on: - getting the seekh kebabs to stick to the skewer ... they all go limp and fall off when cooked - any tips on suspending a large chicken from a single skewer. Both chickens fell down onto the charcoal when nearly cooked...didn't taste any the worse for it though - tips on getting an authentic naan taste - what kind of flour? And of course I'm happy to answer any questions you might have! Steve

Last night my husband and I were thrilled to be treated to a dinner of Bombay street food. Worm@work's parents are visiting from Mumbai, and both are formidable cooks, as is w@w herself. Mr. w@w distinguished himself in the cocktail department, while we were mainly notable for the amount we ate, and our extensive finger-licking. As much Indian food as I've eaten in my life, these dishes were completely different, all vegetarian, all reflecting the fine art of turning humble and inexpensive ingredients into delectable treats, not to mention serving them on the street in massive quantities. We began with a drink of kokum juice sprinkled with chat masala, and some lightly spicy little fried plaintain chips. The contrast between the sweet juice, the slightly sulfurous salt in the masala, and the crisp chips perfectly set the stage for the dishes to come, which were all about textural contrast. Next up was an amazing little bite called Pani Puri, which is an impossibly fragile crispy little puffball filled with potatoes, boiled mung beans, crispy chick peas, and the fine noodles called sev, then topped with date and tamarind chutney, cilantro chutney, or sweetened yogurt, and submerged in water flavored with mint, green chillies & spices. The trick then is to pop the whole little puri into your mouth before it drips all over you. My apologies for this and a couple of the other photos - the light was dim and comfortable, and I really needed to send a little submersible lens into the heart of the puri to do this one justice. Next up was Ragda Patties, which are spiced potato patties served in a white pea curry sauce. Well, they're not exactly white, and it's not exactly a curry as we think of curry in the US, more like a pease porridge pancake, or something. The name may not translate easily, but the flavors sure did. It was gentle, comforting food that I immediately wanted to have for breakfast. This is the photo that does the least justice to the dish This is Dabeli, fluffy buns stuffed with a mixture of potatoes, onions, spices, pomegranate, grapes & masala peanuts. I wish I'd composed this little sandwich so the fruit showed better, but you'll just have to imagine little bursts of red grape and pomegranate seed exploding in each bite of crisp toast, crunchy peanut, and smooth spicy potato. Yes, fluffy white bread, otherwise known as pau, is a part of Bombay street cuisine. I was totally amazed by this idea alone, not to mention the idea of a fluffy white bread potato sandwich, Indian-style. Being a quick learner, I was totally ready for Vada Pau - spiced garlic mashed potatoes fried in a chick pea flour batter and served inside a bun with the most delicious garlic chutney I've ever eaten. This was a dry chutney made of a ton of garlic ground and then fried with coconut and chick pea bits to form a pile of intensely flavored crisp, golden crumbs. Two fluffy white bread potato sandwiches, yowza! I couldn't resist having seconds of this one, which I came to regret shortly, when we had Pau Bhaji, a spicy mixed-vegetable dish served with bread for dipping. Traditionally a way to use up leftover vegetables, this had a mysterious and haunting sweetness that I still haven't identified. I'd need to eat a lot more of it to be sure exactly what it was. A lot more! How did we manage room for dessert? But who in her right mind could refuse Kulfi. This creamy, frozen dessert made with milk and flavored with saffron, almonds & pistachio was the only thing on the menu that I've had before. But I've never had it like this, with a silken, sticky texture and absolutely no iciness. Just a smooth and slippery saffron sweetness sliding down your throat. I think my s key must be stuck! All I can say is if anyone offers to feed you Bombay street food, take them up on it without hesitation and hurry to their house as fast as you can. It manages to be comforting and familiar and excitingly different all at once. And don't be surprised if if you see me on the Breakfast thread posting that I've taken to eating spicy Indian potato sandwiches in the early morning hours!

Hello! I'm working my way through a local cookbook (Vancouver restaurant called Vij's book) and keep having the same thing when starting out the curry recipes with his 'wet cooked masala' and hoping someone can help. As per the directions I start my spices (usually cumin seeds) for the 30sec or 1 min on med-high heat as suggested. It strictly says to make sure the spices do not burn. Then I put in the chopped onions which are instructed to take about 5-8 min at the same heat and turn a dark brown colour. I end up having to turn the heat down so the cumin in the pan doesn't burn but then the onions take way longer to brown than the suggested times. I can tell for sure something isn't working as when I use black mustard seeds in the spices the instructions say if they start to pop they are burning-well I get the onions in and the seeds stop popping initially but then if I do not adjust the heat they start popping again. Can I leave the heat high and somehow stop the cumin from burning? Is it possible I'm not using enough fat (I use either canola oil or ghee)? Is it the pan I'm using (I have a nonstick good quality fry pan)? I really want to get this right as I think the big difference between my version of the food and restaurants in how much deeper brown they get the onions compared to what I can before my spices burn. After this the instructions read that the chopped tomato goes in after until the 'oil glistens on top' I haven't quite figured out if I've got oil on the top or not but again the recommended time seems too short. Any help is appreciated!

I'm new to enjoying Indian food, and have fallen in love with Chicken Tikka Masala, which has a delicious somewhat creamy and spicy sauce. In searching for recipes, I see that half call for cream and half don't and I'm wondering, what is the norm? Does it usually have cream? Any suggestions for a good cookbook or resource for a classic recipe for this and other Indian dishes? I think I might like to try making Naan too. Oops, I just realized that maybe I should have posted this on the India thread? Sorry if this is in the wrong place. Pam

Hi, I thought some of you might be interested in this backyard Tandoor oven I made at my house. Well, here it is in pictures: Started with a base of firebrick. An inverted clay pot (the biggest one I could find), and cut off the bottom part. Reinforced the pot with fireclay mortar (in case the temps got too much for the pot; so far no cracks). Now I have the pot enclosed in a square housing made of hollow blocks and insulated with perlite and sand (loose). It's important to insulate so the heat you worked so hard to accumulate does not escape. The "bricks" are just for decoration. They're not real bricks. It's all done. It took me and 2 Masons 1 week to complete. Here's the side vent for air (to keep the coals burning) and for cleaning out ashes. The opening to stick the skewers in and cook the food. My skewers and spit. All homemade (machine shopped). A close up of my skewer and spit. Getting the fire started Full blast! 500 degrees Centigrade. Well, hope you can come over for some Tandoor cooking! Regards!

On a recent visit to Austin our friends treated us to an excellent dinner at Bombay Bistro. Both food and service were very good. Honestly, after several disappointing experiences at various Indian restaurants in the DFW area I was somewhat skeptical as we walked into this restaurant located in a strip-center. It only took a minute for me to change my opinion. I was impressed with the clean and uncluttered look of the place. There was no mingled aroma of spices and fried onions lingering in the air. The tables were neatly set with clean cutlery and cloth napkins. The menu featured typical Indian restaurant dishes along with several not so typical but authentic dishes. The menu contained mostly northern Indian dishes, along with a few southern Indian specials. The wine and beer list was quite long, and also contained some interesting mixed drinks under the title "magic potions". They had some interesting names - Bombay margarita, Jaipur Royale, East India Company and so on. My husband ordered a Bombay Blues- infused Bombay sapphire gin dirty martini with jalapeno stuffed olives. A martini with a hint of jalapeno heat.- a perfect combination- was his verdict. We ordered several dishes and shared. The curry dishes came with servings of rice. Kerala shrimp curry was the favorite at our table. Chicken vindaloo was quite spicy as the name vindaloo suggests; flavors of spices were well balanced and it was cooked just perfect. The tikka masala was good too, but the chicken pieces were not as tender as in the vindaloo. We also ordered Methi aloo, a mildly spiced vegetable dish made with fenugreek leaves and potatoes; a dish you don't usually see in a restaurant menu. I had tasted some excellent version of this dish at the homes of my Gujarathi friends. Bombay-Bistro's version was equally good with subtle seasoning and no excess oil. We enjoyed it with paneer kulcha and naan. We were so full, we did not order any dessert or tea or coffee. Will certainly go back there the next time we are in Austin. I certainly hope they would open a branch in the Dallas area. Menus and directions are on their website bombay-bristro.com.

I am a Chai nut, but I've recently been told to keep away from milk for certain health reasons. Does anyone have good advice on a solid Chai recipe that can be either made with a milk substitute or just water?? Thanks!!

Hi, can someone give me a good basic recipe for curry powder, I've looked around and the more I look the more confused I get. Thanks

Hi All, I will be having a dinner party next week and was looking for guidance on the kind of things I can do to try and make it a success. I have 4 guests and there will be myself and my partner present too which will make a total of 6 people. The dietary criteria are: i) One guest is pregnant and is not keen on beef or mussels ii) All guests are non-veg iii) 3 meat-oriented males I myself am Punjabi but grew up in London and have only recently moved to Hong Kong. Asian ingredients are quite easily available here and my cupboard is already pretty well stocked with dry spices. My initial thoughts were to prepare a Punjabi/North Indian feast possibly including some of the following: Tandoori lamb chops (prepared on my charcoal Weber bbq earlier in the day and then warmed up at dinner time) Seekh kebabs (same prep as above) Tandoori chicken (again as above) Lamb or chicken curry Vegetable side dish Pullao rice Raitha Pickles Not sure about the spelling but Gajjrela (cooked carrot) dessert Currently I think the menu may be TOO much meat based so I may want to think about some lentils or fish dishes. Does anyone have advice on what I am preparing or recipes for the above. I have a lot of cookbooks but if someone has a 'killer' recipe, I would love to hear it ! Also I would prefer to prepare as much as possible in advance so I can enjoy the party myself :-) Rgds Rick

Indian fusion Chinese restaurants are quite popular in NYC these days. Dishes like Lollipop chicken: Crispy fried-chicken drumsticks with a tangy sauce. Manchurian: Lightly battered meat or vegetables in a dark, gingery soy sauce, and Hakka noodles: Spicy pan-fried noodles are some of the hottest selling plates. Is this real deal Indian/Chinese like they served it in India? Or this some just some trendy gimmick.