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Thanks so much for participating in this Q&A. I understand that you have travelled to India. Can you tell us a bit about your trip? Where was your most memorable meal? Also the India forum on eGullet, which I host, has had many discussions around the coming of age of Indian cuisine in the US. The consensus - we are still unsure if Indian cuisine has become as popular as say Chinese. Your thoughts? Thanks once again. Best wishes Monica Bhide

In his book Prasad, Kalra gives recipes for murgh ki burfi and a sweet lamb rice (made with a sugar syrup) both of which are meant to be eaten like sweets.Ugh... I shudder at the mere thought. I've also heard of 'delicacies' such as cabbage ki kheer and pyaz ki kheer. Has anyone tried any of these and lived to tell the tale? Just curious - wonder what they taste like. Suman

My favorite restaurant had a beef keema dish (keema matar) on the buffet the other day. Man was it good. I am 99% percent certain it contained annatto. Is annatto a common ingredient in keema?

In the glossary of Indian Essence, Atul Kochhar writes: In her Encyclopedia of Asian Food, Charmaine Solomon writes: The kalonji entry in Ms. Solomon's encyclopedia says "See NIGELLA." There is no onion seed entry. Yet most Montreal spice mongers, including the East Indians, sell packages labelled "Kalonji (onion seed)." Come to think of it, I don't recall ever seeing nigella labelled as such. Based on Ms. Salomon's description and illustration, I'd guess my bag of "kalonji (onion seed)" is nigella, though Mr. Kochhar's second sentence sows the, er, seeds of doubt. Is there any way I can tell without paying Monica's round-trip passage from DC? Are onion seeds even used in Indian cooking? If so, when? (I'm pretty sure I've seen them called for in recipes, but perhaps the authors meant nigella?) And if onion seeds aren't called kalonji or nigella, what are they called?

The BF received a bag of these green vegetables from one of his customers, a woman from India who grows them in her backyard. He said she told him they were good for diabetes, and they should be cooked with tomatoes. Does anyone have more instructions on how to cook these? Thanks for your help!

Hi Kathy, I haven't tried any of these myself, but thought you might want to have a look: Coconut Chocolate Rolls Chocolate Burfee Chocolate Samosa. //Scroll down to page 10 When you said molé, it occured to me that perhaps you could add some dark chocolate to rajma - not sure if it'll work though. Episure, any thoughts? Let me know how it goes. Suman

growing up, chicken curry was always a whole chicken cut up in parts. Now, some serve it boneless, others want only white meat and some( like me) prefer legs and thighs. I was reading this article which piqued my curosity. What do you prefer? article

Using the incredible power vested in me as official forum host of the Coffee & tea forum ( which is inconsequential at best ), I'm humbly asking for some input on a South Indian Filter Coffee thread that I just started. One of our newer members, geetha, recently posted and also exchanged a few PM's with me about sources for good Indian coffee in the US. This piqued my curiosity but I still have many questions as I'm always intrigued by preparation methods and coffee traditions that are new to me. Will appreciate any help you India experts may be able to offer on that thread. Thanks!

A recent question posted here by Geetha about Indian coffee has left me very curious. It appears that although much of India is traditionally a tea drinking culture, there is a strong tradition of coffee drinking in Southern India. Thus far I've found only this information about the brewing device Indian Coffee Filter The description indicates that the "davras" is a two part stainless steel assembly with a mushroom shaped filter in the upper portion. The lower portion is used to collect the brewed coffee. It's unclear to me whether the entire davras sits on a heat source and pushes boiling water up and then down through the filter (as with moka coffee or American stove top and electric percolators) or whether it's simply some sort of drip device. Can any of you shed light on this? I also found reference to the desired coffee types as "Arabica from the Chikmanglur and Nilgiris mountain ranges and Robusta grown in the lower, more humid areas of Malabar, Salem, Coorg, etc.". India is known for growing some of the world's best Robusta coffee but very little of it makes it to the US market. Suggestions (these came from a variety of sources) also include roasting to a fairly dark level, even with the Robusta beans (which are not typically roasted extremely dark as it increases their bitterness). Here in the US I can obtain Kappie Royale Robusta, Coelho's Gold Monsooned Malabar AA, Pearl Mountain Peaberry, Mysore "Nuggets" and perhaps one or two other varieties. Is South Indian style coffee best made from a blend, as is often the case with espresso coffee, or do people typically make it from a coffee of a single varietal origin? To add to the confusion.... some people recommend that for those in the US market wishing to duplicate the characteristics of South Indian drip coffee, it is advised to used roasted chicory mixed with the coffee in a ratio of 30% chicory to 70% coffee. Apparently the chicory-coffee blend has been popular in South India for quiet some time but many discerning Indian coffee drinkers are now advising to just use 100% coffee with no chicory. India produces some very high quality coffee and I can see the wisdom of dispensing with the chicory. Finally... there is the question of the milk. Is it scalded on the stovetop by boiling or is simply heating it to the simmering point sufficient? I have seen reference to a technique whereby one pours the "decoction" (the concentrated brewed coffee that has collected in the bottom of the davras after dripping through) into a cup or glass and then adding the heated milk with sugar. the mixture is then poured back and forth between two glasses until a certain frothiness is achieved. Is this procedure typical and does it impart a better mouthfeel quality to the milk by introducing air or in your opinion is it really just for show? (not that there's anything wrong with that).

The National Museum of the American Indian opens today. Is anyone planning a visit this week? I'm taking the kids and will of course check out the cafe. From their website: Sounds intriguing, and a welcome change from the mediocre-to-bad food available in the other museums. The website doesn't mention any specific menu items. In addition to the museum opening, the First Americans Festival is set up out on the mall offering craft demonstrations, performances, and of course food. The festival runs from 9/21-26.

the translation of tej patta into english as bay leaf may cause confusion for some cooks. the bay leaf most americans/europeans are familiar with is the mediterranean Laurus nobilis. (i didn't find an indian language name for this herb; my understanding is that it isn't used much??) the bay leaf of india (hindi tej patta) is Cinnamomum tamala. the herbs are related and similar, but different enough (to me at least) to warrant drawing the distinction (in situations where this confusion might arise.) camellia panjabi, for instance, calls for tej patta, and not the mediterranean laurel leaf, in her 50 great curries cookbook. do you think it matters? do you use the mediterranean bay leaf in your indian cooking?

this post goes out to all the knowledgeable people on this forum. I am back at university, far from home and crave home food terribly. I thought I was a fairly decent cook - both quality and quantity but cooking for one person on a regular basis (while keeping both eyes on the books) defeats me. It's not just about organizing all the ingredients every single week but using them effectively enough. For e.g. I had this romantic vision of eating rotis everyday. A complete washout - not enough time. So I made a stack of them and put them in the fridge. Well, they are edible alright but turn into sheets of rock the minute they are reheated (I don't know why). I did promise myself that I'll eat balanced meals if i go back to school and not put on 20 pounds in the first six months. I don't eat out much and there IS a limit to how much cheese and eggs a human can eat. So how does a vegetarian eat well on a limited budget of both time and money? All suggestions and tips, shortcuts, recipes are very very welcome.

I'm making Gulab Jamon for a dinner on Sunday. If I make the dough tonight (Firday) and form the balls, can I hold them (in the frige or in the freezer?) for frying until Sunday? Anyone got a recipe they are willing to share? Thanks! Stephenie

I think I am in love! I have been immersed in a new book out by Chef Atul Kochhar -- He is one of the only two Indian chefs in the world to be awarded a Michelan star. He was the chef at Tamarind in London and now has his own place - Benaras. The book is one of the best I have read - not for beginners though -- the recipes are for someone who knows his way around the kitchen -- 1. Jhinga Til Tinka - Deep fried shrimp with vermicelli coating 2. Deccan fish curry from Andhra 3. Hyderabadi kali mirch ka murg - peppery chicken curry 4. Marathi Nalli Gosht - lamb shank Fresh flavors - and delightful recipes... this one is five stars in my book

How many of variations are there to its preparation do share it with me I just spellbound with the level of tastes and flavouring in layers, especially contrasting to the outer bland (and surprisingly delicious) layer of steamed roll of rice outside of it... Only those who haven't tasted see this: Kola-kattai is the favourite of us little kids from back home when we used to ask of Lord Ganeshs favours by offering his sweet at his (birthday) on Ganesh chathurty coming on saturday this week. Please tell me all other recipes there are.. I want Ganesh ji to know I care now.. and give him his best sweet in all its other variations too. Guess he will be happy then..

I'm having some trouble finding spices for an upcoming Indian food gathering, the top on the list being black cumin seeds. Does anyone out there know where I can get some in Philly? I've tried the spice sellers in Reading Terminal, the Italian Market, and actually struck out this past weekend in New York City too (alright, I just went to one Indian grocery store on 6th and 1st). I'd really appreciate it if someone can point me in the right direction. Cheers, Stephenie

hi friends, what do you usually cook on Diwali day? Any special traditional dishes?

I'm a newbie here and to Indian cooking in general (though not, thankfully, to eating it!) One of the delights I've discovered, thanks to living in Chicago and being close to the Indian/Pakistani community on Devon Avenue, is chaat. But my various cookbooks tend to mention it in passing. Recipes are hard to come by, although plentiful on the web (where I am generally unsure of their provenance, authenticity, etc.). I'm wondering if anyone can point me to a book (cookbook or otherwise) that focuses on these wonderful snacks and their apparently numberless variations.

Sound a cool dish some would like to know about it in my forum Would anyone like to post any details as we go.. Thanks Geetha edited: You can see the Query to it in my creativechore groups http://groups.yahoo.com/group/creativechore/message/2 Thanks

I am very inexperienced with cooking and eating Indian food; I grew up eating American midwest-style casseroles which almost always contained ground hamburger, a starch, and a can of Campbell's soup. I have never been to an Indian restaurant. That said, I received "The Everything Indian Cookbook" last week, and I finally have gathered enough ingredients so that I can try some of the recipes! I do have a few questions. First, if a recipe calls for "red chilis" or "red chili powder," I'm not sure what to use. I bought dried Sanaam chilis from Penzey's, because it said on the bag that they were Indian chilis. But for chili powder, I don't know what to use. I have cayenne pepper and ancho powder, but both of those seem Mexican to me. Do I grind up the Sanaam chilis to make "red chili powder"? Or is the cayenne okay to use? Are curry leaves dried like bay leaves? I haven't seen them anywhere. If fresh, how long would they last in my refrigerator? I did find an Indian grocer about an hour away from me, but I bought a can of garam masala from him without looking at the expiration date, and when I got home I saw that it had expired back in April 2003. So I'm not sure if I want to go back there. I was very disappointed with that experience; he has a very small store and not very much stock so it shouldn't have been that hard for him to keep track of his stock. About chutneys and relishes, this is probably a silly question, but I'm not sure exactly what to do with them. I know you serve them alongside your main dishes, but do you just eat them plain, or mix them into the dish, or put them on top of your main dish? I have found Indian recipes that involve a pressure cooker. These recipes often say "cook to four whistles" or "cook for one whistle." I have a jiggle-top pressure cooker that does not whistle. Is there some kind of conversion that I can make; i.e. four whistles = 8 minutes under pressure? When I read cookbooks of foods that are familiar to me, I can imagine just how the food will taste just by reading the recipe. When reading an Indian recipe, I can't imagine how it will taste--it's fun but a little scary! Thanks for your time.

I love Indian Chinese food... Is there a new trend in Indian Chinese restaurants to serve rice pudding??? In my time they never had Indian style puddings. But things change. Are there members commenting here that live in India? Please tell what kind of kheers are being served at your local Chinese restaurant. Curious here.

Where does one find it?

Travel by Indian rail? What did you enjoy at the stations or on the train? Come reminisce One of my favs was omlettes on a train from Delhi to Chandigarh....

Tell me how you use it? Drink it? Add it to cooked rice? Cook with it?

Monica, Any suggestions on how I should work with your book? What do you think is best way of reading it, cooking with it? Do you have favorite recipes?