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does anyone have a good, relatively easy egg curry recipe they would be willing to share? i don't have my mom's, and i've been using one out of a cookbook, but it involves using nuts to thicken the gravy, and i'd rather just have it be more tomato based. i would call my mom and ask, but her cooking has changed lately, and she's always skipping steps, or using ingredients i didn't grow up with. and of course last night i developed a craving for egg curry and rice.

Pairing wine and Indian cuisine is something I want to get a better understanding of. Nowadays, in planning a restaurant it's a prerequisite to have a strong wine menu to match the concept. What types of wines complement the intense flavors of Indian food best? What should a diner consider when choosing a wine to drink if the menu consisted of dosas? briyanis? an accopaniment to an achars? chaats? indian desserts? Hopefully, some of the wine-expert egulleters will chime in on how to pair the two!

Hello everyone, I'm from Malaysia, of the Baba Nyonya ethnic (Malay+Chinese) and I'm a roti canai freak. I've been eating roti canai almost every morning ever since I was nine. It's Indian flatbread, using wheatflour, kneaded with water, salt and ghee/margarine, then kneaded to balls as big as a golf ball, left to sit overnight and voila! next, the formed balls will be transformed to a flat roti, using a process like how a pizza dough is made. Then, using some oil, the roti will be place on a flatpan to cook. The roti canai are always served with dal or chicken/fish curry. My favourite curry happen to be mutton curry and at times, I will cook mutton curry and buy the roti canai from the Indian restaurant nearby. Now, can anyone help me with my mutton ....how do I make them very tender? Can anyone provide me a good mutton curry recipe? I like them thick. Thank you Suvir for recommending me to start a thread here. "To know Malaysia is to love Malaysia" Regards, Arunaputri

forgive me if this has been discussed before. rum is huge in india, especially with people in the armed forces (as we call the military). perhaps the biggest indian favorite: old monk

I'd posted this question in an earlier discussion, but it got buried somewhere, so here it is again: What unusual things do you bring back from India? I've brought varak, copper vessels, the traditional butter-churner (mathani, even though I don't use it - mainly for decoration purposes), dried rose petals, bamboo shoots in brine, raw mangoes in brine.... Still on my list/wish list: Hyderabad ka potli masala, brass vessels, the black claypot my grandma used to make her famous fish curry in, surahi (a bit far-fetched I know), bharanis. Suman

Many years ago, my parents had a woman from Bombay stay with us through the Experiment in International Living. (Her name was Vasantika Vakil.) She made a dal that was dark brown and quite thick -- the consistency of (very grainy) mashed potatoes -- fried up in a frying pan. I'm not sure it even had lentils in it, and I think it had a sort of black Indian caraway (which looked like black onion seeds), which no Indian grocer in NYC has been able to identify. I loved it and have been very disappointed when I went to the standard Indian restaurants and had the sort of thin yellow lentil soup. Does anyone have a recipe and the name of the secret caraway seeds? Many thanks.

Post your questions here -->> Q&A A Sampling of North Indian Breads Authors: Monica Bhide and Chef Sudhir Seth Introduction These breads are the taste of home for me -- wholesome breads prepared with simple ingredients and simple cooking methods. There are many different types of breads in North India. They can be prepared in the tandoor (clay oven, as is done in many restaurants), dry roasted, cooked on a griddle, or deep-fried. They can be prepared plain, or stuffed with savory or sweet filling, or just topped with mouthwatering garnishes. In the recipes below we are merely attempting to scratch the surface, presenting you with a glimpse of these magnificent breads. North Indian breads are prepared with various kinds of flours. The ones listed here use a whole-wheat flour known as atta and all-purpose flour. The dough is prepared in most cases without the use of yeast. (We have shown a special sweet bread here, called Sheermal, that is prepared using yeast.) Also, the tandoori breads are generally rolled out by hand not with a rolling pin. But in the recipes below, for ease of use for the home cook, we have used a rolling pin. As you will also see then, no special equipment is needed. We have prepared the breads in a traditional oven and in a non-stick skillet. (We have included some pictures towards the end of the lesson of a roti being prepared in a commercial tandoor.) A few tips: • Knead the dough well, adding only enough water or other specified liquid to make the dough the right consistency. • A must for preparing these breads is to let the dough rest as indicated. This will ensure that the dough softens and moistens, making it more pliable and easier to stretch • To prepare simple ghee (clarified butter) see below but for a in-depth discussion check out this wonderful thread in the India forum. (See the last few suggestions on preparing it by melting butter.) • You can also purchase ghee or clarified butter at your local Indian grocer or from www. Namaste.com. Clarified Butter (Ghee) Yields: About ½ cup ½ lb unsalted butter Heat a heavy pan over low heat. Add the butter, allowing it to melt. Once the butter has melted, increase the heat, bringing the butter to a simmer. The butter will start to foam. Reduce the heat and simmer for about 15 minutes. Watch carefully as it may burn. The milk solids will start to settle at the bottom, and the liquid butter will float to the surface. When the liquid butter becomes amber in color, remove it from from the heat. Cool to room temperature. Strain the amber liquid into a jar and discard the milk solids. Cover and store, refrigerated, for up to 6 months. Plain Naan Dough Naans are traditional Indian breads prepared in clay ovens or tandoors. They are commonplace on most Indian menus. We have tried here to present a simple dough for Naans and then two of the more unusual preparations for it: the Peshawari Naan and the Onion Kulcha. . • ½ cup milk • 1 teaspoon sugar • 1 cup warm water • 1 tablespoon yogurt • 1 egg • 4 cups of all-purpose flour (labelled "maida" in Indian grocery store) • 1 teaspoon salt • 1 teaspoon baking powder • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil (for baking tray) • 2 tablespoons clarified butter or ghee In a bowl whisk together the milk, sugar, water, yogurt and egg. Place the flour, salt and baking powder in a large shallow bowl. Mix well. Pour the liquid onto the flour and begin to knead. Continue kneading until you have a soft dough. If you need more liquid, add a few tablespoons of warm water. Knead for at least 10 minutes, or until you have a soft dough that is not sticky. Oil the dough. Cover the dough with a damp cloth and place in a warm place for 1½ - 2 hours, or until the dough has doubled in volume. Directions for plain naan: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly grease a large, heavy baking tray and set aside. Lightly dust the rolling surface and rolling pin with flour. Knead the dough again on the floured surface for about 5 minutes. Divide it into 8 equal pieces and cover with a damp towel or plastic wrap. Roll each piece into a ball and flatten it with your hands. Using a rolling pin, roll it out into an oval shape (about 8 inches). Using your hands, pull at both ends of the oval to stretch it a little. Continue until you have made 8 naans. Brush each oval with clarified butter. Place the naans on the baking sheet bake for 5 minutes. Turn on the broiler and broil for an additional 3 minutes or until golden brown. Peshawari Naan In this delightfully sinful recipe, the naan dough is stuffed with dried nuts and raisins and baked. Serve this warm right out of the oven for the best taste. 1 recipe prepared plain naan dough For the stuffing: • 1 tablespoon cashews (crushed) • 1 tablespoon almonds (crushed) • 1+1 tablespoons pistachios (crushed) • 1 tablespoon raisins • 1 teaspoon cilantro leaves, minced • 1 teaspoon sugar • 1 tablespoon Milk Mawa Powder (Dried whole milk powder) • 1 teaspoon fennel seeds, ground • 3 tablespoons melted butter or clarified butter Prepare the Naan dough. While the dough is resting, prepare the filling. Set aside 1 tablespoon of pistachios and the raisins. In a mixing bowl combine all the other filling ingredients. Add a few tablespoons of water to bind them together to form a lumpy consistency. Roll the dough into a log. Cut into 8 equal portions. Lightly dust the rolling surface with flour. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly grease a large, heavy baking tray and set aside. Lightly oil or flour your hands. Take one portion of the dough and roll into a ball between the palms of your hands. Flatten the ball. Place it on the floured surface. Use a rolling pin to roll it out into a circle about 5 - 6 inches in diameter. Add a tablespoon of the filling to the center. Bring the sides together and pinch them to seal and form a ball. Flatten lightly. Dust very lightly with flour. Roll the flattened ball again on a lightly floured surface until about 5 - 6 inches in diameter. Garnish with the reserved pistachios and raisins. Continue until you have made 8 naans. Brush each naan with clarified butter. Place the naans on the baking sheet and bake for 5 minutes. Turn on the broiler and broil for an additional 3 minutes or until golden brown. Serve hot. Onion Kulcha We present this recipe by popular demand. Here the naan is stuffed with a spiced onion mix and baked to perfection. 1 recipe prepared plain naan dough For the stuffing: • 2 small red onions, finely chopped • 1 tablespoon minced cilantro • 1 tablespoon Chaat Masala (www.namaste.com) • 1 teaspoon red chili powder • Salt to taste • 3 tablespoons melted butter or clarified butter • 2 teaspoons cilantro, minced for garnish • small boiled potato, grated (optional) Prepare the naan dough. While the dough is resting, prepare the filling. First, using the palms of your hands, squeeze out all the water from the chopped onions. If the onions still appear to be watery, add a small boiled grated potato to your filling. This will prevent the filling from spilling out of the kulcha. In a mixing bowl combine all the filling to form a lumpy consistency. Roll the dough into a log. Cut into 8 equal portions. Lightly dust the rolling surface with flour. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly grease a large, heavy baking tray and set aside. Lightly oil or flour your hands. Take one portion of the dough and roll into a ball between the palms of your hands. Flatten the ball. Place it on the floured surface. Use a rolling pin to roll it out into a circle about 5 - 6 inches in diameter. Add a tablespoon of the filling to the center. Bring the sides together and pinch them to seal and form a ball. Flatten lightly. Dust very lightly with flour. Roll the flattened ball again on a lightly floured surface until about 5 - 6 inches in diameter. Dip your fingers in water and moisten the surface of the kulcha very lightly. Sprinkle with a few minced cilantro leaves. Continue until you have made 8 kulchas. Place the kulchas on the baking sheet and bake for 5 minutes. Turn on the broiler and broil for an additional 3 minutes or until golden brown. Serve hot. Ande Ka Paratha This is a unique addition to your recipe collection. A mild and flaky bread, it is a small kid’s favorite at our home. Makes 8 parathas • 2 cups Indian atta flour (whole-wheat flour) • 1½ teaspoons table salt • 2+2 tablespoons melted butter or clarified butter • Water as needed • 8 eggs In a bowl combine the flour, salt and two tablespoons of clarified butter. Slowly begin to add the water, kneading the flour as you go. Make a dough, kneading for at least 10 minutes. The final dough should be soft and pliable. It should not be sticky or else it will not roll out well. Cover the dough with a damp cloth or plastic wrap and let it sit for 30 minutes. Roll the dough into a log. Cut into 8 equal portions. Lightly dust the rolling surface with flour. Lightly oil or flour your hands. Take one portion and roll into a ball between the palms of your hands. Flatten the ball. Place it on the prepared floured surface. Use a rolling pin to roll it out into a circle about 5 - 6 inches in diameter. Now fold the dough over itself. Take the folded dough and roll it around itself into a spiral. Tuck the end under. Do this for all eight dough balls. (This folding and rolling will make the paratha very flaky.) Now flatten the spiral and roll again on a lightly floured surface until about 5 - 6 inches in diameter. Heat a griddle on medium heat. Brush it lightly with butter and add the paratha. Cook for about 2 minutes, or until the bottom of the paratha begins to blister. Brush the top lightly with butter and remove from heat. Put the paratha aside on a warm plate. Grease the same griddle a bit and break an egg on it. Cook the egg sunny side up. Place the cooked side of the paratha on the egg. Press down gently to break the yolk. Let it cook for a minute. Brush the top of the paratha with butter, flip carefully and cook for another minute or two until the paratha is no longer raw. Remove the paratha from the griddle and place on a serving platter. Cover with a paper towel. Continue until all the parathas are cooked. Serve hot. Indian Bread Stuffed With Spicy Potatoes (Aloo Ka Paratha) This filled paratha is a very popular North Indian bread, served traditionally with homemade white butter and Indian pickles of your choice. • 2 cups Indian atta flour (whole-wheat flour) • 4 tablespoons semolina • 1½ teaspoons table salt • 2 tablespoons melted clarified butter or butter • Water as needed • 3 medium potatoes, peeled • 2 Serrano green chilies, seeded and finely minced • 1 tablespoon cilantro, minced • 1 1-inch piece fresh ginger root, grated • 1 teaspoon Chaat Masala • 4 tablespoons melted clarified butter or butter • A few tablespoons flour for dusting In a bowl combine the wheat flour, semolina flour, salt and two tablespoons of clarified butter. Slowly begin to add the water, kneading the flour as you go. Make a dough, kneading for at least 10 minutes. The final dough should be soft and pliable. It should not be sticky, or else it will not roll out well. Cover the dough with a damp cloth or plastic wrap and let it sit for 30 minutes. While the dough is resting, prepare the filling. Boil the potatoes in enough water to cover for about 15 minutes. Drain. Put the potatoes in a bowl and mash them well with a fork. Add the green chilies, cilantro, ginger root, and chaat masala and mix well. Set this filling aside to cool. Roll the dough into a log. Cut into 8 equal portions. Lightly dust the rolling surface with flour. Lightly oil or flour your hands. Take one portion and roll into a ball between the palms of your hands. Flatten the ball. Place it on the prepared floured surface. Use a rolling pin to roll it out into a circle about 5 - 6 inches in diameter. Lightly brush the surface with the clarified butter. Add a tablespoon of the potato filling to the center. Bring the sides together and pinch them to seal and form a ball. Flatten lightly. Dust very lightly with flour. Roll the flattened ball again on a lightly floured surface until about 5 - 6 inches in diameter. Heat a griddle on medium heat. Brush it lightly with butter and add the paratha. Cook for about 2 minutes, or until the bottom of the paratha begins to blister. Brush the top lightly with butter and flip over. Cook for 2 minutes. Remove the paratha from the griddle and place on a serving platter. Cover with a paper towel. Continue until all the parathas are cooked. Sheermal A sweet bread, it is one of the few Indian breads that uses yeast. Keep the dough in a warm place to ensure that it rises. You can increase the amount of sugar if you like a sweeter taste. • 1 packet dry yeast • 1 teaspoon sugar • ¼ cup water • 1½ cups all-purpose flour • ¼ teaspoon salt • 2 tablespoons sugar • 2 eggs (separate 1 egg and set the yolk aside) beat the whole egg and the white together • 2 tablespoons melted clarified butter or butter • Extra flour for dusting • Pitted cherries/raisins for garnish Mix yeast with the sugar and 1/4 cup water. Set aside until frothy, about 5 - 10 minutes. Combine the flour, salt and sugar. Add the clarified butter, egg and yeast mixture. Knead until a smooth dough is formed. (You may need more warm water.) Set aside to rise until the dough doubles in size. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly grease a large, heavy baking tray and set aside. Lightly dust the rolling surface and rolling pin with flour. Knead the dough again on the floured surface for about 5 minutes. Divide it into 6 equal pieces and cover with a damp towel or plastic wrap. Roll each piece into a ball and flatten it with your hands. Using a rolling pin, roll it out into a disc. Continue until you have made 6 discs. Beat the reserved egg yolk and brush a little on each sheermal. Place a few cherries on the sheermal for garnish. Place the discs on the baking sheet and bake for 5 minutes. Turn on the broiler and broil for an additional 3 minutes, or until golden brown. Tandoori Roti We wanted to show how the tandoor is used to prepare breads. These pictures are of a special roti or bread, called Tandoori Roti, being prepared in the hot tandoor or clay oven. The basic recipe entails preparing a dough of whole-wheat flour. (See the paratha dough prepared earlier.) The flattened rolled out discs are then cooked in the tandoor until the dark spots begin appearing on the surface of the bread. Post your questions here -->> Q&A

Post your questions for A Sampling of North Indian Breads here.

i bought two bunches of absolutely vibrant methi (fenugreek) from the local indian grocer today. plan to make it into alu-methi tomorrow. my usual modus operandi is to make alu-methi exactly the way i make alu-palak. if this is a crime against nature and humanity i take cover behind my bengaliness. let the truth(s) set me free: how do punjabi homes (as far as generalization is possible) make their alu-methi? bhasin?

I am thinking of organizing a tasting of Indian wines paired with Indian food here.. what do folks think? This is a new distributor who is gaining a lot of credibility in the market place for Indian wines.. is there an interest?

Randall -- Thanks for doing this wonderful Q&A. I am curious as to your opinion on pairing wines with Indian food. The Indian forum has had a very spirited discussion on this topic - Indian food and wine - ranging from "don't even try" to "how can you not pair wines with Indian food" I am a novice in this area but eager to learn more. I would love to hear your opinion. Thank you

this is inspired by the mussels thread. being largely north, east and hyderabad centered in my indian orbit i'd never encountered mussels (or for that matter shellfish outside of shrimps/prawns, crabs and lobsters) in the indian food context. it doesn't surprise me to learn that keralaite and konkani cuisines incorporate mussels, cockles etc. how about scallops? i hadn't even heard of scallops till i came to the u.s? are there indian cuisines that have traditional recipes for scallops? if not, can anyone share their own innovative scallop recipes? and also for squid and octopus.

Hi Suvir, Just wondering how long I'll have to wait ... Please, please, PLEASE make sure you include all the secrets that most other cookbooks neglect to tell you. I'm particularly waiting for Panditji's Paneer Koftas. And how about Bukhara's famous Dal Makhani? Will there be a UK edition (I find it so much more convenient to weigh rather than go by volumes) ? One of my favourite books on Indian cooking is 'The Art of Indian Vegetarian Cooking' by Yamuna Devi, because she, unlike most authors, explains in great detail the techniques, the temperatures etc. It's the next best thing to having a personal cooking coach. To think I only paid £3 for such a magnificent book! I'd have happily paid a lot more than that. Best wishes with your book, Suman

Hi all, The other day my husband brought home a tin of Palak Paneer . I don't care much for tinned stuff, especially curries (Tinned beans are great). The Palak lived up to my expectations - it was pretty awful. But the paneer amazed me. It was nice and spongy - you could see the holes in it if you cut it open. I've never eaten such lovely paneer in my whole life, be it at home or in restaurants. And let me tell you , I eat a LOT of paneer. Does anyone have any idea how they might have done it? My guess is they might have added something to the milk before adding the souring agent or they might have added something to the paneer . The paneer was in cubes like they just made it and put it directly into the curry. Any ideas? I'm one of those people who can't get proper sleep at night until I get to the bottom of this mystery. Thanks, Suman

Hi everybody! Some time ago, during a trip in India I purchased some dry mango powder. I was told that it was intended for vegetable dishes, so I generally add it to my vegetarian curries, but was wondering whether it's correct or not as I don't know any recipe where it's mentioned. Since I do love the flavour, I would like to know how it can be used - in which type of dishes, before or after cooking and so on. I also would like to know how long can it last, kept into a glass jar. TIA! Pongi

Hi, I'm organising a Diwali party at my son's school, which has children from many different ethnic backgrounds. Would anyone have suggestions on what I could make for the snacks (one savoury, one sweet perhaps)? I keep changing my mind because unlike at birthday parties, this one will have to be more traditional - I'm not sure if all the children will like Indian sweets. I'm kind of leaning towards tiny samosas (ambitious, because I haven't the time/patience/energy to make so many) and burfi, perhaps. Any advice greatly appreciated. Suman

Hi all!

There are chains of Chinese, Japanese, Mexican, Italian, Jamaican restaurants( to name a few ethnic ones.) and whether you are a fan or not, the fact is that chain restaurants do a fair bit to promote that Country's cuisine. This ultimately benefits stand alone operators too as more diners become exposed to the cuisine. Why hasn't any Indian restaurant come to the fore? My guess is that the cuisine has to be doctored a little bit to give it broader appeal. Any thoughts?

People, I find this dynamic duo of spices ( HING & SALT) very important to my cooking "ishtyle", lol Wine dictates the yes or no in my cooking style, your comments would be deeply appricated. Regards

hi all, i'm looking for a new way to cook grean beans. i'm open to all suggestions that don't include more than 5 minutes of prep time or more than 7 ingredients (including spices and condiments).

Rasachandrika is excellent for all the Saraswat dishes. Its now exactly 60 years since the Saraswat Mahila Samaj (Saraswat Women's Association) in Mumbai first came out with it, and it is still a standard presence in every Saraswat kitchen, however stained and tattered with use it may be. I'd put it up there with Samaithu Par as one of the bases for Indian cookbook writing. What are the other such books that people would nominate in other regional Indian categories? I'm lifting this out of the Konkani cuisine thread since it might make for a good new topic. Which were the first Indian cookbooks that people encountered? Did your mothers and grandmothers (if they were Indian) use any? Did your mothers and grandmothers pick up recipes from anywhere else? Which cookbooks have you found the most useful? Any particularly interesting or unusual ones? Which of the new Indian cookbooks do you like best (we'll take it as a given that Monica's and Suvir's forthcoming one will feature on your list!)? Vikram

Hi All, I am working with BBHasin on a class for eGCI teaching Indian breads. ANy favorites that you would like to learn about?

I am doing some research and could really use some assistance. Are you on a lowcarb diet or on Atkins -- are you preparing any any Indian dishes.. PM me if you are upto doing a short interview with me i am also looking for boards on Atkins in India and any other related materials.. would love your help

Russ, I am a huge fan of your work. Thanks for taking part in this Q&A. You honesty in answering the questions is quite inspiring. I am curious as to your opinion about Indian cuisine here in the States. It seems to be gaining popularity -- do you think it will ever be as popular as, say, Chinese food is here? Have you ever traveled to India? What were your impressions? Thank you

I was just curious as to what different perceptions people have about Contemporary Indian Food, what foreign elements may be allowed, how much identity in terms of visual appeal it must retain, how much breakaway from non family style service is acceptible when eating at restaurants and etc. Your views people. :) thanks