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What do you think of when thinking meat and Indian food? What makes Indian food preparations of meat different from other cuisines? What should one keep in mind when eating Indian style meat dishes?

What do you think of when thinking chicken and Indian food? What makes Indian food preparations of chicken different from other cuisines? What should one keep in mind when eating Indian style chicken dishes?

I have recently made trips to a Dosa spot that has been praised quite a lot around this site and elsewhere. I was terribly dissapointed. Dosas are one of my favorite foods. It is a pity that Indian restaurants in NYC have really not shared the magic that can come with each bite of a Dosa. Some friends of mine that have traveled to India and had loved Dosas even before making that trip, came back never wanting to eat American Indian Dosas again. There is such a marked difference. Why is that so? What makes them so different? Where do you find your favorite Dosa? What are you looking for in a good Dosa? What do you think the perfect Dosa should be like? What should the Sambhaar have in it? What consistency should it be? What should the chutney be like? What chutneys would you like to eat it with? What do you think are the authentic companions to a Dosa?

Vishnu had returned. He was sitting on a chair next to the couch. He had a plate of food and he was eating with his hands. Not his hands: his right hand, only. He had mostly rice and potatoes on his plate, with very little sauce. Some of Kabir’s pickled red pearl onions, too. He mashed a bit of potato to a rough paste on the plate between his thumb and first two fingers. He mixed that with some rice, still mashing. He shaped the mixture into a small ball, dipped his head towards the plate and brought the food to his lips. Then a pickled onion went into his mouth, followed by more rice and potato.

Kabir had been in the midst of making dam aloos for his friend Vishal who would be joining them that evening. It was Vishal’s favorite dish, “a shining example” of the cooking of the Mughal courts. The Mughals, Muslims who invaded India from what is now Uzbekistan, ruled India from the 16th to the 18th centuries. The Mughal rule was noteworthy both for having tolerated all the religions in India and for making India, for a time, into one of the richest and most powerful countries in the world. Mughal cooking is accepted as the height of Indian culinary culture. Kabir had used the tiniest whole baby potatoes Geoff could find at the Union Square greenmarket near their downtown apartment. The potatoes had been peeled and deep-fried, punctured with several holes to help them absorb the sauce, then cooked again in a mixture of yogurt and fried onions spiced with fresh ginger, a whole garam masala (whole cloves, black peppercorns, cardamom, cinnamon and bay leaves), turmeric and cumin. There was just enough of the richly flavored sauce to coat the potatoes. Just as Kabir was putting these into an ovenproof dish, the phone rang. It was Vishal calling to ask what to wear. Hands still stained with sauce, Kabir took the phone.

At the moment he was cooking and I’m sure he was telling himself that the unbearable heat of the day was making this afternoon’s work that much more of an act of love. The crazy thing about Kabir is not just that he believes this but that after hanging out with him for a while, I do, too. The kitchen was a small unremarkable New York apartment kitchen just large enough to house a table and the usual appliances. On one wall was a good sized pantry usefully stuffed with dry goods including a lot of Indian food like dried lentils and beans, unusual types of flour, jars of spices, containers, grocery bags and a large selection of Kabir’s homemade Indian pickles. That day, Kabir was at the stove cooking dried white peas into a ragda chaat, a dish of peas flavored with spices, lemon juice and fresh cilantro, for his good friend Liz, outspoken restaurant critic and soft-porn novelist. Ragda chaat is Indian street food, one of a spectrum of dishes sold by vendors who hustle masses of people on the streets of India with their made-to-order snacks. Kabir had told me that Liz was a passionate fan of Indian street food, his in particular. One day, watching her tucking amorously into his food, Kabir suggested to me that Liz’s love of street food was no coincidence: in all cultures, the pleasure of this kind of food lies not in subtlety but in its boldness and savor. Liz herself is smart, blunt, and raw in that way New Yorkers can be – utterly civilized and engagingly boorish at the same time.

I have been eating a fair amount of Indian food lately and have noticed that the cuisine in my neck of the woods is all served in the same style. The menu is ala carte and for the most part either family style or one entree per person with rice as a side. Are there any instances where Indian cuiside breaks this mold? I would be very interested to try out a multi-course affair that highlights Indian cuisine and shows it off with inspired plating and service. I think that the cuisine would easily lend itself to this style of presentation/preperation due to the basis of spicing. Thoughts everybody? Thanks, Ben

I am catering a Tea Party later today in Bridgehampton. (4PM - 8PM) It is primarily for kids and their parents. There are going to be around 20 kids and 10 adults. What would you serve for a party like this? Are there any dishes in particular you think would work best for kids? Remember, the theme is Indian, and the foods have to be Indian... Want to take a guess as to what I served? I will post the menu after I am back from the party...

What do you think about Ayurveda? Do you cook any Ayurvedic recipes? What do you know about it?

Keema is a dish that many Indians love. Made from lamb or chicken minced meat, it is found in several versions across India. Do you ever make anything similar to Keema for vegetarians?

eGullet UK is having a huge (21 people) get-together at the Tayyab restaurant in London next week. This is actually a Pakistani restaurant, and doesn't serve wine (whether for religious or commercial reasons I don't know). Tony Finch, who has organised the event, suggests we all bring our own wine, and has recommended Shiraz as a good match for this type of food. The problem is that now everyone will bring Shiraz and that's likely to be boring. So I'd like an alternative suggestion or two. I have to admit that I generally drink (Indian) beer at Indian restaurants, and I can't think of a classic red wine that seems to fit. Maybe Chianti ? So please make some suggestions. If your choice is obscure, some ideas on where I could buy it in London would also help. Thank you, folks, you might also change my drinking habits at Indian restaurants for ever

Does anyone have a favorite recipe for this delicious dessert? I find it sad that so many restaurants in NYC never serve good ones. Actually I am yet to eat any that come even remotely close to the great ones we would eat the Bengali Sweet in Barakhamba Road in New Delhi. Does anyone have a good source for these? A recipe that you love?

Dakshin 741 9th Avenue (50th Street) NYC 212-757-4545 I ate a great buffet at Dakshin. Not one for buffet, but it is the most conveninet thing to do at times. I am weary of Indian buffets, have had many bad experiences, but at Dakshin, the food was fresh, tasty and seemed endless. Does anyone else know Dakshin? Eric Asimov had reviewed it in the NY Times last year. The name Dakshin means "Southern", and the restaurant does serve several Southern Indian dishes, but more importantly serves in a no fuss setting great food and with humble service. Will write more later about todays lunch. Would love to hear what others have to say about their experiences there.

I am hoping Ajay, Anil or Spicegirldc or someone else that has any knowledge about Gujarati food would share with us what makes it Unique from other cuisines. What amazes me is that even though Gujarat has neighboring states with a very different style of food, it has maintained its own very unique and clean identity. What dishes should one know when thinking of Gujarati food? What restaurants around the world do you visit to eat this states food?

I've been wondering whether an eGullet outing to an Indian restaurant, under the guidance of a moderator, to which all are invited, space permitting, might be a good idea . I see Fat Guy's post on another thread and I would like to see more official events that are open to all. I hope it's not presumptuous to ask if Suvir would be willing to guide the way in terms of place and date. I will help in any way that I can.

Interest has been kindled in me about my relative ignorance of Indian cuisine by various posts in this forum. After countless dinners out, I grew tired of the limited variety and lack of adventure in the local Indian restaurants and promptly bought an Indian cookbook and borrowed two others. We had a few friends over (mostly to critique) and I decided to relate my virgin cooking experiament. I decided to start with basic dishes as when I make my mistakes I would like to be able to identify where they took place and know...somewhat...what the dish SHOULD look and taste like. I prepared Lamb braised in yoghurt with clove fennel cumin and tumeric. Eggplant roasted with onion and tomato. caulifower potato. and Naan. Eggplant: This dish was definately the best executed of all the dishes. It was lightly spiced and relayed the inherant goodness of its ingredients. Cauliflower and potato. The spicing was successful. I believe the recipe was from a Madhur Jaffrey cookbook. The potatoes were boiled and were firm. A quick dish, the easiest of all to prepare. Criticism: I cooked this dish in a wok because of 1)lack of room on the crowed range and 2) lack of enough pans large enough to contain this double-recipe quantity of ingredients. The caulifower was sufficiently crisp and tasty, but I did not achieve the carmalization on the outside that I was seeking. Next time I need to use much higher heat and if I am cooking in the same quantity probably cook in two batches. Naan: I got this recipe from the Food Network. It was a disaster for various reasons. Luckily I saw this coming and bought some pre-made naan (read pita bread ) that sufficed. There were several problems with the recipe and myself. The dough called for only one cup of flour to, I believe, 3/4 cup water and ghee. I realize that with flatbreads in general (I make various flatbreads all the time) you will usually uptick the flour by as much as 1/4 a cup, but this recipe needed at least 1/2 a cup more flour to make the dough even managable. The recipe also called for a 400 degree oven to be baked for 12 minutes . I thought it sounded a little off for my desired consistency and, with a dough this wet, it was. My first batch ended up like a cracker or wafer. The rest of the evening I used the same temperature for six minutes and achieved the desired chewiness but little to no color. The next time (tonight? I've got lots of leftovers) I will use a 500 + degree oven and vary the time until correct. Posibly further modify the recipe as well. Lamb and yoghurt: In my mind this was the most successful dish. The braising sauce consisting mostly of yoghurt and a little water was perfectly seasoned and divine. The lamb was the problem, but I knew it would be; my local (it really wasn't even THAT local) Indian grocer only had leg of lamb in his store, I of course wanted shoulder, doubly so after tasting the dry, somewhat crunchy meat. Nevertheless, I will definitely cook this dish again with a more suitable cut. Lessons learned. 1. Make Naan every night this week till I get it right. 2. Always use appropriate cuts of meat for various cooking techniques. 3. Not enough can be said for hot pans. 4. Use sufficient trepadation when tasting unknown ingredients. I had never had pure Asafoetida before and before adding it, surely I must taste it. About 1 1/2 teaspoons later, you can imagine my reaction. Any comments or suggestions are definately welcome as I am about as ignorant as they come. If anybody is interested in specific recipes, I can post them tonight or possibly tomorrow. Suvir: you had mentioned your sister lived in Dallas; Where does she shop for her indian staples? I had no problem with the location I went to, but one storefront is hardly a sufficient sample.

Hi, I am trying to duplicate the rich, creamy kormas found in our local restaurant. Does anyone have any suggestions? References in books don't seem to describe the navratan korma that is popular here. Published recipes seem to use yogurt or else a pureed nut base. I'm sure that the restaurant version isn't authentic, but it is good. It seems to be based on cream. What combination of spices is suggested? Thanks Rick

I am looking for regional vegetarian ideas from India that go beyond the stereotyped punjabi restaurant-style dishes that you usually find in Indian restaurants. Does anyone have any good cookbook suggestions on this topic? Thanks! Rick

The Portuguese influence on Goan cuisine fascinates me. The use of meats and unique flavors in Goan cooking could be very appetizing to the US diner, providing a great mix of east and west. However, the average Indian restaurant has few Goan influenced dishes on the menu. Why don't we see more Goan dishes? In one of the food magazines a writer wrote about her travels through India and the food she never managed to taste. (I'll have to find the author's name). I am unfamiliar with two very Portuguese-sounding Goan meat dishes she mentions in the article: bebhinca and goshtaba. How are these prepared? What are some other unique dishes? What are ingredients characteristic to Goan cooking? rks

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?

Good morning all...I had an Indian Buffet lunch at Masala Grill, in Princeton NJ. I was quite proud of myself, because for the first time, I easily identified the dishes, and knew what to expect, etc. After a year of concerted effort, I think the "basics" of Indian Cuisine have finally sunk in..and of course, now I'm in for a lifetime of learning about this complex cuisine! One dish that was made for me (yeah! I go there often enough now and ask enough questions, they treated me special!) yesterday , and which I could not quite understand the name of, was as follows: A cold, yellow crispy rice..puffy, like rice crispies. With herbs and finely chopped tomatoes and onion mixed in, and a distinct licorice flavor. I'd like to know what that is, so I can look it up in some of the books I have...I retain it better if I can read about it. Also, I had a relish with okra, that was VERY bitter..what spice is this?

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?