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Have any egulleters tried Indian Chinese? This is a wonderful combination, I think many of you had a taste of this thanks to Suvir at Diwan -- the garlic cauliflower I would love to get some discussion going in this area... I would be happy to share some recipes here as well Thoughts? Comments?

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?

As most people know, the Chicken Tikka Masala is a creation not of Indian Kitchens but of Indian chefs in Birmingham, England, trying to prepare a dish that was palatable to the tastes of UK punters. It is, at worst, oily and an extraordinary bright red colour. However, in a recent conversation with a chef at one of the top hotels in Delhi, I was told that the dish is now on just about every restaurant menu in India also. It has been refined, developed and made with natural local ingredients. His version is Chicken Tikka ( made with a wonderful sounding corriander and garlic past marinade and then tandoored ) with a rich butter, tomato and fenugreek leaf sauce. My question is this. Can a dish created by Indian chefs who are working in the Indian Diaspora and which is taken on by hose chefs still working in India, be called an Indian dish? S

I just served some friends a Curry Steak. They said it was the best steak they have ever had. Moist, juicy, succulent, nice big piece and so delicious. Now I realize I have to really open my own Steak House soon. What great things one can do with curry.

Do you have favorite desserts that you prepare using Indian spices or ingredients? What are they? Recipes? Where did you get inspiration to make them?

There is a new Indian restaurant in Hoboken - Saffron Grill. It's on Bloomfield Street, on the corner of 4th Street. I just went there for lunch, to check out their Lunch Buffet. The food was very good. I definately recomend checking it out sometime. The prices for the menu dishes also seem reasonable, especially compared to either India on the Hudson or Karma Kafe. They also apparently do delivery themselves, unlike Karma Kafe/India on the Hudson, who do only deliver via the "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner" delivery service.

Anyone have any favorite recipes for Vegetable Biryani? I'm cooking for a large group and wanted some new variations, other then my usual recipe...

I have tried repeatedly to come up with a homemade curry that is not bland and lifeless. I am not a bad home cook; in fact, every thing else I make turns out great. Nevertheless, my curry dilemma has wreaked havoc upon my confidence as a home cook. Is there a fail-safe recipe out there for one? Any tips on what makes a curry sizzle. Pastes or Powder? Or is it just plain impossible for a white dude to make a decent curry? Indian, Thai or other, jus something that tastes good!

In the last several years I have seen books from new and upcoming foodies from India. Maya Kaimal, Monica Bhardwaj, Raghavan Iyer and now our very own Monica Bhide (spicegirldc with her cookbook, Spice is Right) have added their voices and words into the world of Indian cooking. How does this change the world of Indian cooking? Where does this leave Mrs. Balbir Singh, Tarla Dalal, Madhur Jaffrey and Julie Sahni? Are these people competing with them? Are they adding new life into a cuisine that has gained tremendously from the efforts of the ones before them? Are they different from these pioneers? Is Pioneer a correct word to use to describe Mrs. Singh and Madhur? How are this new group of food writers and Indian food personalities different from the group before them? Should they be different? What would be the logical outcome of all of this?

I am posting below links from threads here that would help a novice to Indian cooking. Please add your experiences and other links that would be helpful.

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.

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?

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?

I've heard that DC has some excellent Indian and Middle Eastern restaurants, and my tastebuds need adventure (plus I need to get the Consort out of the house). So tell me where to go ... in the literal sense, of course.

Hi all, we are having a huge dinner tomorrow night and I am stuck in a rut about what sort of salad to serve. The dinner menu has all sorts of fish, chicken and vegetarian recipes, all Indian. I normally do two salads, one with yogurt ( a raita of sorts) and one with onions (with vinegar and red food color )... I would like to do something different tomorrow night. Any suggestions? Maybe somehting with potatoe croutons and toasted sesame seeds Okay, I need to feed.. will be back in a few

I have been asked to bring a few Indian inspired appetizers to a friend's Thanksgiving party tomorrow night. So far I have -- Bread Rolls stuffed with spiced potatoes, Tapioca Fritters and Potato Pomegrante Chaat... looking for other suggestions.. they are vegetarians....

For anyone who knows, is it possible to find a home-use tandoor in the US? Particularly in New York, or via mail order. As is, I'm thinking about trying my Foreman grill for making tandoori chicken, but I know it's going to come out strange if I do.

Hi ! I've been trying to gradually broaden my food knowledge, and I have recently purchased a bag of spicy Tikka Sev. It is quite good plain as a snack food, and I can see it as a cracker addition to soups and stews. Are there any other applications for it? Perhaps crushing for a breading? I am also at the point of wanting to try cooking some simple Indian recipes. I primarily use a steamer for my cooking. Are there any Indian dishes that would be well suited to steaming as the cooking method? Thanks in advance!

I made another batch of Apple Chutney at Diwan tonight. Made me wonder if others are making any. How do you make your version? Where is the recipe from?

I've never found truly great Indian food here. I'm told that the good stuff is down on the Peninsula (which, since it's not surrounded on three sides by water, is not a peninsula) or in Berkeley. Isn't there something great here? I haven't been to Shalimar. I admit I need to try it. I've tried Star India (Polk St. and the other location) -- very inconsistent. Most dishes with similarly colored gravies taste the same. (A common failing of Indian restaurants.) I've tried India Oven (Fillmore/Haight?). Pretty good. Too mellow. I tried the place at 9th and Lincoln (9th & Lincoln). I remember it being very good, but no specifics. I tried Pakwan. (16th and Valencia.) Nothing to write home about. Nothing to write egullet about. I think people like the anti-trendy atmosphere. I'm usually a sucker for that, but the food isn't good enough. I think they just have tubs of various gravies (tikka masala; vindaloo; etc.) that they pour over the appropriate meat (or cheese). I tried Gaylords. (Embarcadero). When I ordered off the menu, I recall it being pretty good. The lunch buffet is sooo consistently bad (why do I keep going back?) it pisses me off. Usually nothing more than curried vegetables and chicken wings in grease (they've come up with a more appetizing name for this, but I know chicken wings in grease when I it). What am I missing?

I'm doing a Thanksgiving Dinner for about six/seven people and wanted to try out some Indian variations on the traditional Turkey dinner. Any suggesitons as to what has been tried successfully?

Appropriate to the season, I am wondering how Indians prepare sweet potatoes and yams. This year I have been assigned to bring a sweet potato/yam dish to the Thanksgiving potluck that I will be attending on the day after Thanksgiving, and I thought I'd not make the usual candied dish with marshmallows, and make something with exotic spices. If no other suggestions appear, I will probably make mashed sweet potatoes with butter, yoghurt, ginger, green chiles, garam masala, cardamom, and cinnamon. I'll throw some thinly sliced crisp caramelized onion on top for flavor as much as garnish. Anyone have any tips on how to enhance or improve the above? Better still, what are some genuine recipes that Indians use to prepare sweet potatoes?

I am making dinner for some friends and would like to make phirni for dessert...however I want to try something different with it...adding fruit, different flavors...Does anyone have any suggestions?

Eynsham, my home, is a large village of about 6,000 souls five miles west of Oxford. Like many Cotswold villages it is fairly wealthy; unlike most it is large enough to support a few services beyond one pub and a post office. There's a building just off the village square that has, in the 40 months since we moved in to the village, housed three different restaurants, all of which are/were good, and none of which (so far) have been able to make a living for their owners. Anyone would think the premises were cursed. About three months ago, the property reopened as an Indian restaurant called Chula. From the decor and the menu - which is short, only about twelve dishes - you can tell it's trying to be more than the average curry house. We've been a few times now, often enough for the staff to recognise us. Last time, Lucy ordered an okra dish, and the chef came out of the kitchen to say that he was unhappy with the freshness of his okra, and could he cook her a different vegetable dish? He offered two options, but sent out a small tasting portion of the one she didn't choose anyway. Tonight I worked late to try and clear my desk in preparation for our holiday which starts Thursday. When I got home, neither of us could be arsed to cook, and we needed to pop into the local to give a key to our friend who'll be feeding the cat while we're away. So we decided to nip down to Chula (it's only two minutes walk) for a quick bite. It was about seven when we walked in. The place was, depressingly, deserted. We were recognised by the waiters, and seated at the same table we occupied last time we visited. The chef came out of the kitchen to talk with us, and asked us what we'd like to eat - anything, whether it was on the menu or not. He suggested a number of options, one of which was 'a real biryani'. He wouldn't be able to do a perfect job, he said, because to cook biryani properly took much longer, but it would be worth eating. Sat with my back to the room, I didn't notice him remove one of the clay pots decorating the mantlepiece. Half an hour later, I certainly noticed the biryani emerge from the kitchen. When the dough sealing the pot closed was broken, the aroma filled the room - fresh mint, any number of spices. The raita served with it - whose name I can't remember - contained dried smoked chillies that added a wonderful earthy note to the dish. I knew that biryani was a grand banquet dish, but I've never understood why before. My closest friend as a teenager was from a Mumbai family, and his mother was a superb cook. I haven't had better Indian food since then. Once we'd eaten, we chatted with the chef for ten minutes. Turns out he formerly worked as a chef (not, I presume head chef, or he'd be running a big kitchen in London) at the Sheraton in Delhi. Give me 24 hours' notice next time you come, he said, and tell me what you'd like to eat. Now, I'm no expert on Indian cuisine. But I can tell you that I've never eaten Indian-inspired food of this freshness in this country before (but I've never eaten in any of the top London Indians - the chef said the chap who's currently cooking at the Red Fort used to be his boss in Delhi) and I've rarely met a chef of any kind who exuded such passion for his cooking. I have to fill this place up. Partly because good restaurants and good people deserve to prosper anyway, and partly for selfish reasons - I want to be able to eat great food within two minutes of home. If you're ever in the Oxford area, try it. Adam