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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

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?

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!

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

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

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!

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!)

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

Panfried Salmon in Indian spices This is a recipe which my Mom makes using fresh water or sea fish. Fishes like Salmon and Tilapia would go very well with this spice mix. The dish can be served with a simple side of shallot salsa. The spice rub can be modified to make it less hot. Spice Rub 1/2 tsp Turmeric 1 tsp Cayenne pepper 1 Curry leaves 1 tsp Fresh Ginger 1 tsp Coriander powder 1 tsp Oil Water Pepper Salt to taste Fish Salmon or Tilapia fillet Shallot salsa 5 Shallots 2 tsp Cilantro 2 tsp Fresh lime juice 1 Tomato Salt and Pepper Fish Fry: Clean the fish by removing the scales. Grind the ginger and curry leaf. Mix the ingredients in the spice rub to make a paste. Apply the spice rub on the fish fillet and marinate for an hour. Pan fry the fish under low heat. Shallot Salsa: Cut the shallots in to very thin slices. Take them apart by splitting them with your fingers. Add chopped cilantro and tomato. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add the lime juice and mix well Keywords: Main Dish, Dinner, Seafood, Indian, Easy, The Daily Gullet, Fish ( RG1771 )

Here's a link to an amusing article in the Boston Globe: http://www.boston.com/ae/food/articles/200...in_my_vindaloo/

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

Howdy! Having for now turned my back on my coconut obsession (I got a $2 grater at the Vietnamese grocery which doesn't work very well at all) I've turned my front to pickling. I tried two pickles from Julie Sahni's books today, a lemon pickle from Classic Indian Cooking and a carrot pickle in mustard oil from her Classic Indian Vegetarian and Grain Cooking. The lemon pickle calls for 6 lemons to be stuffed with cumin, pepper and salt, stuffed in a jar with the juice of 3 lemons poured on top. It then sits for 7 days before being boiled with sugar and stuff. So I'm not understanding what the lemon juice is for if the lemons aren't even sitting in it. Should they be? Seems like not enough lemon juice if that's the case. Also, is this sanitary or is this a breeding ground for bacteria? The carrot pickle calls for carrot sticks to be tossed in spices (crushed mustard seeds, red pepper, salt and turmeric), fried in oil and lemon juice and then jarred for several days. I have some carrots poking out the top of the oil... will they be fine or should I either squeeze them down or open it up and throw the poker-outers away? Is any of this sanitary or sane? Any help much appreciated.

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.

Frozen Indian foods catch on in US So, have you all tried any of these?

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

There are 2 punjabi restaurants in NJ, one in parsippany and one in piscataway...they both serve excellent chicken shish kabab...they are soft, spicy with coriander seeds and such...they taste just like the street kababs from india... anybody have good authentic recipes for this?

Hello, I have had this dish at Indique in Washington, DC and it is wonderful. Does anyone have a reicpe or can you direct me to a book that may have it? Thank you

I am fairly new to eating Indian food, and I'm looking for a good place to try in the Montclair/B'field/Nutley area. Non-vegetarian would be preferable. Also, if you want to recommend your favorite Indian dishes, that would also be appreciated. Thanks for your help!

Hi, I am looking for the perfect muslim biryani they give during Ramzan festival..is there anybody who can help me?Thanks in advance.

we are looking for great low key indian food a little ambiance is nice but not necessary would rather not go to the village or upper east or west side

Howdy! I have some general coconut questions concerning picking out and opening a coconut. Does Indian food usually/aways use brown coconuts, or sometimes green or does it not matter? Is there any way to tell before you buy it if the coconut is rotten, or do you just have to open it and taste the water? I look for uncracked heavy coconuts that you can hear the swishing of the water inside, but this has been fallible. Julei Sahni says cracking a coconut using the back of a knife or cleaver is dangerous. She recommends piercing the eyes, baking it for half an hour, wrapping it in a towel, whacking it and then whacking it some more. I've tried it both ways and much prefer whacking it with the back of a knife to baking it. Why is this unsafe? What body part of mine am I endangering? Should I be wearing goggles? A gauntlet? Chain mail? Buying life insurance?

A friend has urged me to go from a place I work in Trenton, to Edison, to pick up Indian food on the way back to Philly. She has recommended dishes at various restaurants. Here is the list: all on Oak Tree Rd, Edison 08820 Galaxy: chole bhatura, samosa, thali, pau bhaji Dimple's: sambhar, dosa, idli, chat papri Bombay Talk: chat papri Rajbhog: moti choor ladoo , gulab janum, rasgula, jalibi, rasmalai I cannot find records of these restaurants. Anyone have any info? The theory is that this is authentic Indian food. And she is Indian born and bred, so she should know...

There are, of course, a great number of Indian places on Scott Road in Surrey, but I'm looking for one that was recommended by a friend. It's on Scott Road above a bank. It's a more upscale place. That's all I know about it. Does it ring any bells? I'd like to take my mother-in-law there for mother's day. Thanks.