Edit History

Thank you for the wonderful welcome messages @TdeV and from others. I'll be sure to not only use, but share (to the best of my knowledge) about the foods and spices used. Cooking has given me a secondary creative outlet during our odd times.

@eugenep, if there is local Indian restaurant near you, please try out the "dum pukht" biryani cooked in that style. Some "biryani" are actually pulaos or half-pulaos, if that make sense. To distinguish the true biryani, restaurants will include "dum," short for "dum pukht" in their menus or food names. If you want to try making your own, you'll get the perfect pot from watching Chef Thumma-ji's cooking videos. He loves chilies so don't put the same amount, else you'll be experiencing "you know what" the following day! HAHA.

@Kim Shook, do you have a favorite Indian food you enjoy making? I think it has been established in this thread that biryanis are my ultimate favorite food. 🙂

@kayb, Thank you. I'm hoping somewhere on this forum will help/guide be locate where I could buy some edible, food-grade sandalwood powder known as "chandan" from the Santalum album tree. I found what I think is what I am looking for at Amazon.in, the Indian branch of Amazon.com. Due to restrictions, the items can't be shipped to the USA (from India). I'll definitely be sure to make a new post and let's see if anyone knows, otherwise, I'll skip that ingredient, since it's not considered compulsory spice.