Gram Flour

[Steve Plotnicki]

Suvir - A number of Indian restaurants in NYC have told me when I have inquired about wheat free breads, that in India they make a bread from gram flour. What is this bread called and how do they make it? I have never seen anyone in the U.S. or even London offer it.

[Suvir Saran]

Suvir - A number of Indian restaurants in NYC have told me when I have inquired about wheat free breads, that in India they make a bread from gram flour. What is this bread called and how do they make it? I have never seen anyone in the U.S. or even London offer it.

Steven we prepare several wheat free breads.

From many different grains. In fact people fast in India daily for many different reasons. And the first thing you give up for a fast is most often wheat and rice.

Thus, many other flours are used.

There is Missi Roti that is made very commonly in Indian homes.

And then there are the most amazing Besan kee Roti or Besan Ka Paratha. They are made with chickpea flour. Some add some wheat flour to the mix. Some chefs do not.

They are made like most other Indian flatbreads.

If you need a recipe, let me know. I shall work on some for you.

[indiagirl]

Piaza or piazi ( in some cases Piaj or Piaz depending on dialect)  literally means onion but has come to be synonymous with Bhaji

Do piaza ( as in Chicken Do piaza )  is another example of the word where it means "two onions" I think.  Onions are used at the beginning to form the base of the dish and then again at the end when deep fried onions are added to the dish

S

From Mughal Cooking - India's Courtly Cuisine, By Joyce Westrip. By far the best Mughlai cook book I have *ever* *ever* come across:

"Do means twice, piaz means onion. Do piaza, with onions, twice. Do_piaza Gosht (Lamb Do-Piaza) was a favourite of the Moghul court and it's name is a play on one of the Emperor Akbar's "jewels", his courtier Mullah Dopiaza. At this distance of time, no one is quite sure how "onions, twice" should be understood. Some say the onions should weigh twice as much as the meat, others that the onion should be introduced at two stages - the first time fried, the second time raw."

Probably off thread a little, but ScottishChef, have you ever served Khubani Murgh - Marinated Chicken in Apricot Sauce. To die for.

[Suvir Saran]

As per the Sarkars (Old Indian Publishing family from Calcutta) and the Tagore great grand nephew that lives in New York City, Piazi is the word used in their homes for onion pakoras and Bora is the word for vegetable pakoras.

Piaz is the word for onion. Do Piaza is the word for the dish made with meat or fish using lots of onions. And again they are not sure if the word meant twice the amount of onions or onions in two steps.

[A Scottish Chef]

Probably off thread a little, but ScottishChef, have you ever served Khubani Murgh - Marinated Chicken in Apricot Sauce. To die for.

No I haven't, but I'd love to see a recipe for it if you have one to share.

[A Scottish Chef]

And again they are not sure if the word meant twice the amount of onions or onions in two steps.

Babu's explanation of the name to me was that the basic curry sauce is made from lots of onions and for the Dopiaza onions were added again in thick slices just after the ghee melts.

He's definately from the two-step camp then.

[Suvir Saran]

And again they are not sure if the word meant twice the amount of onions or onions in two steps.

Babu's explanation of the name to me was that the basic curry sauce is made from lots of onions and for the Dopiaza onions were added again in thick slices just after the ghee melts.

He's definately from the two-step camp then.

A lot of chefs I know are from that camp.

And many home chefs from the other.