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Spice question

chromedome

By chromedome
in India: Cooking & Baking

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chromedome

chromedome

Posted
Posted

Forgive me if this question has been asked before...I'm a newbie here, and between work and school haven't had time to slog through the archives yet.

I've recently added fenugreek seeds to my pantry, as they were called for in a few savoury dishes I wanted to try. Having used them for a few months, now, I've become quite enamored of their flavour and aroma when toasted...but I'm thinking they'd be great in pastries, too.

I'm going to be playing around with this for a while, but I was curious whether fenugreek seeds are used for sweets or pastries in India? If so, are they generally combined with one or more other spices?

“Who loves a garden, loves a greenhouse too.” - William Cowper, The Task, Book Three

 

"Not knowing the scope of your own ignorance is part of the human condition...The first rule of the Dunning-Kruger club is you don’t know you’re a member of the Dunning-Kruger club.” - psychologist David Dunning

 

BBhasin

BBhasin

Posted
Posted

I don't think fenugreek seeds are used in pasteries and sweets but if you are at it give it a shot and see what you come up with it maybe a great culinary find, you never know.

I was browsing this CIA online course where they were discussing how soy sauce enhances umami ( the fifth taste) and it apparently helped some sweeter stuff too.

Bombay Curry Company

3110 Mount Vernon Avenue, Alexandria, VA 22305. 703. 836-6363

Delhi Club

Arlington, Virginia

chromedome

chromedome

Posted
  • Topic Starter
Posted

:biggrin: Yes, I was quite amused to see that course on the CIA website. "Soy Sauce...not just for Asian foods any more!" As far back as I can remember, my father has been using soy sauce in soups, stews, and meat dishes of all kinds; and as a key ingredient in the marinade he'd use with anything he put on the hibachi (hey, it was the early 70's).

I grew up thinking of soy as something one could use in any savoury dish, and was quite surprised as an adult to find that it was considered exclusively "Asian" (and downright miffed when one of my dishes in cooking school was criticised as "a weak attempt at fusion" because I'd put soy in it...).

“Who loves a garden, loves a greenhouse too.” - William Cowper, The Task, Book Three

 

"Not knowing the scope of your own ignorance is part of the human condition...The first rule of the Dunning-Kruger club is you don’t know you’re a member of the Dunning-Kruger club.” - psychologist David Dunning

 

Mudpuppie

Mudpuppie

Posted
Posted

Interesting idea, using fenugreek in pastries. I like it!

Fenugreek always reminds me (pleasantly) of butterscotch pudding. The bitterness factor might be difficult to overcome....

I'm interested to hear how this works out for you.

amanda

Googlista

Edward

Edward

Posted
Posted

Fenugreek always reminds me (pleasantly) of butterscotch pudding. The bitterness factor might be difficult to overcome....

I have also heard some cooks refer to methi seeds as "maple-bitter". Incidently, the seeds are used in the production of artificial maple syrup to capture that "maple" flavor.

By the way... My name is Edward and I am new to this forum. I live in Northern Virginia and teach Indian cooking in the Baltimore/D.C. area. I have known of egullet for a while but did not join until this weekend. Now I see what I have been missing out on! From what I can see you guys are a great group. I am really looking forward to participating.

Edward Hamann

Cooking Teacher

Indian Cooking

edhamann@hotmail.com

Mudpuppie

Mudpuppie

Posted
Posted
I have also heard some cooks refer to methi seeds as "maple-bitter". Incidently, the seeds are used in the production of artificial maple syrup to capture that "maple" flavor.

By the way... My name is Edward and I am new to this forum. I live in Northern Virginia and teach Indian cooking in the Baltimore/D.C. area. I have known of egullet for a while but did not join until this weekend. Now I see what I have been missing out on! From what I can see you guys are a great group. I am really looking forward to participating.

Hi, Edward. Thanks for the info about fenugreek. I never knew about its use in fake maple syrup, but it makes perfect sense! Welcome....

amanda

Googlista

Monica Bhide

Monica Bhide

Posted
Posted

Fenugreek always reminds me (pleasantly) of butterscotch pudding. The bitterness factor might be difficult to overcome....

I have also heard some cooks refer to methi seeds as "maple-bitter". Incidently, the seeds are used in the production of artificial maple syrup to capture that "maple" flavor.

By the way... My name is Edward and I am new to this forum. I live in Northern Virginia and teach Indian cooking in the Baltimore/D.C. area. I have known of egullet for a while but did not join until this weekend. Now I see what I have been missing out on! From what I can see you guys are a great group. I am really looking forward to participating.

Welcome Edward. Do tell us more about yourself. What kind of courses do you teach? I live in Northern VA as well

Welcome to eGullet and to the India forum

Monica Bhide

A Life of Spice

Edward

Edward

Posted
Posted

Hello Monica and everyone else,

Thanks for the warm welcome. Well... I am 33 years old and South Asian cooking has been a near all-consuming passion for me since the age of 20. I have learned from housewives, books, travel to India, trial and error and generally poking my nose in things. I have also studied with the amazing Julie Sahni in NY.

For the last 3 years I have taught classes at a cooking school in Baltimore called A Cook's Table. I teach mostly North Indian and Bengali-style dishes, but I'm not limited to just that.

I'm actually trying to get started on expanding the places I teach at. I'm working out a plan to teach people in their homes. Monica, have you done any teaching in private homes?

Thanks

Edward

Edward Hamann

Cooking Teacher

Indian Cooking

edhamann@hotmail.com

Monica Bhide

Monica Bhide

Posted
Posted

Edward -- welcome. You certainly will bring a lot to this forum. We are all excited to have you here.

Yes, I have done private classes at people's homes -- it is a lot of fun. I dont do as many as I used to though

Tell us more about your class.. would love to hear more.

How did you like Julie Sahni's class??

Monica Bhide

A Life of Spice

bague25

bague25

Posted
Posted
What are laddus, Bague?

Laddus are an indian sweetmeat. Examples are besan (gramflour) laddus, rava (semolina) laddus, coconut laddus (also written ladoos). They are sphere-shaped (from golf ball to tennis ball sizes).

Help someone, please give a better explanation :unsure:

I'll post some laddu recipes later...

http://bombay-bruxelles.blogspot.com/
jw46

jw46

Posted
Posted
By the way... My name is Edward and I am new to this forum. I live in Northern Virginia and teach Indian cooking in the Baltimore/D.C. area.

Hiya Edward..have learned a lot lurking in here, hopefully, even more with you aboard...

Not a cookbook writer, restaurant owner or even vaguely Indian...Just likes to explore new textures, flavors and spices...As well as messing up the kitchen...lol...

Welcome aboard...

Edward

Edward

Posted
Posted

How did you like Julie Sahni's class??

The week spent studying with Julie was one of the best experiences of my life. She is a dynamo of a person. It's always good to see and taste how someone else does things. And when it's with an expert like her there is this sort of subtle fine tuning of things. Especially with spices. Plus, it brought her cookbooks even more to life for me.

Edward Hamann

Cooking Teacher

Indian Cooking

edhamann@hotmail.com

gingerly

gingerly

Posted
Posted

another one steps from the shadows...hello all!enjoying this forum very much-finally plucked up the nerve to wade in.

fenugreek seed crops up in several sweets from the west coast of india-goa,karnataka,possibly kerala too though i'm not certain and maharashtra & gujarat as mentioned earlier.

used roasted or boiled and combined variously with coconut,sesame,rice,millet,cardomom and the common element seems to be palm jaggery,with its wondeful ,smoky flavour-perfect!

the only savoury(pastry) that comes to mind - and i'm sure there are more out there -is mathri-a fried pastry from north india, that is sometimes made using fenugreek leaves-very good stuff!

gingerly

gingerly

Posted
Posted

hello Monica-thank you-i'm happy to be here.this is just'homely' housewife me,a few dull ikea knives and a love of most things foodie!(i TRY but it just won't go away!)

Rushina

Rushina

Posted
Posted

Those methi ladoos are not that bitter. A maharashtran friend made them for me after I had my son. In fact I quite liked them.

Rushina

Rushina

Rushina

Posted
Posted

Well I hated Karela (bitter gourd) too but developed a real taste for it after I got married. I like it as is but I love the stuffed version - I guess there is no accounting for taste :raz:

Rushina

Rushina

Posted
Posted

Sigh!!!

How can I count the ways!! :wink:

:smile:

Used to be a time I hated Okra. As a child I threw a tantrum if I was expected to eat it. After I got married I have begun to eat that too. However in my marital home it is cooked with onions and tomatoes as opposed to just okra in my mothers house. Could be one reason I like it now!

Rushina

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