Rare Ingredients

[Episure]

Do you all know that Wheat gluten is made into spiced and dried Badis\Vadis and used in curries?

And rarely do I come across Puffed Lotus seeds(Makhana) and Lotus stems in Indian cooking.

Triphal/Tirfan/Sichuan Pepper as discussed in a recent thread.

Star Anise aka Chakriphool/Badian.

Suran(Elephant Yam/Foot) buds

Here in Bangalore I have come across a dried wild orange peel called Narthanga. I will be trying it out next week.

[mongo_jones]

isn't star anise used as a scenting agent in biryanis and certain marinades in hyderabadi and other muslim cuisines?

edited to add: it is certainly sold by the tonne in my local indian store (which seems to cater largely to south indians)--maybe i should ask the store manager what she uses it for. the last time when i tried to see if they had triphal i ended up in a long-distance conversation with the owner (another south indian) and our attempts to identify on the phone what this ingredient that neither of our home-cuisines cooks with might be was something to record.

Edited February 15, 2004 by mongo_jones (log)

[Episure]

isn't star anise used as a scenting agent in biryanis and certain marinades in hyderabadi and other muslim cuisines?

There may be very few who use it. By and large the recipes do not call for it.

I'll take a picture of Triphal/Tirfan/Sichuan Pepper and post it to make your task easier.

[mongo_jones]

thanks! even better, now that you're in bangalore can you find out what the locals call it?

then again given the ban in the u.s possibly the indian wholesalers won't be able to get it at all.

[Vikram]

Episure, while you're investigating rare ingredients in Bangapore can you check if anyone is still making Coorgi bamboo shoot pickle? Niligiri's used to sell it and it was GREAT, but I have seen it in years,

Vikram

[bague25]

While I find most ingredients mentioned (even fresh bamboo shoots) in various ethnic stores, I have not yet found charoli or chironji nuts...

Episure, how do you cook your puffed lotus seeds? I usually sauté them in a little oil and add to a curry (usually a mix vegetable curry). Anyone has other suggestions?

I also get dried lotus stem that need to be rehydrated in the Chinese store

[Episure]

While I find most ingredients mentioned (even fresh bamboo shoots) in various ethnic stores, I have not yet found charoli or chironji nuts...

Episure, how do you cook your puffed lotus seeds? I usually sauté them in a little oil and add to a curry (usually a mix vegetable curry). Anyone has other suggestions?

I also get dried lotus stem that need to be rehydrated in the Chinese store

Your method for puffed lotus seeds is correct.

Sometimes I saute them with a little Butter and red Chilli powder and serve them as an accompaniment with drinks.

Doesn't the dried Lotus stem get stringy?

Vikram

I'll get you some real stuff from one of my Coffee Planter friends.

I enjoyed reading your article in the Economic Times on your experience of the 18 hour SIA inaugural flight, Singapore to LA., lucky you.

[bague25]

Doesn't the dried Lotus stem get stringy?

Indeed that was my impression when I first saw the dried lotus stems (they look stringy). But being adventurous, I tried them and to my surprise after rehydration they were just like fresh (or canned) lotus stems.

[Swati]

I was unable to load the image.

Here's the url

http://www-ang.kfunigraz.ac.at/~katzer/eng...l?Zant_pip.html

Its called Gernot Katzer's Spice Pages and the photo has te caption "Dried fruits of Z. rhetsa, an North Indian relative of sichuan pepper (tilfda, tirphal, tippal)"

Is this the triphal that is being referred to?

Swati

[deliad]

Do you all know that Wheat gluten is made into spiced and dried Badis\Vadis and used in curries?

And rarely do I come across Puffed Lotus seeds(Makhana) and Lotus stems in Indian cooking.

We have used atleast 2 of these that you mention:

1. Wheat Gluten Wadi is more popularly known as "Mukand Wadi" in Delhi and Punjab areas. Not every grocer keeps it but you can still find it. Our grandmothers used to make it at home that's how I know it is wheat gluten.

2. Lotus stems (more popularly known as Bhein or Kamal Kakdi) is one of my favorite items for Pulao, Pakodas or as a dish (Masala Bhein) filled with different spices and sauted / cooked for more than 2 hours or so.. Yum yum yum...

It is very difficult to find both of the above in the US. Though I have seen Lotus stems now in Korean grocery stores..

[bague25]

Lotus stems (more popularly known as Bhein or Kamal Kakdi) is one of my favorite items for Pulao, Pakodas or as a dish (Masala Bhein) filled with different spices and sauted / cooked for more than 2 hours or so.. Yum yum yum...

Deliad

Could you please share the recipes? The pulao sounds good - I can almost imagine it's taste but some more precision would help. Thanks

The Masala Bhein seems wicked too

[Episure]

Here it is Tirphal/Tirfan/Sichuan Pepper/Sansho

My stuff comes from Goa.

[deliad]

Could you please share the recipes? The pulao sounds good - I can almost imagine it's taste but some more precision would help. Thanks

The Masala Bhein seems wicked too

Sure can do.. it will take some time though..so please be patient.

Cheers!!

[Edward]

Episure, how do you cook your puffed lotus seeds? I usually sauté them in a little oil and add to a curry (usually a mix vegetable curry). Anyone has other suggestions?

I have seen them fried in ghee and then served on some sort of kheer. There is a recipe in Yamuna Devi's cookbook where they are fried in ghee and floated in panchamrita.

[Episure]

Minced Lotus stems/Bhein/Kamalkakdi can also be made Keema style. They sometimes make their way into Pachranga Achar.

Another rare stuff is Singhi/Murangakai/Drumstick flowers which can be made into a Sukha Bhaji.

Dhingri Mushrooms, the real stuff can cost upto Rs.2000 a kilo, Gucchi( Morels) can flavour your pulao at Rs. 6000 a kilo! These are understandably rare.

[bague25]

Other items to the list of ingredients rare/unusual are ones we do not get here (or get them rarely)

- Dhania Dal

- Chowli greens

- Drumstick leaves (makes wonderful bhaji like the flowers do apparently full of vitamins)

- Tamarind leaves (for tangy chutney)

- chikoos

- boras

- kala jamun (the fruit)

- green jamuns (the fruit again)

- sugarcane and it's juice (with lime & ginger like at the Gateway of India, yum)

- fresh val (a bean)

- dried fish

- Goa sausages

I am not too mad about the last two but I miss them since I do not get them here. At my last visit I managed to smuggle in a kilo of Dried Bombay ducks...

I'm sure if I think more I'll find other stuff ...

... anyways the positive side is that I can discover a lots of other stuff (non-indian) available here and not in India (truffles, a myriad of other mushrooms, and exotic meat - snails and frog legs )

[Episure]

sugarcane and it's juice (with lime & ginger like at the Gateway of India, yum)

I am also now an ex Bombayite.

I presume you are referring to the sugarcane juice stall that used to give 50% discount to students. Boy, they had big glasses.

I guess you too are an ingredient hunter, could you please find out the price of Morels. Sometime back, with the conditions prevailing in the Afganistan, Pak, Kashmir area, the price of Morels was less in Europe than in India.

[bague25]

I presume you are referring to the sugarcane juice stall that used to give 50% discount to students. Boy, they had big glasses.

I guess you too are an ingredient hunter, could you please find out the price of Morels. Sometime back, with the conditions prevailing in the Afganistan, Pak, Kashmir area, the price of Morels was less in Europe than in India.

Yes about the sugarcane juice stall...

Yes also about being the fellow ingredient hunter ...

I can tell you about Morels since I got some at Christmas time

Dried Morels 7 euros for 30 gms (at the supermarket)

Fresh morels at our weekly neighbourhood open air market 18 euros for 100 gms but of the most wonderful quality...

I made some gucchi pulao.

Truffle are very very expensive this year because of last year’s drought. I got one (about 10 gms) for 10 euros from a producer!

[jw46]

Gucchi( Morels) can flavour your pulao at Rs. 6000 a kilo! These are understandably rare.

Lotsa Morels up here in Idaho...come up like crazy a year or two after a forest fire burns the area...

Perhaps it would be worth my while to trouble my creaky knees to go out into the mountains to get some...

My neighbors go out picking and usually give me a pound or two...I guess that is to partially make up for their constantly barking dogs...

[Rushina]

Episure you sound like you are homesick for Bombay!

Anyways have sent u a PM but was not sure if ou would get it so am posting here.

I have someone coming to BLR and I am sending your Trphal with the same, if ou want anything else please email me or PM me.

Rushina

[Episure]

I can tell you about Morels since I got some at Christmas time

Dried Morels 7 euros for 30 gms (at the supermarket)

Very Expensive! That's twice the price, but then it's a retail supermarket.

Maybe we should carry JW46 up.

Edited February 19, 2004 by Episure (log)

[bague25]

Maybe we should carry JW46 up.

Do you dispatch worldwide JW46?

[jw46]

Do you dispatch worldwide JW46?

No, but if you make it up this way, I'll guide you to the good spots...

The middle of May is prime picking time

[Episure]

Here in Bangalore I have come across a dried wild orange peel called Narthanga. I will be trying it out next week.

I'm dissapointed because it turned out to be salt cured Citron which is sometimes called Junglee limbu/nimbu. It'll be a hit with pregnant ladies.

The name had a lot of promise.

[Episure]

Another rare ingredient is Kachri, a salted dried cucurbit. Found and used predominantly in Rajasthan, it adds a new dimension to Red chilli garlic chatnis.

I also use it in my version of a salsa.