Indian Food

[Episure]

Rajeev Patgaonkar is one of the Kellogg Center's premier chefs

His expertise even took him to kitchens in the Saudi royal family's palaces.

Secret of Indian cookery. It's the spice box - and a coffee grinder .

"The coffee grinder is an indispensable tool if you're going to make your own powders," she said. "After you finish with one spice, you wash it or wipe it down, and it's ready for the next spice. Once a week, or once in two weeks, I grind my fennel, coriander, cumin and even black pepper, and then it's ready to go."

[Episure]

Sizz’l-n-Spice, downtown Detroit’s’s new Indian restaurant

. The teeming hordes of Compuware and other downtown businesses are coming for owner Ragu Rao’s brilliant concept of the carry-out buffet: all you can stuff into a box for $4.95 (vegetarian) or $5.95 (carnivores).

The lunch buffet offers at least 13 items to choose from, including tandoori chicken every day, salad and dessert. Those with a longer lunch break can choose the all-you-can-stuff-into-yourself, sit-down deal, at $7.95.

[gingerly]

http://autofeed.msn.co.in/pandorav3/output...e69f63b0d9.aspx

Pop star Michael Jackson has hired the Indian manager of a top curry house in Scotland to be his personal chef during a visit to Britain in November.The superstar has asked Raj Bajwe, 41, to fly to London next month to cook his favourite Indian meals

Reports say that Raj, manager of Glasgow's award-winning Cafe India, will prepare Jackson's favourite vegetarian dishes including 'Saag Paneer', 'Allo Golu', 'pakora', fried rice dishes, 'chapatis' and 'naan' breads

"His favourite Indian dish is 'Saag Paneer', which is spinach cooked through with cheese. He just loves that. He also likes 'Allo Golu', which is a spicy potato dish.

[Episure]

Monica Bhide profiles chicken curry versions in the washington post

Just as many states, regions and sub-regions in the United States have their own version of barbecue, every state and sub-region of India has its own version of chicken curry -- which translates literally to "chicken in a spiced sauce."

Home to more than a billion people, speaking more than a dozen languages and of hugely different ethnicities, India has at least 35 recognized cuisines. Each cuisine is greatly influenced by local ingredients, geography, history and religion.

[Geetha]

I wonder if there is a pointer here

The so-called Punjabi food, now unfortunately known as Indian food all over, uses a mishmash of tomato and onion for anything that goes into a cooking pan. The subtle flavours of each dish, or shall we call it, its individuality, is mercilessly drowned. This is a tendency, which has started making inroads into Bengali cuisine also, and certainly in the presentations of professional caterers of Bengali food. An overdose of coriander leaves is also not infrequent. It is time that we take serious notice and not let our cuisine be debauched

My my

Edited October 22, 2004 by Geetha (log)

[cherimoya]

There is an article on "Fragrant Feasts of Lucknow" in the current (October 2004) issue of saveur.

Roohi

[Episure]

Suvir's Devi Restaurant, 212-691- 1300, the city's newest high- end Indian restaurant,

Or just stop in for a saffron martini and either a chai panna cotta or mango cheesecake. I couldn't find anything there that didn't taste wonderful.

[deliad]

Nimmi Paul of Kerala to showcase Indian cooking in USA.

Link

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/905765.cms

[Episure]

Bombay to Watsonville

Lil India, Nijjar's newest restaurant, brings mostly northern Indian curries, clay pot foods and tandoori dishes to East Lake Village in what is most likely the first Indian restaurant in Watsonville's history.

"A lot of people said that with the Latinos here and the Mexican restaurants, an Indian restaurant wouldn't make it," Nijjar said.

But two weeks into serving more than a dozen different dishes, Nijjar has found the Indian food business in Watsonville thriving. In such a short time, several customers have even become regulars, she said.

[Episure]

Hungary for Curry

Around 360 guests sampled food from some of Budapest's best Indian restaurants,

Dishes of India Sparkles with Innovative Wine Dinner

Dishes of India sparkled last week as it hosted a special Four-Course Sparkler Dinner. Conducted by John Barth from Virginia Imports, it featured sparkling wines from Italy, France, Spain, Napa and Sonoma, coupled with special menu items from the restaurants.

[Monica Bhide]

The Economic Times features Monica's Choice

[Episure]

Fiery combination

When Indian spices team with Chinese fare, the `tangy fusion' causes culinary sparks to fly

By Monica Bhide, Special to the Tribune. Monica Bhide is author of "The Everything Indian Cookbook: 300 Tantalizing Recipes--From Sizzling Tandoori Chicken to Fiery Lamb Vindaloo."

These dishes belong to a cuisine popularly known as "Indian Chinese," a blending of Chinese cooking styles and Indian tastes. For years Indian Chinese has been included in many restaurant menus in India and is popular at roadside eateries as well. Unlike the Chinese cuisine served in traditional Chinese restaurants, this style has a strong bias towards spicier, more pronounced flavors.

New York-based Indian food writer Aminni Ramachandran agreed.

"Indian Chinese is gaining popularity because most Indians associate Chinese food with the type of Indian Chinese they had back in India," Ramachandran said. "The authentic Chinese served at various Chinatowns in the U.S. is very different in taste. For a long time there were only the tandoori-type Indian restaurants in the United States.

"In recent years Indian regional food has become more popular. And for people of Bengal, Mumbai and Delhi who have grown up enjoying the Chinese cuisine in India, these fusion Chinese Indian restaurants are in essence another regional cuisine restaurant."

[Edward]

meant to post this before but forgot....this is an article Vikram wrote for the year end edition of Economic Times that has some commentary from me....

economictimes

[Episure]

Tantric pleasures the palate

The cuisine of the moment in Boston is Indian. Who would have guessed the home of the bean and the cod would become the home of the dhal and the naan with a spate of new, hip Indian restaurants?

    For years, the only Indian food available in these parts was the Moghul cooking of Northern India, with its tandoori roasts, biryanis and pullaos. The vast majority of Indian restaurants were dimly lighted, often down-at-the-heel affairs with virtually identical menus. But India is a huge country with many distinct regional cuisines. So when local Indian restaurateurs began opening stylishly decorated, upscale restaurants featuring authentic dishes from such places as Kerala, Goa and Hyderabad, discerning diners couldn’t get enough.

    The latest entry is Tantric Bar & Grill at the Transportation Building in the Theatre District.

[whippy]

Pierce Brosnan, Restaurateur

[Milagai]

article on a new bangla-style restaurant in NYC called

Babu. this appeared in the latest new yorker mag.

check out the interesting pricing strategy.

http://www.newyorker.com/talk/content/inde...321ta_talk_mead

[Episure]

' Desi in America ' by our own Monica Bhide

About 13 years ago, when I first moved to Washington DC, finding Indian restaurants locally was difficult; finding good Indian restaurants was close to impossible.

The winds of change are here. Indian cuisine, it appears, is finally coming of age in Washington DC.

Gone are the days when tandoori chicken was viewed as the national dish of India and mango lassi its national drink. Today's local Indian restaurants operated by professionally trained chefs have raised the bar on Indian cuisine.

Introducing the Western palate to the vibrant regional tastes of India along with the legendary hospitality of Indians, they have moved Indian cuisine into the foray of fine dining. Flavors are becoming much more refined.

[Episure]

Monica again, this time she's been fishing around in Bombay.

Red snapper marinated with curry leaves and steamed in banana leaves, and the chef's signature dish -- crab butter pepper garlic -- were served in copper plates lined with banana leaves. Luscious baby prawns curried in raw mangoes along with rice pancakes were adorned with fried-egg centers.

But it was the okra pickles, bitter gourd chutney, unpolished red rice and a coconut-flavored white fish curry that brought on an urge to hug the chef. Then again, so did the tab: Generous portions for four cost around $45, including drinks.

[Edward]

Hello All,

If you are in the DC area you might be interested in this event at Whole Foods Market.

Thursday, April 7 and Friday, April 8

Indian-food expert and author Julie Sahni (Classic Indian Cooking) leads a tasting of Indian cuisine at Whole Foods (1440 P St., NW) while Indian musicians play live in the cafe. 5 to 8 PM. Free. Call 202-332-4300 for more.

I will be there with Julie. Come by, do some tasting and say hello!

Edward

Edited April 1, 2005 by Edward (log)

[Episure]

Monica Bhide in NY Times As Cash Flows In, India Goes Out to Eat

As India has opened its doors to foreign trade, millions of its people have found themselves with more lucrative jobs, less free time and greater exposure to foreign influences. In the process, what they eat and the way they eat have changed.

Rashmi Uday Singh, Mumbai's best-known food critic, said the restaurant terrain has been transformed since she began writing reviews 23 years ago.

"For instance," she said, "Mumbai has recently seen the opening of a spate of new Japanese sushi bars like Tiffin at the Oberoi hotel, a lounge that serves sushi and Indian side by side. Sushi was virtually unheard of in the past." Restaurants serving Korean, Moroccan, Malaysian, Indonesian, Italian, Lebanese, Burmese and Mongolian food have also opened recently in Mumbai.

Edited April 20, 2005 by Episure (log)

[Shiewie]

The Observer on the street food of Mumbai - Up Bombay

The most sought-after table in Britain at the moment is tucked down an alley in London's Knightsbridge. Mick Jagger, Madonna, Gwyneth and Chris have all been spotted eating charcoal grilled fish kebabs and pomegranate raita in the dimly lit, rosewood-panelled room. And, since Cindy Crawford threw a party downstairs in the private room, Amaya has become known as the Indian Nobu and is set to win plenty of awards this year. Started by the Panjabi family, who first made Indian food smart in London with the Bombay Brasserie, Chutney Mary, Veeraswamy and Masala Zone, the food is less sloppy curry, more dry tandoori things on sticks and the best biryani I have ever tasted.

So, when I was in Mumbai and a cookbook called 50 Great Curries of India appeared in my hotel room with a letter from the author and Amaya co-owner, Camellia Panjabi, offering to show me 'the real food of Mumbai', I couldn't resist.

[Flotch]

Quilon Indian Restaurant on No.3 Road in Richmond serves up an excellent masala dosa and delicious home-style chai!

[deliad]

Quilon Indian Restaurant on No.3 Road in Richmond serves up an excellent masala dosa and delicious home-style chai!

←

Flotch,

Looks like you wanted to post this in the Indian Restaurants thread. This thread is about Indian Food News and Media.

And which Richmond are you talking about, Richmond, Virginia or Richmond California or Richmond UK??

[Episure]

India Garden & Grill at Richmond VA

Heavily influenced by the cuisine of Bombay, a city known for straddling the country's north-south culinary border, the menu ranges from first-timer favorites, such as tandoori chicken ($13.95), to more unique dishes, such as kadai goat masala ($16.95), goat marinated and cooked in an Indian wok (kadai) with mint sauce. Special South Indian, Bombay and Indo-Chinese menu sections offer more variety.

[Monica Bhide]

Mark Bittman takes on Suvir Saran -- Passage to India with ease -- Part of Mark's new book - Bittman takes on America's chefs, this piece appears in today's New York Times.

Enjoy!