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fem_phoenix1109
22 January 2014, 08:44 PM
Namaste,

The last time I visited a mandir, I stayed afterwards for prasad, and I have been trying to figure out what one of the dishes was and cannot find it! I'm hoping someone here can help me figure it out. I believe the main ingredient was chickpeas, or something similar to that, and it was very spicy (and delicious!). I would love to try to make it myself.

I went on a search online and found a recipe that I thought might be it, because the picture kind of looked like it. The recipe along with the picture can be found here: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/spicy-indian-dahl/. It is called Dahl. Even though it turned out not being what I was trying to make, it was actually very good, so it still worked out. The dahl was more soup like, whereas the dish I was aiming for was not souplike at all. Also the lentils in the dahl were much smaller than the beans that were in the other dish, and the other dish was spicier than the dahl.

Does anyone know a recipe that sounds like what I mentioned above? Or perhaps want to share any other good recipes that may be easy for a beginner to pick up on? To be honest, I haven't had much Indian food other than what was served at the Mandir, so I didn't even know that I liked it! Now that I found a few things that I enjoy, I'm curious what else is out there.

Thank you all.

Eastern Mind
22 January 2014, 09:15 PM
Vannakkam: There are about a million chick pea curry recipes. :) But since most of then are really delicious, I would just suggest experimenting until you get something close to what you ate.

My favorite is more a chick pea snack. ... finally chopped onions, finally chopped coconut, mustard seeds, a dash of turmeric, curry flakes to the hot level you want (not a ton of oil, maybe a tablespoon) ... saute all this til onions are browning, than add chick peas, either frozen cooked (we prepare a bunch at a time, and then freeze them) or canned. Keep it all fairly dry, and saute some more for awhile, keep stirring. Garnish with fresh coriander, if you have it.

Aum Namasivaya

fem_phoenix1109
23 January 2014, 04:45 AM
Thanks Eastern Mind, that sounds delicious!!

I was wondering something about the onions (and perhaps this belongs in a different thread altogether, I am unsure). The recipe I used called for a lot of onions and garlic, as did a lot of others that I came across. On the website of the temple that I visit, it states that only vegetarian meals may be prepared there. It also stated that cooking with onions and garlic is strictly forbidden. Why is this? I know that onions and garlic are a tamasic food, and I'm guessing that's why they don't allow it, but why are they tamasic? Should I try just omitting these ingredients when cooking? Usually I try offering my food to Lord Shiva before I eat (if the meal is sattvic and worthy to be offered to him) but I did not offer him any of this dish last night because it had onions and garlic.

Aum Nama Sivaya!!

Eastern Mind
23 January 2014, 07:01 AM
Thanks Eastern Mind, that sounds delicious!!

I was wondering something about the onions (and perhaps this belongs in a different thread altogether, I am unsure). The recipe I used called for a lot of onions and garlic, as did a lot of others that I came across. On the website of the temple that I visit, it states that only vegetarian meals may be prepared there. It also stated that cooking with onions and garlic is strictly forbidden. Why is this? I know that onions and garlic are a tamasic food, and I'm guessing that's why they don't allow it, but why are they tamasic? Should I try just omitting these ingredients when cooking? Usually I try offering my food to Lord Shiva before I eat (if the meal is sattvic and worthy to be offered to him) but I did not offer him any of this dish last night because it had onions and garlic.

Aum Nama Sivaya!!

Vannakkam: The restriction of onions and garlic is a sectarian and/or regional concept. Not all Hindu communities restrict it outright. So the use varies. In our case, we use more onions than garlic, to be sure.

Aum Namasivaya

fem_phoenix1109
23 January 2014, 07:55 AM
Thank you Eastern Mind,

Would you offer a dish prepared with onions to Lord Shiva? And as for the garlic, do you use more onions as a matter of taste, or is there a larger significance behind it.

Aum Namah Sivaya

Eastern Mind
23 January 2014, 09:41 AM
Thank you Eastern Mind,

Would you offer a dish prepared with onions to Lord Shiva? And as for the garlic, do you use more onions as a matter of taste, or is there a larger significance behind it.

Aum Namah Sivaya

Vannakkam: In our shrine room, I don't offer cooked food at all, just cut fruit. It's important to cut it (even just one end) as the devas can smell it better and are attracted. At the temple I attend, the only cooked food offered is about 5 different varieties of cooked rice, but only cooked by the priests at the temple, in their own special kitchen, not the main kitchen where lunch is served. None of those varieties contain garlic or onion.

Aum Namasivaya

fem_phoenix1109
23 January 2014, 10:24 AM
Namaste Eastern Mind,

Thank you for the information. I have been offering oatmeal to Lord Shiva most mornings. I didn't realize that you shouldn't offer cooked food. I thought I should offer anything I eat to God before partaking myself, unless of course it is something that would be inappropriate, such as unwholesome, tamasic food.

Pranam.

Believer
23 January 2014, 10:27 AM
Namaste,

Dahl is the generic term for any kind of soupy bean dish. I generally heat up some cumin seeds in wee bit oil in a pressure cooker till the cumin seeds start to roast/turn slightly black, put whatever beans, a whole tomato, spices (salt, red or black peppers, turmeric) and water and then cook. The time for cooking depends on the type of beans used and if they were pre-soaked.

Here is a little more advanced preparation,
http://indianfood.about.com/od/vegetarianrecipes/r/bharvaanbaingan.htm

Of course the spices mentioned in the recipe should be altered to taste.

Pranam.

emes
24 January 2014, 04:45 PM
Hi everybody,

I normally eat vegetables at home, however on occasions I do eat meat. I'm trying to be fully vegetarian, and have a few questions regarding the deficience of vitamin B12. Since vitamin B12 is only found in meat.

I'm aware that it takes about a year or two before a deficiency in vitamin B-12 manifest. But I was wondering how one would go about attaining vitamin B-12 on a vegetarian diet?

Thanks in advance

Eastern Mind
27 January 2014, 01:06 PM
Hi everybody,

I normally eat vegetables at home, however on occasions I do eat meat. I'm trying to be fully vegetarian, and have a few questions regarding the deficience of vitamin B12. Since vitamin B12 is only found in meat.

I'm aware that it takes about a year or two before a deficiency in vitamin B-12 manifest. But I was wondering how one would go about attaining vitamin B-12 on a vegetarian diet?

Thanks in advance

Vannakkam, and welcome to these forums.

Most vegans or vegetarians take a weekly or daily supplement. Besides meat, it is also found in some yeasts and other foods. You don't need a lot of it, and I personally believe the supposed danger of not getting enough of it is somewhat overblown. But there is a ton of research and information on line. A problem occurs there, as with any nutrition debate, and that is, who to believe, as there is often contradicting information.

Here's one link to demonstrate.. http://www.30bananasaday.com/forum/topics/how-to-determine-whether-your

Best wishes.

Aum Namasivaya

Jaskaran Singh
28 January 2014, 01:15 AM
Vannakkam: There are about a million chick pea curry recipes. :) But since most of then are really delicious, I would just suggest experimenting until you get something close to what you ate.

What's chick pea curry? Is that what they call chhole in English? :dunno:

devotee
28 January 2014, 01:52 AM
Namaste,

The last time I visited a mandir, I stayed afterwards for prasad, and I have been trying to figure out what one of the dishes was and cannot find it! I'm hoping someone here can help me figure it out. I believe the main ingredient was chickpeas, or something similar to that, and it was very spicy (and delicious!). I would love to try to make it myself.

I went on a search online and found a recipe that I thought might be it, because the picture kind of looked like it. The recipe along with the picture can be found here: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/spicy-indian-dahl/. It is called Dahl. Even though it turned out not being what I was trying to make, it was actually very good, so it still worked out. The dahl was more soup like, whereas the dish I was aiming for was not souplike at all. Also the lentils in the dahl were much smaller than the beans that were in the other dish, and the other dish was spicier than the dahl.

Does anyone know a recipe that sounds like what I mentioned above? Or perhaps want to share any other good recipes that may be easy for a beginner to pick up on? To be honest, I haven't had much Indian food other than what was served at the Mandir, so I didn't even know that I liked it! Now that I found a few things that I enjoy, I'm curious what else is out there.

Thank you all.

Namaste Fem,

This spices used and procedure employed can be used with any lentil e.g. chickpeas (brown, white or green), bengal gram, green gram, red lentil, kidney beans etc. This particular recipe is made with red lentil. The lentils (especially grams and kidney beans) have to be well soaked a few hours before use in making this recipe so that these are soft and don't take much time in preparation.

[This is not chhole as chhole is particularly made of White Chickpeas and the gravy is not so thick in that case. The spices used are also not as used in making chhole. This is basically fried dry dahl.]

For getting enough protein, you can mix Soyabean flour in your wheat flour (10 to 12.5 %). All pulses, kidney beans and peanuts are good sources of protein and easier digestible than meat. I take lot of curd in my food three times a day and for all 365 days in a year. Moreover, your being healthy doesn't depend upon only on food with high protein. It is a myth promoted by people who are in this business or who want to justify their meat eating habits. The science of how food acts has never been free of errors. In India I find many people who eat very simple food and are much healthier even in their eighties than many other people who are more knowledgeable on food. It is all in your mind if you believe me ! :)

OM

Eastern Mind
28 January 2014, 07:21 AM
What's chick pea curry? Is that what they call chhole in English? :dunno:

Vannakkam JS: I take it you don't get around much. Contrary to what some may think, the vegetarian cooking is as diverse as the religion. Here in the west it's far less travel for me to see the length and breadth of India, because we have most of the states of India represented by their respective society. Here in Edmonton we have Tamil Society, Andhra Society, Gujarati Assoc., Bengali Society, Kannada assoc., Marathi Society, 2 or 3 Music Societies, 8 Hindu temples, Fijians, South Africans, Sri Lankans, Guyanese, Mauritians East Africans, (Uganda and Kenyan Indians) etc.

To think that that the only way to prepare a chick pea (garbanzo bean, and several other linguistic names I'm not familiar with) is chhole would be a stretch.

But that's what I love about this culture. When you go or are invited to a function or a home, you can expect something different. Just as there is no such thing as a one style of Hinduism, there is no such thing as Indian food.

Aum Namasivaya

Believer
29 January 2014, 11:13 PM
Namaste,

Indians of different ethnicities from different parts of the country try to project their 'recipe' for any item as the 'national recipe'. As EM would attest, nothing is farther from the truth. Add to that the use of English and Indian names for various items in the posts, and things become confusing, murky and incomprehensible for Americans. It might be worth considering that unless people giving advice are familiar with the American lingo, what they say is perhaps of little use to the inquiring minds. Although very valid names and in popular use in India, the terms 'filter coffee' and 'pulses' and 'kabuli/madrasi/bengali/punjabi grams' and 'lady fingers' and 'curd' and....are linguistically unknown here.

Pranam.

devotee
30 January 2014, 10:09 PM
Add to that the use of English and Indian names for various items in the posts, and things become confusing, murky and incomprehensible for Americans. It might be worth considering that unless people giving advice are familiar with the American lingo, what they say is perhaps of little use to the inquiring minds. Although very valid names and in popular use in India, the terms 'filter coffee' and 'pulses' and 'kabuli/madrasi/bengali/punjabi grams' and 'lady fingers' and 'curd' and....are linguistically unknown here.


Oh ! Is it the reason Fem didn't appreciate my efforts ? This post discourages people who want to help and doesn't help the person who wants to learn.

If one wants to learn rocket science and expects that it will be taught by using terminology of Ancient History ... that is not possible. BTW, it is not so difficult as it has been made out in the above post. From my friends and relatives in America what I have learnt is that almost all spices and grains used in making Indian food are available in localities where Indians live in majority. A visit to such a shop would clear all the terms used herein.

OM