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Eastern Mind
12 May 2012, 08:22 PM
Vannakkam: Some people are intimidated by Indian food, so I though maybe we could describe some very basic recipes, or our favorite curries.

I love cauliflower, and a 'white' cauliflower curry. Probably my favorite. You can also add carrots, or broccoli.

Curry leaves... for this recipe you need curry leaves. Its a shrub-like plant with a particular taste. I'll try to find a picture. Anybody in a hot area can probably grow one in your back yard. http://jaiho-dubai.blogspot.ca/2011/07/curry-leaves.html Good Indian stores sell them in bags or bunches ... the fresher the better.

Chop cauliflower finely, then saute in small amount of oil. Add salt (I use none) and a bit of coriander powder to the saute. When cooked (for less oil add some water, and cover it, so its kind of half steamed/ half sauted. At the end stir in a sprig or 2 of chopped curry leave. Then to finish it, stir in about 3 large tablespoons of plain yogurt, enough to coat the cauliflower.

Aum Namasivaya

Maya3
12 May 2012, 10:04 PM
Spicy lentils with rice is amazing.
I never use recopies I just throw things together.

I use tomato pasta sauce a lot as a base, and then lots of spices. I mix Mexican and Indian spices. Yum!

Sorry this is not exactly curry.

Maya

ShivaFan
13 May 2012, 01:48 AM
Ok, now you have started the trouble on this forum.

Curries? Of course – yummy.

But I am simple and complex- Here is something both simple AND complex: CHAT. I can eat chat all day. Bhatura chole is great. There are chat houses springing up across the United States, and I see big lines most of which are "Westerners". And which chat is loved the most?

Samosas!

One day, I predict in the future - Samosas - the fast food of the future! Put down the burger, taste the samosa!

Call me the King of Samosas, I don’t care, but a samosa will put a smile on even Ravana or the evil Queen in Sleeping Beauty. I can walk around with a few samosas in my jacket pocket, and I am happy. It is a wonderful day, walking down a magical path in a lovely garden of morning glory flowers, and then you stop! And you just pull a samosa out of the pocket, and my or my! Now the magic moment is even MORE divine!

What is the recipe for samosas? This is the most important recipe in the world. Do you know? I can tell you one thing, only the mother, sister or daughter knows the secret. And a few food-walas of the male gender, and a few others – but no matter what, when the samosa has the magic touch of a grandmother from India, the world stops and bows to her.

So I do know you take potato diced, you have carrot in there, you crush clove, you have peas in there, you have some curry powder in it, salt – but then you need to know how to make the pastry to keep all the good stuff in. Now I am not saying samosas are healthy. It is not health food, it is heaven food. You fry it, the pastry comes from flour, salt, oil and a little water. But only a grandma from India knows the secret to making it just right. You can add other things, which make it a Gujarati samosa, or a Punjabi samosa, or aTamil samosa, or a Hyderbadi samosa, or you just name it and you are going to eat two, not just one.

Do I know how to cook samosas? Absolutely not. I am spoiled rotten, and my wife, her sisters, and the females all cook for me! There is a not so secret but big secret in this world. It is called samosa cooked by the hand of a loving female!

Am I off subject? Yes! But then again, if you are talking about samosas, you bring the world right back into focus. Thank you Shiva for this samosa!

Maya3
13 May 2012, 08:43 AM
I wish, I love samosas, and even more Samosa Chat. Then the samosa is hidden in a bed of chickpeas with spicy sauce....

sigh...my mouth waters just thinking about it.

Maya

Eastern Mind
13 May 2012, 08:57 AM
Vannakkam: Although I don't mind samosas, I avoid them for health and dietary reasons. (oil and gluten)

Onion, (chick pea), and tomato curry ... Some avoid onion, I know.

Saute 2 chopped onions along with half a teaspoon each of garam masala, coriander powder, mustard seeds, turmeric, cayenne, and salt to taste. (A bit of liberal experimentation, especially on the cayenne ... I use dried peppers)

Once cooked add a whole can of chopped tomatoes (in garlic oil, or whole tomatoes, or fresh tomatoes) (I use canned cause it's substantially cheaper - here at least) (Add half a cup of pre-cooked chick peas if you want some protein) Stir and let simmer for 10 minutes or so, until its all hot, and the spices have infiltrated.

Aum Namasivaya

Believer
13 May 2012, 11:59 AM
Namaste,

........my wife, her sisters, and the (other) females (in the family), all cook for me! My, somebody has 10 females cook his every meal? ;)
I wish I had a big appetite like that! :)


I wish, I love samosas, and even more Samosa Chat. Then the samosa is hidden in a bed of chickpeas with spicy sauce....

sigh...my mouth waters just thinking about it.

Too much meditation on samosas will get one to the samosa planet after death, not to a planet of celestial beings. :)

Pranam.

Eastern Mind
13 May 2012, 12:18 PM
Vannakkam: Do I hear helicopters?

Aum Namasivaya

Maya3
13 May 2012, 08:22 PM
I can see myself choosing another birth just so I can eat.
:D

Maya

Eastern Mind
13 May 2012, 08:32 PM
Vannakkam: We eat this a lot. http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/red_lentil_dal/ Very common, but loaded in protein too. The Indian shops will sell pink lentils by the 10 kilo bag, which is what we go for, because of cost. Just add more spice than this recipe calls for.

Aum Namasivaya

Eastern Mind
13 May 2012, 08:46 PM
Samosas!
One day, I predict in the future - Samosas - the fast food of the future! Put down the burger, taste the samosa!



Vannakkam: Hate to break the news, but in many urban areas, it's here already. The Indian food craze is the hottest one in the food niche. There are samosa factories doing distribution. http://www.samosafactory.ca/

Aum Namasivaya

Believer
14 May 2012, 01:03 AM
Namaste,

The above link states, 'The Samosa Factory's famous Samosa's are available in Vegetable, Beef, and Chicken. Halal product is also available at all times.'

Conceivably, all kinds (Beef, Chicken, Halal meat and Vegetable) of samosas are made in the same set of utensils and frying pans. Just a word of caution!

Pranam.

Eastern Mind
14 May 2012, 08:14 AM
Vannakkam Believer... Excellent point, and thanks for the reminder. Many stores as well sell them side by side. A long time ago I was in a store where the clerk didn't know which was which, and I ended up taking a chomp from a meat one. So indeed, beware if you're a vegetarian, and even moreso if you're really strict. I actually don't trust people when they say the two may be cooked completely separately. They often don't understand the extent of our strictness.

Aum Namasivaya

Eastern Mind
14 May 2012, 06:35 PM
Vannakkam: Another favorite around here is bitter gourd (also called bitter melon) . You can find it in Indian shops in the west, and all over in the east. There are a couple of chief varieties, and they do have a uniquely bitter taste.

Here is one common way and a couple of pictures: http://www.pachakam.com/recipe.asp?id=827&RecipeName=Bitter%20Gourd%20Fry (http://www.pachakam.com/recipe.asp?id=827&RecipeName=Bitter%20Gourd%20Fry)

But the way I like it is to slice them finely, (remove the seeds) (one eighth inch or less slices) put them in a closed container with salt, turmeric, and chili powder, shake it up so the slices get coated with spices, and then deep fry it to a crispy brown. Very tasty things. http://lovencook.blogspot.ca/2011/08/bitter-gourd-chilly-fry.html

Aum Namasivaya

Maya3
14 May 2012, 08:28 PM
Vannakkam: Another favorite around here is bitter gourd (also called bitter melon) . You can find it in Indian shops in the west, and all over in the east. There are a couple of chief varieties, and they do have a uniquely bitter taste.

Here is one common way and a couple of pictures: http://www.pachakam.com/recipe.asp?id=827&RecipeName=Bitter%20Gourd%20Fry

But the way I like it is to slice them finely, (remove the seeds) (one eighth inch or less slices) put them in a closed container with salt, turmeric, and chili powder, shake it up so the slices get coated with spices, and then deep fry it to a crispy brown. Very tasty things. http://lovencook.blogspot.ca/2011/08/bitter-gourd-chilly-fry.html

Aum Namasivaya

Wow, now we are talking. Spicy and bitter!

Maya

ShivaFan
16 May 2012, 03:42 PM
Vannakkam: Another favorite around here is bitter gourd (also called bitter melon) . You can find it in Indian shops in the west, and all over in the east. There are a couple of chief varieties, and they do have a uniquely bitter taste.

Here is one common way and a couple of pictures: http://www.pachakam.com/recipe.asp?id=827&RecipeName=Bitter%20Gourd%20Fry

But the way I like it is to slice them finely, (remove the seeds) (one eighth inch or less slices) put them in a closed container with salt, turmeric, and chili powder, shake it up so the slices get coated with spices, and then deep fry it to a crispy brown. Very tasty things. http://lovencook.blogspot.ca/2011/08/bitter-gourd-chilly-fry.html

Aum Namasivaya

Oh my goodness, now you are bringing back memories of a beloved Panjabi Hindu friend named Devraj who returned to India. I don't know if bitter melon is a Punjabi meal, but he use to have a bunch of us Westerners over to his place, sometimes 15 or more folks including a couple Indians such as a Kashmiri Brahman, a Gujurati and then a bunch of us whities and he would give us a feast of which the main course was bitter melon.

Then he would put on a video of an Indian TV series on the Ramayana, and literally he would start to swell up in tears! He would be wiping tears with a hankey.

God save you Devraj, Jai Beloved Ram!

Eastern Mind
16 May 2012, 04:36 PM
Vannakkam Shivafan: Glad I triggered a pleasant memory. Food can do that. To this day I am frightened of green chutney, the kind that often goes with dosa, because my first encounter with it, I thought it was some sort of salad thing, and didn't know what my Tamil friends were taking so little. I took a whole spoonful and nearly died. As you know, there are lots of variations, all looking like this: http://www.bizbrowse.com/ABCFGT/cooking/sauce.curry.recipes/mint.and.coriander.chutney.htm That day the variation was about 80% green chillies, and 20 % fresh coriander. Taster beware!

Aum Namasivaya

Maya3
16 May 2012, 06:49 PM
Vannakkam Shivafan: Glad I triggered a pleasant memory. Food can do that. To this day I am frightened of green chutney, the kind that often goes with dosa, because my first encounter with it, I thought it was some sort of salad thing, and didn't know what my Tamil friends were taking so little. I took a whole spoonful and nearly died. As you know, there are lots of variations, all looking like this: http://www.bizbrowse.com/ABCFGT/cooking/sauce.curry.recipes/mint.and.coriander.chutney.htm That day the variation was about 80% green chillies, and 20 % fresh coriander. Taster beware!

Aum Namasivaya

That must have been painful!

But it made me realize that this is the place where I should ask; How long does a jar of green chutney last once it´s been opened?

Maya

Eastern Mind
16 May 2012, 07:44 PM
That must have been painful!

But it made me realize that this is the place where I should ask; How long does a jar of green chutney last once it´s been opened?

Maya

Vannakkam: I have no idea. Didn't even know you could buy it that way. Fresh has to be 10 times better. All you need is cilantro (fresh coriander) a couple of chillies or onions, and a blender.

However, here in Canada that info would be on the label, (by law) and I suspect there would be ton of preservatives added.

Aum Namasivaya

Eastern Mind
16 May 2012, 07:50 PM
Vannakkam: Here's another favorite fruit/vegetable... the drumstick. First time I ate them, I did'nt realise you're not supposed to eat the skin. Supposedly very nutritious.

Recipe: http://food.sulekha.com/murungakkai-kathrikai-curry-id9074-20441-recipe.htm
Picture: http://www.google.ca/imgres?imgurl=http://i01.i.aliimg.com/photo/v0/111421125/FRESH_INDIAN_DRUMSTICK_VEGETABLES.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.alibaba.com/product-free/111421125/FRESH_INDIAN_DRUMSTICK_VEGETABLES.html&h=600&w=800&sz=119&tbnid=q1vupbzAmwJjPM:&tbnh=90&tbnw=120&prev=/search%3Fq%3DIndian%2Bdrumstick%26tbm%3Disch%26tbo%3Du&zoom=1&q=Indian+drumstick&docid=yFHOFWqBGcp0DM&sa=X&ei=W0u0T5aoJtHWiALXwuSKAg&ved=0CHcQ9QEwAw&dur=128

Aum Namasivaya

Maya3
16 May 2012, 08:30 PM
Vannakkam: I have no idea. Didn't even know you could buy it that way. Fresh has to be 10 times better. All you need is cilantro (fresh coriander) a couple of chillies or onions, and a blender.

However, here in Canada that info would be on the label, (by law) and I suspect there would be ton of preservatives added.

Aum Namasivaya

Probably not the best for you but VERY tasty, we have the most amazing Indian store in the city http://kalustyans.com/ they have A LOT of spices, lentils and other tasty things. And that´where I got it.

I might ask my husband to make it fresh.

Maya