indian food

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A Ah Sha Sa Ma Ha
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Re: indian food

Post by A Ah Sha Sa Ma Ha »

rory wrote:please share your Jain recipes please! I'd love some:) I have my bottle of hing all ready & I'd love a chai recipe..please:)
Rory, Here's a simple recipe for Toor dahl :

I don't measure anything when i cook....but I'll attempt to guess by my eyeballing memory :)
I wash the Toor dahl several times in cold water...
say you want to cook for 4 people...


2 cups Toor dahl
1 tsp. cumin seeds
1 tsp. hing
1 tsp. tumeric
2 Tbs. ghee
1 cup fresh cilantro/chopped
salt to taste (preferably Himalayan Salt) :)
red chili powder /to taste
1 Tbs. tomate paste /or 1 medium tomato (blend)


First cook Toor dahl (i use a pressure cooker, but you can cook conventionally ) Until dahl is soft/mushy
It takes about 10 minutes in pressure cooker/maybe 45 min conventionally

In separate pan :

Melt ghee
sizzle cumin seeds
add hing
add all other spices, except cilantro
add tomato paste or fresh/canned tomato (not to much)

Add spices/salt to cooked dahl
Add chopped cilantro last


I used to cook the ghee & spices then add dahl in same pot, then pressure cook, but the dahl dosn't cook as nice (it stays whole, instead of getting mushy cooked alone) I like it mushed...better texure...nice and smooth ...

Add as much hing or whatever spices you want to taste after mixing...



This is how i make chai:

1-2 cups water/boil
Lots of fresh ginger/grated
a few cardamon seeds/whole or ground with pestal or spice grinder
add tea (1 tsp per cup) (loose or bags) (Tajmahal /Liptons/Red Rose/whatever)
let boil few more seconds until nice brown color
you can add sugar (if using honey just put into cup)
add milk (2 cups), when tea boils (preferably whole) but 2% works too

when milk starts foaming to the top get off burner FAST !
Fan the top so it don't spill over .

Strain/if using loose tea

All this can be done in a very large kettle so you don't have to worry about it boiling over so much
I usually do it in a medium pan...and i gotta watch it like a hawk !


You can also just put EVERYTHING TOGETHER at once, and just bring to boil.

When i first started making chai i'd get so confused as to what goes next...then a nice Indian lady told me to just put everything together at once....and then that's what i did for a long time...until i got the knack of making it ...

I hope this works for you <3



emaho wrote: better to store my spices in something airtight to protect them from becoming bland.

Emaho..the spice box has an airtight cover :) But yeah...i used them up fast...so nothing sit's for too long.
Jesse
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Re: indian food

Post by Jesse »

http://www.sailusfood.com/2014/08/27/be ... -chavithi/

So I'm making this today. Just as i sat down to post this I realized I Forgot to add coconut to it. hopefully it still turns out well. This is probably the first indian desert I've made. :tongue:


Edit.. turned out awful haha.. even my dog won't eat it. :(
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Thus shall ye think of all this fleeting world:
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A flash of lightning in a summer cloud,
A flickering lamp, a phantom, and a dream.
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Ayu
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Re: indian food

Post by Ayu »

:lol: Trial and error. Trial and error. :twothumbsup: That's the way to aquire skills.

What was missing?
In cooking books they have difficulties to tell about the right amount of spices and the right timespan. One has to find out.
Jesse
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Re: indian food

Post by Jesse »

Ayu wrote::lol: Trial and error. Trial and error. :twothumbsup: That's the way to aquire skills.

What was missing?
In cooking books they have difficulties to tell about the right amount of spices and the right timespan. One has to find out.
No rice flour, Not something I use much of so didn't have any. I used white flour. Gonna pick up some rice flour this time around and try again. Also I forgot the coconut ha.

My absolute favorite Indian desert is Motichoor Ladoo's. It's very difficult to find them though. :(

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Thus shall ye think of all this fleeting world:
A star at dawn, a bubble in a stream;
A flash of lightning in a summer cloud,
A flickering lamp, a phantom, and a dream.
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rory
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Re: indian food

Post by rory »

Oh thank you Kunga: I'm making the dal this weekend; am so grateful! :twothumbsup:
We love toor dal and I really wanted a simple homey recipe after tasting the one at the local Jain temple. And thanks for the chai tip, my dad loves it so I'm uber happy to be able to make him his favourite drink.
gassho
Rory
Namu Kanzeon Bosatsu
Chih-I:
The Tai-ching states "the women in the realms of Mara, Sakra and Brahma all neither abandoned ( their old) bodies nor received (new) bodies. They all received buddhahood with their current bodies (genshin)" Thus these verses state that the dharma nature is like a great ocean. No right or wrong is preached (within it) Ordinary people and sages are equal, without superiority or inferiority
Paul, Groner "The Lotus Sutra in Japanese Culture"eds. Tanabe p. 58
https://www.tendai-usa.org/
A Ah Sha Sa Ma Ha
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Re: indian food

Post by A Ah Sha Sa Ma Ha »

Hi Rory..

i hope it turns out great for you...if you have any questions while making it let me know...
I've never made nann, but i make another bread....that's healthier...but time consumming...best to made a day ahead so you don't get burned out with all that cooking :


Atta (Indian flour), add water slowly and drizzle some olive oil...mix and kneed with hands/fist for few minutes. Then add :
sesame seeds
pumpkin seeds
cumin seeds
graham masala
fresh cilantro/chopped
smashed walnuts (leave a little chunky)
grated fresh ginger
grated fresh daikon radish
onion/chopped
salt

You can put as much as you like of these ingredients....or just put which ever ingredient you have on hand or like...

Mix with enough water to form dough (add water slowly as you mix)
make medium size balls (golf ball size or slightly larger)
roll out flat on floured surface
use flour to keep from sticking (lightly)

fry in pan with little oil
polk holes in bread as cooking (with fork or knife)
fry until lightly browned on each side

put bread on rack to cool as you take it out of the pan
stack it up as it accumulates after cooled....
then i put a paper towel inside a piece of aluminum foil, stack about 5 pieces of bread...then seal up and freeze or store in fridge.

you can put ghee on this bread after cooked, and even use ghee instead of other oil to "fry" in (don't add more if you fry it in ghee)

This is NOT deep frying...
Just need a little oil in pan to cook...

goes great with toor dal

i learned this recipe from an Indian lady that has a husband that had a stroke and couldn't eat properly, so she wanted him to get a lot of nutrients in his bread because he loved bread ......




:heart:
Jesse
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Re: indian food

Post by Jesse »

Naan is one of the few things I can bake. It's actually not difficult just takes time. If you don't have a tandoori oven, you need a pizza stone to get the right texture though.
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Thus shall ye think of all this fleeting world:
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A flash of lightning in a summer cloud,
A flickering lamp, a phantom, and a dream.
A Ah Sha Sa Ma Ha
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Re: indian food

Post by A Ah Sha Sa Ma Ha »

The first time (and last time) i attempted to make naan...i put it in the oven on a cookie sheet (shaped in a tear drop of course, so it looked authentic) lol,
and when i took it out it was as hard as a rock....i still served it to my teacher (first time cooking for him), i was a nervous wreck !!! Good thing he didn't eat it...or he'd be toothless now...lol

I also made him regular lentils ...and basmati rice with barley in it ! LOL (because i thought Tibetans like barley...lol) it was probably the weirdest meal anyone cooked for him....and i didn't know how to make chai properly....i was a total wreck ...


I just got so used to making the other seed bread, i forgot about making naan...and then the Tibetan/Nepalese restaurant i go to makes the best garlic naan,,,,one day i will attempt making it though.....thanks, Jesse, for the tip of using a pizza stone, if a tandoor is not an option :thumbsup:
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rory
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Re: indian food

Post by rory »

Kunga; Busy weekend studying and writing so today is cooking day:) And making the Toor dal.

That bread recipe looks great, I've made paratha in the past but usually buy my whole wheat naan from Trader Joe (I know so lazy:( But my dad will be making this for sure, I'm so appreciative, Kunga. He makes chai, breads, chutneys, right now we love this Gujarati Mango pickle:
http://www.archanaskitchen.com/recipes/ ... kle-recipe

I'm the researcher for recipes, and make the dals & veg curries. I have some leftover Parsi Sallu Boti ( in our case a faux meat curry)

Anyway I want to say thank you and I'm so appreciative!
gassho
Rory
Namu Kanzeon Bosatsu
Chih-I:
The Tai-ching states "the women in the realms of Mara, Sakra and Brahma all neither abandoned ( their old) bodies nor received (new) bodies. They all received buddhahood with their current bodies (genshin)" Thus these verses state that the dharma nature is like a great ocean. No right or wrong is preached (within it) Ordinary people and sages are equal, without superiority or inferiority
Paul, Groner "The Lotus Sutra in Japanese Culture"eds. Tanabe p. 58
https://www.tendai-usa.org/
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rory
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Location: SouthEast USA

Re: indian food

Post by rory »

And back with Toor Dal report: everyone loved it! I'm so appreciative. (I used a ripe tomato and quartered it, should it have been chopped and then cooked with the tarka?)

What's your favorite dish Kunga? May I have a recipe please; also do you think your family would be interested in American Seventh Day adventist dishes? They are vegetarian and and not spicy. I discovered them from a restaurant Living Springs in NYC...they do wonderful loaves and gravies. Here is one just leave out/substitute asafoetida for the onion
http://www.roaneadventist.com/article/1 ... shew-gravy
gassho
Rory
Namu Kanzeon Bosatsu
Chih-I:
The Tai-ching states "the women in the realms of Mara, Sakra and Brahma all neither abandoned ( their old) bodies nor received (new) bodies. They all received buddhahood with their current bodies (genshin)" Thus these verses state that the dharma nature is like a great ocean. No right or wrong is preached (within it) Ordinary people and sages are equal, without superiority or inferiority
Paul, Groner "The Lotus Sutra in Japanese Culture"eds. Tanabe p. 58
https://www.tendai-usa.org/
A Ah Sha Sa Ma Ha
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Re: indian food

Post by A Ah Sha Sa Ma Ha »

Hi Rory, so glad it turned out and everyone loved it !! I saw your other post on mango pickle...i love pickles ! I make a (sweet) lemon pickle, the first time i had lemon pickle it was BLACK, because it was 50 years old !!!! That stuff is used in Auyruveda medicine, the older the better...and it was delish. Of course i also love mango pickle...but i'venever had it sweet, i will check out that recipe !

My favorite besides toor dal, is Curry (i'm not sure of the pronunciation), It's made with yogurt and besan flour, I don't have my Indian cook book available right now...but I will post the recipe hopefully tommorrow. (I live in 2 different places and bounce back & forth)

I've never made/had any American Seventh Day adventist , cusine....but I'm a foodie, and love cooking and eating (so does my family) :smile:
I will look at that recipe you posted after I post this !

Thank you !!!!

:anjali: :heart:
A Ah Sha Sa Ma Ha
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Re: indian food

Post by A Ah Sha Sa Ma Ha »

Ok...sounds REALLY good ! I love tofu. I will make it this weekend and let you know how it turns out !!!!

I also have a mean vegetarian tofu sandwich, that I learned from Manjula's Kitchen....I've made it dozens of times (i wanted to say a million times...lol)
but this is the "Indian Food" thread, so.......i started to write out the recipe for it then i just remembered, it's not Indian cusine...

Is there another thread for non-Indian food ?

:namaste:
A Ah Sha Sa Ma Ha
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Re: indian food

Post by A Ah Sha Sa Ma Ha »

That dish I called Curry...is actually called Kadhi . I make mine different from this recipe....I will post it tommorrow....actually the only difference is that I don't put cloves in mine....

http://www.honeywhatscooking.com/2009/1 ... curry.html
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rory
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Re: indian food

Post by rory »

Kunga; oh gods, pleeease write out the Manjula sandwich. I've got to know :twothumbsup:
(I think they'll forgive us)

I'm a big foodie too:) as you can see!
gassho
Rory
Namu Kanzeon Bosatsu
Chih-I:
The Tai-ching states "the women in the realms of Mara, Sakra and Brahma all neither abandoned ( their old) bodies nor received (new) bodies. They all received buddhahood with their current bodies (genshin)" Thus these verses state that the dharma nature is like a great ocean. No right or wrong is preached (within it) Ordinary people and sages are equal, without superiority or inferiority
Paul, Groner "The Lotus Sutra in Japanese Culture"eds. Tanabe p. 58
https://www.tendai-usa.org/
A Ah Sha Sa Ma Ha
Posts: 1494
Joined: Sat Jan 30, 2010 2:01 am

Re: indian food

Post by A Ah Sha Sa Ma Ha »

ok, but not tonight, i'm ready to pass out...lol..haven't eaten much all day, and need to sleep now.... :zzz:
emaho
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Re: indian food

Post by emaho »

Yes, please share the Tofu sandwich, I'd really love to see that. I remember she posted a cream cheese sandwich recipe some weeks ago:

phpBB [video]


let's just say that recipes from NRIs fall under the category of indian food, too... in other words: when it comes from an Indian that's good enough to qualify as Indian food :smile:
"I struggled with some demons, They were middle class and tame..." L. Cohen
A Ah Sha Sa Ma Ha
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Re: indian food

Post by A Ah Sha Sa Ma Ha »

I've deviated a bit from Manjula's recipe, I don't use lettuce, I use onion instead....

First make cilantro chutney :

1 bunch cilantro
1-2 lemons/juiced
salt to taste
(Manjula also puts sugar in her chutney, but i don't )

BLEND IN BLENDER, (better thick than runny, so you can spread easily )


I also get a French Baguette and cut accordingly (maybe 1/3 or 1/4 for each sandwich, so you can get 3-4 sandwiches from one baguette)

1 package of firm tofu sliced long
1-2 zuchinni's cut long
1-2 tomates sliced
1-2 onions (i prefer the big white ones or purple ones) slice long

grill the zuchinni & tofu on both sides in little oil or ghee

you can season the zuchinni and tofu with salt & pepper & garlic powder

slather each side of bread with cilantro
assemble with layers of tofu, zuchini, tomato, onion (or lettuce , or both!!)


phpBB [video]
A Ah Sha Sa Ma Ha
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Re: indian food

Post by A Ah Sha Sa Ma Ha »

emaho wrote:when it comes from an Indian that's good enough to qualify as Indian food
Hhaha,,,right ! I was think also that the recipe has cilantro in it too...so that should qualify :)

:twothumbsup:
A Ah Sha Sa Ma Ha
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Re: indian food

Post by A Ah Sha Sa Ma Ha »

Ok, THIS is one of my favorite dishes [Kudhi]

First make Pakora
you'll need :

1-2 Potato's
1 onion [burmuda/purple] or white
2 carrots
1/2 califlower
1 green bell pepper
1/4 bunch fresh cilantro

Julienne all the veggies
Mix together

The Batter:

1 cup besan flour [chick pea flour]
salt
pinch baking powder
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp corriander powder
1 tsp graham masala [homemade is best/fresher than store bought]

put into bowl
mix with water
make thin runny paste [thin makes for a crispy pakora, rather than chewy and thick]

put all veggies into batter & mix carefully


DEEP FRY PAKORA IN VEGETABLE OIL UNTIL CRISP AND BROWNED, DRAIN ON PAPER TOWEL

SET ASIDE....


Now to make the Kudhi :

You'll need :


2 TBSP oil or ghee
1 TBSP fennugreek seeds
! TBSP hing
1 TBSP mustard seeds [optional]
1 TBSP tumeric
1 LARGE container yogurt
3-4 curry leaves [optional if you can't find them] they are fresh at a Indian store]
salt to taste
1 TBSP corriander [grind in spice grinder]
1 TBSP graham masala [last]


METHOD :

Blend besan flour with yogurt, put aside

put oil or ghee in heavy kettle
sizzle fenugreek seeds about 1 minute [until lightly browned/fragrant]
add hing
add mustard seeds
add tumeric
add beasan flour & yogurt
mix

cook on low heat for 1 1/2 hourS
ADD PAKORA

THEN:

sizzle 1-3 red dry chillie peppers in ghee
add to kudhi
add fresh chopped cilantro
season with salt or whatever you think it needs,
drizzle a little more ghee in it ?


ALSO,
if making the PAKORA is too much work for you, you can just use FRESH SPINACH [lightly steamed first] it takes quite a lot of fresh spinach as it cooks down considerably....i've made it both ways, both are excellent..i'd add the fresh spinach in the last 20 minutes of cooking...


Serve with basmati rice.


:anjali:
:heart:
A Ah Sha Sa Ma Ha
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Re: indian food

Post by A Ah Sha Sa Ma Ha »

I forgot to mension, when you're frying the Pakora take a clump of it at a time to fry, like maybe a clusterful equal to a tablespoon.
So you'll have all these little clusters of fried Pakora. :smile:
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