Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with food and indian

buffet frenzy nostalgia

Jason and Laszlo — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 09:49:21 -0800

identify this Indian dish: looks like mashed sweet potatoes and tastes sweet. vegetarian. (bonus points for a great recipe).

Beer pairing advice?

furiousxgeorge — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 19:27:33 -0800

What would you say are the best beer styles (or individual beers) to pair with Indian or Thai cuisine? I work in a take out beer shop in BYOB land (PA) and there are popular Thai and Indian places nearby. Though I know a ton about beer, I've never been great about food pairings.

If you can give me the best styles to pair that would help, but also toss out individual beers. We have around 400-500 beers in the store at any one time so there is a good chance we have a lot of what you could suggest.

Quick Dals?

leahwrenn — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 15:20:37 -0800

Recommendations for good pressure cooker indian recipes? I'm especially interested in good, working recipes for making dals (and other cheap foods). I've got a pressure cooker, which I've used to make very good lamb saag. I own Madhur Jaffrey's _Quick and Easy Indian Cooking_ already.

Is my Indian food safe three days later?

mingodingo — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 13:20:10 -0800

Safe to eat filter: I've had chicken korma in the fridge since Monday. Kept meaning to take it home for dinner and kept forgetting... Safe to eat, or gross and dangerous? It doesn't seem like too much time has gone by but then, I don't know.....

I need your tastiest Indian lamb recipes.

scalefree — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 11:05:47 -0800

I need your tastiest Indian lamb recipes. I have about 3 lb. of lamb cubes & I'm looking to make something Indian with it. I have all of the common Indian spices & I've had success making Biryani but I want to stretch my wings a little further. So what can I make to make my tummy happy?

What simple Indian dish should I bring to a traditional Thanksgiving dinner?

comfortinsound — Sun, 23 Nov 2008 13:30:09 -0800

I'm making Thanksgiving dinner with my American friend for her German host family. We want to share a little of our American "Thanksgiving culture" with them. My family in Maine always gets Indian carryout. What to do? My friend is used to the completely typical American Thanksgiving dinner, so we are making a turkey, cranberry sauce, stuffing, potatoes, etc. I am a vegetarian who has eaten Indian food on Thanksgiving for as long as she can remember, and I want to bring something familiar to this meal, too. I cook a fair amount of Indian food at home in the U.S., but everything I can think of making here is either really time-consuming or doesn't go with this meal at all. Does anyone have any ideas/recipes for something to make? It doesn't have to be authentically Indian, maybe just something with spices that'll remind me of my Thanksgivings at home. Maybe a desert? Appetizer?

Kill me with spice.

cjorgensen — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 19:29:58 -0800

Hot food suggestions. This question got me thinking. I love spice. Love heat. Like proving my manhood with food. I consider the "hot" warning on salsas to be false advertising. I can eat jalapeños straight.

So knock me out.

I've had food so hot, that like Paul Muadib, I thought I could see through time. I want more. Burn me until my eyes turn blue! I am pretty sure I can take it. The higher the Scoville Unit the better.

I don't eat red meat, I consider pork to be a red meat, and I still like a bit of flavor (so pure capsaicin oil is out).

Would love to be able to order suggestions online. Prefer non-perishable. Prefer complete food items, not just spice (but don't limit your answers to these).

Bonus points if it's premade (but don't limit your answers to this). TV dinner type food, dried, in a jar, don't care, as long as I can buy it and pop it in the microwave or boil it on the stove.

I am talking the type of food that you wash your hands three times after eating before putting your hands anywhere near your eyes, and four times before using the bathroom.

I've occasionally gotten food close to being hot enough as some Indian or Thai restaurants, but only after insulting the cook's ancestry. Ok, seriously, never did that, but have had the cook come out and check on me too many times to count to see if the white boy was still a standin'.

I live in Iowa, so "This place on Southwest 14th in New York..." won't be helpful (unless they have mail order).

Indian restaurant-style basmati rice?

jjsonp — Sat, 09 Aug 2008 17:33:56 -0800

How to make Indian restaurant-style (white) basmati rice? I have googled this and found several recipes for 'Indian-style' basmati. However none seems to yield 'restaurant style'.

Every Indian restaurant I've been to in the US has similar rice: mostly white, with a lot of grains dyed half-red. How is this achieved?

I've tried adding saffron, which is a very red spice...but it turns all the grains yellow. I've followed several recipes exactly, and all turn out tasty...but none looks/tastes like what I get in an India restaurant.

Thanks!

Recommendations for restaurant on Devon Avenue in Chicago?

kdern — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 11:13:35 -0800

Recommendations for restaurant on Devon Avenue in Chicago? Going for Indian food on Devon Avenue in Chicago on July 4. Any recommendations on which restaurant to try? Buffet would be ideal as we are bringing a few Indian food newbies with us.

Thanks for the recommendations.

Come on Indian MeFites, spill the lentils, divulge your most tasty family recipes.

ageispolis — Sun, 25 May 2008 22:19:02 -0800

To the Indian MeFites - and the non-indian chefs as well - what are your favorite family Indian recipes and what are some tricks in the preparation to give the food that authentic Indian taste. You know, rich, delicious, mouth-watering, and savoury to the point that eating becomes a spiritual experiece in itself. Perhaps I should have worded this question after I ate, but now that I'm returning to the Western diet after a few months of pure Indian goodness I already begin to feel the withdrawal symptoms taking hold, "Where's the spice in these potatoes? This bread needs some buttery sauce! Why is this food so depressingly bland and dry?!" I've already promised myself I'd start practicing and preparing my own Indian food, and with a large Sikh population nearby I have access to an Indian market specializing in ingredients from the Punjabi region, which is good because I do love my dal makhani. But I'd appreciate learning of recipes that run in the family as well as some tricks to the art of Indian cooking. For example, what's a good method of emulating a tandoor?

Any online resources are also much appreciated. Time to go eat lunch.

Wtf is a pompadon?

ZaneJ. — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 23:33:09 -0800

What's a pompadon? My girlfriend and I have been watching a lot of Red Dwarf and Lister eats a lot of Indian inspired foods. One thing he mentions on a regular basis are 'pompadons'. Since he speaks Liverpudian, it can be hard to actually tell the spelling of the food item. Anyone have a clue what the hell he's referring to? I'm thinking something along the lines of pot stickers, but I don't know. M'lady thinks biscuit.

As a side note, I have discovered that vindaloo is delicious. Thanks television show character!

Me And Bobby Eat Ghee (freedom's just another word for 'nothing left to eat')

spoobnooble — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 17:25:33 -0800

Would anyone in their right mind eat vegetable ghee, or any kind of ghee, straight from the can? Good day. A while back I posted a question looking for info regarding a minor point in a novel I'm writing. I thank everyone for their input.

So here's another (weirder) question:

In the second half of the novel the narrator (the punk rocker), now in his twenties, has married a Canadian woman of Indian descent -- her family moved to Toronto when she was three. While she is pretty westernised, her diet includes a lot of Indian staples like rice and curry. She tries to introduce her husband to some of the foods her family eats, and he ends up snacking on a certain traditional food that seems natural to him (a white guy who tends to eat mostly fast foods), but in a manner that ends up mortifying his wife and amusing his Indian in-laws.

I had it in my head several years ago that he would develop a taste for eating vegetable ghee straight from the can. The only basing I have for this idea is a commercial I saw several years ago on one of the local multi-ethnic channels in Toronto which included some shots of happy Indian men and women eating what looked like white chunks of vegetable. Upon further inspection, it seems that ghee is a kind of butter made either from dairy or vegetable products.

Not knowing the taste of ghee, I am hesitant to claim that the narrator would start eating ghee 'out of the can' (or jar, as the case seems to be). Then again, when I was a kid I loved eating peanut butter by the spoonful, and some people have told me in no uncertain terms that eating straight peanut butter was disgusting, at least to them.

So is it possible that a westerner who doesn't know better would eat ghee in this manner? Or is there another Indian foodstuff I can substitute? Either way the wife has to be dismayed and/or horrified by her husband's actions, even if he's not doing himself any real harm in eating the food in a non-normal way.

(P.S. As of this writing I still do not have a publisher for this novel. It is possible that I may end up going to Lulu.com to print out copies once it's done. I'm still hoping to publish this thing properly -- four chapters to go! -- but otherwise don't go overboard thinking that you're helping out the next Norman Mailer or Margaret Atwood or whatever. But thanks in advance nonetheless!)

What are some good, quick boxed international lunches?

nitsuj — Sat, 23 Feb 2008 12:58:04 -0800

I really love these easy-to-prepare, not-too-expensive A Taste of Thai/India/China meals for lunch. What else would I like? My local grocery stores don't stock very many things like this, but with Amazon Groceries, I figure I can get pretty much anything shipped to my door.

The Asian stuff is great, so any other brands/styles/flavor recommendations are welcomed. I'd also be interested some other international flavors, like Mexican, Spanish, Canadian, et. al.

Emphasis on easiness to prepare and quality of ingrediants.

balti in houston?

ncc1701d — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 18:18:41 -0800

i'm trying to find some balti in houston, texas. i went to a balti house in birmingham, england a few years ago and loved the stuff. google, citysearch, and yelp are all failing me. thanks for any suggestions.

How do I make chapati (Indian bread) correctly?

janetplanet — Thu, 04 Oct 2007 03:29:21 -0800

What can I do to stop my home-made chapati from falling apart when I try to flatten it for cooking? I recently visited India and fell in love with Indian food, especially the delicious and fresh chapati!

I've found several chapati recipes on the Internet and have been trying to make it following these recipies, but every time I try to flatten the chapati for cooking it falls apart!

I've tried varying the amount of flour, water and oil but always have the same result. Can anyone pleae tell me what I am doing wrong? thanks!

Indian cooking staples in NYC?

gwint — Sun, 05 Aug 2007 09:18:40 -0800

Best place in New York City to buy Indian staples like ghee and garam masala? I'm happy to travel anywhere in the five boroughs (Jackson Heights, etc.) but a friendly staff that could help out a beginner is a definite plus.

Iranian recipe for deep fried, stuffed chilies?

slimeline — Sun, 22 Apr 2007 05:59:15 -0800

Help me discover this stuffed green chillies recipe. While in India I read about a dish of stuffed green chillies, but never, ever managed to trace it or even to find out it's name. This is what I know about this dish: *It is Iranian, and can be bought from Iranian coffee shops in Hyderabad. *The green chilies are cleaned of their seeds and stuffed with a paste that includes cardamom and other spices. *The stuffed chilies are deep fried in oil. *The result is sublime. I would like to know the name of this dish, and if possible a recipe. Thank you chili lovers wherever you are.

Indian yoghurt dumpling dish thing

Mossy — Fri, 20 Apr 2007 12:12:59 -0800

Dey bareh (sp?). My Kashmiri wife is looking for a restaurant in London that serves this dish - basically cornflour/chickpea-flour dumplings in yoghurt. Any ideas? We live in Bloomsbury, so anywhere near there would be good.

Scoring indian serving dishes in north america

Smegoid — Sun, 15 Apr 2007 08:52:46 -0800

Where to purchase indian cookware and serving dishes in the USA? I want the lot: thalis, tawas, kadais, baltis. All of it! Ever since I visisted Fiji (60% of population being indian) ten years ago I fell in love with Indian cuisine and have been cooking it regularly ever since. I've finally decided that it's time to pony up and secure myself some more authentic dishes and cookware. When I was in Fiji all the indian restaurants used stainless steel thalis and other serving dishes. I remember being able to purchase them everywhere for a pittance. However here in North America I can't seem to find them anywhere and the few places I've spotted the odd dish, they're pricing them as though they were exotic imports of the rarest kind. Anyone have any ideas as to good online sources in the USA or Canada? Bonus points for people who want to explain the uses of the different serving dishes and cookware. Cheers!

How do you get that rich gravy like texture in Indian dishes?

postergeist — Thu, 21 Dec 2006 20:06:48 -0800

How do you get that rich gravy like texture in Indian dishes? Whenever I make Indian food at home like a Dal or Masala dish I can never get that rich creamy gravy-like quality I get in restaurants. I suspect its because I dont use dairy in my cooking but I dont think they do in Indian food either (aside from the obvious like paneer). I know they use Ghee which is clarified butter but could that be what it is? I thought ghee was more like clear and not very thick.

What could I choose from an Indian restaurant menu that isn't too high in fat or calories?

trampesque — Thu, 02 Nov 2006 04:10:25 -0800

What could I choose from an Indian restaurant menu that isn't too high in fat or calories? I'm going out for a meal (so, something substantial rather than just a starter) at an Indian restaurant tonight (I haven't been before so don't know what's on the menu, but assume it's similar to most menus out there), and want some suggestions for something that won't mean a huge caloriefest.
I normally have Korma simply because I love it, but yes, I'm aware that it is EVIL and high in fat. However, I do prefer milder curries... so any suggestions for something not too spicy or calorific would be great.

Cookin' Easy First-timer Indian Food

shokod — Tue, 23 May 2006 23:47:48 -0800

I need help cooking a dynamite Indian dinner for my girlfriend who has never had Indian food before. Of course, there is I am a pretty decent cook but have never entered the daunting realm of Indian Cuisine. It's my girlfriend's birthday soon and I had some questions about preparing a nice meal; there are some special requests and requirements that limit me from using the other posts and cooking websites.
- I live in a country where a lot of spices are not available (South Korea). I can get a hand on most veggies, but the only spices I have are Garam Marsala that someone bought me, and some stuff simply labeled "Curry Powder" (purchased at a Wal-Mart (I know, sorry)), I also have a bit of fresh cilantro but I don't think that helps. I might be able to find cumin or bay leaves somewhere but haven't yet. Also, no na'an.
- She loves seafood, I don't like it but I will cook with it. So a dish that incorporates seafood but isn't so seafoody would be a plus. No problem with spiciness.
- A couple dishes (small appetizer, main dish, maybe an interesting dessert) maybe incorporating different tastes so she gets a sort of spectrum of Indian food, but also something that's a good introduction.
- I have no oven and only 2 ranges on my stove, so things that are fairly one-panned or can be okay kept warm by other means.
- What wine should I serve?
Thanks a lot in advance!

Can someone help me identify the indian food we recently tried?

jennaba — Sun, 07 May 2006 10:25:43 -0800

My partner and I recently tried indian food for the first time at Bombay Sweets in Milwaukee (http://www.milwaukeefood.com/bombaysweets/). We liked the food so much we'd like to learn how to cook it ourselves, but we can't figure out what the food was called. I had the combo platter #30 which featured aloo parathas (which I have already found a recipe for), but it also came with a soy-ish tasting, slightly spicy sweet sauce, a thin yogurt sauce, and a cup of some kind of garbanzo bean stew on the side.

I don't know indian food well enough to even speculate what it was that we ate. I'd like to build an indian meal similar to what we had in Milwaukee but I need recipes for the sweet sauce, the yogurt sauce, and the bean stew. Even just names would be helpful, then as least I can start searching for recipes.

Alternately, if you have suggestions for other indian food items that you think an Americanized palate would like (no curry, please) that would be helpful as well. Thanks!

Looking for good Indian pickles

jak68 — Tue, 25 Apr 2006 21:07:36 -0800

What is your favorite brand of Indian pickles? And can you order it online? By Indian pickles of course I mean south asian curry-pickles (what is its English name, anyway?). You know, where they take some kind of fruit or vegetable (most commonly mangoes or limes) cut it into chunks, pickle it in curry powder, usually eaten with rice and yogurt or lentils.

I've been trying to find a brand that isnt all chunks (of fruit) and that tastes good (not just too hot-spicy and not too bland either). I know there are a bunch of competing brands in Indian grocery stores (and I've seen them in regular supermarkets from time to time).

Indian Food in NYC

spaghetti — Fri, 06 Jan 2006 07:38:29 -0800

Where can I find great Indian food in NYC?