Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with 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).

Light Metal Indian Dishware?

watercarrier — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 03:11:17 -0800

Indian Cooking - I want those authentic tin plates and bowls - where? I'm all for traveling light. I like those tin/aluminium bowls, plates and containers I've seen the cooks in India using. What are they called? What is the spice container (with all the small tin bowls fitting inside) called? Looking for an online supplier that's cool to work with and is reasonably priced. Nothing fancy - just what the locals use. Thanks.

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.....

Indian food allergies?

zeek321 — Tue, 12 May 2009 06:33:56 -0800

Which Indian restaurant dishes never have wheat or dairy (or corn or eggs)? I have seriously annoying but not dangerous food allergies to wheat, dairy, eggs, and corn. I know cream is in a bunch of Indian dishes, but I've also had some amazing Indian food that hasn't given me any problem at all. (Trace amounts of allergens don't seem to cause a reaction for me, i.e. as long as it's not an official ingredient.)

Can you help me compile a list of the "types" of dishes that I can eat? (e.g., if the dish has X in the name or it's cooked in way Y, then it's definitely safe. If it has Z in the name, then it's cooked with cream, etc...)

Indian Curried Chicken Recipe?

lwclec072 — Fri, 08 May 2009 20:00:35 -0800

Looking for Restaurant Style Curried Chicken - Indian Recipe? Hi, I'm looking for a restaurant style curried chicken, I've tried making it myself and I cannot get it as saucy as I like it and the chicken never absorbs the flavors like I get in restaurants. Does anyone have a recipe they enjoy, that's similar to what you'd have at an Indian restaurant?

Please do not just search Indian curry and post random recipes.

Thanks

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?

More Gandhi, please.

francesca too — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 16:23:15 -0800

I just finished reading "Gandhi the Man, The Story od His Transformation" by Eknath Easwaran. I want to learn more on his philosophy, I want to know more details on how he was able to persuade people against the use of violence. What books can you suggest?

Will my spice mix get confiscated by Japanese customs?

teem — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 04:43:49 -0800

Will I have trouble with customs bringing homemade Indian food spice mixes (made in Australia) into Japan? In a week I'm visiting my girlfriend who's over there, and I was planning to bring her some of the homemade spice mixes I use to make Indian food. They're your typical mixture of spices (cumin, coriander, etc) assembled in Australia from spices bought in Australia.

It'd be a shame to go to the effort only to have them confiscated, so for those who have travelled into Japan, how likely is it that they'll get taken away? Is there anything I can do to minimise the chances of this?

What is the Name of this Indian/New Age CD?

watercarrier — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 06:40:19 -0800

CD of Indian New Age-y Music? Had a cassette (end of 90's), with a flowery colorful cover. IIRC the name was Morning Ragas or ~something to that effect~. It definitely had the word *Morning* in it. Was bansuri and tabla in ragas but also had some New Age orchestration as well. Lots of slow build ups to crescendos. No vocals that I recall. It was great wake up music. Lost the cassette and can't find the name of the (now) CD. Long shot. But maybe someone, somewhere knows what great music this is/was.

I think I want to find my own wife now.

reenum — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 08:10:57 -0800

I'm from a South Asian culture and made the mistake of allowing my parents to start looking for a girl for me. How do I get out of this? First, some background: I'm a 30 year old male, originally from the Indian Subcontinent. I've been living in the US since 1990.

Recently, my parents began bringing up the topic of marriage. They said they could find some girls for me and there wouldn't be any obligation for me to take things farther with them unless I really wanted to.

About a month after I gave them the go-ahead, my folks presented a prospect to me. She was nice looking, but had spent 8 years in undergrad. This was a red flag, and I decided not to talk to her. This girl was my uncle's friend's daughter, so my parents and my uncle and aunt were on my back to talk to this girl. I firmly said no, I had no interest. Eventually, all parties left the matter alone.

Over the last month, I've been talking to another girl. She's the niece of a family friend. The girl seems nice enough, but I don't feel a connection. I told my dad to let her dad know it would not be moving forward. My dad told me to think about it before he gave the final word to her parents. I thought about it and still said no. Then, my parents started pressuring me to go and meet this girl, so I could "see what she's really like". I said no thanks.

So, yesterday, my dad calls me up and gives me this big lecture about how I need to think this over again. I have no interest in meeting this girl, but he doesn't seem to want to let it go.

I'm now very disillusioned with all the pressure being put on me to move forward with a girl I don't think would be compatible with me. I feel like this whole process was misrepresented and I want no part of it any longer.

How can I tell my parents to back off and that I no longer want an arranged marriage without hurting their feelings? If hurt feelings can't be avoided, I need a way to tell them that will minimize hurt feelings.

Thanks!

benny lava?

tehloki — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 16:18:54 -0800

Can anybody tell me the artist/song title presented in this video? I have searched the intertubes until my fingers bled, to no avail.

Bollywood action movie recommendations and Amitabh Bachchan

joelf — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 11:37:36 -0800

In Slumdog Millionaire, we were shown a bunch of Amitabh Bachchan clips from some of his older moveis. What were they? - I'd like to hear your other Bollywood action movie recommendations too! There was one clip he was threatening someone with his own prosthetic leg. WTF? That looks AWESOME!

I'm also looking for recommendations of any action movies from India that are just plain awesome. Guy movies. Action and explosions, martial arts and cheese.

I'm desperate for kidney bean curry

showbiz_liz — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 15:02:57 -0800

I have a recipe for kidney beans which calls for a pressure cooker. How can I modify it to be made without one? The recipe is from an Indian cookbook, and in the introduction the author says that many recipes call for a pressure cooker 'in order to make traditionally slow-cooked dishes in less time,' so I assume this can be done without one. I'm just not sure exactly how.

The relevant part of the recipe:

"Soak the kidney beans overnight in water to cover by 2 inches. Then drain and place them in a pressure cooker, along with the cardamom pods, cinnamon, turmeric, salt, and 4 cups water. Secure the lid of the pressure cooker, place over high heat, and cook until the gauge indicates high pressure, then cook about 1 minute more. Reduce the heat to low and continue to cook another 3 minutes. Then remove from the heat and allow pot to depressurize on its own, 15 to 20 minutes. Carefully open the lid and check to see if the beans are very soft, with some of them broken; if not, cover, bring up to pressure again, and cook under pressure another minute. Or cover and boil until soft, about 1/2 hour."

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?

Indian mixers: the shocking true story!

dilettante — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 16:19:11 -0800

Do I want an Indian mixer? It looks like Indian mixer-grinders (mixies?) can do much more than American blenders, and maybe more than food processors. Is this right? Do I want one? Are they useful? What do you do with yours? How do they work with, say, hummus? (And tips on where to get one in the U.S. for not too much are also welcomed).

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).

The Anti-Bollywood.

jak68 — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 15:07:44 -0800

Indian Movies Filter: Hive mind, put your Indian Movie caps on -- What NON-singing/dancing Indian movies would you recommend? I'm looking for movies from India or by Indian directors that do NOT have singing/dancing as a major focus. The occasional song is okay, but I'm looking for non-bollywood, non-typical fare.

Already on the list:
-Anything by Satyajit Ray
-Anything by Guru Dutt

Who else is there? Who am I missing in terms of directors? (Or alternately, in terms of specific movies)?

Thanks!

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!

Help me learn more of the Dine

azpenguin — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 11:28:00 -0800

I'm wanting to learn more about the Navajo Nation. Any recommendations for good resources? I've always been fascinated by the Navajo Nation. I cross it a few times a year on my way to see Family in the Four Corners area. The land is massive, open, empty, and beautiful. The people have always been friendly when I've come across them. I've just always been interested by what I've seen. And reading Tony Hillerman's books, set in places that I recognize, has only made me more curious.

So recently I decided to make an effort to learn more. I read The Navajo Nation by Peter Iverson, and I'm almost done with The Book Of The Navajo by Raymond Friday Locke. I'm also party way through The Navajo by James Downs. I've picked up Navajo Trader by Gladwell Richardson for some more perspective. Thing is, the more I learn, the more I want to learn. Iverson's book is a great read on Navajo government, but it only goes to 1980, and a lot has happened since then. All the books cover subject that there is obviously a great deal more to learn about.

Any recommendations on books, websites, whatever? 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.

Which is the meatiest Indian cookbook?

vorfeed — Fri, 30 May 2008 22:19:06 -0800

Lamb and chicken, pork and beef... which is the meatiest Indian cookbook? I love to cook Indian food, but the Indian cookbooks I have feature lots of foods I can't eat (namely, starchy stuff like beans/legumes and rice). I know it's tough, because many Indians are vegetarian, but can you recommend an Indian cookbook with plenty of meat dishes? Individual recipes are fine, too, but I'm mainly looking for something I can flip through when I feel like cooking. The more meat recipes, the better, but I'd like something with lots of authenticity and flavor, too!

I have Madhur Jaffrey's "Indian Cooking" and "Quick & Easy Indian Cooking", along with Shahnaz Mehta's "Good Cooking from India". Between them, I've got enough ideas for the next five years of veggies, but the meat dishes take up only a few pages in each. I'm sick of rogan josh, vindaloo, korma, and saag murgh, please help!

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.

Wendigo myth in the Northwest

Artw — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 22:36:03 -0800

Is the Wendigo purely a Northeast American (and Canadian) myth? If so is there a Northwest equivalent?