# What kind of Indian dishes do you like?



## 4meandthem (Sep 25, 2011)

I tried Indian food several times years ago and didn't fall in love with it. I had it several restaurants and we attended and Indian/America wedding where my wife was part of the bridal party.She got dressed in the proper attire and henna tattoed just like the rest of the girls.

Fast forward 10 years and I just tried a restaurant around the corner from us that has been there for 10+ years. OMG! I can't believe what I have just discovered.Nothing like anything i have had in the past. It has been a food epiphany.

The butter chicken is crazy good but I may like their lamb korma even more. Kebabs are succulant and the Naan along with their whole wheat bread/tortilla is rockin.We also like a spicy ground eggplant dish too.

What dishes do you all like? Anthing we are missing here? I do like chickpea curry but I have to make it myself since they don't have it.
I discovered that one several months ago at a festival.


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## Timothy (Sep 26, 2011)

I've loved every Indian dish that was a curry. I also love paneer and make my own. There are probably a thousand ways to make Indian Curry. I'd probably love them all.


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## NotActuallyaHero (Sep 26, 2011)

Yeah it was a bit of a shock to me upon learning that Curry is actually just a word for spice. I mean, when I think curry I have a fairly specific idea of what it should taste like.

I have yet to have an indian dish I haven't liked, though.


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## Caslon (Sep 26, 2011)

I don't cook a lot of specialty dishes, but lamb curry is one of them, ever since my mom used to make some from an Encyclopedia Brittanica recipe decades ago.

BTW, Sharwood's Major Grey's Mango Chutney is the best chutney on the planet at this time.


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## merstar (Sep 26, 2011)

I love Tandoori chicken.


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## larry_stewart (Sep 26, 2011)

Being a vegetarian, Indian food is a great option since , due to their customs and culture, they offer a great variety of vegetarian choices.  Many of the Indian restaurants here offer buffet brunches, which are a great opportunity to try many different things.  mattar Paneer (peas with cheese), salak paneer ( spinach with cheese), vegetable korma ( vegetables in cream sauce), basmati rice, any of the indian breads.

A great indian recipe site ( recipes + instructional videos)  ***Dont let the VEGETARIAN  scare you away.  The recipes and techniques are great.

Manjula's Kitchen | Indian Vegetarian Recipes | Indian Cooking Videos

Ps.  Be prepared to have to stock up your cupboard with many new spices.


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## velochic (Sep 26, 2011)

There has not been an Indian dish that we didn't like from any region of India.  Seriously.  I know that sounds trite, but it's one of our favorite cuisines, including dd's (who is 9).  If I had to pick a favorite dish, I think it would be Mattar Paneer.  Dh's would probably be Bindi Masala, and dd's would probably be Keema Mattar.  Indian dishes are in regular rotation on my meal planning menu.  It offers a great vegetarian alternative, as we like to eat vegetarian a time or two each week.  I often make dal soup in the colder months.  There's just something about curried lentil soup to warm the insides.

Oh, and we do eat out at Indian, and have our favorite Indian restaurant, but more often I make it at home.

It's key to note that Indian cooking *is* regional, so the dishes vary geographically.  If you find something you may not enjoy, explore a similar dish from a different region.  "Indian" cuisine is a bit of a misnomer because the dishes vary GREATLY from north to south, east to west, coastal to interior.


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## powerplantop (Sep 26, 2011)

larry_stewart said:


> Being a vegetarian, Indian food is a great option since , due to their customs and culture, they offer a great variety of vegetarian choices. Many of the Indian restaurants here offer buffet brunches, which are a great opportunity to try many different things. mattar Paneer (peas with cheese), salak paneer ( spinach with cheese), vegetable korma ( vegetables in cream sauce), basmati rice, any of the indian breads.
> 
> A great indian recipe site ( recipes + instructional videos) ***Dont let the VEGETARIAN scare you away. The recipes and techniques are great.
> 
> ...


 
Larry, 

Great post, if I was going to go vegetarian I would cook a lot of indian food. You listed my favorites and mentioned Manjula in the same post!  Even being a hard core meat eater I can eat a Indian / Pakistani vegetarian meal and be satisfied. 

That said my two favorites are Chettinad Chicken, Chicken Karahi. Another two that I really like are Snake Gourd Curry and Karahi Bindi.

BTW: I spent 5 months in Pakistan eating curry everyday.


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## momkatmax (Sep 26, 2011)

biryani: any form but especially veg!

Oh, forgot DOSAS, great yummy pancakes of lentil flour.


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## Andy M. (Sep 26, 2011)

I have neighbors on either side of me who are Indian and have had the pleasure of learning to cook s few of their dishes and talking about food with them.  The Indian use of spices and herbs is without parallel and creates amazing flavors.

So you won't go broke, find an Indian market.  Their spices sell for a fraction of the price you would pay for Penzey's or McCormick's.


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## Timothy (Sep 26, 2011)

Andy M. said:


> I have neighbors on either side of me who are Indian and have had the pleasure of learning to cook s few of their dishes and talking about food with them. The Indian use of spices and herbs is without parallel and creates amazing flavors.
> 
> So you won't go broke, find an Indian market. Their spices sell for a fraction of the price you would pay for Penzey's or McCormick's.


 
I wish I had Indian neighbors! I'd love to learn more hands-on type cooking and recipes of India.

In my town, there isn't a single Indian market. Jacksonville is the closest at about 30 miles from me. 

My Doctor is Indian/American, and has told me the places to go here. He says there is only one restaurant in this area that serves "real" Indian food that attracts all the local people who are from India. 

I haven't been there yet, because it's about 40 miles away. That's outside my usual driving distance for a restaurant.


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## Andy M. (Sep 26, 2011)

Timothy said:


> I wish I had Indian neighbors! I'd love to learn more hands-on type cooking and recipes of India...



The first recipe the gave me was for tandoori chicken.  Her dad was visiting from India and bought them a gas grill.  They made the TC and sent over a taste for SO and me.  We loved it.  It was a lot better than what I had been making.  I asked for a recipe and dad starting dictating on the spot.  Daughter told me she'd write it out for me.  She did and it didn't work.  After another try, She came over and watched me make it.  Turns out all her measurements were way off as she doesn't usually measure.  The spices were off by a factor of three or four times the amount (2 tsp. vs. 3 TB).  Now it's right on and is also the basis for the butter chicken recipe her husband gave me.  His family has a restaurant in India.

I think my next attempt will be a vindaloo.


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## larry_stewart (Sep 26, 2011)

Andy M. said:


> So you won't go broke, find an Indian market.  Their spices sell for a fraction of the price you would pay for Penzey's or McCormick's.



Couldnt agree more.  Many of the dishes I make have a minimum of a half dozen spices rarely used for anything else other than food from this region.  The most efficient means of getting these spices is an Indian market.  you get twice as much for 1/4 the price.  I have two shelves in my cabinets for spice.  One is for Indian spices, the other is for everything else


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## velochic (Sep 26, 2011)

larry_stewart said:


> Couldnt agree more.  Many of the dishes I make have a minimum of a half dozen spices rarely used for anything else other than food from this region.  The most efficient means of getting these spices is an Indian market.  you get twice as much for 1/4 the price.  I have two shelves in my cabinets for spice.  One is for Indian spices, the other is for everything else



That's interesting.  To which spices do you refer?  I actually find that most of the spices are fairly common for other things I cook.  I do cook Middle Eastern, North African, and Mexican a lot, though, in addition to a LOT of other ethnic foods including Indian.  I was just looking at my spice cabinet and the two things that I thought of as really exclusive to what I use for Indian are hing (asafoetida) powder, and mango powder.  Otherwise I use the rest for non-Indian dishes.


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## letscook (Sep 26, 2011)

none -- I have tried several times and several different dishes as I love to try new foods and nope not for me.  The smell of curry just turns me off.


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## Timothy (Sep 26, 2011)

Andy M. said:


> She came over and watched me make it. Turns out all her measurements were way off as she doesn't usually measure.


 
That's why I always try to watch when I can. The methods, amounts and timing are sometimes very difficult to put into words.

Like something my old friend and boss once said to me as he prepared a dish; "Ok Tim, you add this until the color of the whole dish looks like this". No amounts, just added in 'pinches or dabs' and stirred in well until the proper color happens.

My offer to friends who make dishes I love is for me to buy all the ingredients for them to prepare at thier home while I watch. I jot down the measurements while watching and then translate my notes into a recipe later at home.


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## larry_stewart (Sep 26, 2011)

Its possible and probable that my cooking experience isnt as broad as many people here, but some of the spices that I have used exclusively for Indian were, the Hing and Amchoor ( mango) powder you were referring to. In addition, turmeric, garam masala, methi leaves, methi seeds, cardamom, kaffir lime leaves and a few others Im too lazy to get up and check  . Sure, there are the overlapped spices like cumin, coriander/ cilantro, cinnamon, cumin, cloves, bay leave and ginger.  With the things that I cook, I do notice some overlap in Mexican, Moroccan and Middle Eastern dishes that I make.


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## velochic (Sep 27, 2011)

larry_stewart said:


> Its possible and probable that my cooking experience isnt as broad as many people here, but some of the spices that I have used exclusively for Indian were, the Hing and Amchoor ( mango) powder you were referring to. In addition, turmeric, garam masala, methi leaves, methi seeds, cardamom, kaffir lime leaves and a few others Im too lazy to get up and check  . Sure, there are the overlapped spices like cumin, coriander/ cilantro, cinnamon, cumin, cloves, bay leave and ginger.  With the things that I cook, I do notice some overlap in Mexican, Moroccan and Middle Eastern dishes that I make.



Ah, yes, kaffir lime.  I consider that to be Thai cuisine and I don't cook thai (allergic to coconut), so that's not something I've ever used.  I can see that if you cook Thai that you wouldn't use that much outside of that cuisine.  Methi is just fenugreek, and I do use that for other dishes, but don't use it fresh.  I use turmeric and cardamom, too, in other things.  Garam masala is just a mixture of spices, so I make my own.  Same with curry, which is a mixture.

I guess all I'm saying is that those who might be new to Indian cooking shouldn't be put off by the spices or by the COST of spices because they really are quite common and will not go to waste if you cook a variety of cuisines.  Even if you just cook Mexican at home, many of the spices will cross those borders.  I know that my Indian friends say that when they talk to people about their native foods that overwhelmingly, the spices are what put people off of trying to cook it at home.  It's such a healthy diet and I just wanted to point out that it's not difficult, the spices are not complicated even though they use a lot, and it's not cost-prohibitive (or waste-inducing because you're really not going to throw all of those spices away).  You probably have 90% of what you need already in your spice cupboard.


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## tinlizzie (Sep 27, 2011)

I very much like Sag Goshth, "meat curry in a rich, melt in the mouth, creamy spinach puree," a quote from my source cookbook, _Curries_ _Without Worries_ by Sudha Koul.  I serve it over brown rice.  It's somewhat of an indulgence, since I'm cooking it for only me, but there is enough to portion out and freeze several meals' worth.  My freezer supply is gone as of a few weeks ago, and as I scraped the last few delicious drops from the bottom of the bowl, I vowed to make another batch soon.  I do use ground turkey as a substitute for lamb because lamb is not always available and besides is very expensive for not-that-great-looking cuts.


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## Timothy (Sep 27, 2011)

tinlizzie said:


> ...a quote from my source cookbook, _Curries_ _Without Worries_ by Sudha Koul.


 
Thanks for the reference, tinlizzie. 

I just ordered that book at Amazon for a total of $9, including shipping. 

I love curries. I mean....I *really, really* love curries! 

This will be a well used addition to my cookbook collection!


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## Andy M. (Sep 27, 2011)

Timothy said:


> ...you add this until the color of the whole dish looks like this". No amounts, just added in 'pinches or dabs' and stirred in well until the proper color happens...




This is exactly how it went with my neighbor.  Add tandoori masala to a certain color.  She was appalled when see saw how far off she was in the measurements she gave me.  Then again with adding the yogurt, until finally we got the right color and she knew we were done!


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## tinlizzie (Sep 27, 2011)

Timothy said:


> Thanks for the reference, tinlizzie.
> 
> I just ordered that book at Amazon for a total of $9, including shipping.
> 
> ...


 
I hope you'll share with us, when you get your book, which dish you chose and how it turned out.  I should experiment more instead of making the same one over and over.  But I love it so much and it gets easier each time!  I certainly have learned that mise en place is essential.


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## Bolas De Fraile (Sep 27, 2011)

For all you curryaholics http://www.mamtaskitchen.com/    is accepted as one of the best blogs in the UK.
Andy M check out the Murgh Makhani (butter chicken) its spot on.
The Indian food on this blog is authentic UK home style cooking not restaurant style.


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## Timothy (Sep 27, 2011)

Andy M. said:


> This is exactly how it went with my neighbor. Add tandoori masala to a certain color. She was appalled when see saw how far off she was in the measurements she gave me. Then again with adding the yogurt, until finally we got the right color and she knew we were done!


 
Oh man, do I love masala seasoning. I use "Laxmi Brand Pav Bhaji Masala" in a lot of dishes. Sometimes just a pinch makes all the difference in the world. 

It's easy to see why when you see the list of it's ingredients:

Red Chilli, Coriander, Cumin, Dry Mango, Fennel, Cassia, Bay Leaves, Common Salt, Black Cardamom, Caraway, Green Gardamom, Star Anise, Clove, Anise Pepper.

What a complex group of seasonings and flavors, all-in-one!


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## Timothy (Sep 27, 2011)

tinlizzie said:


> I hope you'll share with us, when you get your book, which dish you chose and how it turned out. I should experiment more instead of making the same one over and over. But I love it so much and it gets easier each time! I certainly have learned that mise en place is essential.


 
I sure will share my favorites from that book! I can't wait until it gets here!

"mise en place" is the key to great sushi also!


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## Andy M. (Sep 27, 2011)

Bolas De Fraile said:


> For all you curryaholics http://www.mamtaskitchen.com    is accepted as one of the best blogs in the UK.
> Andy M check out the Murgh Makhani (butter chicken) its spot on.
> The Indian food on this blog is authentic UK home style cooking not restaurant style.




Bolas, I'll check out your link if you'll check out mine.  http://www.discusscooking.com/forums/f21/butter-chicken-murgh-makhani-66934.html


P. S. Thanks for the link.  It's a good one.


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## CWS4322 (Sep 27, 2011)

I like a creamed spinach-chickpea dish (for which I don't know the name). A friend is married to a guy from New Dehli and they are vegetarians. She shares a lot of his family recipes with me. You want to buy curry leaves if you want to make your own curry. I like to take a curry-like blend and toss green beans with a bit of olive oil and the spice mixture (the beans are steamed to tender--just a tad more than blanched).


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## larry_stewart (Sep 27, 2011)

velochic said:


> Ah, yes, kaffir lime.  I consider that to be Thai cuisine and I don't cook thai (allergic to coconut), so that's not something I've ever used.  I can see that if you cook Thai that you wouldn't use that much outside of that cuisine.  Methi is just fenugreek, and I do use that for other dishes, but don't use it fresh.  I use turmeric and cardamom, too, in other things.  Garam masala is just a mixture of spices, so I make my own.  Same with curry, which is a mixture.
> 
> I guess all I'm saying is that those who might be new to Indian cooking shouldn't be put off by the spices or by the COST of spices because they really are quite common and will not go to waste if you cook a variety of cuisines.  Even if you just cook Mexican at home, many of the spices will cross those borders.  I know that my Indian friends say that when they talk to people about their native foods that overwhelmingly, the spices are what put people off of trying to cook it at home.  It's such a healthy diet and I just wanted to point out that it's not difficult, the spices are not complicated even though they use a lot, and it's not cost-prohibitive (or waste-inducing because you're really not going to throw all of those spices away).  You probably have 90% of what you need already in your spice cupboard.



I hear ya.  And honestly, after acquire so many spices, its a good excuse to expand into other areas of the world your not experienced in.


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## Bolas De Fraile (Sep 28, 2011)

Good stuff Andy M, it is that dish that morphed into chicken tikka masala in the UK.
One of my all time favs is spiced potato dosas with carrot and mustard seed salad.


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## RAYT721 (Sep 28, 2011)

I never tried Indian food until wife and I watched the food network and caught Aarti's Party. We made the Kale & Mango Salad but substituted spinach for the kale and it was just awesome. What a quick and easy resipe! We have an open mind now to Indian cooking and would like to find an authentic Indian restaurant (should not be too hard in the big city of Cleveland) to get a little more experience with the flavors and spices. I've had Thai curry and liked it. I wonder if there's a difference. There is so much to learn from other cultures with food being only one of them.


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## Bolas De Fraile (Sep 29, 2011)

Ray the problem you will find is that for all the Indian Restaurants to produce Authentic food from beef, lamb and pork (pork is used in christian Indian cooking ie Portuguese Vindaloo) is the time it would take to make gravy based dishes.
Most if not all in the UK use the batch cooking method so if I make a traditional method dish with exactly the same ingredients as a batch cooked dish the two will taste very different. I have to say I prefer the batch cooking method at home as you get a fresher more vibrant taste.
Thai red and green "curry" are very tasty dishes, if you like them you should like most coastal  food like Bangladeshi cuisine.


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## jusnikki (Sep 29, 2011)

I don't think I've ever had Indian food but I'm going to check out the link Bolas posted. Thanks : )


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## jusnikki (Sep 29, 2011)

The links not working for me. But I'm gonna google until I find it, lol. 

I'm gonna check out yours too andy.


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## jusnikki (Sep 29, 2011)

I see Indian food requires a thousand spices and seasoning.... Guess I'll have to wait until I try it at a restuarant. Cause I won't be making it. I just don't have the patience and commitment to a long list of ingredients..


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## Bolas De Fraile (Sep 29, 2011)

jusnikki said:


> The links not working for me. But I'm gonna google until I find it, lol.
> 
> I'm gonna check out yours too andy.


Mamta's Kitchen


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## jusnikki (Sep 29, 2011)

Bolas De Fraile said:


> Mamta's Kitchen


 

I had found it. Thanks


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## Steve Kroll (Sep 29, 2011)

We used to have one night a week devoted to Indian food at our house, so I've had quite a few different regional dishes from different parts of India. I like almost all of them. 

But my hands down favorite is Pork Vindaloo. The real Goan stuff, fiery and heavily laced with vinegar. Not the pale imitation that a lot of restaurants call vindaloo.


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## Julio (Oct 7, 2011)

One that I get while I am out is chicken over ( yellow ) rice with a side salad from the food cart.


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## TATTRAT (Oct 7, 2011)

Steve Kroll said:


> We used to have one night a week devoted to Indian food at our house, so I've had quite a few different regional dishes from different parts of India. I like almost all of them.
> 
> But my hands down favorite is Pork Vindaloo. The real Goan stuff, fiery and heavily laced with vinegar. Not the pale imitation that a lot of restaurants call vindaloo.



I love the more Hindu influenced Food of Goa, but the seafood dishes, Holy smokes, SO GOOD!

I also like more Southern Indian, specifically Dosa. I could eat Dosa daily, and am grateful to have an Indian place that specializes in Mumbai style street foods.

BIG fan of Rogan Josh, anything Vindaloo, anything out of the tandoor is always a treat, Samosa, Saag, Daal, Kheer, Chicken 65. . .good, I could go on and on. . .


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## buckytom (Oct 7, 2011)

+1 tatt.

i love goan seafood, as well as dosa street food and tandoor.

tandoor cooked roti aloo, stuffed with herbs and spuds. or tandoor head-on spiced shrimp.

there's a joint on 10th ave that has delicious chicken necks vindaloo, and veggie korma. and paneer, and so on.

man, i need some indian food. lol.


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## buckytom (Oct 7, 2011)

+1 tatt.

i love goan seafood, as well as dosa street food and tandoor.

tandoor cooked roti aloo, stuffed with herbs and spuds. or tandoor head-on spiced shrimp.

there's a joint on 10th ave that has delicious chicken necks vindaloo, and veggie korma. and paneer, and so on. I always get a side of red spiced raw onions and butt blasting mini hot peppers. it adds heat as well as texture/ fresh veggie crunch.

man, i need some indian food. lol.


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## Bolas De Fraile (Oct 7, 2011)

When the mood takes me I make dosas from scratch but Gits instant dosa mix is quite good


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## Timothy (Oct 7, 2011)

TATTRAT said:


> I love the more Hindu influenced Food of Goa, but the seafood dishes, Holy smokes, SO GOOD!
> 
> I also like more Southern Indian, specifically Dosa. I could eat Dosa daily, and am grateful to have an Indian place that specializes in Mumbai style street foods.
> 
> BIG fan of Rogan Josh, anything Vindaloo, anything out of the tandoor is always a treat, Samosa, Saag, Daal, Kheer, Chicken 65. . .good, I could go on and on. . .


 
My experience with foods that are common in India is so limited. There isn't a single restaurant, (that I'm aware of), in my city that specializes in that type of food. 

There are a couple that have a couple of dishes each, but nothing that would compare to a restaurant  that serves *only* that type of food.

My Doctor, who is from India, tells me of a restaurant on the other side of Jacksonville that he says is the only really authentic Indian restaurant in this area. He tells me it's the one that all the "Homesick" Indians go to for a night out.

I have yet to go there, as I hate driving, and it's quite some distance from my house and in an area that I'm totally unfamiliar with. The next time my Sister and her husband come down to see me, I'm going to get them to drive me there. My BIL loves to drive.

I envy you folks who live in large cities with so many food cultures represented.


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## spork (Oct 7, 2011)

Timothy said:


> I envy you folks who live in large cities with so many food cultures represented.



same here.  I often find myself pining for L.A. for the same reason, but it's a quick coin-flip to remind myself also why I don't miss living there.  There are maybe a dozen total restaurants and one small market within my 40-mile radius (not a one offers Pakistani biryani).  The upside is that most of them serve buffet, and everything tastes great.  Love simple Indian aloo (potato) dishes.  Aloo gobhi, samosas.

I wish I was better at cooking Indian at home.  It always seems to flop.


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## Braised Brachiosaurus (Oct 8, 2011)

spork said:


> I wish I was better at cooking Indian at home.  It always seems to flop.



I've had mixed results. My first effort relied on a single cookbook I found in the library; even when you adjust everything from the metric, there seems to be something lost in the transition from European-style to Indian-style cooking, at least for me.

One relatively simple dish that came out nicely was a carrot pudding. I've found it's far easier to simply make an Indian-style spiced rice pudding. It makes all others just seem bland.


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## cave76 (Oct 8, 2011)

To carry food (Indian or not) these are great. I use them for leftovers in the 'fridge.

Small 4-Tier SS Latch Tiffin Lunch Box, Food Carrier Happy Tiffin
(not associated with that web site!)


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## larry_stewart (Oct 8, 2011)

cave76 said:


> To carry food (Indian or not) these are great. I use them for leftovers in the 'fridge.
> 
> Small 4-Tier SS Latch Tiffin Lunch Box, Food Carrier Happy Tiffin
> (not associated with that web site!)



My wife got me one for my birthday, ive yet to try it out, but i loved it when i saw them for the first time on Andrew Zimmern's show.


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## Timothy (Oct 8, 2011)

larry_stewart said:


> My wife got me one for my birthday, ive yet to try it out, but i loved it when i saw them for the first time on Andrew Zimmern's show.


That's where I saw them also! I believe it was the show where he went to a lady's house and she made homemade yogurt for him.


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## buckytom (Oct 9, 2011)

and lassie!

woof.

lol, i mean lassi.


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## GiddyUpGo (Oct 9, 2011)

Chicken vindaloo, the spicier the better! I also love tandoori chicken, and I make butter chicken at home all the time. Also chicken tikka masala and a really good naan bread.


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## Claire (Oct 9, 2011)

I don't make Indian from scratch very often because I do wind up with spices that stand on the shelf for ages because I don't make Indian food that often (see, a self-fulfilling cycle).  

I believe that, at least here in the U.S., especially in a cosmopolitan city or college town, going to an Indian "all-you-can-eat" buffet can be a good introduction to the cuisine, because you don't have to commit to a dish and find you don't like it.  As a general rule, I don't like buffets, but for this purpose ....  One place I went to (in Apple Valley, CA) would bring you tandoori chicken and nan straight from their oven ... what is it called?  A tandoor?  My brain isn't firing on all cylinders this morning.  Anyway, the buffet was loaded with various curries (yes, I know, I know), salads, rice, etc, but the nan and tandoori were brought out to the table.  Wonder if the place is still there?


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## Claire (Oct 9, 2011)

I love funny or odd food experience stories.  Once upon a time, many moons ago, the Daytona area had no Indian food.  

A friend wanted to introduce us to her daughter's paramour.  She said (imagine a stage whisper) that we'd understand where some of her friends wouldn't (???).  the implication was that he was African-black and we wouldn't care.  Well, she's right.  So we arrived to find ... and laughed.  He WAS from Maurititius (probably misspelled and probably mis-named it, but an island off the African coast), but ethnically it was quite plain he was Indian.  We got along great, and I told him I couldn't possibly make the foods his mother did (he was a college student), however, I'd give it a try.  

we all had a wonderful time.  I told the gal to wear a u-neck T-shirt with her shorts/jeans and bought copious yardage of pretty-but-cheap fabric and tried to dress her in a sari as best I knew how (yeah, seeing it on TV doesn't do it) and added kohl and figured out what kind of dot to put on her forehead.  

We really did have a blast.  But the most fun was a week later when we got together for something else, her father cracked up.  He'd thought he was hemoraging when he went to the bathroom the next day!  That darned tandoori chicken does it every time!


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## Claire (Oct 9, 2011)

Oh, another P.S. -- the guy was born on Mauritius but actually lived most of his life in, I think, NYC, and, thank heaven, although he loved it all, he had limited knowledge of Indian food!


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## TATTRAT (Oct 9, 2011)

Claire said:


> He'd thought he was hemoraging when he went to the bathroom the next day!  That darned tandoori chicken does it every time!



LMAO!!   My mom use to make quite the Indian spread, and prefaced the meal with that disclaimer, and ensuring folks NOT TO WORRY, lol. Not the best pre-game speech, but, it certainly was worth getting out there.


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## NoraC (Oct 9, 2011)

The Indian dishes we like are the spicy ones, LOL. Seriously, Moong Dal hits the rotation about once a week, 3 out of 7 dinners around here are a curry, from different parts of the world, but Bengali or Tamil most frequently.
I noticed several comments about cost/acquisition/storage of spices and have a system that makes it work for us, here in the middle of nowhere.  It is 57 miles to our nearest international food market of any note; that defines the middle of nowhere, LOL.  
The freezer is your answer. If you keep whole spices well sealed in the freezer, they last almost forever, so you can buy a spice and not worry if you will use it "often".  To kick it up a notch get 2, not 1, spice grinders, one for sweet and one for hot spices (let your nose decide which is which).
Find an area in your freezer that you can dedicate to spices; double seal each spice in ziplocks, with a label for any "other language" names slipped inside the outer bag, alphabetize according to the name you purchased it under and you are good to go for most cuisines that occur at a similar latitude.  I started with plastic storage boxes in teh freezer, full of spice bags; the current refrigerator has a freezer drawer pull out that I have dedicated to spices.  The trick is to store them in a an order that makes them easy to find.


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## gabagoo (Oct 10, 2011)

Steve Kroll said:


> We used to have one night a week devoted to Indian food at our house, so I've had quite a few different regional dishes from different parts of India. I like almost all of them.
> 
> But my hands down favorite is Pork Vindaloo. The real Goan stuff, fiery and heavily laced with vinegar. Not the pale imitation that a lot of restaurants call vindaloo.




would love to see the recipe for that dish


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## Claire (Oct 11, 2011)

There is only one Indian dish I'm not crazy about (that is to say, of what I've tried) and that is the spinach/cheese one.  Cannot remember what it is called, but the spinach has the appearance of spinach baby food, and the cheese more closely resembles tofu cubes (to my palate).


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## tinlizzie (Oct 11, 2011)

NoraC said:


> The Indian dishes we like are the spicy ones, LOL. Seriously, Moong Dal hits the rotation about once a week, 3 out of 7 dinners around here are a curry, from different parts of the world, but Bengali or Tamil most frequently.
> I noticed several comments about cost/acquisition/storage of spices and have a system that makes it work for us, here in the middle of nowhere. It is 57 miles to our nearest international food market of any note; that defines the middle of nowhere, LOL.
> The freezer is your answer. If you keep whole spices well sealed in the freezer, they last almost forever, so you can buy a spice and not worry if you will use it "often". To kick it up a notch get 2, not 1, spice grinders, one for sweet and one for hot spices (let your nose decide which is which).
> Find an area in your freezer that you can dedicate to spices; double seal each spice in ziplocks, with a label for any "other language" names slipped inside the outer bag, alphabetize according to the name you purchased it under and you are good to go for most cuisines that occur at a similar latitude. I started with plastic storage boxes in teh freezer, full of spice bags; the current refrigerator has a freezer drawer pull out that I have dedicated to spices. The trick is to store them in a an order that makes them easy to find.


 
Thanks for this, Nora.  This certainly appeals to my thrifty side -- if I can just get my "get up and do it" side into action and actually put your suggestions to work.


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## Andy M. (Oct 11, 2011)

Claire said:


> There is only one Indian dish I'm not crazy about (that is to say, of what I've tried) and that is the spinach/cheese one.  Cannot remember what it is called, but the spinach has the appearance of spinach baby food, and the cheese more closely resembles tofu cubes (to my palate).




That was probably palak paneer.  Palak for spinach and paneer for cheese.  Indian paneer does have a soft tofu-like texture.  It's a very mild fresh cheese.


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## Selkie (Oct 11, 2011)

I like the kind of Indian food that someone else fixes!


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## Claire (Oct 11, 2011)

Selkie said:


> I like the kind of Indian food that someone else fixes!



I have to go along with this ...  Since there are no Indian restaurants anywhere near here, I often settle for Patak's or Kitchens of India.  Since my Pakistani friend likes it, I assume it can't be too bad!  i wish I could get black pepper pappadams around here.  I'll have to try Amazon, I've found some of the Patak's hot lime pickles there.


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## Claire (Oct 11, 2011)

Andy M. said:


> That was probably palak paneer.  Palak for spinach and paneer for cheese.  Indian paneer does have a soft tofu-like texture.  It's a very mild fresh cheese.



Yes, that's the one.  I don't hate it, just isn't my favorite thing.


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## larry_stewart (Oct 11, 2011)

I love any type of paneer dish.


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## Timothy (Oct 11, 2011)

tinlizzie said:


> I very much like Sag Goshth, "meat curry in a rich, melt in the mouth, creamy spinach puree," a quote from my source cookbook, _Curries_ _Without Worries_ by Sudha Koul.





Timothy said:


> Thanks for the reference, tinlizzie.
> 
> I just ordered that book at Amazon for a total of $9, including shipping. I love curries. I mean....I *really, really* love curries! This will be a well used addition to my cookbook collection!


 


tinlizzie said:


> I hope you'll share with us, when you get your book, which dish you chose and how it turned out.


 


Timothy said:


> I sure will share my favorites from that book! I can't wait until it gets here!


 
The book got here today! That will be my bed-time reading tonight! Thanks again for letting me know about it!


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## tinlizzie (Oct 12, 2011)

Timothy said:


> The book got here today! That will be my bed-time reading tonight! Thanks again for letting me know about it!


 
I do hope it suits you and that it isn't too "beginner" for you.  It was my first Indian food cookbook; I found it at a yard sale years ago - serendipity.


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## Timothy (Oct 12, 2011)

tinlizzie said:


> I do hope it suits you and that it isn't too "beginner" for you. It was my first Indian food cookbook; I found it at a yard sale years ago - serendipity.


 
After looking through the book last evening and some more this morning, I saw many recipes I'll make "as is" and many more that I'll modify to my own personal tastes. It's a wonderful cook book! Thanks again tinlizzie!


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## tinlizzie (Oct 13, 2011)

My pleasure.


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