| Author | Message | ||
     Joe Citizen Username: Gonets Post Number: 818 Registered: 2-2004 |
Haven't been there but I believe Cafe Spice has a good reputation. The lunch buffet may be great, but there have been times where I've been very disappointed by an Indian lunch buffet, and it gets me thinking that people who are just experimenting with Indian will be turned off permanently by this lousy buffet. I hear you about keeping it cheap at lunch. Since you like curries and nan, you're definitely ready for a curried chicken roti (like a burrito) at Carribean Cuisine in South Orange. Excellent cheap eats from spicy to hearty comfort food--their chicken dumpling soup is meal by itself. But I started a whole thread about that place already. Enjoy lunch. The lunch options in NYC might be the single greatest positive about working here. | ||
| eliz Supporter Username: Eliz Post Number: 1061 Registered: 5-2001 |
Bay Leaf is very good Alg and a good place to start. Another great way is if you find a veg Indian restaurant and have a Masala Dosa (a good one) - that will convert anyone. | ||
| Mustt_mustt Citizen Username: Mustt_mustt Post Number: 319 Registered: 8-2003 |
Why don't you folks come home and we'll cook you a meal which you won't forget in a hurry!!! Or why not try a potluck? We are game for it. Chicken cooked in Dakshini style with pepper and curry leaves (South Indian) or authentic "rasam" ( a soup) which, I assure you, will clear your sinuses without making you reach for maalox or whatever. | ||
| Beans Citizen Username: Nalini Post Number: 96 Registered: 11-2004 |
Mustt_Mustt if you're teaching how to cook Indian food, then count me in. | ||
| Katy M. Citizen Username: Katymcf Post Number: 60 Registered: 11-2002 |
me too! i know how to cook Indian food...kind of...but i definitely need more skills! | ||
| Mustt_mustt Citizen Username: Mustt_mustt Post Number: 322 Registered: 8-2003 |
Why not? My partner and I could share a few dishes that most don't get to eat in restaurants. The other thing we could do is to have a 'international' potluck lunch on a fine Sunday afternoon in July. What do you folks think? Someone else expressed an interest in attending such a do. As for classes, we could do a weekend 'lesson' for which you don't have to pay  It is worth making a trip to Edison to buy all the spices and condiments that are needed for Indian cooking. A friend of ours did exactly that and now she cooks 'desi' food regularly. Shall email you a list if you want one. In the meanwhile, check out the recipes section in www.ndtv.com | ||
| Beans Citizen Username: Nalini Post Number: 97 Registered: 11-2004 |
International Potluck would be so much fun. I love ALL kinds of ethnic foods.. Set it up and I am there | ||
| Wilkanoid Citizen Username: Cseleosida Post Number: 350 Registered: 10-2002 |
Count me in for anything having to do with Indian food. Seriously. Mr. W is in too. As for W1 and W2, we might need to feed them plain nan. Haven't succeeded in converting them yet! | ||
| Compmama Citizen Username: Compmama Post Number: 25 Registered: 4-2005 |
I'm all for a potluck in July. I can bring some nice Bengali food. Shrimp with coconut curry, anyone? Wilkanoid, my two little ones complain a bit when the food gets inadvertently spicy...but I've gotten them pretty trained on plain fish curry and rice!! | ||
| AlleyGater Citizen Username: Alleygater Post Number: 326 Registered: 10-2004 |
An authentic Indian cooking class in town would be pretty rocking. I'm pretty sure my wife and I would attend if it was reasonably priced. I cook a pretty mean veggie and shrimp curry. I can do pretty good rice too. I suppose might not be super authentic but is sure tastes good. | ||
| Compmama Citizen Username: Compmama Post Number: 26 Registered: 4-2005 |
AlleyGater, sometimes even I don't know if I'm cooking something "authentic". Some dishes taste like food I ate as a child and others taste "Indian" but of dubious parentage. So there's the rub. What matters is that you have the right traditional spices, a basic method, and a lot of good intentions. Then, if the food tastes good--you've done it! | ||
| AlleyGater Citizen Username: Alleygater Post Number: 329 Registered: 10-2004 |
Well how would I know if I am using the traditional spices? I mean if I use curry powder instead of curry leaves and I use some of the traditional spices but not all of them that are typical in a dish does that count? It certainly tastes indian-esque (and delicious). But I don't have a clue what the proper method of indian cooking is. I just make a sauce with a bunch of indian spices and throw in my veggies and ladle it over my rice and it tastes good. I suspect that there is nothing even remotely traditional about it at all though. Which is why a real class would be a lot of fun. | ||
| Tom Reingold Supporter Username: Noglider Post Number: 6933 Registered: 1-2003  |
Curry leaves!  Curry powder is a mixture of spices, usually cumin, coriander, turmeric, red pepper (I think), and usually others, too. I notice when I try to cook Indian style, the spices seem out of balance. I also notice that it's possible to put in too much garlic, though that isn't possible when cooking Italian style. I can bake a mean loaf of challah, and I am willing to show others how, too. It would be out of character for Indian cooking, but people do enjoy it. | ||
| Compmama Citizen Username: Compmama Post Number: 27 Registered: 4-2005 |
Alley, I was assuming that you know something about Indian cuisine and the very basic spices: Cumin, coriander, turmeric, ginger/garlic (together and sometimes individually), cayenne; and the ones that comprise garam masala, usually clove, cinnamon, cardamom, and sometimes mace, nutmeg and black pepper. Curry leaves are generally used for south indian food and tastes really good in certain types of dishes (for eg. sambar dal, rasam, potato cooked with the leaves and mustard seeds...) I cook with curry leaves only when I'm specifically making southern indian food. Otherwise, if you saute a couple of onions, throw in the basic spice mixture (all seeds ground in small portions with ginger/garlic paste and mixed with a tablespoon of water) into veggies or meat or fish (or tofu) you'll have a delicious dish. Sprinkle some garam masala (ground) at the end and top with some chopped fresh cilantro. Tom, go easy on the spices and you'll achieve the balance. Spices such as cumin, turmeric, and coriander are rather strong and will overwhelm the palate. ALso use a lot of onions but regulate your use of spices and ginger/garlic. Meat usually requires a bit more of the garlic but in general garlic will overwhelm even the strong spices. Ultimately, you do want to retain the natural flavor of the vegetables too...This is why I deplore some of the Indian restaurants (yes, including Neelam) which douse the veggies and meat in some greasy generic sauce and then you end up just tasting the sauce.... I would love learn how to bake challah. My husband's family was thrilled when I made a very authentic Passover honey-nut cake for the family Seder! I could even think of some fabulous Indian-Jewish dessert with challah and home-made paneer soaked in syrup and sprinkled with nuts.....How's that for a blending of cultures and cuisines?!! | ||
| Tom Reingold Supporter Username: Noglider Post Number: 6935 Registered: 1-2003 |
Now don't I feel like a fool, laughing at the term "curry leaves". I had no idea such a thing exists. OK, maybe it's time to try to set a date for this get-together? Now that I know my suggestion of challah isn't ridiculous, I feel better. Believe it or not, I find it to be the easiest type of bread to bake. The eggs seem to forgive many types of errors in measuring the ingredients. |
