hodgy0_2

No, we just went to a house boat on lake dal, I read The Lord of the rings in one mamoth sitting and My mate, Tim literally sat on the sh1tter for 5 days

Although I did see the highest golf course in the world (supposedly) in Darjeeling a month or so earlier in the trip

I thought the whole of Kashmir was out of bounds at the moment

pacenote

Ok then when I don't use the rice cooker...

Bring to boil large pan of salted water. Rinse rice in colander under running water for about a minute. Add rice to the boiling water and after the grains start to dance around boil for 5 min. Drain the rice in a colander. Bring about 2.5 cm of water to boil in the pan and turn down to simmer, place colander on top of pan and cover rice with foil and let it steam for about 8 mins. Remove from heat and serve

ditchmyster

iTrader: (7)

It could well be but it was fine in september, bloody hell time flies, funny how they all claim highest in the world the one in kashmir is supposed to be, but i recon the hill station in darjeeling just pips it, I was there too but went the opposite direction, my son hates monkeys now because I had to throw his popcorn to them when surrounded by about 20 or so, we were mugged by monkeys.

ditchmyster

iTrader: (7)

what a palavra, no wonder you bought a rice cooker.

pacenote

Its easy once you get used to it but yes, the rice cooker is easier

urban

iTrader: (1)

I'm going to my favourite Indian restaurant tonight

**** - I'm hungry now

urban

iTrader: (1)

Does appear pretty easy - does it have to puff up like that though?

I agree after finally making my own - they do taste pretty bland

Turbohot

Last time I ate Indian (food, that is) was on 17th June. Hosting this weekend, so going to knock a hot curry together for the visitors on their request. It's a Southern crowd, so it will be fun to see them sweat Southern style. Last time a couple ate curry at ours, they insisted upon eating my hot curry. I had intentionally made their curry separately very mild so that they didn't face any re-percussions. But no. They had to act macho. They both ended up burning their mouths with HAAH, HAAH sounds. I wouldn't like to imagine what the aftermath was like, in relation to their buttholes.

Although as an authentic Indian, I can eat Indian (food, that is) 3 times a day without any fear of any tsunami in my guts, my family unfortunately are not such big fans of curry. Their Western tummies will experience crisis for frequent curry consumption. On our India tours, I have to keep Imodium handy to treat their loose motions.

Turbohot

Sorry, Ditch should answer it as you asked him, but I don't mind butting in.

No it doesn't have to puff up like that. Puffing depends on how evenly you have rolled your chapatti out. Back in India at home, we do like a fine cuisine to contain a chapatti that is paper thin with two skins (means puffed up while on pan; it could subside on serving- no prob) and no burn marks. But making of such chapattis comes with practice.
Learners get very excited when their chapatti puffs up by fluke, I have to say.

If you want your well-crafted chapatti to puff up, heat has to be moderate (not more than 3-4 gas mark) you need to keep circulating it on the pan, and press it with a cleanest cloth. It happens sometimes, and it doesn't. So no guarantee. However, as long as it is baked at all sides and not looking raw, it should have good taste on consumption.

urban

iTrader: (1)

Excellent Turbohot - thank you

As authentic Indian, tell me what you would eat on a typical day please.
It is a cuisine I absolutely love, English food is bland and generally boring I think.

ditchmyster

iTrader: (7)

I shall bow to your superior knowledge.

I get about 99% of mine to rise which is rather satisfying, although as in the video they don't all always go into the "perfect puff", I also don't use any oil or salt, but have been known to put a bit of finely ground black pepper in, you can also add finely chopped garlic and coriander to the dough to make a kind of garlic and coriander nann chapati type thing, which my best mate loves, but go very easy on the garlic, now i've seen oil used I think i'll add a bit to my chilli olive oil and mix that in and see how they taste, ummm chilli, garlic coriander chapati.

The best thing about this style of cooking is experimenting with all the different flavours and coming up with your own favourites, bit extra here and there can make a big difference to the end result.

ditchmyster

iTrader: (7)

I think english food has it's place and some of it is great, spending most of the year in Croatia has really made me appreciate it more, nice roast and yorkshire puddings, toad in the hole, bangers and mash, fish and chips, chips gravy and mushy peas all fantastic in their own right, cornish pasties and pork pies and sausage rolls, all things I fill my boots with when i'm back in the UK, as with all food you just have to seek out the best quality examples of the ingredients, a really good old fashioned butcher is key, the stuff I get off my butcher is first class, his sausages and bacon are to die for as is everything else he sells.

In contrast it's taken me 6yrs to find a top quality butcher out here in Croatia and i've not had a dodgy piece of meat off him in over a year now, and his chevapi (local spicy sausages) are the best i've tasted, and whenever I mention where I get them from every one say's his are the best in Istra and they're surprised I know about him.

hodgy0_2

isn't that a dosa?

classic Subaru Si

Although as an authentic Indian, I can eat Indian (food, that is) 3 times a day without any fear of any tsunami in my guts, my family unfortunately are not such big fans of curry. Their Western tummies will experience crisis for frequent curry consumption. On our India tours, I have to keep Imodium handy to treat their loose motions.[/QUOTE]

I’ve heard a Lassi is the perfect remedy for a dodgy stomach? Not got round to making my own as yet. Local curry house only makes them by the jug, and the other half isn’t keen on them, so it’s a bit much for one person. I tried one a few years back and really liked it, perfect after a good hot curry.

urban

iTrader: (1)

A Lassi with your curry - are you gay

Get on the beer son

ditchmyster

iTrader: (7)

There is actually some science behind the lassi.

The chilli takes out bacteria in your guts some of it good and some of it bad, and the lassie put's the good stuff back in.

I't also helps with acid reflux, and is generally good for your bowells, it's the original pro-biotic, which the likes of actimel etc, copied.

Turbohot

LOL thank you but I did forget to say that back in India, most chapattis ballon directly on cinders. It has to be shifted on the cinders to let it puff up.

However, that 'cloth' trick is fine if you don't want to mess about too much.

Urban, as an Indian, you would start your day with a paratha (kind of a lightly fried chapatti) and some yogurt. For lunch, you will have two types of sabzi (some kind of cooked vegetables), roti (chapatti) or rice, daal and water to drink right at the end after the meal. For dinner, you would have again the same menu, which could change with the types of vegetables and pulses. Sweets and fruits are added to any meal, except for breakfast. Home made fresh chutneys are essential part of every meal.

yes, it took me time to get used to British foods, Urban. I quite like British roasts now.

No, Hodgy. Dosa is a specific South Indian dish. The flour used to make dosa is a mixed combination of rice flour and a kind of pulse (daal) flour known as Urad. Dosa is fried in coconut oil on a flat metal pan, while chapatti is cooked on 'Tava', a kind of a pan (meal or clay) which is slightly dipped in the middle.

Lassi is a yogurt drink. It's fantastic for digestion. Try Kesar Lassi one day, CSI. It is Lassi with saffron flavour.

classic Subaru Si

plenty of Cobra's are consumed before hand, but after I've taken off the nose bag I'm stuffed mate. Usually go home and enjoy a lovely ice cold pint of milk with a few ice cubes in.

ditchmyster

iTrader: (7)

[QUOTE]Your welcome, and please tell us some of your favourites.

Now then i'll take slight issue with the bold part, mango chutney with a paratha, yummy, and what's the sweet porridge type stuff called

Now that I fancy, how do you make a saffron lassi?

hodgy0_2

Okay, I have just never seen a puffed chipatti before

I had a wonderful Dosa in a tiny vegetarian resturant in Madras (Chennai), the place was notable for being freezing cold and almost pitch black but the food was amazing

I loved chipatti's and had them with rice too, where i could (i know your not suppose to but I just could not help myself)

Turbohot

I should have put it better. What I meant to say it that you wouldn't start a day with a mammoth laddu, barfis or gulabjamuns, if you know what I mean. But thinking again, they actuallly do eat some sweety things for breakfast. Jalebi in milk is a very popular one! Sugar-based foods are eaten for breakfast like that porridge you are talking about. We Northerners call that porridge thingy Daliya. Sounds a bit like Dalai Lama, but it has nothing to do with him. They also make sugary pancakes for breakfast. They are stretchy ones with involuntary texture to it. I love them. Fruits are eaten as no one's business in India all the time- morning, noon and night. Thanks for prompting my memories, Ditch.

About Lassi, what do you think? I'll let you wreck your brains. LOL stick some saffron in yogurt. remember saffron is a very strong spice, so you only need about two shreds to make a pint glass lassi. That's if that saffron is genuine. Anyway, stick shedloads of sugar in it. Then churn the mixture big style in a blender or with the authentic, hand-held wooden device (I can't remember it's name- sorry). Your lassi is now ready. Then stick some ice cubes in another glass. Then pour the mixure on top. Then drink it.

Turbohot

Hodgy, dosa is amazing. A South Indian couple friends used to make me a top mixture for dosa. The male has bettered himself with a consultant job in one of the hospitals in London now, and his missus (my mate) has gone with him, so I have to think about making my own mixture.

There's no unspoken food ethic that rice cannot be eaten with chapattis, as long as you don't wrap rice with chapatti piece to eat it. They both serve same purpose like bread and potatoes do to the filing for sandwich or jacket potatoes. In some parts of India they'd only serve either rice or chapattis with curried meat/vegetables/daal etc. but in Northern India, we often would have rice as well on our 'thalis' (metal plates) to add variety to our meal; in addition to chapattis.

dpb

Well I buy bismati trophy rice from lidl, cook it for ten minutes or similar and fish it out

What am I missing.

Turbohot

A trophy for it, I think.

classic Subaru Si

Well, tried the lamb dopiaza last week, and it was a disaster not sure what went wrong, but it was utter sh1te. Trying the lamb rogan josh tomorrow, fingers crossed it doesn't end up down the toilet like the last dish. Ricks said to use lamb shoulder, but I'm not a fan of shoulder to be honest. Do you think I could just use some nice diced lamb from the butchers instead?