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Posted: Nov/15/2008 4:19 PM PST
Anyone out there know any good, easy recipes? or a decent website? |
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Posted: Nov/15/2008 6:39 PM PST
Try recipegoldmine.com |
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Posted: Nov/16/2008 5:59 AM PST
I will give them a try. Thanks. The closest Indian food place around here is almost a 2 hour drive. Sometimes, I just get that craving... |
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Posted: Nov/16/2008 9:22 AM PST
Madhur Jafrey's books are good. I find authentic curries really really difficult to cook. I usually cheat and get the pre-mixed spice envelopes from the Asian/Indian market, then add my own meat and vegetables. Tips from someone who has ruined alot of Indian food: If a recipe calls for yogurt in the sauce, get the full fat kind, and add it a little at a time. Low fat yogurt will split and give you runny sauce with white flecks. I've ruined many a lovely dish this way before I learned. If a recipe calls for you to marinate with yogurt but it's not in the sauce, then you can use low fat if you want. Be very very careful with cloves and especially cardamom! I've found recipes that call for 8 - 10 whole cloves or cardamom pods and it was nearly inedible after cooked. I love spicy and highly flavored foods too... I can only think that I had a different variety of spice than the recipe was based on. Don't skip or change any steps that sound picky or unimportant. If it says to toast some of the spices in a dry skillet, toast them. If it says fry them in oil, fry them. If it says to toast whole spices and then grind them, do that. There's a big difference between green and black cardamom, between cardamom pods and cardamom seeds, between regular and black cumin. Follow the directions closely. But be careful of that cardamom. Ghee is clarified butter. Buy ghee, or clarify some butter (let the milk solids get a little brown), or substitute oil if you have to but don't use regular butter at a high temp or it will burn. Buy spices at an Asian or Indian market. You'll spend a fortune at the grocery for those little bottles. Most recipes don't call for commercial curry powder, they have very specific spice blends for each dish. Considering all the above, those great little spice envelopes are about 99 cents. So, after saying all the above (which really applies to the big meat curries), here's a forgiving little side dish that's really good. Aloo Ghobi (potatoes and cauliflower) Peel 2 cups of waxy potatoes and cut into bite size cubes. Separate cauliflower into 2 cups bitesize florets. In a nonstick skillet heat three tablespoons of ghee or clarified butter or oil. Add about a half teaspoon of whole cumin seed and a quarter teaspoon of mustard seed. Fry until the mustard seed starts to pop. Add a sprinkle of red pepper flakes and a sprinkle of turmeric, and toss the potatoes and cauliflower with the flavored oil. Pour in a cup of water, salt heavily, bring to a boil, reduce heat, and boil gently. In the amount of time it takes the water to evaporate the vegetables will soften and absorb the salt and color and flavors from the spices. The oil will remain. Let the vegetables fry and get light golden in the oil. Shake or stir the skillet from time to time, the potato starch will make a coating on the bottom and it tends to be sticky. Finish the dish with chopped parsley and cilantro right before serving. That's an "Indian Style" dish I sort of made up because it always works for me. You can use different whole spices if you like - lightly crushed corriander seeds are good in it, or a sprinkle of cinnamon. And you can add peppers or other vegetables too. |
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Posted: Nov/18/2008 1:36 PM PST
Thank you Aimee...the potato and cauliflower sounds real good. I'll slip a hint to Jay about what I want for Christmas....red socks and an Indian cookbook. (the author you listed). I'll have to wait until I go back to Jax to cook though, I still don't have a stove out here in the country! |
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Posted: Nov/18/2008 9:18 PM PST
You're living in the country without a stove?! Heavens, how do you do it?? I've been off work for about three weeks now and have been cooking such big meals every day I've gained about 8 pounds. There are lots of good Indian books out there - Madhur Jafrey's Taste of India is my favorite because it's got lots of information about Indian culture and great pictures of the country. It's also one of the books that I've cooked inedible dishes from! LOL every chef has their own niche interest and I pride myself on my knowledge of world cuisine. But I have a HECK of a time making good Indian food! I haven't seen Gimpy on here in awhile. I bet she has some good tips and cookbook suggestions too. |
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Posted: Nov/19/2008 5:50 AM PST
I've lost about 10 pounds (which I needed to) on the no stove diet. I've actually become quite creative with my cuisinart griddle and toaster oven. Last week I cooked a 5 pound brisket, it just barely fit in the toaster oven. Texas style with a mustard seed base rub. It came out better than when I do them in the oven or outside. The only real drawback is that I just can't plan too many dishes for one meal. P.S. I already put my Christmas request in to Jay for the cookbook. Will probably have to track down which bookstore has it, call them, have them hold it behind the counter, get directions, give to Jay then go pick it up myself, wrap it, sign his name to it, then act surprised when it comes time to opening presents! |
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Posted: Nov/19/2008 8:02 AM PST
LOL I'm sure Amazon has it and will bring it to your door! Better yet, Powell's books in Portland Oregon might have a used copy for cheep cheep. They're my favorite book source. But of course that's not quite as fun as tracking it down and making a pilgrimage to the bookstore. My hat's off to anyone who would even think of cooking a beef brisket in a toaster oven!! What's your mustard rub if I can ask? |
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Posted: Nov/19/2008 8:13 AM PST
Ever so simple....about 2 - 3 tbsp mustard seed, 3 - 4 tbsp coarse kosher salt, 1 tbsp fresh cracked black pepper, 2 tbsp either fresh or organic garlic paste...mix together in bowl and rub in. All measurements are relative, adjust to like and/or taste. I let the rub stay on for at least overnight. Then it cooks low and slow. Drives Jay crazy. The minute it starts to smell like brisket he wants it to be ready. And, I don't cover it all during the process. If it gets too blackened, I just trim it off. The hardest part about the whole thing is finding a place that knows how to sell a brisket. Most places trim ALL the fat off. Crazy. That's what makes it a brisket! |
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Posted: Nov/20/2008 12:37 PM PST
MMmmmmmm that sounds great! Do you leave the mustard seed whole? Sounds like it'd be good sliced thin with some homeade bread and horseradish and the drippings from the pan MMMMMMMMMM!!!! I love slow cooked brisket. I like to mix about a tablespoon each of cracked pepper, smoked paprika, and crushed garlic, two tablespoons of coarse salt, and a quarter cup brown sugar. Leave it on there all night like you said, cook it low and slow for hours and hours, drain it, and then pour over some homeade bbq sauce and raise the heat just to crisp it. I save the drippings and any scraps and make burgoo a couple days later. Uh oh, this isn't about Indian food anymore!! 
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