Re: What are you cooking / having cooked / eating today? [1 of 2]

by .|Sublime|. Thu Sep 01, 2011 1:13 pm

Tracy Whitney wrote:hai bhagwan.. eid nikal gayi sevaiyan rah gayi.... khao aur aage bado yaar....

don't you mean hai allah?

aise kaise aage badein. abhi to baal ki khaal nikalne me bada time hain. aap itni jaldi pareshan ho gayi.
merlot ko aane do, phir dekho kaise sevaiyon ki khaal nikalti hai.

by Guest Thu Sep 01, 2011 1:45 pm

hahaha. i don't think there is anything left for merlot unless he decides to do an obscure, iranian falooda on us.

by Another Brick Fri Sep 02, 2011 1:16 am

HK, I hereby confer upon thee the title of sevai gandharva.

by Merlot Daruwala Fri Sep 02, 2011 1:37 am

by Guest Fri Sep 02, 2011 3:32 am

Impedimenta wrote: love ajwain. god, reminds me of omam kuzhambu. i will post the recipe in a few because i plan to make that over the weekend for my esteemed guests who arrive on friday...

*bump*

by Guest Sat Sep 03, 2011 6:01 am

lunch today was dhaka biryani. a friend of mine had been raving about it for a long time. today we had guests over so i thought we'd try it. it was sourced from a dhaba in the suburbs. what distinguishes the dhaka biryani from the other biryanis is the well browned meat. i think they fry it well in the kadhai (after marination but before dum) or perhaps even sear it (notice that the potatoes are well browned too). the meat was very tender and though i don't fancy restaurant biryanis (in kolkata) that much, i think this was A+ class biryani.

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by Merlot Daruwala Sat Sep 03, 2011 7:27 am

Huzefa Kapasi wrote:lunch today was dhaka biryani. a friend of mine had been raving about it for a long time. today we had guests over so i thought we'd try it. it was sourced from a dhaba in the suburbs. what distinguishes the dhaka biryani from the other biryanis is the well browned meat. i think they fry it well in the kadhai (after marination but before dum) or perhaps even sear it (notice that the potatoes are well browned too). the meat was very tender and though i don't fancy restaurant biryanis (in kolkata) that much, i think this was A+ class biryani.

Looks and sounds delicious. The frying thing is true of all the Muslim biryanis I've tried - I spl love the fried potatoes, steeped in meat flavor.

by Guest Sat Sep 03, 2011 8:21 am

Merlot Daruwala wrote:The frying thing is true of all the Muslim biryanis I've tried

oh is it? in the biryani we make at home, we don't fry the meat till it gets that brown. so it retains it's natural, greyish colour. same for potatoes. perhaps we make the famous hyderabadi kacchi biryani and we don't know (i'm impressed with myself now). i'll post a pic the next time we make it (waiting for winters).

by Merlot Daruwala Sat Sep 03, 2011 8:50 am

Huzefa Kapasi wrote:oh is it? in the biryani we make at home, we don't fry the meat till it gets that brown.

Yeah, the usual method is to cook the marinated mutton like in a regular curry and then assembling it with the semi-cooked rice for a second round of slower dum-style cooking.

This frying thing is probably a restaurantish touch to get additional flavor, from the carmelization.

by Guest Sat Sep 03, 2011 10:12 am

yes. i just checked my recipe -- there is no frying in it; only pressure cooking to 1 whistle or half cooked. but, to be honest, it seems frying is also an acceptable method. i find some recipes on the net (notably from bengal) suggest that you fry the mutton with the masala and fry the potatoes and then give it dum.

by Merlot Daruwala Sun Sep 11, 2011 6:01 pm

I commemorated the brave heroes of 9/11 today by digging into some dimsum at Chinatown for lunch. Of course, dimsum is best enjoyed with company, so one can try out more variety. However, my memorial of 9/11 was to be an intensely personal one (seeking closure of my decade long pain), so I could only have some shumai, prawn dumplings and beef balls. Washed down by Chinese lawnmower beer. God bless America.

by Merlot Daruwala Mon Sep 12, 2011 1:51 pm

Did my bit to stimulate local economy in NYC by enjoying a fine lunch consisting of grilled salmon on a bed of spinach and lentils, pana cotta and a glass of chianti. A geniune hero is what I am. Mayor Bloomberg, pliss take note.

by Hellsangel Tue Sep 13, 2011 12:43 pm

by ashaNirasha Tue Sep 13, 2011 12:51 pm

curly fries from arbys?

by Guest Tue Sep 13, 2011 1:10 pm

nice pic hellsu. are those onion rings or french fries? i've decided not to google -- especially not "curly fries."

ashanirashaji, i want to share tiffin with you tomorrow. what is it that i am going to share with you going to be? it'd be nice to know in advance. that way we will all be prepared for when you post pics. of the disaster.

by Rekz Tue Sep 13, 2011 1:58 pm

Late nights fillers-Mcain smiles(happy crispy potatoes) with chilly sause and jeera mango chutney

by Guest Wed Sep 14, 2011 3:26 am

Snoopy, what's that knife for? Did you stab someone?

by Guest Wed Sep 14, 2011 3:42 am

today was my father's shradh. we observe it by the english calendar and not the pitrapaksh calendar. it is a coincidence that his shardh falls during pitrapaksh.

clockwise: pooris, dahi vada, alu sabzi, vegetable subzi, mooli kas (radish juliennes in lime) and a green pepper pickle in centre.

What are you cooking / having cooked / eating today? [1 of 2] - Page 9 2011-010

What are you cooking / having cooked / eating today? [1 of 2] - Page 9 2011-010

i took this pic. with my phone's HDR camera application. what a difference it made! here's a pic. without HDR:

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by Guest Wed Sep 14, 2011 3:52 am

Looks good. Are there any restrictions on what you can cook/eat on this day?

I too had dahi vada today along with rava kesari. Both were homemade (not by me).

Sorry, no pictures.

by Guest Wed Sep 14, 2011 4:01 am

blabberwock wrote:Looks good. Are there any restrictions on what you can cook/eat on this day?

yes. garlics and onions are avoided. the bhoj should be pakka (pooris) and not kaccha (rice or daal or even rotis). of course, brahmins are fed first.

by Guest Wed Sep 14, 2011 6:32 am

Look nice hk. What was for sweet?

Bw/hk. Even though the tradition is to cook veg food, my nanny's husband (Rajputs), used to cook mutton, etc to do his dad's shradh. His reasoning was, 'that's what my father would like to eat if he was comin down today'. Even though too religious, the nanny compromised on this one. The rest of us had no issues either, coz he made awesome chicken/meat/fish dishes. Very spicy, but we would add yogurt to it and then enjoy it. God bless his father's soul.

by Guest Wed Sep 14, 2011 7:03 am

for sweets we had rosogullas.

yes, the tradition is cook those dishes that the departed used to savour. my father was fond of dahi vadas and mooli ka kas. i had a relative who was so fond of urad dal that he used to have it everyday. he ordained that urad dal be served on his shardh and so it was.

edit. that reminds me. i have to add my shradh menu to my will. arahar dal definitely.

by Guest Wed Sep 14, 2011 7:33 am

Huzefa Kapasi wrote:the bhoj should be pakka (pooris) and not kaccha (rice or daal or even rotis). of course, brahmins are fed first.

to further clarify, pakka connotes to fried, deep fried, sauteed, bhunnoed, kadhai cooked with oil or ghee. kaccha connotes to boiled, steamed or pressure cooked without oil or ghee. so pooris and curries are pakka food. daal, rice and rotis and kaccha food. biryani and pulaos are kaccha food. i wonder what the equivalent terms elsewhere are, if any.

by Hellsangel Wed Sep 14, 2011 11:35 am

blabberwock wrote:Snoopy, what's that knife for? Did you stab someone?

Lucy, it was to break up the fries.

by Guest Wed Sep 14, 2011 1:41 pm

Vietnamese noodles with chicken

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by Guest Wed Sep 14, 2011 1:47 pm

got fired from hotal tandoor india tracy? btw, where are the noodles?

by Guest Wed Sep 14, 2011 1:58 pm

Huzefa Kapasi wrote:got fired from hotal tandoor india tracy? btw, where are the noodles?

Went to the cafe at dot 11:00 am, not all stalls were ready.

the noodles are the thin white noodles that you see. Most were under the veggies.

by Merlot Daruwala Tue Sep 20, 2011 6:39 pm

Dinner was at this fancy Italian restaurant: minestrone soup followed by roasted monkfish with potatoes. Fish was good but I think I'd have liked the pan-roasted bass even more. Dessert was tiramisu - delicious but could have done with more ladyfingers and less of the mascarpone.

And oh yes, there was mucho swirling, sniffing and sipping of some fine 2007 Barbaresco.

by Nila Tue Sep 20, 2011 11:53 pm

I am plain bored to eat so starving. Also, nothing like munching on Mom's cooked food. I miss all those pampering days! Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!! pale

by Nila Tue Sep 20, 2011 11:54 pm

I was too lazy to cook food...so it's pizza day!

by Hellsangel Wed Sep 21, 2011 12:34 am

Merlot Daruwala wrote:Dinner was at this fancy Italian restaurant: minestrone soup followed by roasted monkfish with potatoes. Fish was good but I think I'd have liked the pan-roasted bass even more. Dessert was tiramisu - delicious but could have done with more ladyfingers and less of the mascarpone.

And oh yes, there was mucho swirling, sniffing and sipping of some fine 2007 Barbaresco.

This is Mumbai?

by Guest Tue Sep 27, 2011 6:10 am

today is mahalaya (marking the beginning of durga puja) and also the last day of pitrapaksh. on this day of pitrapaksh, all the departed are commemorated in the shradh meal. anticlockwise: ajwain (carom seeds) puris, sevai, kasiphal/kaddu (pumpkin) subzi*, alu matar rasa (potatoes and peas in curd), coriander chutney, sandesh.

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*this subzi was made with methi and green chillis. my mom used to also make it with panch phoron. tasted great with ajwain puris.

by Guest Tue Sep 27, 2011 8:14 am

Looks good.

by Impedimenta Tue Sep 27, 2011 8:17 am

Huzefa Kapasi wrote:today is mahalaya (marking the beginning of durga puja) and also the last day of pitrapaksh. on this day of pitrapaksh, all the departed are commemorated in the shradh meal. anticlockwise: ajwain (carom seeds) puris, sevai, kasiphal/kaddu (pumpkin) subzi*, alu matar rasa (potatoes and peas in curd), coriander chutney, sandesh.

*this subzi was made with methi and green chillis. my mom used to also make it with panch phoron. tasted great with ajwain puris.

drool...looks delish, but why is there so much oil in the coriander chutney?

by Guest Tue Sep 27, 2011 8:33 am

thanks impy. that's not oil, that's excess water (lime). the chutney is clearer in this pic that i had posted earlier.

by Guest Tue Sep 27, 2011 1:34 pm

Tracy Whitney wrote:Looks good.

thanks TW. i did not notice your post earlier -- i don't know why.

by garam_kuta Tue Sep 27, 2011 1:48 pm

Huzefa Kapasi wrote:today is mahalaya (marking the beginning of durga puja) and also the last day of pitrapaksh. on this day of pitrapaksh, all the departed are commemorated in the shradh meal. anticlockwise: ajwain (carom seeds) puris, sevai, kasiphal/kaddu (pumpkin) subzi*, alu matar rasa (potatoes and peas in curd), coriander chutney, sandesh.

*this subzi was made with methi and green chillis. my mom used to also make it with panch phoron. tasted great with ajwain puris.

gorgeous bhaiya ! the hues and the natural composition are wonderful! the sevai is asking for a couple of lightly browned cashew nuts and raisins. interesting the curd in the alu mutter rasa is holding up without breaking- added after cooling but not cooked with ? the puri color is perfect and captivating and all taken under the tch. tch. aiyO.. i forget what the bengalis call ..you know, the light in which the brides are seen or something equivalent to that..

by Guest Wed Sep 28, 2011 1:33 am

garam_kuta wrote:gorgeous bhaiya ! the hues and the natural composition are wonderful! the sevai is asking for a couple of lightly browned cashew nuts and raisins.

thanks.

yes the sevai could have had some dry fruits and raisins.

interesting the curd in the alu mutter rasa is holding up without breaking- added after cooling but not cooked with ?

very interesting point your raise. i asked my cook. he says that one should not stir while cooking with curd but let it simmer uninterrupted. if you stir it by chance then you have to keep strirring it throughout to prevent the curd from breaking up.

the puri color is perfect and captivating and all taken under the tch. tch. aiyO.. i forget what the bengalis call ..you know, the light in which the brides are seen or something equivalent to that..

ha ha, wonderful comparison. yes, the bride and groom see each other under a chadar or a piece of cloth and that creates special hues -- even i don't know what the custom is called. this pic. was taken with a HDR application -- thus the realistic colours.

by Merlot Daruwala Wed Sep 28, 2011 6:12 am

On this auspicious day marking the end of the pitrupaksha, I propitiated the pitrus with a meal of surmai fry, beef masala and duck roast with malabar parotas.

I think my pitrus were very satisfied overall but I was 3.42% less satisfied because the "duck roast" was nothing like what its name suggested - a nicely crisped piece of duck. Instead, it was four bony pieces of some bird in a fiery curry.

by Guest Wed Sep 28, 2011 8:17 am

Huzefa Kapasi wrote:today is mahalaya (marking the beginning of durga puja) and also the last day of pitrapaksh. on this day of pitrapaksh, all the departed are commemorated in the shradh meal. anticlockwise: ajwain (carom seeds) puris, sevai, kasiphal/kaddu (pumpkin) subzi*, alu matar rasa (potatoes and peas in curd), coriander chutney, sandesh.

*this subzi was made with methi and green chillis. my mom used to also make it with panch phoron. tasted great with ajwain puris.

slurrrrp! <insrt other appropriate noises here> Smile

by Merlot Daruwala Mon Oct 03, 2011 2:05 am

Unlike all you unpatriotic, forgetful ingrates, I dutifully celebrated the birthday of the Father of the Nation yesterday, with a simple meal of surmai fry, a spicy cauliflower fry, dal, rice and dahi.

And to commemorate the old man's irrational crusade against alcohol, I raised him a margarita toast - one measure of tequila, one measure of cointreau and apple juice. Turned out too sweet, IMO, but definitely befitting the Gujju preference for all things sugary.

by Guest Mon Oct 03, 2011 12:18 pm

taco salad chicken... big bowl of taco with stuff in it... the fried taco bowl tastes like bhatura... heaven thanks!

by Merlot Daruwala Fri Oct 07, 2011 3:04 am

On the auspicious occasion of ashtami, three nights back, this devout fakularist continued his indefinite feast (for eradication of Anna in India) by joining other committed feasters at O Calcutta's legendary pujo buffet.

Appetizer:
Chicken paturi, Fish chop, mochar (banana flower) chop dipped in mustard sauce

Main course:
Chingri malai curry with rice
Rui machcher kalia with rice
Kosho mangsho with luchi
Alur dom with luchi (only veggie entree i tried)

Desserts:
Kheer kadam, Gulab jamun

Washed down with:
Lawnmower beer

The Rui Kalia was undoubtedly the best I've had in years. Kosho mangsho was also very well made. Full marks to OC for retaining the same great flavor even in a buffet.

My followers will be inflamed to know that towards the end, I entered into food coma (followers, this is your cue to burn a few buses and stone a few passing cars to show your outrage) but recovered to tell the heroic tale of my sacrifices for the greater good of this country.

Lastly, those truculent carpers who think I'm a glutton, please be informed: there were several other items on offer that I didn't have - a couple of veggie items which I barely glanced at, one chicken dish and of course, rossogolla.

by Another Brick Fri Oct 07, 2011 3:14 am

Awesome. that made for an entertaining and mouth-watering read. you can easily replace those two unkempt bums in Highway On A Plate (NDTV imagine) and Vinod Duwa (NDTV Hindi) in those food shows. While their shabbiness matters little, the duo does not seem to know much about food (except to eat it) and mr Duwa can't come up with any adjective other than umda for what he eats.

by Guest Fri Oct 07, 2011 6:15 am

Merlot Daruwala wrote:Appetizer: Chicken paturi

that is a new one -- though not something i'd like to try. somehow i have this feeling that only fish or vegetables should be cooked in mustard and any other combination is anathema. i'll stick to baked mishti doi as far as improvisations are concerned.

by Merlot Daruwala Fri Oct 07, 2011 8:52 am

Huzefa Kapasi wrote:
Merlot Daruwala wrote:Appetizer: Chicken paturi

that is a new one -- though not something i'd like to try. somehow i have this feeling that only fish or vegetables should be cooked in mustard and any other combination is anathema. i'll stick to baked mishti doi as far as improvisations are concerned.

I was trying it for the first time too, but it was surprisingly delicious. I'm now hooked - next visit to OC I know what I'm ordering off their a la carte menu.

by garam_kuta Fri Oct 07, 2011 9:10 am

Merlot Daruwala wrote:
Huzefa Kapasi wrote:
Merlot Daruwala wrote:Appetizer: Chicken paturi

that is a new one -- though not something i'd like to try. somehow i have this feeling that only fish or vegetables should be cooked in mustard and any other combination is anathema. i'll stick to baked mishti doi as far as improvisations are concerned.

I was trying it for the first time too, but it was surprisingly delicious. I'm now hooked - next visit to OC I know what I'm ordering off their a la carte menu.

swAmi..was it more the herbish aroma due to steaming and/or the taste of the stuff that seduces one? - can't go wrong with conconut greenchilles lemon juice onion ginger etc., etc., a bit thaish, if i may - anyways, that kind fresh aroma of orgy of spices and herbs emanating out of steaming would impose severe hard-ons in elephants, i should think..oh wait..no saar, no, nothing implied..

by Impedimenta Fri Oct 07, 2011 9:33 am

shhh...why are you calling MD swami? if i were MD, i would be really scared...just saying...

by Impedimenta Fri Oct 07, 2011 9:44 am

Merlot Daruwala wrote:On the auspicious occasion of ashtami, three nights back, this devout fakularist continued his indefinite feast (for eradication of Anna in India) by joining other committed feasters at O Calcutta's legendary pujo buffet.

Appetizer:
Chicken paturi, Fish chop, mochar (banana flower) chop dipped in mustard sauce

Main course:
Chingri malai curry with rice
Rui machcher kalia with rice
Kosho mangsho with luchi
Alur dom with luchi (only veggie entree i tried)

Desserts:
Kheer kadam, Gulab jamun

Washed down with:
Lawnmower beer

The Rui Kalia was undoubtedly the best I've had in years. Kosho mangsho was also very well made. Full marks to OC for retaining the same great flavor even in a buffet.

My followers will be inflamed to know that towards the end, I entered into food coma (followers, this is your cue to burn a few buses and stone a few passing cars to show your outrage) but recovered to tell the heroic tale of my sacrifices for the greater good of this country.

Lastly, those truculent carpers who think I'm a glutton, please be informed: there were several other items on offer that I didn't have - a couple of veggie items which I barely glanced at, one chicken dish and of course, rossogolla.

abacharam abacharam, sin is gonna kick yo ass....just sayin...

by Guest Fri Oct 07, 2011 1:13 pm

garam_kuta wrote:
Merlot Daruwala wrote:
Huzefa Kapasi wrote:
Merlot Daruwala wrote:Appetizer: Chicken paturi

that is a new one -- though not something i'd like to try. somehow i have this feeling that only fish or vegetables should be cooked in mustard and any other combination is anathema. i'll stick to baked mishti doi as far as improvisations are concerned.

I was trying it for the first time too, but it was surprisingly delicious. I'm now hooked - next visit to OC I know what I'm ordering off their a la carte menu.

swAmi..was it more the herbish aroma due to steaming and/or the taste of the stuff that seduces one? - can't go wrong with conconut greenchilles lemon juice onion ginger etc., etc., a bit thaish, if i may - anyways, that kind fresh aroma of orgy of spices and herbs emanating out of steaming would impose severe hard-ons in elephants, i should think..oh wait..no saar, no, nothing implied..

are you calling MD an elephant? affraid

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