I would like some suggestions for cookbooks and/or websites or recipes
that are suitable for a beginner. I am intimidated by Indian spices
and I'm not quite sure why - I can cook many other cuisines without
problem. The only thing I know how to make is a dal that I have made
for years. I am very intrested in vegetarian dishes and chicken, but
need them to be on the mild side as compared to native Indian cusine.
Any suggestions appreciated!
-L.

"-L." > wrote in message
oups.com...
> I would like some suggestions for cookbooks and/or websites or recipes
> that are suitable for a beginner. I am intimidated by Indian spices
> and I'm not quite sure why - I can cook many other cuisines without
> problem. The only thing I know how to make is a dal that I have made
> for years. I am very intrested in vegetarian dishes and chicken, but
> need them to be on the mild side as compared to native Indian cusine.
> Any suggestions appreciated!
> -L.
>

Just stumbled across this group so "Hi" and hope this might help.

Check out uk.food+drink.indian this is a really useful group with a good
FAQ.

Heres a receipe for tandoori chicken which has to be one of the quickest,
easiest and best summer dishes.

Skin a whole chicken and cut into halves or 4 portions, lightly score the
breasts and slash the legs 3 or 4 times down to the bone. Mince about 4-5
garlic cloves, 1" of peeled ginger, juice of 1 or 2 lemons and a teaspoon of
chilli powder and rub into chicken. Refridgerate for about 30 minues.
Meanwhile mix 1/2 pint of plain yoghurt with a teaspoon of chilli and a
teaspoon of garam masala or just use whatever takes your fancy, a mix of
ground cumin, corriander or tumeric are good. Add about 2oz of vegetable oil
to the mix and add to the chicken pot, marinate the chicken for as long as
you like. 2-3 hours is good, overnight is better. If you've only got 15 mins
then that will work you just don't get the depth of flavour.

Put the chicken in the oven at about 160c for 30 minutes then transfer to
the BBQ to finish or put the oven on max for 10-15 mins until the chicken is
cooked.

Thats it. Serve with an onion salad and rice of your choice.

"-L." > schreef in bericht
oups.com...
>I would like some suggestions for cookbooks and/or websites or recipes
> that are suitable for a beginner. I am intimidated by Indian spices
> and I'm not quite sure why - I can cook many other cuisines without
> problem. The only thing I know how to make is a dal that I have made
> for years. I am very intrested in vegetarian dishes and chicken, but
> need them to be on the mild side as compared to native Indian cusine.
> Any suggestions appreciated!
> -L.
>

I have a cookbook by Monisha Bharadwaj. Her recipes are strongly simplified
(her trademark) - not many ingredients, and fast and easy to make. And they
taste *good*. I can definitly recommend her. She has written at elast 2
books.

-L. wrote:
> I would like some suggestions for cookbooks and/or websites or recipes
> that are suitable for a beginner.
<snip>

Thanks, Tony and Jake. I will check out the UK cooking group and have
wishlised those cooking books. We recently started hanging out
with some of DH's co-workers from India and I am also picking up tips
from them, but I'm still intimidated. My goal is to eventually make
a meal that will make them proud.

-L.

-L. wrote:

> -L. wrote:
> > I would like some suggestions for cookbooks and/or websites or recipes
> > that are suitable for a beginner.
> <snip>
>
> Thanks, Tony and Jake. I will check out the UK cooking group and have
> wishlised those cooking books. We recently started hanging out
> with some of DH's co-workers from India and I am also picking up tips
> from them, but I'm still intimidated. My goal is to eventually make
> a meal that will make them proud.


Just serve them plates of garbage and dirt since that's what Indian
food mainly tastes like...

--
Best
Greg

Gregory Morrow wrote:

> Just serve them plates of garbage and dirt since that's what Indian
> food mainly tastes like...
>
> --
> Best
> Greg

this from someone who regularly hangs out in celebrity chat?

Think your head is shoved up your nether region Mr Morrow and you're
talking out your anus. Maybe that's why food tastes like.....

LadyJane
--
"Never trust a skinny cook!"
and recommends you ignore all food related posts made by mr. greg morrow

"LadyJane" > wrote in message
ups.com
> Gregory Morrow wrote:
>
>> Just serve them plates of garbage and dirt since that's what Indian
>> food mainly tastes like...
>>
>> --
>> Best
>> Greg
>
> this from someone who regularly hangs out in celebrity chat?
>
> Think your head is shoved up your nether region Mr Morrow and you're
> talking out your anus. Maybe that's why food tastes like.....
>
> LadyJane

Oh! Ya think that this might be his picture?
http://www.mazepath.com/uncleal/sunshine.jpg

BOB

BOB wrote:
> Oh! Ya think that this might be his picture?
> http://www.mazepath.com/uncleal/sunshine.jpg
>
> BOB

LOL...you were just waiting to have a reason to post that, weren't
you....?

-L.

BOB wrote:

> Oh! Ya think that this might be his picture?
> http://www.mazepath.com/uncleal/sunshine.jpg
>
> BOB

ROFLMAO...... and am still on the floor while typing this!
We should send this through to Chatty Cathy for use on the RFC website!
Please?

How about if we have this on file for all regular RFC'ers to use... and
when a dufus like Mr Morrow turns up we just post the pic... ?
no explanations necessary!!!!
or maybe we could use it for Dufus of the Week/Day award?

Where ever did you get the pic? LOVE IT!

well done

LadyJane
--
"Never trust a skinny cook!"

LadyJane wrote:

> Gregory Morrow wrote:
>
> > Just serve them plates of garbage and dirt since that's what Indian
> > food mainly tastes like...
> >
> > --
> > Best
> > Greg
>
> this from someone who regularly hangs out in celebrity chat?
>
> Think your head is shoved up your nether region Mr Morrow and you're
> talking out your anus. Maybe that's why food tastes like.....


Relax, luv...sometimes Usenet is kinda like rape...best to simply lay
back and try to enjoy it :-)

--
Best
Greg

Gregory Morrow wrote:

> Relax, luv...sometimes Usenet is kinda like rape...best to simply lay
> back and try to enjoy it :-)
>
> --
> Best
> Greg

well think you had best lay back and enjoy it in some other forum... it
that's what you're in to.
get your jollies somewhere else.

LadyJane
--
"Never trust a skinny cook!"

It is a popular misconception that all Indian food is hot. In reality
there are many hundreds of subtle dishes, which rely on the fine
balance of spices, available which will not leave you feeling as though
you've just eaten straight chilli!

here are a couple of sites which may prove useful
http://www.rubymurray.com/
and
http://www.indianfoodnet.com/
haven't had a good peruse through this site but it seems quite
extensive

and my site has a few Indian favourites too:
http://members.optusnet.com.au/hotmetal/

My first Indian cookbook was written by Sameen Rushdie "Indian Cookery"
and has some nice anecdotal blurb at the start of each section.
It was first published in 1988 and a follow up edition (mine) in 1991
by Arrow Books ISBN 0 09 97 4110 5 is well worth trying to find.
If all else fails, try to get any books by Madhur Jaffrey.
Once you experiment with Indian cookery, and discover the subtle
flavourings for yourself, you'll be more adventurous. I think we get
scared that we'll produce something utterly inedible (heat wise) which
prevents us from taking the plunge. But once you do, and feel some
confidence with the 'heat' aspect there will be no looking back!

and treat morons like Mr. Morrow with the contempt he justly
deserves... reminds me of a T shirt I saw - "I am surrounded by
idiots".

LadyJane
--
"Never trust a skinny cook!"

LadyJane wrote:
> It is a popular misconception that all Indian food is hot. In reality
> there are many hundreds of subtle dishes, which rely on the fine
> balance of spices, available which will not leave you feeling as though
> you've just eaten straight chilli!
>
> here are a couple of sites which may prove useful
> http://www.rubymurray.com/
> and
> http://www.indianfoodnet.com/
> haven't had a good peruse through this site but it seems quite
> extensive
>
> and my site has a few Indian favourites too:
> http://members.optusnet.com.au/hotmetal/
>
> My first Indian cookbook was written by Sameen Rushdie "Indian Cookery"
> and has some nice anecdotal blurb at the start of each section.
> It was first published in 1988 and a follow up edition (mine) in 1991
> by Arrow Books ISBN 0 09 97 4110 5 is well worth trying to find.
> If all else fails, try to get any books by Madhur Jaffrey.
> Once you experiment with Indian cookery, and discover the subtle
> flavourings for yourself, you'll be more adventurous. I think we get
> scared that we'll produce something utterly inedible (heat wise) which
> prevents us from taking the plunge. But once you do, and feel some
> confidence with the 'heat' aspect there will be no looking back!

Wow LJ - thanks! I am not so much worried about heat as I am not
getting the mixes right or over-spicing in general. I will look for
the books you mentioned - I belong to a great on-line book swapping
club and they often have out-of-print books listed.

>
> and treat morons like Mr. Morrow with the contempt he justly
> deserves... reminds me of a T shirt I saw - "I am surrounded by
> idiots".

Lol...agreed!

-L.

-L wrote:

> Wow LJ - thanks! I am not so much worried about heat as I am not
> getting the mixes right or over-spicing in general.

There's no such thing as "getting the mixes right" when it comes to Indian
cooking. There are dozens of different -- SIGNIFICANTLY different -- recipes
for garam masala alone. The two authors I recommend are Julie Sahni and
Madhur Jaffrey.

Click on http://tinyurl.com/k6oxj for some Indian recipes I posted here in
May.

Bob

Bob Terwilliger wrote:

> There's no such thing as "getting the mixes right" when it comes to Indian
> cooking.
Possibly she was talking about her own personal preferences. Which it
IS possibly to get right.

There are dozens of different -- SIGNIFICANTLY different -- recipes
> for garam masala alone. The two authors I recommend are Julie Sahni and
> Madhur Jaffrey.

most assuredly

> Click on http://tinyurl.com/k6oxj for some Indian recipes I posted here in
> May.
>
> Bob

LadyJane
--
"Never trust a skinny cook!"

LadyJane wrote:
> Bob Terwilliger wrote:
>
> > There's no such thing as "getting the mixes right" when it comes to Indian
> > cooking.
> Possibly she was talking about her own personal preferences. Which it
> IS possibly to get right.

Correct. I don't want someting that is overpowering with one spice or
another.


>
> There are dozens of different -- SIGNIFICANTLY different -- recipes
> > for garam masala alone. The two authors I recommend are Julie Sahni and
> > Madhur Jaffrey.
>
> most assuredly

I just wishlisted a couple by Jaffrey - they look like beautiful books.
I like books almost as much as I like food....

-L.

LadyJane remarked:

>> There's no such thing as "getting the mixes right" when it comes to
>> Indian cooking.
>
> Possibly she was talking about her own personal preferences. Which it
> IS possibly to get right.

True enough, but I got the impression that she was trying to come up with a
flavor that her Indian friends would like, and that they would identify as
"authentically Indian." I just wanted to reassure her that there's no ONE
such thing. :-)

Furthermore, unless her Indian friends are all from the same part of India,
chances are good that they've got differing ideas about the "right" way to
make Indian food. Northern Indian cooking (which is what is best-known in
the USA) has only a little in common with Southern Indian cooking. Much like
Italy, regional cuisines depend on what is available locally. Unlike Italy,
the cuisine is further shaped by the predominant religions of the regions;
e.g., Northern Indians use asafetida instead of garlic because of a Jain
superstition that garlic "heats the blood." To further complicate the
Indian culinary landscape, two cities -- Goa and Hyderabad -- have cuisines
all their own: Goa's cuisine was strongly influenced by the Portuguese who
settled there, and Hyderabad's cuisine was shaped not only by its historical
status as a crossroads, but also by the creativity of the Sultan's cooks.
(Thailand's "royal" cuisine is another example of that phenomenon.)

(http://tinyurl.com/pj77b gives a more complete overview of Indian regional
cuisine.)

So -L, feel free to tweak recipes as you see fit, and have fun!

Bob