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I don’t like jalapeños in Indian cooking. The flavor is all wrong. Serranos are a decent substitute but I believe the Thai hot/Thai Birdseye peppers may be the beat match for green chilies.

Red chilies are whole dried red chilies like the ones in the Amazon link below. You will get a much better price in an Indian grocery store. Red chilies are often used to temper oil to season dishes with

Swad Whole Red Dried Chillies 3.5oz., 100 Grams/ Indian Groceries https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B00BLBJOO0/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glc_fabc_ZPA-FbKKE63PP

I have found many authentic Indian recipes on YouTube presented by definitely Indian cooks. I hope "Vahchef - VahRehVah" recipes are real. They certainly taste good. "Manjula's Kitchen" too. I'm sure others here know of other good YouTube videos of authentic Indian food preparation. What about a cookbook?My favorite South Indian vegetarian cookbook is this one.

Indian chili powder, more like cayenne. Something like this: Rani Extra Hot Chilli Powder Indian Spice 16oz (454g) ~ All Natural, No Color added, Gluten Free Ingredients | Vegan | NON-GMO | No Salt or fillers https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00307EMRC/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_ehFZDbAP4C4V8

The ironic aspect of this article is that it focuses a lot on KT Achaya's research and book, Indian Food, A Historic Companion

If the article is going to argue that Indian food changed because of "new world vegetables and fruits" like potatoes, tomatoes, cauliflower, chillies, etc, then you also need to read the book itself on what it actually says.

In Ancient India, meat eating was really prevalent. Even horse meat and turtle and a variety of birds. KT Achaya's book talks about Indian rishis creating poems and hymns about entire horses and animals being roasted on an open fire and dripping their juices and fats.

My point is, you either accept the entirety of Indian heritage and history, or you reject it completely. Don't do this hypocrisy where you selectively cherry pick aspects that suit you, and reject things that don't suit you.

Food culture in any nation or culture evolves over time, as it assimilates cultures and trade from other countries and other cultures. It is meaningless to say that Indian food culture only used black pepper and long pepper (pippali which is largely non-existent nowadays) as the spice instead of the modern usage of chili pepper from the New world (Mexico). Because you then exclude all the other things that we also abandoned and rejected in terms of food culture. Like eating animals and amphibians and fish voraciously, across the country.

It looks like the masala seasoning is available without the noodles. I found it on Amazon, but it might be in a store near you!

Onions. Lots and lots of onions.

Onions are used a "base gravy" in Indian cooking. Onions are a natural thickener, and will bulk up any sauce.

The basic recipe is: Sweat quartered onions in a mix of water and a neutral oil such as sunflower, optionally together with cabbage, carrots, peppers, ginger, garlic and perhaps some spices. It takes about 45-60 minutes to cook. Then blend said mixture into a fine, concentrated purée.

You use this base gravy a bit like the way mother sauces are used in French cooking, to compose other dishes. The base gravy doesn't taste nice on its own; it's just a thickener and flavour enhancer.

You can add additional thickeners like yoghurt when building the final dish. Done this way, I've never needed cream or a roux or anything else.

The recipe for a base gravy can be found in the book The Secret to That Takeaway Curry Taste. It may look a little amateurish, but the author is a chef at a real Indian curry joint, and the recipes are superb.

Most Western cookbooks neglect a lot of basics. No ginger-garlic paste, no fenugreek leaves, not enough spices, no frying/blooming of spices, no ghee, etc. But probably the most common problem is simply not enough onion.

The best gravy recipe I've found is from The Secret to That Take-Away Curry Taste, which is a book self-published by a British chef who runs his own takeout joint in the UK. While the style of food is BIR (British Indian Restaurant), the principles do come from Indian and Bangladeshi cooking.

The gravy is made by first creating a base gravy: Sweating onions for 40-60 minutes in oil and water (optionally together with additional vegetables like peppers and cabbage), then blended for several minutes until you have a completely smooth sauce. This base gravy is then reusable across almost any kind of gravy dish.

You then use the base gravy to build your dish, adding spices and things like tomato paste, tomatoes (he prefers passata for smooth sauces), ginger-garlic paste, yogurt, coconut milk, etc. While some of these things impact thickness, the viscousness of the final gravy first and foremost comes from the base gravy.

I recommend the book. It has a lot of classic recipes and tricks that most cookbooks leave out.

Which city do you live in? Coffee shops will sell you ground coffee powder that will last a week or so in an airtight container before losing aroma.

But the best suggestion I can give you is to do what the local Tamil population does. Or Kannada people. They are crazy about coffee and if you can locate a Tamil/Kannada store nearby, chances are that they will do freshly ground coffee.

Not sure why you want to move specifically to Fresh press, but do try a South Indian coffee filter. To me, it produces extremely high quality coffee and is dead simple to operate. Stuff the top container with coffee powder and press it down but not way too much either. Pour boiling water on top of the coffee. The water will drip through the coffee grounds and will drip into the bottom container in about 10-15 minutes.

That gives you coffee "decoction". You can mix that with hot milk and water and sugar to make yourself a cup of freshly brewed South Indian filter coffee.

This is the filter I am talking about.

French press does the same thing, except the grinding has to be a bit coarser. This may be harder to procure than the South Indian filter coffee grind.

Edit: If you're going to grind your own coffee, which isn't very hard, keep a dedicated grinder and don't grind spices in it. And buy a "burr grinder" and not a regular blade grinder.

You can also buy a hand operated burr grinder

> spiceindiaonline.com/crispy-chicken-65/

I'm inclined to mostly agree with /u/Amnizu. I dont think I've ever seen deep frying in a pot like that, even if it is heavy bottomed, the outside is not heavy so it will not retain the temperature of the oil as well as cast iron would. A $20 Cast Iron pan is usually my go to for frying. Even safer and probably better would be something like this. A Quart of Oil is actually quite a bit in that kind of pot. When using the Cast Iron get an 1-1.5 inches of oil up to temp then slowly add in each piece of chicken. The recipe you are using has water in the ingredients which is ok, as long as you don't have excess sauce on the chicken when you put it in. Water and frying are not friends. You might even want to reduce the amount of water just a little. To be safe keep some Baking Soda near by to put out any potential grease fires. I'm no pro so take what I say with a grain of salt. I usually use a cast iron pan and it comes out great, makes the house smell though. Hope this helps.

I just started getting serious about cooking Indian food more frequently. I'm using her "Vegetarian India" cookbook and it is amazing. I've made 15 different recipes so far and they've all turned out fantastic.

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/1101874864/ref=ppx\_yo\_dt\_b\_asin\_title\_o09\_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

There's not really a substitute for it. It has a unique pungent flavor that's not like any other cooking oil I've encountered.

However, if you can wait a couple of days, you can get some on Amazon.

use fresh spices

most recipes have a ginger/garlic/onion base. you need to COOK those onions, they should be at least toffee colored. it takes a while, do not slack on this step

not sure what recipes you are using, but I've cooked most of the stuff out of this book with tasty results https://www.amazon.com/Madhur-Jaffrey-Indian-Cooking/dp/0764156497

I have this one https://www.amazon.com/Great-Vegetarian-Dishes-Kurma-Dasa/dp/0959365915

It says 'around the world' but most dishes are Indian. I use it all the time! I am also a fan of vegan richa's books. She has two I believe and the first one is really great and easy to follow.

We love Maggi, but also Shin bowls and Indomie.

We mix these two, coz just the spicy is too hot for us. Indomie Mi Goreng Instant Halal Stir Fry Noodles Original and Hot & Spicy Bundle, 10 counts total https://www.amazon.com/dp/B079KPMJXP/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_DHBHH8F7AA847H4AEV72?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

I love love love my instapot. My favorite go-to Indian recipe is butter chicken. So easy, and the chicken always ends up tender.

I bought mine as a replacent for the rice cooker, and I now barely use the stove anymore. I didn't think it was going to be that way, but something about how easy it is to cook, to clean, and just to get things done in 40 minutes worth of cooking.

Edit: In fact, I just saw this deal on an Instapot from Amazon at r/instapot: https://www.amazon.com/Instant-Pot-Multi-Use-Programmable-Pressure/dp/B00FLYWNYQ

I can give you a recipe but if you want something that works, and I use when in a hurry, you should try this:

Rasoi Magic, Misal Rassa Spice Mix, 70g(gm) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B076ZVZLH7/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_Z8F15RB7M3K52GNKBR27

Cooking At Home With Pedatha is THE definitive book for Telugu chutneys and pachadis. And they are utterly magnificent.

https://www.amazon.com/Cooking-Home-Pedatha-Vegetarian-Traditional/dp/8183282997

This is an excellent book, and the flavors are pretty spot on for Kerala food https://www.amazon.com/Kerala-Kitchen-Recollections-Christians-Hippocrene-ebook/dp/B003553ZWC/ref=sr_1_4?dchild=1&keywords=kerala&qid=1623017744&sr=8-4

As a small side note, while the spice ratios are spot-on, the liquid ratio is off in most of the recipes. I think when the book calls for one cup, they mean an Indian cup and not a US cup, but that doesn't account for all of the discrepancy for me.

(PS. Try to source good curry leaves, and coconut milk. They'll make a huge difference to your dishes if they call for it)

Indian Cooking by Madhur Jaffrey. Ours is our go-to book for Indian cooking, and we own a lot of them. (I just checked it on Amazon; it's over $78 for the paperback!! We have the hard-copy. You should be able to find it much cheaper elsewhere.)

I use this one, and I love it. It does a good job, isn't too loud, and is really easy to clean. The entire stainless steel cup is removable, so unlike a typical coffee grinder, you don't have to worry about anything getting left behind or stuck in some little crevice.

I think I paid about $20 US for it on Amazon. I'm not sure why it isn't available anymore, but I'm sure you could find similar features in another grinder.

My guess would be ~600 kcal for this thali with ~450 coming from rice(~150 kcal) and chapatis(~300kcal). I rely on fatsecret to calculate the nutrition charts for everyday meals.

Here are the links:

Haldiram's do exactly that. The one upstairs in Sarojini Naga market, New Delhi is worth a visit if you haven't been already. Kind of like a really good McDonalds McCafe with different food stations and chefs along the counter. Indian food served in a modern western fast food way.

Choley Bhatura - spicy chickpeas with a deep-fried puffed up pancake Dal makhani. Rajma.
Here is the menu: http://www.zomato.com/ncr/haldirams-mg-road-gurgaon/menu

It is not just a tamarind sauce. It is usually a tamarind and date sauce aka chutney. The tamarind gives it the tartness and acidity, and the reduced dates give it sweetness. Plenty of options available on amazon, such as this: https://www.amazon.com/Deep-Chutney-TamarindDate-Sauce-oz/dp/B00FFXJ10W/ref=sr_1_5?crid=9L7LOY0U3SV4&dchild=1&keywords=tamarind+date+sauce&qid=1626762850&sprefix=tamarind+date+sa%2Caps%2C167&sr=8-5

I have used and can recommend this organic mustard oil I got from Amazon. It is a good brand, organic, and food-grade: https://www.amazon.com/Jiva-Organic-Mustard-Ounce-Liter/dp/B072NCRYDR

The label even mentions things like 'flavor' and uses for cooking.

Have you tried lactaid pills? I was reluctant at first but have been a gamechanger for me dairy-wise. While most Indian restaurants you find (assuming the US?) here are going to serve highly dairy-heavy meals, but they should have some non-dairy staples that might be more gut-friendly. Vindaloo is my personal favorite.

As to eating with your hands, I don't think this a dumb question at all, but perhaps it's a bit myopic to define traditional eating as eating with your hands. If you went abroad and found an "American restaurant" that serves hamburgers, hot dogs, wings, nachos, and pizza and used that define American food, you'd assume Americans only used their hands to eat as well .

When you hear that Indians traditionally eat with their hands, it's for home-cooked meals. Indian-American restaurant food is not what's eaten at home (for 99% of restaurants). Sure, naan is almost always eat with your hands (use a tear, fold and scoop method to avoid finger contamination) but it'd be odd to eat restaurant food without a spoon/fork. Even in India (my family is from Bangalore so can't speak for the North), eating with a spoon is as common as eating with your hands at home, especially for riced based dishes.

If you really want it to be an authentic meal, get a steel plate and serve yourself on that, it's what most people in India eat off of. Another tip to find authentic food is to search your area for a tiffin service. If you're near any sort of metropolitan area, you'll likely find a few aunties who will have some very traditional (to whatever region they are from) meals for pickup/delivery

Usal is not a dal in Maharashtra. Usal is made from beans, dal is made from split lentils. The spicing is also different, usal tends to get more pungent spices, while a dal is more mildly spiced.

https://www.amazon.in/Dal-Cookbook-Krishna-Dutta/dp/1909166057 exists, but I haven't read it yet.

The chef Hari Ghotra has published a cookbook of slowcooker Indian recipes. She is an English born Punjabi.

The Easy Indian Slow Cooker Cookbook: Prep-And-Go Restaurant Favorites to Make at Home. Rockridge Press. 2017. ISBN 978-1623159696

I have and use it, very good recipes.

Hello! Do you mind me asking, is it this or this ?? If neither, can you direct me to the amazon link? Thanks in advance!

There are so many ways of making this. Let me break the lassi concept down:

Basic Sweet Lassi:

yogurt (Indian people call this 'curd')
milk/water (to adjust how runny you like your lassi)
sugar/honey (or any other sweetener)
sweet spices (cardamom, saffron, cinnamon, fennel, etc)
cream (optional, to get extra richness. whipped cream or not,your call)

Blend/mix all of this together. You got your Lassi.

From this point on, you let your creativity flow.

Add fresh fruits. Blend it or keep it chunky
Add fruit pulps/juices
Add dry fruits. I would recommend that you keep these chunky
A small pinch of salt, why not!
Some vodka. Hell yeah
Some white rum. Way better than vodka

The list goes on.

Basic lassi + mango (fruit or pulp - dont use 'juice') gets you mango lassi. You can find mango pulp in Indian stores or on Amazon.

I like this one because it is whole milk, not nonfat. https://www.amazon.com/Peak-Whole-Milk-Powder-900-Grams/dp/B004K0862K/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8

Edit... Wow, just checked the price on Amazon, crazy, everything is high now.

Upgrade your vent fan

https://www.amazon.com/MaxxAir-3000-CFM-18-Inch-Heavy-Duty-Integrated/dp/B000IJRD5S

Or, just check the filters in your stove fans. There's also a good chance your fans don't even actually vent, is there ducting in the cabinet above the range hood?

Search for Bento boxes. Like this-> https://www.amazon.com/Fun-Life-Compartment-Insulated-Eco-Friendly/dp/B07DNTG1X8/ref=sr_1_9?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1537236922&sr=1-9&keywords=bento+box

I have a recipe book called 660 curries by Raghavan Iyer, and he has around 10 pages of squash curries. So yes there are a ton of traditional recipes designed for what you would not normally think of as Indian ingredients.

Here's the google books page (main squash section starts page 597). There's also some asparagus, avocado, and broccoli recipes too, not sure if they're in the preview.

Here is a link where hey talk about how blanching keeps nutrients but I also use the leftover water to make the spinach purée. That way you aren’t losing a lot of nutrients.

https://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/features/how-to-keep-your-veggies-vitamin-packed

Here is my recipe for Saag Paneer. I can't remember where I got it from, although I feel like the word Tiger was in the website title.

Seconded. I was going to recommend this one and Indian Cooking by Madhur Jaffrey.

I also have "The Curry Secret" by Kris Dhillon and one of Pat Chapman's books, but I haven't gotten into them that deeply other than making a few batches of curry sauce.

IF you like South Indian vegetarian food, I found that THIS cookbook is different than all my other cookbooks (and not all are South Indian and/or vegetarian.) Every recipe tastes so different than other sources. The flavors are like how I would expect from a fine Indian restaurant.

Use potato flakes to thicken your sauce. Works for other curries but honestly, butter chicken really needs the fat content.

My suggestion is to eat like the French. Eat food cooked the proper way with full fat everything. But do portion control and eat smaller quantities of everything. Be a gourmet, not a gourmand. Buy smaller sized quarter plates and serve yourself a plate of food in that.

I bought two of these - 4.5qt and 5qt - last year. fyi, midea is the parent manufacturer of many 'instant pots', so you might find a few that look like this one, but branded differently. for example, pampered chef sells this, but charges an arm and a leg (the reason I looked elsewhere).

Curry pastes like this one. That's an Amazon link, but any Indidan grocery store will have a selection. Fry garlic, onions, ginger, few tablespoons of paste. Throw in protein / veggies. Can of tomatoes some water, and simmer for the appropriate amount of time.

Green Chillies = Thai or Bird's Eye Chillies. Or just Green Chillies at any Indian store https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000ET1678/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_szE-FbQPCA5A3?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

Red Chillies = Dried Red Chillies or Kashmiri Chillies

https://images.app.goo.gl/CuY4fyu6DDyGtFor6

The South Indian Sesame oil is not the toasted sesame oil used in chinese/japanese cooking. The indian one is cold pressed from Indian sesame seeds and is available in indian grocery stores. Do not use the chinese sesame oil because it tastes very strong and the flavor is totally different from the indian ones. I am not sure if the "pure sesame oil" that you mention is from toasted or untoasted sesame seeds.

The one you are looking for looks like this:

https://www.amazon.com/Idhayam-Gingelly-Sesame-Oil-Litre/dp/B00V487730/ref=pd_vtp_325_1

But, the listing is too pricey, it costs anywhere from $7.99-$9.99 in an indian store.

I spent a year learning to cook Indian food. This book is the one I used the most.

The Indian Cooking Course by Monisha Bharadwaj

https://www.amazon.com/dp/1909487465/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_fabc_yZuXFbFTZ7YN9?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

I love my Instant Pot for indian cooking. I got this recipe book: https://www.amazon.com/Vegetarian-Indian-Cooking-Your-Instant/dp/1624146457/ref=sr_1_3?dchild=1&keywords=vegetarian+instant+pot+indian&qid=1606882495&sr=8-3

and everything I've made from that has turned out really good.

Really more Thai than Indian, but check out a product called Maesri Massaman curry paste, comes in a little can. The stuff is so delicious as a base for curries. My wife regularly makes a dish using basically just this paste along with chunks of chicken, snap peas and coconut milk that we eat over basmati. Easy to adjust the strength just by experimenting with how much you put in:

https://www.amazon.com/Masaman-Curry-Paste-Maesri-Oz/dp/B000QTQBKI?th=1

I wish I knew about this stuff in college. I would have cooked with it constantly.

You can buy a spice strainer. Or alternatively just use a tea strainer.This was the first result when I googled it. Mine was cheaper than that though (5 euros, bought in a specialty cooking store). I would first roast/fry your spices to develop the flavors fully (or add a little more to compensate), then put them in the strainer. Spice strainers have hooks that attach to the edge of the pan. While stirring mine never falls in and even if it does, the spices will obviously stay inside.

I feel your pain. Took me hours to figure out how many calories was in a bowl of my favorite recipe for chana dal. I used the MFP recipe function to help me figure it out but calorie counts for desi ingredients can be hard to find.

Here is what I did:

Go to Amazon

Search for dry goods you want to know about (like chana dal) and "Bob's Red Mill" - so type in Bob's red mill chana dal and you get this

Find the product and you should be able to get a picture of the label that will help you figure out the calories. Bob's red mill carries most desi ingredients. But buy the ingredients from your Indian grocer because the Bob's red mill stuff is way overpriced.

This works for dry goods...

For produce you can always use the nutrition value of something similar, such as ridge gourd = zucchini but I'm in the U.S., so I just use plain American produce in my curries, nothing "exotic".

After a while of doing this, your MFP profile is full of your favorite recipes and it's easier to track calories.

I looked it up and found one on Amazon. Like this one?

I have an Instant Pot! I have this one which is only $70 on Amazon right now. I feel that's not expensive at all considering how much you can use it for AND considering that you're anyway thinking about buying a rice cooker.

You have the right idea. You can saute the onions in oil, add spices and tomatoes, then add the lentils or vegetables to cook it all together. I've also made things like gajar ka halwa, upma, and I can steam idli in it. Rice cooks beautifully once you figure out which settings to use. You can make yogurt, so I imagine you can make idli batter in it. Some people make chai in it.

There's also a facebook group called "Instant Pot for Indian cooking" where people share their recipes. You can get more ideas there.

This is roughly what I use. It's from his e-book, which I recommend if you're into BIR/Westernized Indian curries (tikka masala/butter chicken, etc.), or just Indian food in general.

If you can't get a tawa, a wide cast-iron skillet will also work really well. I don't think I could cook without a kadhai and a pressure cooker.

A pressure cooker is absolutely essential if you want to make dal, rajma, chole, etc. These days , lot of Indians swear by their Instant Pot, but I'm still going strong with my Futura Pressure Cookers (my in-laws brought a 2L and a 3L from India.)

A kadhai is also a good investment. If you already have a wok, that's almost the same thing. They are slightly different shapes, but have pretty much the same function.

Here's one: https://www.amazon.com/Vinod-Pearl-Anodised-Kadai-Stainless/dp/B00EYZS36K/ref=sxin_13?ascsubtag=amzn1.osa.8fe15304-bb85-4fd3-a1a3-524b47cd61a8.ATVPDKIKX0DER.en_US&creativeASIN=B00EYZS36K&cv_ct_cx=kadai&cv_ct_id=amzn1.osa.8fe15304-bb85-...

I bought a not so expensive coffee grinder from amazon CHULUX Electric Stainless Steel Coffee Spice Grinder,70g Capacity Detachable Grinding and Chopping Cups with Built-in SS304 Blades for Dry/Moist Food,Plus a Cleaning Brush https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07TCGT262/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_JRfqEbYANXR1E It has held up well for the last 2 years for my spice grinding needs as well as wet grinding like making chutneys. Sure the quantity has to be small but i like the blend and the portability of this grinder. I believe any good coffee grinder would do. Don’t hesitate to use it in a combination with mortar and pestle based on what kind of fineness the recipe actually needs.

I haven’t figured anything out yet. I’m considering getting something like these and putting them inside one of the tiffin tiers if it is empty, or just next to the food on each tier. These specifically are awfully expensive though, and they’re kind of small.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B008AZ0RPU/ref=sxbs_sxwds-stvpv2_1?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_p=6375e697-f226-4dbd-a63a-5ec697811ee1&pd_rd_wg=uUGmZ&pf_rd_r=J92ASZ15VX3R0JDZJRGZ&pf_rd_s=desktop-sx-bottom-slot&pf_rd_t=301&pd_rd_i=...

Part of the issue is that I am trying to heat my food in the morning and keep it warm until lunchtime, so putting things like raita in the tiffin isn’t ideal. I’m going to be experimenting with some small containers that I have this week to see how it goes. I’m surprised it’s so difficult...

Yes, this is the correct answer. It is a chutney made with a combination of coconut and 'puffed chick peas' aka putana (like this one https://www.amazon.in/-/en/dp/B07281QHZ5 )

Has tamarind, chilies, ginger and coriander leaves as standard ingredients.

https://www.amazon.com/Kerala-Kitchen-Expanded-Recollections-Christians/dp/0781814448/ref=asc_df_0781814448/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=598365505154&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=7451135669112290662&hvpone=&hvptwo=&...

You can try asking on the indian subs and set up some spice/food exchange with someone who lives in Jodhpur.

I had bought some on amazon. Now, I can't say that it was authentic, but it was pretty well rated.

"Dakshin: Vegetarian Cuisine from South India" by Chandra Padmanabhan iS an amazing cookbook. When I reference it, the prepared food seems like it is on an whole different level than the other cookbooks I have used, and that is quite a few. I would say the prepared food is on the gourmet level. The sambars and rasams are heavenly!

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00I64C3W0/ref=dbs\_a\_def\_rwt\_bibl\_vppi\_i2

Typically 3 but can cook for 5 people few times per month, this is the one I’ve been eyeing up https://www.amazon.co.uk/Master-Aluminium-Biryani-Restaurant-Catering/dp/B07P5NX6HG/ref=mp_s_a_1_18?crid=3AOGNTW4LWHAQ&keywords=biryani+cooking+pot&qid=1669481211&sprefix=biray%2Caps%2C98&sr=8-18

I really love substituting a boiled egg or paneer for meat.

For meal prep, I make multiple portions of sauces in one go, the freeze them into individual portions in my souper cube and keep them in the freezer. I can then just microwave the sauce, add the boiled egg or paneer and we're ready to go.

I like making slow cooker curries too, again in large batches to freeze portions for later.

This is where I get a lot of my favourite recipes from: https://www.eatyourbooks.com/library/161895/anjums-indian-vegetarian-feast/3

Maggi Magic Masala...
https://www.amazon.com/Maggi-Masala-Magic-6-5g-Pack/dp/B07CJH1VC8/
just add it before 5 minutes your dish is cooked and removed from heat.... Even I was sceptical at first..
Its pure veg, a blend of roasted spices but I swear dude, the taste boost is Ginormous... Thank me later..

I’ve learned a lot from Tiffin. It’s especially good about breaking cuisine down and explaining common themes by regions.

Yes, if you use these!

I used to try several South Indian dishes following YouTube chefs and other book recipes. Those worked out great for me taste wise.

I recently got this [book]x(https://www.amazon.com/Karmaa-Kitchen-Pankhuri-Agarwal/dp/9384391867) as a gift from my vaidya. I seemed to have been hurting my tummy by eating food that are cooked wrong or even recipe wasnt right to start with. This book is deep, it will open up a lot of cooking possibilities based on six seasons. Though this book is coming from a team based out of chennai, the recipes from other parts of the country are also included. Enjoy.

I don't have an induction stove, but I would imagine a cast iron tawa would work very well.

https://www.amazon.com/Lodge-L9OG3ASHH41B-Griddle-Handle-Holder/dp/B07BZ2VSDC/ref=sr\_1\_6?crid=2G5B851S6P3UJ&keywords=cast%2Biron%2Bgriddle&qid=1663857203&s=home-garden&sprefix=cast%2Biron%2Bg%2Cgarden%2C86&sr=1-6&th=1

Not finding that on amazon.ca. But yes I do see that on amazon.in This one looks legit , but they only have 1.2kg packs.

If you are in India, check local wholesale dealers, you might find smaller bottles. I got 700g bottles.

Since the wholesale dealer knew I was taking these bottles to Canada, he explained that the 1 year expiry period mentioned on bottle is good if not opened. He said, if I care about the flavors, I should consume within 3 months once bottle is opened.

So try to purchase in smaller quantities.

https://www.seriouseats.com/why-pressure-cookers-are-better-than-slow-cookers is very relevant.

Ikea, Amazon and occasionally Lidl sell pressure cookers at a rather reasonable price. Get a set of stackable inserts and you can cook mutliple things at the same time. https://www.amazon.com/Hawkins-Hard-Anodised-Two-Dish-Separator/dp/B083JG95VW for example.

About the only thing low temperature cooking is good for is meat, and you can do low and slow cooking for meat far better with a sous-vide machine.

A slow cooker is useful if you want to make things like soup by setting it up in the morning and having it ready in the evening. Or spend 15 minutes using a pressure cooker.

About the

I followed a lot of diets like Keto, Atkins, mediterranean, Paleo, etc. And failed spectacularly. Not because i did not follow rules, but the moment I stopped, I regained the weight.

But it all changed, when I found this around 2015. https://www.amazon.com/Stainless-Divided-Dinner-sections-Bhojanthaal/dp/B01HFHZXGG

Now I have no restrictions on what food I eat. The rules I follow are

1) Eat only what fits in this plate. No seconds

2) Have a gap of 4 hours between meals

3) No food between 7 pm and 7 am

During the rainy season, I don't eat meat. Strict Indian Lacto-vegetarian food.

That is it. I have managed to keep a healthy weight now for the last 5 years.

Nik Sharma, who is both an Indian cook and a scientist wrote a book called the Flavor Equation, which came out recently. Here is the forward to his book on Amazon that you can take a look at so you can see if that is what you are interested in. Good luck!

Wagh Bakri hands down! Wagh Bakri Premium and Wagh Bakri Masala Tea are the best . This is from Gujarat. This is taken with milk. Its now available in many super markets across India. Its also availabe in amazon.

You can also gift Tea hamper instead. Goodricke and other Darjeeling tea brands sell it. https://www.amazon.in/Goodricke-Tea-Chest/dp/B07JNJCNG7?ref\_=ast\_sto\_dp

Maybe use what you prefer and do this?

https://www.amazon.com/Induction-Universal-Heat-Resistant-Protection-Protective/dp/B09WHZTPP1/ref=sr_1_3?crid=1IM6CN35EFUAG&keywords=Induction+hob+protector&qid=1660812984&sprefix=induction+hob+protector+%2Caps%2C101&sr=8-3

I might be naming things wrong. One of the cookbooks I’m working from is the Ajanta Cookbook (https://www.amazon.com/Ajanta-Regional-Feasts-Lachu-Moorjani/dp/1586857770) and every meal has a dressed-up rice dish as an accompaniment - not something as involved as biryani, but with more going on than just plain rice. I’m curious as to whether that’s typical or whether that’s just something they do because it’s a fancy restaurant.

You should use a thick pan (preferably cast iron) like this one: https://www.amazon.com/Panache-Enameled-performance-Tortilla-pancakes/dp/B0842QHCXC

A pan that can heat up well and retain the heat will make the difference between a crisp dosa and a soft one.

If you are using induction, that could be the reason why you have hot and cold spots on your pan. Not easy to fix, but you can at least try heating the pan longer on a smaller power to get more uniform heating.

In any case, the first few dosas are a hit-and-miss and you need to make a few dosas before you get a nice crispy one.

If you have an option, choose batters that have chana dal as an ingredient since it will make dosas crisper. Cooked rice or beaten rice (poha) as an ingredient will make dosas softer.

I make dosa very often on a standard cast iron griddle. I learned over many different sticky batches to spread the batter thinly and then wait for a bit until it's mostly set up and then sprinkle about a teaspoon of oil or ghee over the top. Then wait until you can see the browning of the bottom happening through the top of the dosa. It's critical to see this browning happen. If it goes from pale to dark brown really quickly your heat is up too high. The stages should go from set->sprinkle with oil->gradually turning to brown on the bottom. Then you can start to use spatula to loosen the edges. When in doubt turn down the heat and take longer to get to the browning stage. I have also had a lot of success overcoming sticking by starting out with greasing the griddle with a pat of full butter, not ghee, applied with a paper towel so there is just a thin layer.

A few others have said it, but a good air purifier positioned near your cooking surface will help a lot. If you can't afford an expensive one, look for one that has filters for dealing with cigarette smoke. I've used this one while renovating my kitchen and it made a big difference. It won't completely eliminate odor, but it will likely be enough to avoid irritating the neighbors.

Highly recommend this one. It has five Indian herbs that give it an amazing flavor. It’s ridiculously expensive on Amazon, I would buy it from an Indian grocery store.

People in India looking for authentic Red Chilli achar might want to check out Sun Grow brand on Amazon.

https://www.amazon.in/gp/product/B08FYV94QQ/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

It's a tool to measure the weight of something. Using a digital food scale is crazy useful for cooking, as you can really dial in exact quantities for things.

An example of one I found with a quick Google :

https://www.amazon.ca/Etekcity-Multifunction-Stainless-Batteries-Included/dp/B0113UZJE2/ref=zg_bs_6647569011_1/131-9986676-3464952?pd_rd_i=B09RGS793K&psc=1

My understanding is that BIR is heavily influenced by Bangladeshi cuisine, where this more complicated gravy (using cabbage, peppers, etc.) is used. Julian Voigt, who is a chef at a BIR restaurant, talks about it in his excellent The Secret to That Takeaway Curry Taste.

I use the Preethi (an Indian brand) available on Amazon.

The smaller jar is used for spices and other dry grinding (or wet grinding smaller quantities), while the bigger jar is used for wet grinding stuff like idli/dosa batter.

I recommend the e-book The Secret to That Takeaway Curry Taste by Julian Voigt. The title sounds a bit hyperbolic, but it's really spot on. Voigt is a professional chef at an Indian restaurant in the UK, and he was really the first Western chef to popularize techniques such as the base gravy, which are really important to this style of food. The book is self-published and looks a bit slapdash, but the recipes and techniques are superb. He also has videos on YouTube under the name Curry Academy.

Exactly how much do you want your mojito to cost and how regularly are you drinking them?

If you are drinking a glass every day, I would suggest that you keep using the 750ml bottles of soda. They cost around 20 Rs and should last you 3 days I guess. To minimise decarbinisation, you can either transfer the contents of the bottle into another bottle of a smaller size (do ensure that the smaller bottle can handle the pressure of the CO2 coming out of the liquid. Or what you can try is after first use, you can make the volume of the bottle less by driving out the air and tying the bottle to minimize de carbonation. And keep the bottle in the fridge.

If you having mojitos around 2-3 times a week, then eno would make more sense. The rates that I saw on amazon were around Rs. 6 per sachet

Indians love maggi hot & sweet ketchup, so I would suggest that your friend should offer this ketchup instead of another ketchup.

Amazon link for the ketchup:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00HUJ72NW/ref=cm_sw_r_awdo_5313ZB7P4HGK6E4A2QG0

If this is your first time making it, I would recommend this one. It requires just 4 ingredients (including the "Chana Masala" powder from MDH ). This is actually from the side of that box.

You need: onions, tomatoes, chickpeas and chana masala powder.

Finely dice the onions. Fry them in oil. Once done, add the chopped tomatoes. A minute later, add the chana masala powder. Saute till it's done. Then add the cooked chickpeas. Voila! Done.

Any chance it is this one? That looks like carbon steel which technically is more pure iron than cast iron. You would need to clean it very thoroughly and remove any rust then season like any cast iron. I like vegetable shortning. This page from lodge should work fine

Kitchens of India are great and easy on Amazon.

Kitchens Of India Paste for Butter Chicken Curry, 3.5-Ounce Boxes (Pack of 6) https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B000V17MLS/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_KYPHWPPEJKMQMDQCCD36?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

Also check this one out. It comes with the straw and only 50 grams. Perfect if you just wanna try. Thank me later😀😀🧉

https://www.amazon.in/Matero-Yerba-Sachets-filter-Bombilla/dp/B09SD218Q7/ref=mp_s_a_1_6?crid=5QGT9R8UB379&keywords=Matero+yerba+mate&qid=1648197605&sprefix=matero+yerba+mate+%2Caps%2C469&sr=8-6

I used to drink coffe previously but i have switched to yerba mate and first of all the caffine is jitter free. I had a habit of having 3-4 cups of coffe with sugar so when i switched to yerba mate i can just refill the cup with hot water and i dont add any sugar so i dont get that guilty feeling also.

For the health benefits part-

It has 90% more antioxidants than green tea. So i have been having this for a month now and i feel so much active and alert at work and i have this drive and energy to work.

Tip -

Ill give you a advice. Just buy the straw and the packet. You dont need thier cup you can have it in any cup. If you like it very much you can later order the cup

Go for this one. Its the cheapest and the only one that comes with the straw 👇👇👇

https://www.amazon.in/Matero-Yerba-Mate-traditional-Argentine/dp/B09C3NCSHF/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?crid=5QGT9R8UB379&keywords=Matero+yerba+mate&qid=1648197605&sprefix=matero+yerba+mate+%2Caps%2C469&sr=8-2

https://smile.amazon.com/Rani-Kolhapuri-Gur-Jaggery-2-2lbs/dp/B01G4H7MJO/ref=mp_s_a_1_2_sspa?crid=3K1CBBJGROOZU&keywords=jaggery&qid=1650911755&sprefix=ja%2Caps%2C954&sr=8-2-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUEyM1ky...

If you're really serious and have the space + budget, do go for a standalone convection oven and/or the Oven+Stove top model from Faber or some equally good brand.

I use it and cannot recommend just how good + nifty it is. The airflow is great (uniform baking), plenty of space (great for baking batches), temperature and temperature hold are pretty good (great for low temp / overnight cooks).

If your budgets tight, then go for a Microwave + Oven combo. But know that the heating element will be weak and the temperature controls are approximate at best. If you're an amateur who just wants to get started, these should not really matter though. Panasonic is inexpensive (sub -7k) and reasonably robust. My mum used one for ages and it lasted well.

You could also get a carbon steel skillet with no rivets. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000KENOOU/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I have this and its amazing.

Without getting into the controversy regarding the FDA, I think an option is to get some Yandilla which you can get on Amazon or a local speciality foods store (for cheaper).

I bought this and it makes perfect paneer every time. I love it because you can use it for many other things, it’s actually a fruit press. Makes a nice wheel of paneer, I use cheese cloth to keep it together and press it for an hour or so, unwrap it and throw it in the fridge.

SQUEEZE master Cheese Tincture Herb Fruit Wine Manual Press -0.53Gallon/ 2 Litre-Power Ball Handle-Stainless Steel & Iron for Juice, Cider,Wine,Olive Oil https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07Z7J4FPW/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_i_Q33RKE875ZYBQPRGTMAJ?psc=1

It's not as thin as a tawa is supposed to be, but my wife uses a Lodge cast iron griddle to make her parathas and other assorted flat things like roti. I think she uses it for dosa too, but I cannot recall.

https://www.amazon.com/Lodge-Griddle-Pre-seasoned-Pancakes-Quesadillas/dp/B00008GKDN

I don't know how the change in material affects the outcome though, so you may want to ask before looking for one if a tawa is supposed to give a very specific outcome. They seem tasty to me, but I've never eaten parathas anywhere else.

Here: King International Stainless Steel Indian Spice Box, Indian See Through Masala Dabba, Masala Box,Steel Masala Dabba, Indian Spice Container, with 7 Spice containers Size 20 X 20 x 8 cm, Set Of 9 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00LRIFNRE/ref=cm_sw_r_apan_glt_i_Q3BSFBV505P1SJTKB007?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

ExclusiveLane "Twelve Blends" Spice Box with 12 Containers & Spoon in Sheesham Wood - Wooden Spice Box Set for Kitchen Masala Spice Boxes Masala Daani Namak Dani Dabba Multipurpose Decorative Boxes https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0874WS2G6/ref=cm_sw_r_apan_glt_i_Y5663XA91JXQCVG0MBM0

Keep in mind things like this already exist, so commercially you'll have competition. But I think there's improvements to the commercial kits available.

For instance, 7-8 years ago my husband got me the Shanti Spice Box and a cookbook. There was just enough spices and great variety to cook maybe half a dozen different recipes. But the ratio of spices were just way off - I still have some of the spices sitting in the original box (I need to toss them...) because they are just rarely used or small quantities. Comparatively, the amount of cumin provided was pretty much used up in one recipe.

If you're going to market it, make sure you know your target audience. If to attract new people to Indian recipes, you may be better off providing spices in the right ratios for a few included recipes rather than just a mix of everything with no thought behind quantity.

No kit would ever provide my desired amount of dried fenugreek leaves though. That is an addictive flavor! And pretty much impossible to find within a 90 minute drive.

"Masala dabba". Literally "spice box". Indians are as good at naming things as Leonard of Quirm.

https://www.ekirana.nl/stainless-steel-masala-dabba-with-see-throug-lid.html

https://www.amazon.de/-/en/Spice-Container-seperate-compartments-airtight/dp/B00438K7DU

Not sure if it's available in Germany (I'm in U.S.), but I did get this of Amazon and am really happy with it.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00X6Z3OHC?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2_dt_b_product_details

Less than half the cost of a Vitamix and the big grinder jar does just a wonderful job of turning stuff to a smooth paste super fast without having to add a ton of extra liquid like my blender did. I feel like Indian mixies are some secret Vitamix doesn't want you to know about ;D

A food grade alternative that exists at least in the US is Yandilla. Probably cheaper at your local grocery store than on Amazon (at least IME).

I get good results with a coffee grinder like this:

https://www.amazon.de/Bosch-TSM6A013B-Kaffeem%C3%BChle-Schwarz/dp/B07J6JLW11/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=kaffeem%C3%BChle&qid=1646593213&sr=8-3

Mine is at least 20 years older, but still gets the job done.

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