I am having tandoori salmon with peas pilaf rice, what are you having?

Jenny

Chicken Tandoori with spiced baked potatoes, mint and garlic raitha and the ubiquitous salad.

That was a good word!!!

My hub (Pete/ Ganders, who does all the coding and technical work on this site) cooked up one of my favourites - a chicken, creme fraiche, stock, beer, shallots and mushrooms thing which is just gorgeous! We usually have it with rice but we had some lovely new potatoes to use up so we had it in deep bowls over halved and buttered new potatoes so that the sauce coated them completely! YUM!

So, where is the reciep then?

Ma

I'll remind him!

I am baking fresh bread, made from my own starter. Seems to be coming along well, now under final 'proving'.

We had Stamna (well the meat base to it, with jacket potatoes) that I'd cooked last night.

Stamna sounds good. What was it like?

Mamta

Its a really rich stew, lots of flavour and oddly doesn't taste a lot like cinnamon, it just melts into one big flavour.

Need some inspiration on this damp evening for something quick, easy and vegetarian!!

Any ideas before I resort to beans on toast? I may even add some cheese if i'm feeling really adventurous!!!

Look forward to some ideas.

So far I can only think of one simple but vegetarian thing that I cook and that's macaroni cheese. It doesn't sound that exciting, but it's comfort food and just what I want sometimes.

Basically I cook the pasta, make a bechamel sauce with grated cheese (cheddar or any other tasty one) added, plus some nutmeg and seasoning, put the pasta in the oven dish, pour the bechamel over the top and put some breadcrumbs and a few bits of butter on top to melt and put in the oven until golden brown.

I can send the exact recipe with proportions if you like and will email any more recipes if I think of them.

how about Falafel (chickpeas made into a paste and deep fried as a ball) served int a pitta bread with salad an yoghurt

Steve

A Quick pizza made on any bread you have (crusty sliced loaf, naan bread, chappaties etc) Add tomato base, slices of onion, cheese, peppers, chillies, sprinkle of oregano, some fresh basil leaves..whatever takes your fancy.

Steve

Something quick and spicy like Natcho's (or deep fry small slices of chapati) make a cheese sauce pour over, add grated cheese, chilli sauce, fresh chopped chillies, spinkle of pepper (no link for this sorry)

Steve

For me you can't beat Houmous on pitta bread with a little fresh salad.

Steve

Thanks very much for all your suggestions. I actually had left over chapatties (I freeze spare ones)cooked in a garlicky yoghurt sauce, garnished with fresh chillies and coriander. Very tasty and ready in 20 mins from start to finish!!

Not sure if it's to everyone's taste so haven't included recipe. If there is any interest I can post it to the site.

Bhavna

What is it called? Is it like the yogurt besan thing 'Kadhi'?

mamta

Mamta,

We call this 'vaghareli roti' and I have seem it cooked in a number of ways but it doesn't include any besan as kadhi does.

Basically, I fried off some garlic in a bit of veg oil and then added some sour yoghurt which had been thinned out with water. To this I added some salt, turmeric and chilli powder and brought it all to a boil stiring regulaly so that the yoghurt doesn't split.

Once boiling, add the chapatti which has been torn into bitesize pieces. Bring back to the boil and cook for 5 mins (or longer if you want a thicker sauce). Turn out the heat and add chopped green chilli and fresh coriander.

It's a good way of using up leftover chappaties.

PS Sometimes, I make this without garlic whereby the original 'vaghar' (tarka)is done by popping cumin and mustard seeds in the oil and add a bit of 'hing' before adding the yoghurt.

Hello Bhavana

Vaghar is Tarka or Tempering in Gujrati, isn?t it? So roti with a tarka is something like we would call Vaghar Wali roti in Hindi?

It sounds interesting, I have never had it, even at my Gujrati friend?s house! So, how about righting the recipe out exactly as you make it, with amounts and times of cooking. I will give it a try. It might be with doing a mustard seed/cumin tarka to start it off with. I wonder if it will work with left over Nans or even Pitta bread. Our Steve AskCy is an expert on Pitta breads here :-)!

Another thought that I am having is if you can make this dish, why not other curries made from various Indian breads? After all, People of Rajasthan make curries with broken papars (popodoms) that are left at the end of a pack?or two!

If you decide to make it again, do take some pictures. You can send them to me via the contact link at the top of the page.

Isn't there Italian dish (possibly a salad) that uses chunks of stale bread to soak up the juice and give extra filling to the meal?..

Steve

Hi Mamta,

You're right - Vaghar in gujarati is tarka and your hindi interpretation is also correct. I have 3 different versions of this dish and have known people to have it as brunch or a light supper dish. It's a good way of using up dhai which is turning too sour to eat in it's own right and leftover rotis.

As you mention, this dish can be made with bread pieces but I found the bread to go too soggy. I have recently made it to also use up flour tortillas - this works very well, especially if you roast them in a dry frying pan first. I haven't experimented with any other types but can't see why pitta wouldn't work just as well.

I mentioned two versions in my earlier email and the third would be with tomatoes and onions. All are very nice :-)

When I get a spare moment, I will post all 3 recipes but it's going to be one of those things - easier to cook than thinking about how to make (so please be patient!!)

This is a common gujarati snack dish so although your friends haven't cooked it, they may be aware of it and tasted it in the past.

I'd be interested to hear more about the papad curry from Rajasthan - now that really does intrigue me!!

Take Care,

Bhavna

just a thought... is there an Indian dish that uses chapaties or naan's soaked in milk, sugar (or honey), maybe vanila( or cardamon)possibly a beaten egg (possibly some sort of fruit) then baked in the oven... like the English Bread and Butter pudding ?

Steve

Steve,

I'm not aware of such a thing however, that doesn't mean that it doesn't exist!

Bhavna

Doodh=milk

Mein=in the or in

Funny you should say this Steve, when we were children and didn't like the look of what was on the menu, we complained to mum that we were not feeling well, or tummy hurts etc., you know the usual childhood excuces! Mother knew that this meant we wanted to eat broken up chappties or toasted bread or parathas, soaked in hot milk, with loads of sugar! It is still quite a popular Indian tradition amongst children. Another thing they do is putt some sugar with butter inside the ball that you make for rolling out paratha and cahpatti. Sometimes, even with some finely shredded nuts and sultanas/resins, and green cardamom powder.

Another thing that is popular, at least in North India, is to eat some boiled, steaming hot rice mixed with ghee and sugar. If it is brown raw sugar (Shakkar or Khand), much the better. I still eat this sweetened rice occoaionally, using Muscovado sugar :-)!

For proper sweet rice, see Sweet Rice 1 and Sweet Rice 2

Mamta

I did my third version of chicken mulligatawny soup for lunch today, and I have to say that my usual self-criticism fell away: my wife and I found it utterly delicious, perhaps because I made my own chicken stock, which was real fun to do.

Tonight, I'm doing chicken dansak.

You can't beat Indian food!

Phil

Sounds like I was on the right lines with the bread and butter pudding then.

Phil you can beat eggs though! LOL... and don't suppose you took any pictures of the soup?..

Steve

You can't beat Indian egg curry though! LOL!!

Do you mean with the egg scrambled (as my brother likes it) or with whole boiled egg (shells removed) in it as I like it?..(I also like it made with minced lamb and eggs in...

Steve

With whole boiled eggs; Egg Curry. It is very tasty, specially with Parathas

Mamta

that looks great, thanks

Steve

Steve,

I think I'll try doing the odd photo, since we took the radical (for us) step, in the US of buying a digital camera.

Phil

Can't wait to see the photos :-)

We will look forward to your photos, of my recipes specially. You can send them to us using contact link. If they are of enough resolution, Kavey will post them on site, with your name as contributor.

mamta

As I am eating for 2 now, I need my carbs etc and my veg, so I tried a fusilli pasta salad. All you need is boiled pasta, cooled down, throw in rocket leaves, cherry tomatos, blk olives, roasted red peppers (thinly sliced and tossed in olive oil and put on griddle till browned on both sides) and mozarella balls or chunks of buffalo mozarella with a lovely Rocket Pesto and Olive Oil Dressing...I just had that with a jacket potato with lashings of butter, salt and pepper just the way I like it - Hubby was impressed too - so quick and easy!! Especially with the hot weather - cant be bothered with curries!! ;-p

Sounds lovely and refeshing...

I've just made Falafel... think I've got it sussed... rather than eggs or bread I added about 5-6 tablespoons of wholemeal flour... worked a treat...

Steve

Can't be bothered with curries? I NEVER feel that way!

But I see what you mean.

I did my first-ever fried basil leaves for a Thai dish: yummy!

Phil

Steve,

Weren't those felafels too floury in taste? Obviously, you didn't think so. So we both figure we've got it sussed, but we're doing slightly different things: that's cooking for you!

I added an egg on both recent attempts, but I don't think I needed to. A also added breadcrumbs, which I think I DID need to.

Must go: my 8 year old daughter is demanding felafels!

Phil

The Falafel where ok on the floury front, its only like adding bread crumbs (which are made from flour) really. It just didn't seem right to me for an authentic traditional recipe to include slices of bread, thats why I went along the flour route (eventually).

I just couldn't imagine someone in the middle of nowhere cooking falafel on a small wood fire to feed a hungry family, picking up a slice of bread.. not being any shops for 500miles etc etc...

Steve

I love egg curry with bloomer bread - sometimes I like to throw in boiled new potatoes as well (peeled and halved) or just cook them in a microwave until ready to eat - not over done!

Curry with bread?... I suppose its no worse than me having leftovers on toast...

Steve

Oh yes, curry with a good bread is quite nice Steve. Don't forget that we make toasted sandwiches, as well as stuffed parathas, with left over bhajies/meats all the time.

Mamta

I eat many things with bread. Bread is basic, and the Indians are realy good at it. I like to eat with my hands, and don't understand people who disapprove of that.

I also think that some of the best dishes in the world are essentially leftover dishers in which you can bung bits of whatever you have left. I think that risotto, paella, and the dish known as Singapore Noodles are like that.

Phil

At the end of the day the flavour is in the curry - a lovely chicken curry with soft bloomer bread is to die for. Or even warmed up pitta bread!

I don't need converting as I will eat just about anything on bread ... mainly for breakfast, cold curry goes well on hot toast... (even been known to put a slice of pizza on bread just to make it easier to eat/carry)....

Steve