Mamta's Kitchen - A Family Cookbook





almonds and pista slivers

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On 11/10/2006 08:10pm, dilip uk wrote:

Does anyone know of any gadgets that will help with task of making very thin slivers/slices of nuts. i use almonds and pistas a lot but hate making think slices.

Any tips and ideas would be welcomed

Thanks

Dilip

On 11/10/2006 09:10pm, Mamta wrote:

I chop nuts in a nut chopper. See http://www.cucinadirect.com/go/Product_10640.html;jsessionid=aX_Mx7-QbA7d?categoryId=45 or http://www.cucinadirect.com/go/Product_10640.html;jsessionid=aJBcPQULSD0f?categoryId=45 .

If I have to have nut slivers, I place them on a chopping board and slice with a sharp cleaver, keeping my fingers well out of the way!

Mamta

On 11/10/2006 10:10pm, Bhavna wrote:

I know in the past my mum has used a tool that we knew as 'soori'. This was a metal, scissor type implement but with larger blades that is more commonly used for creating slivers of betal nut....again you need to watch those fingers though!

I hope this is of some help

Bhavna

On 12/10/2006 12:10pm, MINAL wrote:

My mum was given a wooden gadget - i don't know if it has a name though!

Its basically a rectangular block of wood that can slide up and down the frame of the gadget, and it comes with a handle. In the rectanuglar part,there is a cutout round there is a blade like a razor on the underside of this round. You put your almonds, pistachio into the round ontop of the blade. You also get a wooden 'cap' that usually fits into the cut our round, which can be used to press down on the almonds. You hold the handle of the gadget, and the top of the cap and slide the rectangular block up and down the frame. the razor slices the nuts into beautiful thin slithers.

I have seen these gadgets in indian shops quite recently.

Apologies if the description is poor!

On 12/10/2006 03:10pm, Dilip UK wrote:

Mamta,

Thanks for the product, as said it?s a choppers which not quite what I am looking for. Chopping board and a sharp cleaver, oh my lord knowing my luck I will have no figures left. I do in fact use a knife and a board and I thinly slice each almond and/or pista. Taaaaaaaaaakes far too long. Thanks for your help

Bavna,

I will try a soori, I have several being (an ex) betal nut fan. I never thought of using the soori for almond slivers. Thanks for the tip.

Minal,

No your description is fine, just that I would love to see the gadget you mention. In any case the gadget sounds wonderful and exactly what I am looking for. If you come across it again, please let me know. Interestingly you call it slithers and I call it slivers, does it matter, oh no it does not to me. Are you able to mention, whereabouts was this indian shop?

Thanks a lot my new friends, love to hear from you again. If you have time visit my blog which I started few weeks back.

Love and peace

On 12/10/2006 03:10pm, Dilip UK wrote:

ooops....

Here is the blog address http://dilipuk.blogspot.com/

bye

On 12/10/2006 05:10pm, Mamta wrote:

Hi Dilip

Minal's description has given me an idea; how about trying to make almond slivers with a garlic slicer like the ones here; http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0001Z8PEM/nextag-kitchen-20/ref=nosim or http://www.marksandspencer.com/IWCatProductPage.process?Merchant_Id=1&Section_Id=255&Product_Id=1900637

Soaked and blanched almonds should be soft enough to be sliced with it. If you succeed, do let me know.

I will try to get a Suri next time I go to India, sounds good. My mum too had one for chopping beetle nuts.

Cleaver is not as dangerous as it sounds; your hand never comes in contact with the cutting edge. You hold the nut in place with a napkin or something else to hand.

If you really want to cut almonds the old fashioned way, like our mum/grandmother?s generation, this is how you do it; hold the almond/pistachio between your left thumb and index + middle finger. Now move the knife on the edge of the nut with a flicking movement of the wrist. Collect slivers in a plate placed below.

Mamta

On 13/10/2006 02:10pm, Dilip UK wrote:

Hi Mamta,

Many thanks for the Garlic Slicer idea. I think I will try it.

You talk about the method that mums and grandmothers use to get slivers. Well, the technique is going strong in my household, my other half uses the technique you described. There is no way I will try though, it can?t be safe surley, how do they do it, and they do it so quickly too!!. Well all this years I have relied on Jyostna to do this task for me and now I am looking for gadget to help me. Hey, just had a thought, can I replace the Jyostna with a garlic slicer?hehehe.

Watch this space, Thanks again

Dilip

On 13/10/2006 04:10pm, Mamta wrote:

Hey Dillip, just watch it! Jyotsna (what a beautiful name) may put you under her knife too, if you are not careful and I bet her's is sharper ;-)!

Well, I used to chop them with a knife too, grandma style (God knows I am old enough to be one!), but stopped because I find that a chopper is usually quite adequate for my needs. If I need slivers, I use a cleaver and chopping board. I still have all my fingers! LOL!

Everyone back in India still chops almonds and pistachios with a knife. I used to do it while watching T-V etc.

Mamta

On 18/10/2006 05:10pm, Mamta wrote:

Hello Dillip

I was making Kulfi today and tried to slice the blanched almonds and pistachios with a garlic slicer as shown here http://www.cutleryandmore.com/details.asp?SKU=3501&src=NexTag&cam=Products&kw=3501. It works ver well, take a look at the picture here;

http://img243.imageshack.us/my.php?image=slicingalmondsandpistachios1ru5.jpg

It is very, very quick. I think I will be using it in the future myself!

Mamta

On 18/10/2006 08:10pm, Dilip UK wrote:

Mamta,

A million thanks for your help. The slivers look great, just what i am looking for.

Did you buy the garlic slicer from amazon, or did you have one. Hey how as the kulfi?...

Thanks again.

On 18/10/2006 09:10pm, Mamta wrote:

Hello Dilip

I was clearing a kitchen drawer out day before yesterday and found it there. I must have bought it a while back and forgotten all about it! Now it will be used regularly :-).

I can't remember where I got it from, probably USA.

Kulfi is great, as always. I have made it low sugar this time, with some cardamom powder, rose water and plenty of almonds and pistachios. I have some friends coming for dinner on the week-end so I thought I might at east make one of the desserts early!

Mamta

On 10/01/2008 09:01pm, r ketan wrote:

i refer to Minal's description about a gadget made of a wood block

with slot suitable to hold a blade and a wodden cap that holds almond.

she says that it was from her mom and can not recollect source but

now she says she can it has track to some some stores.

i will be thankful to her if she can provide me source. my e mail address

is cjstailors@yahoo.com

she has given description of the said gadget. i can draw a picture on it

but more accurately if she can provide a picture of gadget.

we should be getting almond slices as we see in some advertisement in

which almond slices are shown in salad dish preparations.

sunkist also sells sliced slivers from roasted almonds. these are defenitely

good when in party or camke or salad decorations. the bags are priced but

worth sending on occasion.

On 11/01/2008 05:01pm, r ketan wrote:

MINAL

12/10/2006 11:23am My mum was given a wooden gadget - i don't know if it has a name though!

Its basically a rectangular block of wood that can slide up and down the frame of the gadget, and it comes with a handle. In the rectanuglar part,there is a cutout round there is a blade like a razor on the underside of this round. You put your almonds, pistachio into the round ontop of the blade. You also get a wooden 'cap' that usually fits into the cut our round, which can be used to press down on the almonds. You hold the handle of the gadget, and the top of the cap and slide the rectangular block up and down the frame. the razor slices the nuts into beautiful thin slithers.

I have seen these gadgets in indian shops quite recently.

Apologies if the description is poor!

i would like to have accurate description or picture

of said gadget. if possible the store where it is

possible to find. it seems it is important gadget.

working with suri or garlic slicer will not give fine

and uniform slices of almonds. as we see from picture mamta

has given.

with suri we fracture the betal nut that are convenient to

chew. but fine almond slices are needed for salad of cake

making.

i wish that mamta takes interest in what had been proposed

by minal.

thanks.

we di

On 11/01/2008 08:01pm, Mamta wrote:

Hello Ketan

I haven?t seen Meenal on the MB for a while, I hope that she sees your message and replies.

It is not that I am not taking interest in what you and Minal have described, it is just that I haven?t seen it before, so can?t make a mental image of it. I wish there was a picture of it!

I do however know exactly what you are describing as thin slivers of almonds and pistachios. I used to do that with a sharp knife, just like my mum did before me. These days, I find it easier to use the garlic slicer, which does a reasonably good job.

If you find the gadget you are talking about, please come back and tell me, I woill love to have it for myself.

Best wishes

mamta

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