--Keeesha
Random Fact:
- India has 28 states, over 50 languages, and hundreds of ethnic groups (no wonder there's a regional cuisine of the day...that's a lot of regions!).
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Sorry!
As Gracie said, I can't post the cooking videos right now. I am currently having extreme computer problems, and will sort out video when my computer stops crashing every 5 minutes. Again, I apologize! Thanks for understanding!
--Keeesha
Random Fact:
--Keeesha
Random Fact:
MAKING FOOD AT HOME
Last weekend, Keeesha and I made an Indian meal! First, we took a trip to an Indian grocery store called Milan. This was an amazing experience because it was very authentic in all the foods it sells. Along with all the ingredients that we could not find at a regular grocery store, we picked up several packages of Indian sweet cookies, bottled guava and mango juice, and a bag of sweet puffed rice. As we checked out at the counter, a man came in with a bag of samosas ready to be sold: fresh, hot, and only 75 cents each! We just had to try one. I bit into it first, and tasted potatoes and some type of spice. Wrapped in a thin, crunchy, fried shell, many textures were present in our samosa. As our bites ventured closer and closer to the center, the taste got spicier and spicier. I finally had to surrender and take a sip (well, maybe a gulp) of my guava juice. On the way back to my house, Keeesha and I sampled the sweet puffed rice. Man, does that live up to its name (the only two ingredients are puffed rice and sugar). If you bite an individual grain of the rice in half, you can actually see the sugar crystals inside!
Back in my kitchen, we cooked everything we planned accept for the Mushroom Fried Rice dish. Kaju Katli was the first thing we made. It's a dessert with a nutty, (from the cashews) sweet flavor. The instructions called for spreading it on a plate and letting it sit, so that is what we did. The mixture still dries and hardens into candy on a plate in my kitchen counter, and we absolutely can't wait to taste it. We both sampled the batter before we poured it onto the plate, and it had a fantastic flavor and texture! Then we made Potato Bajji. This was the hardest and longest one to cook because we had to heat oil and deep fry the potato slices in a pan! First we mixed the batter that consisted mainly of flour, water, and a bit of chili powder. Then we cut the potato, slathered the slices with batter, and gently plopped them into the oil, where they cooked until they showed a golden brown crust. The smell of oil still lingers in our house, a reminder of all the cooking that happened. We winded down our kitchen time with a drink called Nimbu Pani, a delicate lemonade-like drink sweetened with dates and honey. Now, after chilling overnight, it has very light, honey/lemon flavor. Water and dates boiled for ten minutes first, and then we added lemon zest, lemon juice, lemon slices and honey to boil for three more minutes.
Of course, we filmed it all (with Keeesha's phone), and there is a lot of footage. Please be patient because even though Keeesha is experienced with videos, it will still take a long time with so much to go through and edit. In the videos we tried to show everything we did. For a while no one acted as camera man, so some things on the sides of the frame might be unclear. Also, my awesome mom and sister were talking and even helping in some of the scenes with hot oil because neither Keeesha nor I have deep fried foods at home before.
Hopefully you can watch the videos soon!
--Gracie
Back in my kitchen, we cooked everything we planned accept for the Mushroom Fried Rice dish. Kaju Katli was the first thing we made. It's a dessert with a nutty, (from the cashews) sweet flavor. The instructions called for spreading it on a plate and letting it sit, so that is what we did. The mixture still dries and hardens into candy on a plate in my kitchen counter, and we absolutely can't wait to taste it. We both sampled the batter before we poured it onto the plate, and it had a fantastic flavor and texture! Then we made Potato Bajji. This was the hardest and longest one to cook because we had to heat oil and deep fry the potato slices in a pan! First we mixed the batter that consisted mainly of flour, water, and a bit of chili powder. Then we cut the potato, slathered the slices with batter, and gently plopped them into the oil, where they cooked until they showed a golden brown crust. The smell of oil still lingers in our house, a reminder of all the cooking that happened. We winded down our kitchen time with a drink called Nimbu Pani, a delicate lemonade-like drink sweetened with dates and honey. Now, after chilling overnight, it has very light, honey/lemon flavor. Water and dates boiled for ten minutes first, and then we added lemon zest, lemon juice, lemon slices and honey to boil for three more minutes.
Of course, we filmed it all (with Keeesha's phone), and there is a lot of footage. Please be patient because even though Keeesha is experienced with videos, it will still take a long time with so much to go through and edit. In the videos we tried to show everything we did. For a while no one acted as camera man, so some things on the sides of the frame might be unclear. Also, my awesome mom and sister were talking and even helping in some of the scenes with hot oil because neither Keeesha nor I have deep fried foods at home before.
Hopefully you can watch the videos soon!
--Gracie
{ Regional Cuisine of the Day } May 31
Todays { Regional Cuisine of the Day } is......
Kerala!
Kerala cuisine uses lots of coconuts and ground coconut because of the abundance of coconuts in the region. Kerala cuisine also uses curry as a spice/flavouring ingredient, rather than a dish in itself. Fish is also abundant in Kerala cuisine, because of the many rivers. It also has a long coast along the ocean. Rice and tapioca are another main component to the cuisine. Other spices such as ginger also play a major part in the cuisine. Also, check out Gracie's post "RECIPE: KERALA FISH CURRY!". As I said, fish does play a major part in the cuisine.
Friday, May 27, 2011
{ Regional Cuisine of the Day! } May 27th
1st point: Hey! We finally got back from our class trip, and will begin to start posting again! Yay!
2nd point: Back to Regional Cuisines! Yippe doodle day! Anyhowo, today's { Regional Cuisine of the Day } is....
Gujarati! ( From the region Gujarat )
Gujarati cuisine is mostly vegetarian. A tyipical meal includes flat bread, vegtables, spices, and rice. Gujarati cuisine combines many different flavors (spicy, salty, sweet, ect) at the same time. 
Friday, May 20, 2011
Kaju Katli!
Okay, so I was searching for cool recipes to make (again), when Keeesha said that we should make a dessert! Though we are pretty flexible, there are some restrictions and preferences:
-no raisins (for me)
-no coconut (for Keeesha)
-no ghee (We are amateurs. I mean, ghee? How are we supposed to get that?)
And I came across.....Kaja Kalti! Sounds delicious, but I have to go now. I'll write some more about it later, so read soon!
~gracie
-no raisins (for me)
-no coconut (for Keeesha)
-no ghee (We are amateurs. I mean, ghee? How are we supposed to get that?)
And I came across.....Kaja Kalti! Sounds delicious, but I have to go now. I'll write some more about it later, so read soon!
~gracie
{ Regional Cuisine of the Day } May 20
Today's { Regional Cuisine of the Day } is....
Goan ( From Goa )!
Main ingrediants from Goan cuisine include seafood, coconut milk, rice, and paste. Many dishes have strong spices or flavors. Most every dish has fish in it, to the point where a dish isn't considered Goan without fish. Kingfish is a large delicacy.
Thursday, May 19, 2011
Nimbu Pani~ this sounds AWESOME!
Pretty soon, Keeesha and I are going to be... actually cooking something! Hopefully this weekend, we will be making four DELICIOUS dishes that were hand selected...by us! We're planning to make something called Potato Bajji (yes, yes, that was the random link I posted to remember earlier), but we're still kind of blanking on what to do for our other three things. Then, two minutes ago, I had an inspiration...we should make a drink! I immediately set to looking up good drink recipes (*NO BANANAS!*..to be honest, I think they're really gross) and I discovered <drum roll please> Nimbu Pani!
It looks fantastic because:
~no bananas!
~simple
~cold, and it's supposed to be getting warmer around here :D
~ no milk! (I'm mildly lactose intolerant)
Doesn't it look exactly like lemonade? It's actually very similar to it, and you can add all sorts of spices according to how you like your drinks to taste! This recipe uses dates and honey as a sweetener instead of the sugar and artificial flavors commonly used in the US. "Lemonade" in India looks cloudy, and is ALWAYS served fresh. It can be made with lime juice instead of lemons, but there are many different variations.
Can't wait till the (hope we can make it then!) weekend! ;D
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
{ Regional Cuisine of the Day! } May 18th
Today's Regional Cuisine of the Day is.....
Bihari!
Bihari cuisine is not only eaten in Bihar, but is also eaten in Uttar Pradesh, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and more. Bihari cuisine is mostly vegitarian, but there are some meat and fish dishes, due to the large amount of rivers in Bihar. One of the most interesting costoms is "smoked food". Smoked food refers to food with smoked red chili, which infuses a deep, strong aroma.
Bihari!
Bihari cuisine is not only eaten in Bihar, but is also eaten in Uttar Pradesh, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and more. Bihari cuisine is mostly vegitarian, but there are some meat and fish dishes, due to the large amount of rivers in Bihar. One of the most interesting costoms is "smoked food". Smoked food refers to food with smoked red chili, which infuses a deep, strong aroma.
Basic Ingrediants
UPDATE: We may not post this or the following week because:
a. We will not have time in class to work on it
b. We will be on a class trip from the next Monday on
All of you probably know the ingrediants of your favorite food, right? So do you know the ingrediants of your favorite INDIAN food? Well, if you don't, here are some basic ingrediants from basic Indian foods.
Bajra: Pearl millet, a type of millet (a millet is a grain). India is currently the largest producer of pearl millet. Roti, which is made from pearl millet, is most farmer's primary food.
Rice: A tyical basic for any type of meal, whether it's dinner, breakfast, or lunch.
Atta: Whole wheat flour
Pulses: Pulses resemble snap peas, with 1-12 different seeds with a variety of different shapes and colors. The word "pulse" is reserved for dry seed only. These pulses could be kidney beans, lima beans, pinto bean, red lentils, a black gram, ect.
Many Indian dishes or curries have oils, such as peanut oil (used mostly in Northern and Western India) and mustard oil (used mostly in Eastern India).
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Bread----Indian Style!
Everyone knows about naan, but do you know about other types of Indian bread, such as paratha? Or maybe dosa? Some of the most popular types include....
Chapati: A typical Indian flatbread, accompaning many dishes.
Paratha: A delicous, pan fried treat. Resembling a croisent, it is crispy and flaky.
Aaloo Paratha: A potato version of paratha, which tastes great with butter of cream.
Poori: Another flaky bread, eaten with many dishes, or pickles...
Bhatura: Usually eaten with chickpea curry, or eaten as it is made/piping hot.
Dosa: Dosa is eaten for breakfast or dinner, with vegtables, or meat sauce.
Dosa: Dosa is eaten for breakfast or dinner, with vegtables, or meat sauce.
As you can see from above, most breads are only eaten with curry or main dishes.
Fun Facts!
Naan comes from the Persian word for bread
Fun Facts!
Naan comes from the Persian word for bread
Some breads, such as naan, are cooked in a tandoor oven
The classic teardrop shape comes from the dough being streched while baking
The classic teardrop shape comes from the dough being streched while baking
Random fun fact about general Indian cuisine!
- The left is hand is used for personal hygiene, so it is considered bad manners to use it for eating
I have to remember this
http://www.easy-indian-food.com/potato-bajji.html
I just have to remember this. Pay no attention to it.
http://www.indianfoodforever.com/drinks/nimbu-pani.html
And this. Pay no attention to either of them.
I'll take this down soon, but I just have to keep it here for quick references :D
I just have to remember this. Pay no attention to it.
http://www.indianfoodforever.com/drinks/nimbu-pani.html
And this. Pay no attention to either of them.
I'll take this down soon, but I just have to keep it here for quick references :D
{ Regional Cuisine of the Day } (5/17)
Todays { Regional Cuisine of the Day } is.....
Assamese!
Assamese is the cuisine from the region Assam in India. It is a mixture of many different Indian cuisine. Not many spices are used, but there are strong flavors because of many exotic fruits and vegtables. Fish is one of the most common meats used. Birds such as duck are also used.
Monday, May 16, 2011
FLAVORS OF INDIA REVIEW!
So last night (über fun) we went to...FLAVORS OF INDIA! (mentioned in an earlier post). Some people go to restaurants and say, "Well, yeah, that was good..." But when I went to Flavors of India, it was "Wow, that was GOOOOD!" And it always is. Simply Amazing. But yesterday I said was going to write a review today....and here it is:
LOCATION: Great for me. It's on College Ave (right across from Powell's candy), and that's really convenient (in two ways. I love candy). We got a spot right across the street, which is very good because College Ave is extremely popular, and a table was ready right when we arrived.
ATMOSPHERE: Light enough for me to read the notes I was taking, but dark enough to provide a relaxing feel. The bright touches of metallic color on the curtain behind us added an additional brightness, which was nice. We sat towards the back of the restaurant (near the kitchen), so it was nice and warm even with the air coming in from the open front door.
SERVICE: We were quickly asked our drink orders by a friendly waiter, who couldn't really hear us, either from the noise in the restaurant, the loudness of our voices, or that his native language was not English, and he had a hard time understanding us. Our food arrived quickly, and there was a perfect interval between the appetizer and entree. All in all, he was a great server who tolerated my taking pictures of our food on the table the entire time.
FOOD (the most important part): Actually, that table was the exact table I sat at the first time I ever ate at Flavors of India, and we even ordered practically the same thing.
OUR DISHES AND THEIR MENU DESCRIPTION:
Corn Pakora~Corn blended with mild green chilies and spices, quick friend in mildly spiced butter~ The description of this pretty much fits the dish. It was warm patty with a great texture and nuttyish flavor, probably from the way it was fried. There were chunks of corn spread about it, and you could cool off the spicy flavor with a yogurt dipping sauce on the side. The only bad thing about this dish was that it got a bit boring after a couple bites, but they could always reduce the size of it.
Tandoori Chicken~Tender pieces of chicken marinated in special blend of homemade yogurt and Indian spice marinade~ Wow, now that was a HOT dish. Seriously. Just one look at the steaming chicken with the bright red skin made your mouth water. Not only that, it was spicy and tangy and absolutely delicious paired with the corn pakora.
Chicken Tikka Masala~Boneless pieces of tender chicken tikka cooked in moderately spiced cream sauce~This dish is SO good! Imagine perfectly tender chunks of chicken, soaked in spicy, sweet, smooth, hot, AMAZING creamy yellow sauce. Eaten with rice, this dish is pleasantly flavorful, punctuated by the individual grains of rice. The chicken tastes like it was cooked in the sauce, embedding the herbs in its succulent meat. In my opinion, this dish needs no improving.
Lamb Curry~Tender Boneless lamb prepared in zesty gravy with ginger, garlic, and fresh tomatoes~ This is not one of the original dishes we ordered the first time at Flavors of India, but a lamb curry similar to it. This was also similar to the masala, but heartier and spicier. The meat was also chewier. Though this was good, I would probably not order it again because I know there are better things on the menu.
Naan~ Soft bread cooked in a Tandoori oven~ Our naan was crispy on top, and chewy in the center. It was great when soaked in any of the dishes because several flavors were included in every bite of the bread.
Guava Juice~ There's not much to say about this; it didn't even have a menu description. I love guava juice, and I order its chilled, pink sweetness to help tone down the spices in every mouthful.
The lamb curry and the Chicken Tikka Masala (we got two orders, it's so awesome) are served in bowls with ornate handles, so you can spoon some of each on top of rice on your plate. I have nothing more to say about the foods except that they were all enjoyed. STAR RATING (according to me) .......... ★★★★and 1/4!
streetview
my sister and I
table behind ours
tandoori chicken...steamy!
corn pakora
table of food
naan
tandoor ovenI LOVE EVERYTHING HERE, SO PLEASE COME AND TRY IT FOR YOURSELF! added bonus- lots of pictures from the restaurant! Also: girl in greenish blue shirt is not keeesha; she is my sister.
LOCATION: Great for me. It's on College Ave (right across from Powell's candy), and that's really convenient (in two ways. I love candy). We got a spot right across the street, which is very good because College Ave is extremely popular, and a table was ready right when we arrived.
ATMOSPHERE: Light enough for me to read the notes I was taking, but dark enough to provide a relaxing feel. The bright touches of metallic color on the curtain behind us added an additional brightness, which was nice. We sat towards the back of the restaurant (near the kitchen), so it was nice and warm even with the air coming in from the open front door.
SERVICE: We were quickly asked our drink orders by a friendly waiter, who couldn't really hear us, either from the noise in the restaurant, the loudness of our voices, or that his native language was not English, and he had a hard time understanding us. Our food arrived quickly, and there was a perfect interval between the appetizer and entree. All in all, he was a great server who tolerated my taking pictures of our food on the table the entire time.
FOOD (the most important part): Actually, that table was the exact table I sat at the first time I ever ate at Flavors of India, and we even ordered practically the same thing.
OUR DISHES AND THEIR MENU DESCRIPTION:
Corn Pakora~Corn blended with mild green chilies and spices, quick friend in mildly spiced butter~ The description of this pretty much fits the dish. It was warm patty with a great texture and nuttyish flavor, probably from the way it was fried. There were chunks of corn spread about it, and you could cool off the spicy flavor with a yogurt dipping sauce on the side. The only bad thing about this dish was that it got a bit boring after a couple bites, but they could always reduce the size of it.
Tandoori Chicken~Tender pieces of chicken marinated in special blend of homemade yogurt and Indian spice marinade~ Wow, now that was a HOT dish. Seriously. Just one look at the steaming chicken with the bright red skin made your mouth water. Not only that, it was spicy and tangy and absolutely delicious paired with the corn pakora.
Chicken Tikka Masala~Boneless pieces of tender chicken tikka cooked in moderately spiced cream sauce~This dish is SO good! Imagine perfectly tender chunks of chicken, soaked in spicy, sweet, smooth, hot, AMAZING creamy yellow sauce. Eaten with rice, this dish is pleasantly flavorful, punctuated by the individual grains of rice. The chicken tastes like it was cooked in the sauce, embedding the herbs in its succulent meat. In my opinion, this dish needs no improving.
Lamb Curry~Tender Boneless lamb prepared in zesty gravy with ginger, garlic, and fresh tomatoes~ This is not one of the original dishes we ordered the first time at Flavors of India, but a lamb curry similar to it. This was also similar to the masala, but heartier and spicier. The meat was also chewier. Though this was good, I would probably not order it again because I know there are better things on the menu.
Naan~ Soft bread cooked in a Tandoori oven~ Our naan was crispy on top, and chewy in the center. It was great when soaked in any of the dishes because several flavors were included in every bite of the bread.
Guava Juice~ There's not much to say about this; it didn't even have a menu description. I love guava juice, and I order its chilled, pink sweetness to help tone down the spices in every mouthful.
The lamb curry and the Chicken Tikka Masala (we got two orders, it's so awesome) are served in bowls with ornate handles, so you can spoon some of each on top of rice on your plate. I have nothing more to say about the foods except that they were all enjoyed. STAR RATING (according to me) .......... ★★★★and 1/4!
streetview
my sister and I 
table behind ours
tandoori chicken...steamy!
corn pakora
table of food
naan
tandoor oven100th view!
YAY CHRIS FOR GIVING US OUR....100TH VIEW! I know it's not a big thing for many of the big blogger people out there, but we're still really happy. Chris is one of our awesome frequent readers, and we thank him so much! One of his preferred things on our blog is Turby the Turtle, so be sure to check out our cute little pet! :D
Sunday, May 15, 2011
GUESS WHAT?
YAY! So tonight, I'm planning to go to one of my most absolute favorite restaurants...FLAVORS OF INDIA! The chicken tikka masala there is A-mAZe-InG! Of course, it's not even 1:00 pm yet....BUT I'M STILL EXCITED! I'll be giving a review, maybe later today or tomorrow, so check our awesome blog later to see some new posts! ;D
Saturday, May 14, 2011
Feeling hungry? Then try some.....
POPULAR INDIAN SNACKS! So earlier today, (working on our blog, of course) I came across this great website. It lists several tasty Indian snacks, and gives links to how to make them! I recognized some of them, and let me give you some background info:
Samosa- a fried pastry stuffed with various spiced veggies and meats
Original Chaat- a mixture of pieces of potatoes, fried bread, chickpeas, some 'tangy-salty' spices, with sour homemade Indian chili and something called Saunth (dried ginger and tamarind sauce), fresh coriander leaves (used once again in Indian cuisine!), and yogurt as a garnish. Wow.
Bhelpuri- a type of Chaat
Chivda- a combination of roasted peanuts, cashews, dalia, toasted rice flakes, and any other favorite flavors you wish to add
Vada Pav- (vegetarian!) a dish with finely cut green chilies and ginger and a tempering of mustard seeds are added to mushed, boiled potatoes. After dipping patties in a 'herb-seasoned batter of gram flour', they are deep fried.
Those are just a sample of the wonderful snacks available, so please feel free to click on the link! http://indianfood.about.com/od/snacks/tp/topsnacks.htm
picture: Chaat
Samosa- a fried pastry stuffed with various spiced veggies and meats
Original Chaat- a mixture of pieces of potatoes, fried bread, chickpeas, some 'tangy-salty' spices, with sour homemade Indian chili and something called Saunth (dried ginger and tamarind sauce), fresh coriander leaves (used once again in Indian cuisine!), and yogurt as a garnish. Wow.
Bhelpuri- a type of Chaat
Chivda- a combination of roasted peanuts, cashews, dalia, toasted rice flakes, and any other favorite flavors you wish to add
Vada Pav- (vegetarian!) a dish with finely cut green chilies and ginger and a tempering of mustard seeds are added to mushed, boiled potatoes. After dipping patties in a 'herb-seasoned batter of gram flour', they are deep fried.
Those are just a sample of the wonderful snacks available, so please feel free to click on the link! http://indianfood.about.com/od/snacks/tp/topsnacks.htm
picture: Chaat
Friday, May 13, 2011
RECIPE: KERALA FISH CURRY!
This is a recipe for Kerala Fish Curry (Indian fish in a delicious coconut curry) also known as "meen vevichathu." It's a famous curry recipe from the southern Indian state (you guessed it) Kerala. I have not actually tried this dish, but from the looks of it, it has great flavors from the garlic, chile peppers, and mustard seeds. The mustard seeds provide some tang.
Ingredients
• Onion, chopped -- 1
• Garlic, peeled -- 4 to 6 cloves
• Gingerroot, peeled and thinly sliced -- 1 (1-inch) piece
• Chile peppers, chopped -- 1 to 6
• Tamarind pulp -- 2 or 3 tablespoons
• Warm water -- 1 1/2 cups
• Oil -- 3 or 4 tablespoons
• Mustard seeds -- 1 tablespoon
• Ground coriander -- 1 tablespoon
• Turmeric --2 teaspoons
• Fenugreek -- 1 teaspoon
• Curry leaves (optional) -- 4 to 6
• Salt and pepper -- to taste
• White fish, cut into bite-sized pieces -- 2 pounds
• Coconut milk -- 1 1/2 cups
Notice that turmeric and coriander is used in this dish. It is usually cooked in an earthen pot or a deep pan. Kerala fish curry is very hot when served, but also spicy hot in flavor. I personally like spicy curries, but as long as there's always a glass of water to wash it down! :D
Traditional ingredients in curry powder
Curry is a word used to describe many spiced dishes from Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and areas in southern Asia. Several ingredients are found in most curry powders, such as:
~ Turmeric
~ Coriander
~ Cumin
Also,
~ Nutmeg
~ Mustard
~ Anise
~ Fennel,
And yogurt are also included. Others are added based on geographic location and availability of foods. In India, curry is usually eaten with rice. If you lived by a body of water, you might have fish curry, but in northeast India, yak is a popular meat. When the British were in control of India, their cuisine influenced traditional and created British Curry Houses. These use a sauce as common base for all the dishes, and the spices are added after the individual dish is prepared.
~ Turmeric
~ Coriander
~ Cumin
Also,
~ Nutmeg
~ Mustard
~ Anise
~ Fennel,
And yogurt are also included. Others are added based on geographic location and availability of foods. In India, curry is usually eaten with rice. If you lived by a body of water, you might have fish curry, but in northeast India, yak is a popular meat. When the British were in control of India, their cuisine influenced traditional and created British Curry Houses. These use a sauce as common base for all the dishes, and the spices are added after the individual dish is prepared.
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