Indian cookery questions

[aquilegia]

I spent a very pleasant and mouth watering time browsing through my indian cookery book and have chosen recipes for saturday's dinner.

couple of questions:

1. One recipe requires six curry leaves. Can I sustitute anything else for them? (I've looked round local indian delis, but can't find them!) are they from the curry plant - I thought that was poisonous?

2. I'm also going to make panir cheese. Recipe uses 1litre of milk - how much cheese will that make? I need 8oz for the curry. Will the rest keep long?

[aquilegia]

[Doris_Pinks]

Aqui, curry leaves look a bit like bay leaves, if you can find them I think they can be frozen and used as required, I have never managed to get my hands on them so I just leave them out of the recipe or substitute with bay, which gives a different flavour.
(Tescos show they have them in stock freeze dried if thats any help)

http://www.asiafood.org/glossary_2.cfm?wordid=3260

The cheese when I made it, kept for a few days in water, but the recipe suggested using it the same day. This recipe made around 8oz I would think, you don't get as much as you think you will after you have pressed it etc!  Did taste nice though!  I have frozen bought paneer, and it came out fine.

http://www.allotments4all.co.uk/yabbse/index.php/topic,11205.0.html

[aquilegia]

thanks Doris. I'll have a bit more of a look round for curry leaves. They must be somewhere around - I'm in a really multi-national area.

I'm not sure whether I'm looking forward more to cooking or eating this meal! Just wish it could be tonight (but I haven't got most of the ingredients and won't have time or energy to make something I've never made before after work!)

We're having Bombay potatoes (with homegrown charlottes), vegetable and panir raghon josh (or however it's spelt) and tim's rice and spinach burger's (made with homegrown chard and/or beetroot tops). so hungry now!

[beejay]

I've bought dried curry leaves in Julian Graves if you have one of those near you.

[tim]

I have to say that I do not like curry leaves & find them totally unnecessary! And NO - not from the curry plant!

Do one with & one without & tell me the difference. Like a pinch of asafoetida. Can you honestly tell?

For the 'bee's knees', ask Mamta.

Later - sorry - meant don't like Lime Leaves. Sub with lime zest.
Curry Leaves OK but unnecessary.

[wardy]

They call them curry patta and I'm sure you'll track some down where you live  :)  Not from the curry plant like Tim says.  When you make the paneer you can use the paneer "water" as a rinse for your hair  ;D You can keep paneer for as long as you would keep cottage cheese.

Enjoy your meal  :)

[PREMTAL]

Hi Aquilegia,
                    Bombay Potatoes, I'm intrigued can you tell me how to make them.

                                                 PREMTAL :)

[katynewbie]

Curry Leaves......I found some in the local chinese cash
and carry!!!!
I have spoken to an asian friend about these and she agrees that bay leaves are a good substitute, in fact she uses them all the time and has no curry leaves in the house!! ;D

[wardy]

I made Bombay spuds at my evening class and as I was driving up the steep hill back home but the aromatic goo, like a lava flow, oozed out of its pot down the back of my car seat and into a pool in the back footwell.  There was hardly any left when I got home  ;D

[aquilegia]

Premtal - recipe book is at home and I'm not (unfortunately). I'll let you know after the weekend, if all goes well!

[tim]

If you're in a hurry, you could choose between  BBC Food's version or Mamta's Bombay Aloo?

[GREENWIZARD]

bombay potatoes

Ingredients
4 tbsp oil
¼ tsp mustard seeds
2 pinches of chilli powder
¼ tsp turmeric powder
350g/12oz potatoes, boiled and quartered
salt to taste



Method
1. Heat the oil in a pan on a medium heat setting.
2. To check that the oil is hot enough, sprinkle in a few mustard seeds, if they pop the oil is ready. Then add the remainder of the mustard seeds.
3. Add the chilli and turmeric powders to the sizzling seeds, and salt to taste.
4. Fry this pungent mixture of oil and spices for 1 minute then add the potatoes. Fry for about 4 minutes until the potatoes are smothered in seeds and appear to have crispy edges. They will look quite yellow in colour. Cover the pan and on a low heat, cook the potatoes for a further 5 minutes.
5. Serve immediately

[tim]

Funny - I thought that that was the Beeb's version??

[BAGGY]

My MIL does a wicked yellow spud curry which has coconut milk and curry leaves in it (Sri Lankan speciality).  I'll look up the recipe if you're interested.  Doesn't really go with indian cookery but nice with white rice and fried green beans & cinnamon.

[boonyed]

I found a shop that sold fresh curry leaves, I put them in a plastic container and froze them, they have kept fantastically well and i use them as and when required.

I also have a superb recipe booklet which supposedly, holds the secrets of take away curry shops, I have made a few of their recipes and they are quite good. If anyone wants a copy, just send me some contact details, i don't know if i can put a link to it or attach it to this post, perhaps someone could tell me....its in word format and has 37 pages.

My brother paid 3 quid on ebay for it!! :o

[Debs]

Baggy,

I would be really interested in your Sri Lankan curry recipe.

Myself and the NGOH ( None Gardening Other Half) spent

our honeymoon in Sri Lanka, stayed at the beautiful Mount Lavinia

Hotel ( very colonial).

Almost twelve years on and I am yet to find an authentic sri lankan

curry recipe.

Debs

[GREENWIZARD]

it is the bbc recipe-i don't think i claimed it was my own recipe tim.

[tim]

No GW- nothing as wicked as that -
just that I had just listed it above!!

12 years, Debs? This was 60!! - on leave from the 'front' with my then WRNS girl friend.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v164/photo04/mountlavinia.jpg

Curries? Whatever, do grind your own to your own liking. This is the one I use. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v164/photo04/srilankan.jpg

[Debs]

Thanks for that Tim.

Sri Lanka was/is a beautiful island.

I can only hope that the Tsunami did not totally devastate the island or its

people. Would recommend it as a place to go - so much to see and do.

Debs

[PREMTAL]

Hi Greenwizard,
                         Thank you for the recipe, I think I will really enjoy said potatoes. ;D

                                                   PREMTAL