Study on what makes Indian food taste so good

[mx wcfc]

Yes!! Paratha is the bomb!
And a stuffed one * chefs kiss *
I want to have a go at making them

I like a decent stuffed paratha. they tend to be a bit greasy from restaurants/take aways round here, and mrs mx can't be bothered with the prep.

 

[mr steev]

Saag aloo is just about the nicest thing to eat. It's not spicy but by eck I could eat pounds of it.

Saag paneer has been my teenage daughter's favourite dish since she was a toddler. It doesn't matter if its mild and creamy or spicy. She would live off it given the chance

The kitchen in my local is run by some Nepalese cooks and the food is great.
Their chana masala is in a different league compared to anything else I've had. Far more than just a side.

 

[mx wcfc]

Saag paneer has been my teenage daughter's favourite dish since she was a toddler.

The kitchen in my local is run by some Nepalese cooks and the food is great.
Their chana masala is in a different league compared to anything else I've had. Far more than just a side.

I hate paneer - don't know what it is about it, but I can't stand similar European cheese either. mrs mx loves it. She cooks a really good chana masala, but for me it's all about the bhindi bhaji. My Punjabi ex did a wonderful ladies fingers (but I can't tell mrs mx that).

 

[mr steev]

I hate paneer - don't know what it is about it, but I can't stand similar European cheese either. mrs mx loves it. She cooks a really good chana masala, but for me it's all about the bhindi bhaji. My Punjabi ex did a wonderful ladies fingers (but I can't tell mrs mx that).

I love bhindi, but it has to be cooked well. I tend to avoid getting take-aways with it in as it tends to overcook in the tub before it arrives and can go a bit slimey ime.

 

[JimW]

Whilst I'm enjoying this discussion, it's about time someone said talking about "Indian food" is a bit like talking about "European food".

This is true but in terms of the OP that is the comparison being made - the way of combining flavours is something continent-wide despite the cuisine variety in both cases.

 

[Serge Forward]

I'm not vegetarian but this restaurant/cafe/takeaway round the corner from me is fucking mint. I'm a fan of their chaats: Mithaas

There's a couple more places too, all very good but Mithaas is nearest. Leicester though innit.

 

[Cid]

This is true but in terms of the OP that is the comparison being made - the way of combining flavours is something continent-wide despite the cuisine variety in both cases.

They break it down a bit in the paper, to 'Bengali, Gujarati, Jain, Maharashtrian, Mughlai, Punjabi, Rajasthaniand South Indian' but do still use the general category. I have my reservations on skimming the paper, and was going to talk about them. But got to the point where I was rereading bits of Brian R Dott's The chile pepper in china - a cultural biography and trying to separate out localised understandings of medicine and food, and their relationship to elite understandings of same as represented in gazeteers, and realised maybe this was a bit much for a Tuesday morning.

 

[klang]

Leicester though innit.

I do culinary tours to Leicester, just for the curries.

 

[Serge Forward]

I do culinary tours to Leicester, just for the curries.

When I first moved here a couple of decades ago, I used to live across the road from this place.


Their samosa chaat was one of the best things in the world and I virtually lived off them. I was in there one day and a coach from London or somewhere south pulled up and parked on the double yellows over the road (slowing up all the traffic on what is the main road in from the motorway). The driver came in, sat down, ordered his nosh and when it arrived just ate it in the restaurant. He'd left all the passengers on the bus, probably wondering where he'd fucked off to

It's about ten years since I went in there as Mithaas is closer to where I live than Sardaar's - and I'm a lazy get. Hmm... I'll have to pay them a visit now.

 

[klang]

parked on the double yellows over the road (slowing up all the traffic on what is the main road in from the motorway).

that's Leicester.

 

[klang]

Mithaas

went there last weekend. Love how it's basically a very very tasty and cheap eatery....

 

[klang]

isn't there 413 nations on that road?

 

[Serge Forward]

You should have said! I would have come down there

 

[klang]

You should have said! I would have come down there

next time def!

but prolly not before Sep unfortunately.....

 

[UnderOpenSky]

You've just proved my point by saying you can make great curries yourself!

Maybe made my point wrong. There's nothing wrong with using a base gravy and you can get very different curries when you do so. What does is gives a great onion hit to whatever your making, but unless your willing to make a big batch and freeze, then it's way to much faff, which is why I normally make "trad" curries.

Sadly I'm a victim of my own success and because we eat quite a lot of curry at home (I bulk cook and freeze) my partner rarely wants to go out for one.

 

[UnderOpenSky]

I love an achari, not mega spicy but lovely curry featuring lime pickle with a depth of flavour. Personally not a massive fan of rice, give me a chapati instead. Or controversially? - chips!

Maybe one for the double (tipple) carb thread, but when out, I love rice, chips and naan/chapati.

I think your more likely to get a decent naan when out, but a nicely done, freshly made chapati is a thing of beauty.

 

[philosophical]

Philistine confession, I don’t like Indian food apart from an Indian salad I once had.

 

[equationgirl]

i can't stomach it.
japanese food tho', 7 days a week if i could.

I love Japanese food too.

 

[Looby]

I love love Indian food. Specifically the British style. I‘m even quite fond of the raj nostalgia restaurants with the velvety flock wallpaper mentioned in the Guardian article as being deeply unfashionable now - especially if it has some old vintage Bollywood soundtrack playing in the background. It’s like going back in time to the eighties

I just love ordering my favourite byriani, an onion bhaji, some peshwari naan, and some sag aloo, with a beer. It would be my last meal request, without a doubt.

There’s one near me which is great and good value. Especially so now they’ve lost their booze license so it’s BYOB.

Our favourite for delivery has gone really extra in the past few years with monthly nights with DJs, belly dancers, fire eaters etc and they do a bottomless brunch.

 

[Flavour]

It is if it is made by Indian people to be eaten by Indian people.

The British idea of curry is far far too hot for me.

i've had indian food in india and it was, often, very very hot indeed.

If "traditional" curry houses are closing down it is because their food is generally objectively bad.

Swimming in oil, made with cheap, nasty meat, badly made in general - the ones who obviously have 1 basic sauce that they add things to for the different dishes which then aren't really different at all.

As a nation we have become a lot more sophisticated in our food knowledge and what we cook at home. I rarely eat in Indian restaurants or get Indian takeaway these days as I can cook far better food myself than what's on offer at most places. Certainly better than any standard takeaway place.

They need to up their game as the article says.

all very true

 

[newme]

Is it ten pints of lager as an aperitif?

That's a cooking aid!

 

[newme]

There’s one near me which is great and good value. Especially so now they’ve lost their booze license so it’s BYOB.

Our favourite for delivery has gone really extra in the past few years with monthly nights with DJs, belly dancers, fire eaters etc and they do a bottomless brunch.

We had one that managed to get a 0 from the health department so has closed to fix this. Also a place David Cameron liked to eat at also got a 0 and somehow hasn't improved..

 

[pogofish]

I'm particularly fond of a good bhuna - lovely balance of spices, lots of sauce. Not particularly hot.

In an Uttar Pradesh/Scottish place here I favour, a Bhuna is an essentially dry spiced dish, with a separate sauce, strength to individual taste but yes, it is a delicious/well balanced one.

Trouble is, they do several other quite delicious dishes like you don’t see anywhere else round here and the old favourites of course. Choice is always hard!

 

[pogofish]

Mushroom biriyani with veg curry

I should stay out of this thread until I am next having a curry

Yup, cravings are building!

 

[Epona]

Yup, cravings are building!

Curry planning is being done chez Epona, not tonight but later in the week (it's good for when OH is working as reheats well and a lot of dishes are often even better day 2!)

 

[UnderOpenSky]

Curry planning is being done chez Epona, not tonight but later in the week (it's good for when OH is working as reheats well and a lot of dishes are often even better day 2!)

I've a few curries to cook. I've got a big bags of chicken legs in the freezer for a "staff" curry.

Also I normally only buy pastes for Thai style curries, but got a Achar Gosht one for a change and it was really good, so should finish that before it loses its magic.

 

[A380]

Whilst I'm enjoying this discussion, it's about time someone said talking about "Indian food" is a bit like talking about "European food".

I lived with a Punjabi Sikh woman for three years, and am now married to a woman from a Delhi area Hindu background. Their cookery is completely different - even the way they make rice.

Indeed: map of where loads of people in India will be getting food today…

 

[Looby]

I had an absolutely filthy lunch today. Petrol station favourite.