A community of 30,000 US Transcriptionist serving Medical Transcription Industry

Indian Recipes- Part 1

Posted: Jul 15, 2010

As requested, here are my recipes for cauliflower and egg curry. These are disgustingly simple recipes. They are traditional recipes, as I was got them from a guy from Delhi I was dating, but they may represent bachelor cooking rather than good mother cooking.

I'm going to break these down into a posting for the ingredients (this one), one for the cauliflower, and one for the egg curry.

The only ingredient that you likely will not have in your kitchen for this is probably the most important one for the flavor. Indians (dot not feather) scratch their head at the stuff sold as curry powder here. What they do use a lot of is called garam masala, which is a blend of a lot of different spices. My favorite brand of this is MDH, which the guy I was dating from Delhi said was the most authentic, and now it could just be that is what I have gotten used to. If you have an Indian store in town you can get it easily. My daughter lives in LA and she says they sell it at her local Ralph's. I don't have either of those so I got mine off Amazon. It runs about $5-10 a box. (be careful on Amazon; I wasn't paying attention and accidentally bought myself a store shelf pack, which means I ended up with 10 boxes of it).

You also need chile powder. You want the fine ground red pepper, not the big flakes. I have bought mine from an Indian store when I lived in civilization, but I'm pretty sure McCormick probably makes one or maybe in the Mexican food aisle. The only other seasoning is salt.

Rice is an important part of Indian dishes and if possible I really recommend you use basmati rice (I think American basmati is called Texmati). I know you can get basmati rice at Walmart. If you can't get the basmati, the next best choice is instant rice. Regular sticky rice doesn't work real well for Indian dishes because the sauces are so thick.

For the egg curry, it's nice to have naan, which is Indian bread. At least here, you can get it at Walmart, too, which was pretty shocking since I live in the boondocks and there's not an Indian around for 100 miles.

For both of these recipes, I use about 2 tablespoons of garam masala, ¼ teaspoon of chile powder, and maybe ½ teaspoon of salt. These are just approximations because I dump the stuff on a plate and stir the seasonings together before adding it to the dish. When making it the first time, you may want to add maybe half of it at first, and then add the rest a bit at a time until it's at a 'zesty' level you're comfortable with.

;

Cauliflower - Oracle

[ In Reply To ..]
It's best with fresh cauliflower, but I did get lazy one night and it works with frozen (just thaw and drain well since it's going into oil). Because I don't cook it often, I'm something of a little piggy now when I make it and so I eat one head myself (although admittedly having some left over for lunch the next day). When I cooked for four people over the age of 16, I used two heads.

This is probably the most tedious part. You want to cut the cauliflower into Â½ to 1 inch lengths. You can leave the little florets whole, but the bigger ones should definitely be cut down. Cutting them to the smaller size allows them to cook softer and soak up the flavor better without getting 'hard' spots in it.

Using either a very large skillet or a wok, put some olive oil (about Â¼ cup to start) and fry the cauliflower in it. You want it to get brown but you don't want it to get crispy. Despite the American fascination with crisp-tender veggies, this works better if you have it really thoroughly cooked and almost soft (so it's easily fork-cut).

You want to the cauliflower to remain moist because if it dries, the spices won't stick, so periodically you may have to put a little more olive oil in the skillet. Now you put the spices in the cauliflower. Stir it up really well. This is where you can tell if it's going to be strong enough flavor wise. Be warned that the chile powder gives it an immediate burn but the garam masala carries an afterburn, so give it a couple seconds before you decide it's not zippy enough and toss in half a box.

At this point you let it cook over low heat about 15 minutes. I cover mine, but it's not really necessary. Stir it occasionally, and you can also check the 'hotness' of it periodically and add more garam masala if you want.

Serve with basmati rice, either beside or on top of it.

Egg Curry - Oracle

[ In Reply To ..]
INGREDIENTS:
Eggs, 2-3 per person.
Three medium size onions (I usually use white sweet, but have used vidalias and plain white).
One small can of tomato sauce

1. Hard boil eggs and shell. Cut a horizontal slice through one side of the white to the depth of the yolk.

2. The 'traditional' way to make it has the whole eggs fried in olive oil until they are browned all over (put a slice about halfway through the egg to prevent exploding). I don't particularly care for the crispness of this, so I skip this step and just use plain hard boiled eggs. After the eggs are browned, remove from oil and set aside.

3. Take the three onions and cut them as small as you can. I use a food processor and pulverize mine into essentially mush. The onions tend to be almost a thickening agent, and the finer the better as far as ensuring a smooth texture to the curry.

4. Fry the onions in a large skillet or wok in olive oil until brown. It takes me at least a half an hour to get mine lightly browned, but you don't want to have the heat up too high because burning them would be wretched.

5. Once the onions are done, add the can of tomato sauce and stir well and let it cook. You want to let it cook down and once it has started to thicken, add water (I use the empty sauce can and put one of those in) and stir well. Add your seasonings, stir, and let it cook down again. Add another can of water and stir well.

6. Add your whole eggs now. I like to make a couple of extra eggs and cut them into quarters and stir into the sauce. Turn the heat down to low and let it took for about another 15-20 minutes.

NOTE: I tend to cover this while it cooks because, much like spaghetti sauce, this can make a big mess of your stove.

Serve with basmati rice and naan.

Bless your heart! - shipwecked

[ In Reply To ..]
Thank you! That took a lot of time and effort for you to post - and it's truly appreciated. I've got everything I need for both recipes, even naan bread (which I use as a pizza crust) - except the garam masala. Ratz! Off to Amazon - easier that going from store-to-store.

One question about the egg... You leave the egg whole and just cut a slit halfway through? The crispy appeals to me, so I'll try that first.

Thankyouthankyouthankyou!

You're quite welcome.. sm - Oracle

[ In Reply To ..]
Yes, you just cut halfway through the egg. I think it's supposed to help prevent some of the 'popping' in the oil and maybe let a hint of flavor get in during the final stage of the cooking.

The crispy is really good, too. If you have a Fry Baby, you could even put them in there. I'm still trying to decide whether my preference for the non-crispy is due to taste or just laziness so I could skip a step of the cooking process.

My garam masala came regular shipping in about four days so that wasn't too bad. If I ever actually left my house, I could have sent you one of mine, since I still have 8 boxes (and you'll note that link I posted is the same one I think I followed and is for a 10-pack!).

Please let me know how how you liked it after you've gotten your garam masala. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask, either here or in an email.

Namaste!

Garam masala - shipwecked

[ In Reply To ..]
I ordered it around 4a this a.m. It was only $3-something with $1 shipping.

I'm still having a hard time wrapping my head around frying an oval hardboiled egg when only a tiny part touches the pan at one time. Deep-frying would work, but I don't have one.

Got any other ethnic boyfriends?? ;o))

Namaste

LOL Being an MT helped my dating life. - Oracle

[ In Reply To ..]
I'm pretty much open to multicultural, and when I lived in the SF area, I was able to expand my dating pool because, being a long-time MT, apparently I brought something to the table that my non-MT peers could. Having had a very diverse circle, they told me never to underestimate what a treat it was not to have repeat everything 12-13 times or resort to charades to get a point across! All those years of typing Dr. Kumar, Dr. Rozevskov, Dr. Nguyen, and Dr. Chang finally paid off!!

And I do have a Japanese connection, too! ;)

Indian dishes - spitfire78

[ In Reply To ..]
Thanks so much for the dishes.....love them both but have lost my "Indian connection" that I also had in a big city setting. Thanks again.

Question about ingredients - sounds yummy!

[ In Reply To ..]
On the tomato sauce, do you mean the sauce or puree? And is that 8-ounce (1 cup) size or the 15-ounce size?

This sounds really good, I'm going to have to try this and see if I like it. Would be nice to have something different to put in my "easy egg recipes" rotation.

Thanks for posting!

The tomato sauce - Oracle

[ In Reply To ..]
It's just the little 8 ounce can of tomato sauce. When I first made it, I thought that couldn't possible be enough to give it good flavor, so I used a big can (I think they're like 14.5 ounces). It took it forever to cook down to the thickness you want (somewhere between a spaghetti sauce and sloppy joes).

As an additional note, I have a daughter who absolutely loathed the Indian heat, so for her I would take a couple spoons of the sauce right after I had put the first can of water in it (while it was still pretty thin), put it in a separate pan with a little smidge of sugar to cut the tomato acid, and then cook a couple eggs for her sans masala. She seemed to enjoy them and always finished them, but politeness and hunger may have played a role in that, too.

And you're welcome, and I hope you enjoy.

Thanks so much! - sounds yummy!

[ In Reply To ..]
You've gotten me watching Indian cooking videos on YouTube now and digging around my recipe box to find the chickpeas in ginger sauce recipe given to me many, many years ago.

Going to make up my grocery list and visit the international grocery store (that I didn't even know my town had) tomorrow and pick up some garam masala.

Similar Messages:

Nov 19, 2009
This put a smile on my face. This guy is really funny. Myself, I only camp at the Hilton these days. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CMrQw8nvhSA ...

Feb 24, 2017
If you think that words don't matter, especially when they come from the POTUS, think again. These nuts gain encouragement from those words. ...

May 25, 2016
I guess she's the new attack dog for Hillary, who is very busy trying to clean up Bill's messes. Anyway, Fauxcohontas is trouncing Trump for capitalizing on real estate deals when the market was flat. Well, guess who else did that? The fake Indian herself. Boy, she really is as obtuse as they say. ...

Dec 27, 2011
I love, love, love salsa and had wicked good stuff over the holiday made by a friend from Texas. Does anyone have any salsa recipes they would like to share, nothing crazy with fruits or even beans (blech!), but just basic tomato, onion, cilanto (Love cilantro!!!), garlic, jalapeno variety. Oh yeah, and the hotter, the better. Also, any ideas on what I can eat it with besides corn chips or eggs? I eat salsa and eggs every morning at breakfast, but trying to avoid the carbs and ...

Jan 19, 2011
Do any of you have any fast and healthy "kid friendly" dinner recipes? My son has sports activities most week nights. I hate having to fix him a quick chicken patty sandwich on our way out the door but he's starving by the time we get home if he doesn't eat something prior. TIA!!! ...

Jan 05, 2011
So my lab results came back from my doctor's office and i'm told that I need to be on a high fiber/low fat diet (along with taking fish oil and a prescription for vitamin D). Does anyone have any good/easy recipes? TIA ...

Nov 22, 2011
Here is a link to a wonderful site for holiday baking - homemade cookies, candies, cakes, and more! A friend sent this page to us a few years ago and it is one of the best online for homemade holiday goodies! Just type this link and then click on the dessert you're interested in: northpole.com/Kitchen/Cooking/MissingRecipe.asp ...

Nov 01, 2010
Does anyone have any good veggie dip recipes they would be willing to share? Thanks in advance. ...

Oct 04, 2011
I finally bought myself a toaster oven and have been trying to come up with things to cook in it. Besides hamburgers, what other things have you cooked in a toaster oven? ...

May 25, 2012
Anyone have a strange dish that they used to eat as a child that isn't around anymore? I remember lime jello, cream cheese, celery and pecan bits. I always hated it but it appeared at every family function. ...

May 27, 2012
I absolutely love fresh cucumbers but am looking for some ideas on what to fix with them instead of just eating plain sliced cucumbers...anyone with some fun and/or interesting ideas and/or recipes to share? Can include tomatoes also, as I love them fresh grown also. ...

Mar 19, 2013
I love the recipes i get off of here. Growing up, I had a friend that I would go to her house and her mom would make salmon croquets, my mom never made them. I tried to make some once and they didn't turn out so good. I looked up recipes, but there are so many variations, so does anyone have a good recipe. Also, the can of salmon that I bought had all of these bones in them and it took forever to clean them out. Is there a type you can buy with no bones and if ...

Dec 07, 2011
I just bought a pressure cooker but the recipes that came with it are too gourmet. Can anyone recommend a good meat and potatoes cookbook for pressure cookers? Looks like some good cooks on this Gab Board and I need all the help I can get. ...

Jan 06, 2011
Don't know what I was thinking when I bought so many (maybe I thought there was going to be a great potato famine LOL). There is just two of us and I bought about 20 russett baking potatos and also a whole bag full. I've made potato salad and mashed, hash browns with eggs, baked potatos, but looking for something else to do with potatos. Anyone have any suggestions. ...

Dec 15, 2010
I am looking for some ideas for vegetables as the main course. I'm getting away from meat. Only eat chicken every once in awhile, but I want to just cut out all meat. I know the basics of salads and steamed vegetables, but looking for something different. Anyone have any recipes they would like to share. ...

Nov 18, 2011
I've been trying to follow a low carb lifestyle and I'm losing weight. I'm not being fanatical about it or anything but I don't want to completely blow what I have accomplished over the past couple of months. Any yummy low carb alternatives to the traditional Thanksgiving recipes? ...

May 21, 2010
I hope you guys can help. We raise cattle and just sent one to butcher. It was a smaller one so we had all of it made into hamburger. That makes 78 packages at 2 pounds a package. That is a lot of hamburger!! Anyway, I am needing some good recipes for using hamburger as we can only eat so much meatloaf LOL Thanks!!!! ...

Oct 11, 2011
I have the worst luck with muffins. Does anyone have a never-fail recipe for some that are really good? Apples are in season now, so does anyone with a great apple muffin recipe care to share? ...

Jun 05, 2012
Hi all, Anyone have any ideas how to use up a loaf of raisin bread? I accidentally picked it up at the grocery thinking it was plain cinnamon. I'm not really a big fan of plain raisin bread. Other than making just toast or french toast, I'm clueless. TiA! ...

Apr 14, 2014
...

Oct 13, 2014
I'd like to share my pea soup recipe, and would like other ideas as well. I don't measure things, so just use your own judgment, likes/dislikes. Use a very heavy pot like an enamel pot or dutch oven. First, I take some olive oil, heat it, then sautee up some chopped garlic, onions, celery and carrots. I remove them from the pan when they're done, add a little more olive oil, then brown up a ham steak really well. Let the bottom of the pot get brown. (You can cube the ham steak ...

Nov 05, 2014
My kindly neighbor gave me some butternut squash from his garden. Does anyone have any recipes for this where it will not get mushy? Everybody at my house hates mushy vegetables. Is there a way to cook this without that happening? Thanks! ...

Dec 10, 2014
I have 3 recipes I want to share that I make for the holiday. I share these each year and people have liked them. These are recipes that I can sit and eat the whole thing by myself. :-) My Grandma's jello salad. - This is one of the most refreshing things to add to the menu. It's not a holiday without it. 1 pkg large jello (I swear by black cherry, my mom swore by lemon - both are good). 1 pkg cream cheese 1 can crushed pineapple. 2 cups boiling water Soften the ...

Dec 20, 2010
There is so much exchange of recipes and questions about food on the gab board, I think they should start a new board just for this, so we can all exchange recipes and talk about different food topics. I know I love to cook and am able to make more from scratch and homemade meals because I work from home. Just love to exchange recipes, as I am always looking for something different to make. ...

Oct 28, 2011
The snow has started to fly here in MN and every weekend (and during the week) I sit wishing I had a crock of chili going. I usually just throw some stuff together and my family isn't too impressed, but they'll eat it. I know someone out there has a great recipe to share! Hamburger or chicken...spicy or not! My DH and I like spicy but the kids not so much. Thanks! ...

Jul 15, 2010
The next time we go shopping have decided to go all veggie for a couple weeks, hopefully longer. We are overweight, feeling run down, and have been having stomach problems. We knows its what we eat because after we eat we feel it the most. So goodbye to the meat, dairy, cheese, breads, rice, sugar, chocolate, and hello to the veggies. Now...I make excellent salads - nothing fancy (romaine, tomato, cuke, carrots, brocoli slaw, garbanzos, and a sprinkle of sunflower seeds), ...

Nov 22, 2010
Last year around this time, a poster was kind enough to post several recipes for quick-and-easy fudge that could be made with a can of frosting and a couple of other ingredients. I was wondering if anyone happened to save those, or if that poster is still around if they would be kind enough to repost the recipes? Last year I was way too broke to make any holiday treats but this year is MUCH better (hallelujah, LOL!), and I remember those recipes sounded very tasty and simple. TIA to anyo ...

Jul 28, 2012
Does anyone have any suggestions or good recipes for meals that can be made ahead of time or crockpot meals. I'm not new to working from home with my 3 kids, but I am starting a new job where I won't have flex shift. School is starting back all at the same time, so I want to make a smooth transition. I will have a "practice" week their first week of school before I start, but then after that, I'm hoping to be able to get some meal ideas. ...

Nov 05, 2009
Goldman Sachs and Citigroup, among others, receive H1N1 vaccinations despite scarcity of vaccine to protect high-risk children. ...

Mar 21, 2010
insurance companies et al is the driving force behind all the anti reform misinformation and propaganda out there. Why are they afraid? They have a HUGE financial stake in this bill. When this bill passes, whatever its final form, investigations will be begun to root out corruption and waste in all aspects of healthcare, most significantly the insurance companies. They are also not happy about the new regulations for reining them in, no caps, no dropping people, no r ...