About Indian Cuisine
As one of the world's largest countries, India has many distinctive regional cuisines, and the culinary style of each region is strongly influenced by its indigenous vegetation and wildlife. In the Himalayan region to the north, meats and grains are the primary ingredients and are often prepared using oil. Southern Indian cuisine is spicy, and is often steamed and served with rice. Along the coastlines, seafood is abundant, and is therefore a common ingredient in everyday meals. The northern plains regions, including Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, are known for flatbreads such as roti, parantha, puri, and naan. And provinces such as Kashmir, Mughlai Bengal and Assam, which border continental Asia, are strongly influenced by Chinese and East Asian cuisine.

The jungles of India provide an abundance of tropical fruits such as mangoes, guava, papaya, bananas, and coconuts, which are used to make chutneys to serve as condiments for the main dish. The most common spices used in Indian food are corriander, cumin, cinnamon, turmeric, mustard seed, cardamom, cloves, aniseed, asafoetida, tamarind, chili, ginger, and garlic.

Religion also plays a role in Indian cuisine. While the Muslim diet includes beef and lamb, the Hindu and Buddhist people maintain a strictly vegetarian diet that includes grains and legumes, as well as milk and milk products, such as yogurt, cheese, curds and ghee.

Historically, Indian food has been influenced by traders, invaders and immigrants from all over the world, including the Greeks, led by Alexander the Great in 326 B.C., Moghul invaders in the 16th century, Portuguese and Dutch traders, and the British, during the colonial era of the 18th and 19th centuries, all of which left their culinary mark on the cuisine.
01:25 PM PDT Permalink |

The History and Culture of India
India is one of the world's oldest civilizations, with evidence of human culture dating back to 7000 B.C. And although the subcontinent of India is located in close proximity to China, Tibet, Nepal, Myanmar, and Thailand, its people and its culture are vastly different from those of continental Asia.

Geography

With an area of 3,287,263 square kilometers and 7,000 miles of coastline, India is the world's seventh largest country. It is bounded to the north by the lofty Himalayas, the world's tallest mountain range, and several other ranges, including the Aghil Kunlun, Mustagh Ata, and Zaskar. The southern portion of the country is surrounded by water: the Bay of Bengal to the east, the Indian Ocean to the south and the Arabian Sea to the west. Its territories also include three major island groups, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands to the east, and the Lakshwadeep Islands to the west. The length of mainland of India measures 3214 kilometers, with the Tropic of Cancer passing through its central region, and its southern tip extending about halfway toward the equator. India is bordered to the north by China, Nepal and Bhutan, and in the northwest by Afganisthan and Pakistan. The Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Straits separate India from the island nation of Sri Lanka.

The topography of India forms four distinctive geographical regions: The Himalayas, which include Mt. Everest (8848m) , Mt. Kanchenjunga (8598m), Mt. Nanga Parbat (8126m), Mt. Nanda Devi (7817m), and Mt. Namcha Parbat (7756m); a great plain formed by the Indus, Ganga, and Brahmaputra Rivers; an arid desert region, and a vast triangular plateau surrounded by a series of hills and ridges.

The nation of India is divided into 28 states and 7 union territories: the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Chandigarh, Chhattisgarh, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Daman and Diu, Delhi, Goa, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, Lakshadweep, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Orissa, Pondicherry, Punjab, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu, Tripura, Uttaranchal, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal. The capital city is New Delhi, located in the north central region.

Climate and Wildlife

The climate of India is classified as tropical monsoon, with four seasons: Winter in January and February), summer from March to May, a rainy monsoon season from June through September, and a post-monsoon season from October through December.

The tropical climate of India features lush jungles, swampy marshes and both evergreen and deciduous forests, and is conducive to a rich variety of flora and fauna. Among its indigenous animals are elephants, monkeys, tigers, leopards, panthers, rhinos, several varieties of antelopes and deer, cattle, bison and buffalo, sloths, hyenas, wild pigs, jackals, foxes, wolves and wild dogs, mongooses, and giant squirrels. Reptiles include king cobras, pythons, crocodiles, freshwater tortoises and monitor lizards. Birds include peacocks, eagles, owls, pheasants, herons, ibises, storks, cranes, flamingos and pelicans. India is also known for many colorful varieties of butterflies.

Indigenous trees include pine, spruce and silver fir, birch, junipers, oaks, laurels, maples, rhododendrons, alder, dwarf willows, bamboos and tall grasses. Unfortunately, throughout the 19th and 20th centuries, extensive hunting and poaching, deforestation for agriculture, pesticide use and overcrowding have had a profound impact on India's natural environment. Only 10% of the country is still covered with natural forests, however, in an effort to protect these remaining resources and their indigenous wildlife, the government has established more than 350 parks, sanctuaries and reserves.

Agriculture and Industry

The fertile Ganga plain is a rich agricultural region that supports crops such as wheat, sugarcane and rice. The humid regions produce important commercial crops, such as spices, coffee, tea, rubber, coconut, cashews, mangoes, guava, papaya, and bananas. India's economy includes both traditional village farming and modern agriculture, the manufacture of traditional handicrafts such as pottery, textiles and metal craft, as well as a vast number of modern industries. Natural resources include iron ore, manganese, mica, bauxite, titanium ore, chromite, natural gas, diamonds, petroleum, limestone, and the world's fourth-largest coal reserves. Since its independence in 1947, India has become self-sufficient in agricultural production and is now the tenth industrialized nation in the world. India has recently become a major player in the world of technology and engineering. A growing segment of the population is well-educated, with many people fluent in the English language, which has enabled India to become a major producer and exporter of software programs and services.

Calendar & Time Zone

India uses a bewilderingly complex calendar system, based partially on the solar calendar, partially on the lunar calendar, and partially on the Gregorian calendar. In some places, a solar calendar, similar to the Zodiac, is used. Others use a lunar calendar, with each month beginning with either the new moon or the full moon, depending on the region. Many people even use a combination of the solar and lunar calendars simultaneously, which denotes the lunar day, the lunar month, the solar day, the solar midpoint, and the positions of the sun and moon relative to each other. The Gregorian calendar, preferred throughout much of the world, is also used in India for official purposes. The government introduced an Indian National calendar in 1957, a solar calendar with 365 or 366 days, leap years like those in the Gregorian calendar, but with the new year beginning on the vernal equinox. Years are numbered from the first year of the Saka era, 78 A.D. India is 13 hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time.

Traditional Clothing

The most readily identifiable Indian woman's garment is the sari, a single length of cotton, silk or synthetic fabric, five to six yards in length, worn wrapped around the waist and shoulders. Sari styles, textures, patterns and colors vary from one region to another, and the way in which it is worn is indicative of a woman's social status, age, occupation, and religion. The sari is worn over a tightly-fitted, short-sleeved, midriff-length blouse called a choli.

Women in the province of Rajasthan wear another type of traditional garment called a ghagra or lehanga. This pleated skirt is fastened at the waist, leaving the back and midriff bare. A cotton shawl called an orhni or dupatta is worn to cover the head.

One of the most popular women's garments is the salwar-kameez, originally worn in the provinces of Kashmir and Punjab but now common to all regions of India. The salwar is a pair of pajama trousers tightly fitted at the waist and ankles. The kameez is a long and loose tunic, split at the side seams, worn over the salwar trousers. A variation of the salwar-kameez is the churidar, a tighter fitting trouser worn with a simple tunic called a kurta. The kurta, worn by both men and women is a loose-fitting, short-sleeved, knee-length tunic with a round neck, side-slits at the hem and a flared skirt. Another garment worn by both men and women is the lungi, a short length of fabric worn around the waist like a sarong.

Two traditional garment for men are dhotis and pajamas. A dhoti is a length of fabric wrapped around the hips, with an additional length of fabric pulled up between the legs and secured at the waist. The pajama-like trousers worn by men in the villages are known as lenga.

Over the last century, western clothing has gradually made its way into Indian culture, where many modern men and women now wear suits for everyday business attire.

Traditional Houses

Traditional Indian houses are multi-storied dwellings constructed of baked mud bricks, with a small central courtyard surrounded by rooms with no windows overlooking the streets and entries through adjoining alleyways. Even the earliest examples of residential architecture featured indoor plumbing with drains that flowed into covered sewers.

Language

Hindi is the national language, spoken by approximately 30% of the people. In addition, there are 14 other languages: Bengali, Telugu, Marathi, Tamil, Urdu, Gujarati, Malayalam, Kannada, Oriya, Punjabi, Assamese, Kashmiri, Sindhi, and Sanskrit; Hindustani is a popular variant of Hindi/Urdu spoken widely throughout northern India but is not an official language. English is also widely spoken for national, political, and commercial communication.

Religion

India is one of the most religously diverse nations on earth. The religions of India include the indigenous Hindu religion, with its pantheon of powerful gods and goddesses. Buddhism also originated in India, with Prince Siddhartha's mission to gain understanding of human suffering and to forge a path toward enlightenment. Another ancient religion that is still practiced in India is Jainism, a sect founded as a revolt against Hinduism in the 6th century, and emphasizes asceticism, immortality and transcedence of the spirit, but does not acknowledge the existence of a supreme being. A more recently founded religion is Sikhism, which originated in the northwestern province of Punjab in the 16th century. Several non-native religions have also found their way into India, including Zoroastrianism, a Persian religion founded in the 6th century B.C.; Islam, introduced by the Muslims around the 8th century; Christianity, introduced by the apostle Thomas in the first century A.D.; and Catholicism, introduced by European colonists in the 15th century.

Education

Education has long been an integral part of Indian culture. In ancient times, scholars developed schools of philosophy, religion, medicine, literature, drama and arts, astrology, mathematics and sociology. Buddhist monastaries also provided excellent venues for higher learning, including those at Vikramshila, Takshashila, and Nalanda, which, at its height, had an enrollment of ten thousand students and teachers, including scholars from China, Sri Lanka and Korea.

Around the 11th century, Muslims established elementary and secondary schools, colleges and universities in the major cities of Delhi, Lucknow and Allahabad, featuring courses in theology, philosophy, fine arts, architecture, mathematics, medicine and astronomy.

During British colonial rule, the educational system in India was further expanded, with colleges established in Calcutta, Madras and Bombay. Thereafter, western education has made steady advances, until today, where India offers 226 universities, 428 Engineering colleges and technological institutes, more than a 100 medical colleges, dozens of agricultural and other specialized institutes of higher learning. Today, India offers its citizens one of the most highly developed educational systems of any nation in the world. Indian scholars consistently contribute to the world of science and technology, the arts and humanities, and in business and agriculture.

The primary and secondary systems are modeled after western schools, with elementary grades one through six, middle school grades seven through nine, and high school grades ten through twelve. The literacy rate in India is 52.21 per cent: 64.13 for males and 39.29 for females.

Art

Much of India's art is strongly influenced by religion, with many colorful works depicting the pantheon of Hindu gods and goddesses, as well as the life of Buddha. Indian art also includes a vast array of traditional handicrafts including textile weaving, carpet making, intricate embroidery techniques, elaborate jewelry, leather work, metal crafts, painting, pottery, paper making, stone and wood carving.

The Flag of India

The national flag of India was officially adopted on July 22, 1947, when the Indian subcontinent was divided into India and Pakistan. It is composed of three horizontal stripes, orange on top, white in the center and green on the bottom. The orange represents courage and sacrifice, green stands for faith and chivalry, and white symbolizes peace and truth. A circular blue starburst design in the center of the flag represents the Buddhist chakra wheel.

Indian Mythology

According to Hindu tradition, the Universe was a single entity called Brahmin, which was later associated with the god Brahma, the creator of the Universe. A trinity of deities was formed by Brahma the Creator, Vishnu, the Protector, and Shiva, the Destroyer. India's mythology began during a period known as the Vedic Age, during the Harappan and Mohenjodaro civilizations around 2400 B.C. The Vedic Age is named for a collection of hymns called the Vedas.

The Hindu religion acknowledges the presences of a soul, called atama, which is transmigrated from one being to another. Sacrifice and penance were integral to Hindu worship. Penance in the form of isolation and deep meditation was rewarded by the Trinity in the form of protection from harm or even immortality.

Many of India's myths revolve around the ongoing conflict between the Deva gods and the Asura demons, and three of the most famous ancient texts on the subject are the Ramayana, the Mahabharata and the Puranas.

The History of India

Indian civilization is among the oldest in the world, with archaeological evidence of its existence dating back as far as the Paleolitic Era, or the Stone Age, around 9,000 B.C. Recorded civilization dates back to 7,000 B.C. Known as the Harappan Civilization, it began in the valley of the Indus River, and reached its height around 2,600 B.C. when it flourished as an urban culture based on commerce and agricultural trade. It was among the largest of the Bronze Age civilizations, and encompassed a vast territory, from Afghanistan in the west to the Ganges plains in the east; and from Pamir in the north to the Rann of Kutch in the south. The Harappan Civilization began to decline between 1900 and 1700 B.C. and around 1500 B.C., Aryan tribes invaded from the northwest and assimilated themselves into the existing indigenous people.

The next important phase of Indian history is the period known as the Shishunaga Dynasty of the Magadha Empire in the Ganges Valley of northern India in the 6th century B.C. Until that time, the Brahaman religion had dominated the culture. However, around that time, Buddhism and Jainism both grew in strength, and the many texts associated with these two religious movements provide a wealth of historical information as well.

In 322 B.C., Chandragupta Maurya overthrew the oppressive ruler of Magadh and founded his own dynasty. His successor, the most famous of the Mauryas, Ashoka the Great, who reigned from 273 to 232 B.C., extended the boundaries of his empire from Kashmir and Peshawar in the north, to Mysore in the south, and Orissa in the east. After his impressive military conquests, Ashoka renounced war and dedicated the remaining years of his life to dhamma, or righteousness.

When Ashoka died in 232 B.C., the empire began to weaken, enabling Pushyamitra Shunga, a Brahmin general, to usurp the throne. Thereafter, India was governed by a weak federal system, during which it was invaded numerous times over the next four hundred years, until sovereignty was restored by the Gupta Dynasty, most notably Samudra Gupta, who reigned from 335 to 380 A.D., and his successor, Chandra Gupta II, who reigned from 380 to 412 A.D. It was Chandra Gupta II who defeated the Sakas, and re-established a strong central government, and it was during his reign that India reached the height of prosperity, culture, art, literature and science.

However, by 600 A.D., the Gupta Empire was already in decline, with feudal administrators waging civil rebellion and declaring independence. Trade and commerce were disrupted, and with it, the peace and prosperity India had enjoyed for nearly three hundred years.

Islam was introduced to India by the Muslims around the 8th century A.D., and spread across the Indian subcontinent over the next 1000 years. During the 10th and 11th centuries, Turkish and Afghan invaders established sultanates in Delhi; and in the early 16th century, tribes descended from Genghis Khan invaded India through the Khyber Pass and established the Mughal (Mogul) Dynasty, which lasted for 200 years.

Vasco da Gama's arrival in 1498 opened the gateway to European traders by way of his newly found sea route to the Indian subcontinent. Portuguese and Dutch traders were the first to arrive, establishing colonial territories at Travancore, Goa, Daman, Diu and Bombay. The first British colonists arrived in 1619 and established an outpost at Surat on the northwestern coast of India, and later, at Madras, Bombay, and Calcutta. The French arrived soon thereafter, with large colonial establishments in southern India, including Pondicherry, Karaikal, Yanam, Mah, and Chandernagore.

British rule over India had originally been established by the East India Company, which by 1850, controlled most of country, which at the time, also included what are now Pakistan and Bangladesh. After an uprising of Indian militants in the northern territories, the commerical governing power that had once belonged to the East India Company was transferred to the British Crown. However, toward the end of the 19th century, still under British rule, a council of Indian advisors was appointed to aid the British Viceroy with the establishment of provincial governments. And by 1920, under the leadership of Mohandas Ghandi, a resistance movement had begun to end British colonial rule.

On August 15, 1947, India gained independence and joined the Commonwealth of Nations with Jawaharlal Nehru serving as Prime Minister. This event marked the beginning of turbulent times in India, with the Muslim northwest and northeast separated into the nation of Pakistan. A violent civil war ensued with clashes between Hindus, Muslims, and Sikhs, followed by a two-year war between Pakistan and India over the province of Kashmir.

The Constitution of India was ratified on November 26, 1949, and India became a sovereign nation on January 26, 1950. Independent rule was carried out by the Congress Party, under the leadership of Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru, followed by his daughter Indira Ghandi, and later by his grandson, Rajiv Gandhi. Prime Minister Nehru governed the nation until his death in 1964.

In 1961 India invaded and reclaimed the Portuguese colony of Goa on the west coast, and in 1971 India, regained the province of of Sikkim. In 1962 a conflict arose with China over the border in the Himalayas, and in 1965, India and Pakistan waged war again over the province of Kashmir. In 1971 the two nations fought yet again, resulting in the independence of East Pakistan, now known as Bangladesh.

In 1966, Nehru's daughter, Indira Gandhi, began a ten-year term as Prime Minister, during which time she was faced with serious political and economic problems. She was defeated at the polls by Morarji Desai in 1977. However, two short years later, his rule was in decline, and an interim government headed by Charan Singh presided over India until Indira Gandhi's return to power in January 1980. On October 31, 1984, Indira Gandhi was assassinated, and her son, Rajiv Gandhi, was chosen to take her place. His administration ended in 1989 due to controversy over corruption.

V.P. Singh succeded Rajiv Ghandi, followed in 1990 by Chandra Shekhar as Prime Minister. Yet another administrative collapse occurred under Chandra Shekhar's rule, calling for a national election in June 1991. Rajiv Ghandi remained active in Indian politics until he was assassinated by Sri Lankan Tamil extremists. In the elections, the Congress Party won 213 parliamentary seats and formed a coalition under the leadership of P.V. Narasimha Rao.

After many years of political upheaval, the Congress party government served a full 5-year term, during which a policy of economic reform was instituted, opening the Indian economy to global trade and investment. However, in the spring of 1996, India was once again in the throes of political upheaval due to corruption and scandal. A series of national elections were held in short succession, resulting in a procession of short-lived Prime Ministers, including Atal Bihari Vajpayee, H.D. Deve Gowda, Inder Kumar Gujral, and Manmohan Singh.

Population: As of July 2004, the population of India is estimated to now exceed one billion people.

12:08 AM PDT Permalink |

A Little Background on the Film
For the daughter of an upper-middle class Indian family, an arranged marriage to a young Indian man living in Texas is the premise for Monsoon Wedding, directed by Mira Nair. Over the course of four days, relatives of the two families from all over the world converge on the city of New Delhi during monsoon season for the event. The film juxtaposes contemporary lifestyles with cultural traditions, as preparations are made, family dramas are played out, and the big day itself is fraught with complications. With its rich cinematography and lively music, critics loved the film and I can't wait to see it myself.
12:03 AM PDT Permalink |

Making Chutney
René brought home a whole watermelon a few days ago, and while carving it up, I got inspired to make a chutney out of the rinds. I always hate to throw them away, because growing up in the South, where watermelons are sweet and plentiful, some of the ladies in the neighborhood used to make pickles out of the rinds. With that as my inspiration, I went online, located a couple of enticing watermelon chutney recipes and tried them both. One of them called for both the flesh and the rind, seasoned with curry powder and sweetened with brown sugar. It turned out remarkably similar to a standard mango chutney, only not quite as sticky. The other recipe wanted the rinds only and was spiced with lots of ginger and hot chilis and sweetened with regular white sugar. The result was a much spicier, syrupy chutney. Of the two, it was definitely my favorite. It was so good that after I filled a jar to the rim with it, René and I ate the leftovers with a spoon.

Having had such satisfying success with my first foray into making my own chutney, I went right out and bought all the ingredients to try my hand at a few more recipes. My neighbor had given me some lovely vine-ripened tomatoes, so I made a red tomato chutney spiced with cumin and coriander that turned out rather like a thick, sweet ketchup. From the other fruits I made peach chutney spiced with garam masala, apple-raisin chutney spiced with curry powder, and pineapple chutney spiced with a pinch of garam masala and lots of fresh ginger root.

As always, I improvised the recipes, and seasoned them so that each has its own unique flavor. I didn't want them to taste too similar to each other. I was going for variety, and with all the ripe flavors of the fresh fruits and the different spices in each one, I think I have quite a lovely array of condiments to serve with my Curried Lamb Stew and Chicken Vindaloo.

So, after my abounding success in making six different kinds of chutney, you can bet your ghee and garam masala that I will never again pay seven bucks at the grocery store for a five ounce jar of Major Grey's.
02:56 AM PDT Permalink |

Taking Photos of My Monsoon Wedding Dinner
We're still learning how to use the new digital camera, so a couple of the photos of last month's Korean dinner came out a little blurry. But most of them were quite lovely and highly detailed. I think the key is in making sure the tripod is good and steady, and keeping the camera absolutely still during the digital image capturing process. But when hot dishes start flying off the stove in my kitchen, things can get a little hectic. And even though my son Will is my food photographer, he's also my head waiter, so he gets a little flustered at serving time too. But I think this dinner will be much more relaxed than previous ones, as many of the dishes can be kept warm on the stove until serving time without overcooking, and most of them can be made ahead the night before and reheated without loss of quality.
12:04 AM PDT Permalink |

Let's All Raise a Glass...
...to the passing of Julia Child. She will be missed and long remembered. Bon Appetit to all the lucky souls at her table in heaven.
03:37 PM PDT Permalink |

Deciding What to Wear
I've always loved the look of the Indian sari, but alas do not own one. So, for my Monsoon Wedding Dinner & a Movie, I might even splurge and treat myself to a long-coveted addition to my wardrobe. But if that doesn't happen, I have lots of colorful skirts, sarongs and silk tops in my closet. For the fellas, maybe even a couple of embroidered gauze shirts over jeans if the weather is not too hot. Of course, I always like to be cool and comfortable while I'm cooking, so an apron over shorts and a halter is my usual kitchen attire.
12:48 AM PDT Permalink |

Special Cookware
For my Monsoon Wedding curry dinner, the only special cookware I anticipate needing is a mortar and pestle to grind the curry spices. That's an item I've been wanting to add to my repertoire for quite awhile, and now's the perfect time to go shopping for one. There's a fantastic kitchen emporium at the Napa Factory Outlets that's sure to have a nice selection at modest prices. That place is so amazing...I have a hard time going in there without buying one of everything in the store. I've never been one much for spending hours shopping for clothes, shoes and make-up, but I could spend all day in a kitchen store or an ethnic grocery.
01:00 AM PDT Permalink |

Designing a Table Setting
I want to serve this meal family style, with all the courses presented in big bowls for everyone to help themselves. So I'm going to set each place with empty bowls, plates and silverware. I'd like to dress the table with a colorful cloth and try to keep everything bright, festive and exotic. I may have to add a few serving dishes to my collection, as I do not prepare that many family-style dinners. Our local thrift shops are always an excellent source for an eclectic array of tableware at modest prices. You never know what you're going to find from one day to the next, but I always get lucky somehow.
12:03 AM PDT Permalink |

About the Fresh Ingredients
I always like to shop for my fresh ingredients as close to the day of the dinner as possible. And since most of the dinners happen on a Saturday night, Friday evening is the perfect time, while my son is at his TaeKwonDo class. It leaves me with an hour to while away, just the right amount of time for picking up my fresh meats and vegetables. And that way, if there's anything I want to make the night before, I have the rest of the evening to prepare it. And except for the spices, which I shopped for yesterday, the ingredients for my Monsoon Wedding curry dinnner are pretty basic fare, so I won't have to traipse all over town hunting for rare items.
12:03 AM PDT Permalink |

Tracking Down Exotic Ingredients
Locating all my specialty ingredients for my Monsoon Wedding Dinner & a Movie has been exceptionally easy this month. I already have a big jar of mango chutney that I bought online a couple of months ago at an Indian foods website called IShopIndian.com. It was only $5.95 per one kilogram jar, with a little shipping. What a bargain. I ordered 3 jars of it on pure faith, and it's so good we've already polished off one of them, plus half of the second one. But there's still plenty left for my curry dinner. IShopIndian.com carries an amazing selection of Indian ingredients, and free shipping on orders over $50.

When it came to the exotic spices (garam masala, curry powder, cardamom, turmeric, nutmeg, cinnamon, corriander seed, and cumin) I got really lucky. A new Cost Plus World Market just opened up in Napa, and they carry a full selection of ethnic spices at bargain basement prices. Most of them cost less than two dollars each.

The only thing I'm missing is tamarind paste and fresh curry leaves. I've never used curry leaves, or even seen them anywhere except the Food Network channel. The recipes all say that they are optional, but I'd still like to see what they're like. Maybe our gourmet grocery carries them. If not, I guess I'll just have to skip them. The tamarind I'm sure I can find at a local Mexican market.

So, with the exception of my fresh ingredients, which I will shop for the evening before the dinner, I've got everything I need to make an Indian curry feast.
12:34 AM PDT Permalink |

Finding Chutney Recipes
Today I did a Google search for chutney recipes and found a website called SweetBabyMedia.com. It features an extensive list of relishes, salsas and chutneys. Among them, the most interesting were Green Tomato Chutney, Cranberry Jalapeno Chutney, Cherry Chutney, Apple Peach Apricot Chutney, and Watermelon Rind Chutney. And to go with my Monsoon Wedding Curry Dinner, I'm going to try them all! Since they can be safely stored in the refrigerator for days or even weeks, I can make them up several days ahead of time so I won't be stressing out on the day of the dinner. And besides, chutneys and relishes are always better after they've had a little time to marinate.
06:58 PM PDT Permalink |

A List of Ingredients
Specialty Ingredients:

Coconut Milk, Mustard Seeds, Cumin, Cardamom, Cinnamon, Corriander Seeds, Cloves, Garam Masala, Mango Chutney, Curry Leaves, Curry Powder, Turmeric

Fresh Ingredients:

Shrimp, Chicken Breasts, Lamb, Onions, Garlic, Ginger, Green Peppers, Red Peppers, Carrots, Mushrooms, Potatoes, Spinach, Lemons, Limes, Tomatoes, Green Tomatoes, Cucumbers, Leafy Lettuce, Apples, Peaches, Apricots, Cherries, White Raisins, Jalapenos, Lentils, Whole Cranberry Sauce, Yeast

Basics:

Oil, Vinegar, Sugar, Milk, Eggs, Flour, Butter, Salt & Pepper

12:20 AM PDT Permalink |

Deciding on the Dishes for an Indian Dinner

Appetizer: Curry Infused Prawns with Mango Chutney
Soup: Mulligatawny
Salad: Cucumber Tomato Raita
Main Course: Lamb & Vegetable Curry, Chicken Vindaloo, Jasmine Rice, Spiced Lentils, Naan Bread and Assorted Chutneys
Dessert: Mango Sorbet with Fresh Tropical Fruits

12:03 AM PDT Permalink |

Designing the Menu
For my Monsoon Wedding Dinner & a Movie, I have a general idea of the types of dishes I want to serve. A couple of years ago, I came up with my own appetizer: steamed shrimp with a little curry powder added to the cooking water. Once they were done, they were subtly infused with the essence of curry, and I served them with a tiny dollop of mango chutney placed right in the center of the curl. It's so quick and easy that I definitely want to make up a batch of those.

For soup, it has to be Mulligatawny. Ever since I had that delicious bowl of it at Gaylord's in San Francisco's Ghiradelli Square, I've been wanting to try my hand at it. For the salad, something cool and refreshing made with yogurt. And for the main course, at least two entrees, one with lamb, and the other, Chicken Vindaloo, mostly because the I like the name of it and have always wondered what it was.

I also want to bake my own naan bread, and where I really want to get adventurous is with the chutneys. Jamie Oliver, aka The Naked Chef, made a really tasty looking Lemon Pickle on his show one evening to go with a curry dish. I've already looked that one up on the Internet. And there's a tamarind chutney in the Joy of Cooking that looks really good too. We have a large Mexican population in Napa, so the Mexican groceries here in town are sure to have plenty of tamarind pods or paste. I'm going to find one or two more chutney recipes at a website called SweetBabyMedia.com, and I have a huge jar of classic mango chutney that I found at an online grocer called IShopIndian.com. And if we manage to get through dinner without popping at the seams, I will serve a store-bought mango sorbet along with some simple slices of fresh fruit.
02:15 AM PDT Permalink |