[Aroy]

Originally Posted by rajeevsulu

If you powder it, it could be a lot more bitter. Tear it up and use it as suggested above. Thevaroma when you tear the curry leaves is heavenly!

Curry leaves are a variety of Neem, hence they are a bit bitter. At the same time they have a lot of medicine value, hence we normally eat them. The powder will be even more bitter.

Depending on what you are cooking, you can leave the leaves on the stem. That way you need not sift through for individual leaves, but take the whole stem out.

[carboy]

Originally Posted by pjbiju

I would suggest chopping up the curry leaves and using them. This would make it impossible for you to pick and discard them.

But I want to pick & discard them. I don't like leaves in my mouth while eating my food, though I like the flavour they bring. Hence looking for a compromise.

Originally Posted by Aroy

Depending on what you are cooking, you can leave the leaves on the stem. That way you need not sift through for individual leaves, but take the whole stem out.

This sounds like a good idea - are there some foods where there this method is suitable & some where it isn't?

[dailydriver]

Originally Posted by Aroy

Depending on what you are cooking, you can leave the leaves on the stem. That way you need not sift through for individual leaves, but take the whole stem out.

Originally Posted by carboy

But I want to pick & discard them. I don't like leaves in my mouth while eating my food, though I like the flavour they bring

Off Topic!

You can call me a freak, but curry leaves are something that won't get left behind in my plate, EVER.

I relish chewing them, be they be part of gravies, pulaos or sabjis: the seasoned, crispy leaves present in namkeens and mixtures are extra delicious!

I know to each palate it's own, but still !

x x x

Interesting discussion, please continue.

[Aroy]

Originally Posted by carboy

But I want to pick & discard them. I don't like leaves in my mouth while eating my food, though I like the flavour they bring. Hence looking for a compromise.




This sounds like a good idea - are there some foods where there this method is suitable & some where it isn't?

Suitable :
. Curries. You can use the stem with leaves and the just take it out.
. Kadhi, same as above.

Not feasible
. Tempering. This needs leaves to be fried.
. Upma, tedious but doable.
. Dhokla, needs the leaves.

[Evyas]

THE EASIEST CHOCOLATE CAKE RECIPE

Hello fellow cooks/wannabe cooks/master chefs

Just sharing a recipe for the probably the most fuss free chocolate cake in the world. If you have a food processor, you can literally get this done in 10 minutes - ok, maybe for first timers half an hour

But there is no fancy creaming/reverse creaming, no sifting dry ingredients and then adding it to the wet ones and worrying about over-mixing etc.

Just literally throw everything into a food processor, blitz it twice, pour into a pan and bake for an hour. And that's that. And trust me, even without adding the chocolate syrup at the end, the cake tastes amazing.

I've made this countless number of times - it was the first cake I taught myself - and it's a favourite every time I make it.

https://www.nigella.com/recipes/quad...late-loaf-cake

Just toggle the 'metric/cups' switch near the ingredients and it will not need you to measure all ingredients with a kitchen scale but using cups instead.

Here's the video of Nigella Lawson making this cake. It really is as easy and simple as it looks.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cPkXLwgklic

Those with kids - it's the perfect recipe to get the little ones into action.

And those a bit more adventurous - just 'feed' the cake with rum (pour it into the cake using the small holes instead of the chocolate syrup) for a massive boozy kick on New Years

Let me know if you have an questions. Amateur cook here but willing to learn - sharing is learning! Here's a picture of one of my first attempts at making this - decorations are my improvisations. And there is a doughnut shape since I made it in an old fashioned cake pot (before I figured out an oven)

[alpha1]

Originally Posted by sumeethaldankar

Guys which is a reliable brand of packaged rice flour to use for creating bhakris?

Nope, don't use packaged flour for rice/jowar/bajra bhakris.
For shelf life purpose the packaged flour gets processed, additionally this flour is usually sitting in the shelves for months before consumption - when you make the dough you can easily see that packaged flour will result in flakier, dryer dough that will not hold together and your bhakris will fall apart during the heating on tava.
Better option is to get the grains ground by your own. Or visit the local chakki, they usually keep freshly ground flours available.


In fact the above holds true even for wheat (huge difference between packaged and freshly ground wheat), however gluten in wheat covers up for the substandard experience of processed & packaged old flour.

[Aroy]

Originally Posted by alpha1

Nope, don't use packaged flour for rice/jowar/bajra bhakris.
.....................
Better option is to get the grains ground by your own. Or visit the local chakki, they usually keep freshly ground flours available.


In fact the above holds true even for wheat (huge difference between packaged and freshly ground wheat), however gluten in wheat covers up for the substandard experience of processed & packaged old flour.

Even we get the flour from local Chakki. The difference between packaged and chakki Atta is tremendous. The rotis are softer and parothas crispier. We get other flours as and when needed

If you need a little bit of flour, grind it in the mixer. We often do that when a cup or two is required.

[srini1785]

Originally Posted by carboy

Can Kadipata powder be used as a substitute in recipes which require Kadipata leaves. I pick out & throw away all the leaves before eating any dish which has the leaves. I was wondering if using powder is an alternative?

Karuveppilai (Tamil) or Karibevu (Kannada) is the first thing i eat when presented with a dish. It's what adds flavor to the dish but then again every one to their opinions. The problem i see is that when you use these leaves it does not stain the dish in its entirely but when used as a powder it would soak the dish fully.

If the taste of curry leaves is not palatable to you then mixing it in the dish would make the entire dish unpleasant. So, tread with caution.

[Sheel]

Any suggestion on good Asafoetida? Something which can be purchased off Amazon / Flipkart? Or any other link / website?

[ABHI_1512]

Originally Posted by Sheel

Any suggestion on good Asafoetida? Something which can be purchased off Amazon / Flipkart? Or any other link / website?

The one from Everest brand is what I use and found it good enough for my requirements, should be found online.

[Aroy]

Originally Posted by Sheel

Any suggestion on good Asafoetida? Something which can be purchased off Amazon / Flipkart? Or any other link / website?

From a You tube podcast I learnt that Hing costs around Rs.6,000 per kg. This is for resin imported for further processing. After the resin is bought by manufacturers they dilute it with food grade powders and sell it in various packs.

So the Hing that you buy for say Rs.50 for 50 grams is actually diluted at least 1:10 ratio. I have tried all sources and in general the more expensive it is the better (or purer) it is.

Here are some links

https://www.amazon.in/Crystals-Glute...08HD52R7L?th=1

https://www.simhas.in/strongest-asafoetida

[DCEite]

Originally Posted by Sheel

Any suggestion on good Asafoetida? Something which can be purchased off Amazon / Flipkart? Or any other link / website?

Originally Posted by ABHI_1512

The one from Everest brand is what I use and found it good enough for my requirements, should be found online.

Originally Posted by Aroy

From a You tube podcast I learnt that Hing costs around Rs.6,000 per kg. This is for resin imported for further processing. After the resin is bought by manufacturers they dilute it with food grade powders and sell it in various packs.

So the Hing that you buy for say Rs.50 for 50 grams is actually diluted at least 1:10 ratio. I have tried all sources and in general the more expensive it is the better (or purer) it is.

Here are some links

https://www.amazon.in/Crystals-Glute...08HD52R7L?th=1

https://www.simhas.in/strongest-asafoetida

I was surprised when I read the labels on commercial Hing poweders in market. All of them contain "Wheat flour/Refined wheat flour" as an ingredient. I am not sure why it is used, but perhaps its a binding agent.

The best Hing you could get would be the pure Hing granules. Seach for "Hathras Hing" and you will get some information on this. This is pure hing without any adultration, but it will not be in powdered form, but in form of small hard granules. Ofcourse before cooking they will need to be crushed using a pestle and mortar.

[alpha1]

Originally Posted by Aroy

From a You tube podcast I learnt that Hing costs around Rs.6,000 per kg.

Thats a great piece of info for reference.
Commercially available high powder is at ~Rs 1000-1500/kg

Originally Posted by DCEite

I was surprised when I read the labels on commercial Hing poweders in market. All of them contain "Wheat flour/Refined wheat flour" as an ingredient. I am not sure why it is used, but perhaps its a binding agent.

But you will note that different brands have different % of flour. (Most hovering around 70%, but others have far lower)

[sachinayak]

Ingredients are listed in the descending order of proportion. So in the example above, we are still not sure of the actual hing content. Specially, the content of edible gum in both cases could be the variable with the hing content remaining more-or-less the same. All we know for sure, is hing content is under 17.5% in the first one and under 30% in the second one - mathematically.

[.sushilkumar]

Originally Posted by Aroy

From a You tube podcast I learnt that Hing costs around Rs.6,000 per kg. This is for resin imported for further processing. After the resin is bought by manufacturers they dilute it with food grade powders and sell it in various packs.

Sir,

Do consider visiting Khadi Gramodyog Bhavan near regal cinema in CP Delhi. As you enter the store, turn right from T point ( from near billing counter) and towards your extreme left, you will find a whole shelf with good quality Hing in old Paste way. it's double packed to ensure freshness. IMO, Any hing in Power form is just a waste of money. I typically source from them and mix a packet in 750 ml water glass bottle. Mixing hing this way something that i learned from our old community cooks who serve during big functions in our native. Serves me well for daily cooking in the house.