joy@mit-vax.UUCP (Joy Hoppe) (07/23/84)
How hot is HOT???? Vindaloo is a style of Indian (Punjabi I think, but I'm not sure.) cooking that will fry your innards. The one time I ordered it, (Lamb) I was expecting something on the order of Hunan/Szechuan hotness. I would have fried, but for my kindly waiter, who brought me a coconut drink. Also on the "World's Hottest Foods" list is "Steve's Inedible Chili". If anyone wants the recipe, I can procure it. It's Texas Style Chili that is purely inedible except by those who can prove that they no longer have tastebuds anyhow. (or those who have already tasted it... :->)
bbanerje@sjuvax.UUCP (B. Banerjee) (07/28/84)
Ok folks, time for the authoritie(s) to step in on this one.
The reason that few Indians have followed up on this is due to
the fact that there is a great deal on regional difference in
Indian cooking. Some random comments follow:
1. Indian cooking is not innately hot. It is spicy. Green
Chilies are the predominant cause of 'heat', and these can
be adjusted to taste. This is the sort of heat that lights
up your mouth, throat and stomach. Some people like this
(me too, in moderation). There is another type of heat
translated loosely from Bengali as 'loosely hot'. This is
due to freshly ground ginger, and (I think) {surprise!!!}
cinnamanon. This causes a discomfort in your throat, but
nothing that can really be pinpointed. Quite an unpleasant
feeling altogether.
2. Vindaloo is a Goan dish. Goa was a colony of Portugal until
1962 (?). Goan food is generally fairly hot, as is most
South Indian food. I have never heard of Tindalloo or Phal.
3. Curry Powder is an abomination which should be avoided like
the plague. Think about it ... most cuisines start with a
set of spices, and by varying these; create a plethora of
flavours. Would you ever go to an Italian restaurant that
used "Italian Spices" off the supermarket spice rack?
4. As I said previously, Indian food is highly regional in
nature. Most of the foods served in restaurants has
NO correlation with what is generally eaten at home.
Come to think of it, when was the last time you made
Lobster Newberg, or Scampi at home after coming in from
an extended hacking session. Some pointers on what to
look for follow.
I - Most bread is unleavened. The most common type of bread
eaten is the Chapati, also called the Roti (means bread).
This is rather unappetising, though it can be very tasty
when piping hot, and lightly buttered. Tandoori Roti
resembles what is avalable here as 'Pita Bread'. It is
usually leavened, and is baked on the inside (stuck on
the side wall of) a large clay oven (tandoor). The
Puri is a fried bread, sometimes containing a filling.
A fantastic Bengali variation on this is the 'Luchi'.
This is made with white flour dough, rolled thin, and
deep fried so that it puffs up quickly. Absolutely
fabulous. Another good variation on this scheme is
'Nan'. This is a leavened Tandoori bread made with Yoghurt
(I think). It rises quite a bit, and is very soft inside.
II - Dal is the other universally Indian dish. These are
basically Lentils (or pulses). If you just boil the
stuff in water, they turn out bland. What you do is,
just prior to the Dal being finished - brown some
spices in a saucepan in some Ghee, and drop the dal
into this when the lentils are just starting to lose
their shape. Stir around to meld the flavours, and
break up the individual lentils. It should NOT be
allowed to get mushy. As with everything else, use
your creativity and imagination. One of my favourite
variations is 'dried dal', where following the addition
of spices and imli (someone help me on this one. I don't
know how it translates), you dry the dal down to a paste.
III - Vegetables are the primary things used. Use vegetable you
may not see much in restaurants. I assure you that they
are widely used. These include - mustard and collard greens,
tomatoes, string beans, okra, squash, snow peas (We have our
own version, but you probably wont find that here),
bitter melon (I hate this), plantain (green bananas), peas,
beets, jackfruit (good luck finding this!), mushroom and
broccoli (OK, these are non traditional, but they go very
well). Use your imagination.
I could go on for quite a while, but this has already become far
longer than I had anticipated. Find yourself an Indian Friend
(we're generally rather shy, so you'll have to make the first move)
and get yourself invited to dinner.
Till next time,
Regards,
--
Binayak Banerjee
{allegra | astrovax | bpa | burdvax}!sjuvax!bbanerje
P.S.
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