Hi there,

Since I'm new to this group, I had better apologize in advance in case my
question is one of those that reappears with tedious regularity. However,
I really would like some tips.

Last weekend, I cooked an Indian curry (Methi Murg). The recipe called for
fenugreek and coriander. I assumed it was referring to fresh fenugreek
leaves and bought some. As many of you will undoubtedly know, Indian shops
in the UK always want to sell you herbs in huge bunches. Unfortunately, I
only needed a tablespoon or so. The question now is, what to do with the
rest. I have already given some to friends, but they don't really know
what to do with it either.

I would therefore be very grateful for some ideas.

Many thanks in advance

--
Karin

Fenugreek and coriander in the States for curries, refer to seeds and
not fresh herbs.

stephen s.

On Tue, 01 Mar 2005 21:34:51 GMT, "Karin Hulsemann"
> wrote:

>Hi there,
>
>Since I'm new to this group, I had better apologize in advance in case my
>question is one of those that reappears with tedious regularity. However,
>I really would like some tips.
>
>Last weekend, I cooked an Indian curry (Methi Murg). The recipe called for
>fenugreek and coriander. I assumed it was referring to fresh fenugreek
>leaves and bought some. As many of you will undoubtedly know, Indian shops
>in the UK always want to sell you herbs in huge bunches. Unfortunately, I
>only needed a tablespoon or so. The question now is, what to do with the
>rest. I have already given some to friends, but they don't really know
>what to do with it either.
>
>I would therefore be very grateful for some ideas.
>
>Many thanks in advance

Karin Hulsemann wrote:

> Hi there,
>
> Since I'm new to this group, I had better apologize in advance in case my
> question is one of those that reappears with tedious regularity. However,
> I really would like some tips.
>
> Last weekend, I cooked an Indian curry (Methi Murg). The recipe called for
> fenugreek and coriander. I assumed it was referring to fresh fenugreek
> leaves and bought some. As many of you will undoubtedly know, Indian shops
> in the UK always want to sell you herbs in huge bunches. Unfortunately, I
> only needed a tablespoon or so. The question now is, what to do with the
> rest. I have already given some to friends, but they don't really know
> what to do with it either.
>
> I would therefore be very grateful for some ideas.
>
> Many thanks in advance
>

Although I grow coriander myself, the seeds are used for Indian curries
along with fenugreek seeds, ground into a paste.

Coriander leaves are used in thai food, and I've never seen fenugreek leaves
nor seen them in a recipe.

gtoomey

> Last weekend, I cooked an Indian curry (Methi Murg). The recipe called for
> fenugreek and coriander. I assumed it was referring to fresh fenugreek
> The question now is, what to do with the
> rest. I have already given some to friends, but they don't really know
> what to do with it either.

> Karin

From an old post from my previous existance, when I was married to an
Indian who could really cook. I had methi pakora later with fresh
leaves...very good. You don't have to dip any veggies, just add as much
coarsely chopped fresh to the batter that will hang together when
dropped in oil. To see what chutney's I usually serve it with, look at
bottom of post.
blacksalt
<begin paste>
All weekend TJ has been threatening me with a
delight called methi
pakora. We looked from fresh fenugreek leaf, but
failing that we bought
a 'brick' of it dried (whole, not powdered,
which is also available).
It's called kasuri methi when dried.
This is what he did:
Start with M. Jaffrey's pakora recipe

1 1/2 C chickpea flour or besan
3/4 teas salt
1/2 teas baking soda
1/4 teas (generous) of turmeric
1/2 teap ground cumin
1/2 teas ground coriander (for these two, I
added a teas + of my garam
masala...which has a healthy bit of both of
these as a base)
3/4 teas whole ajwain or cumin. (We always use
the ajwain...it gives an
unusual undertone, and is a cheap seed that
stores well...available at
Penzey's)
1/4 teas ground black pepper
1/4 teas cayenne....(we add 1/2 or MORE...very
important says tall TJ)
She says sift, but we don't, just break up the
clumps of besan and mix
well with a fork. It travels very well in this
form, and water can be
added at the party.
Beat in 1 1/4 C water until you have a smooth,
thin batter.
To this add the methi (to prepare it, measure
about 3/4 cup into water
and let soak for 10 minutes, squeeze out the
extra water and beat into
the above batter (TJ says it's better with fresh
leaf, lightly chopped).
To this add some potato cut into 1"x1"x 1/4"
peices, onion about the
same and some bell pepper about the same, in any
ratio, until it's a
coated mess that will *just* hold together as
it's dropped in to hot oil
in a wok or deep pan. Fry for a couple of
minutes. Leave the veggies a
bit crisp.

THE DIPS
ow for the chutneys, the red one, the brown one and the green one.
Usha's Hot and Spicy Hyderabadi Tomato Chutney
(M. Jaffrey say that this perky relish can be kept in the fridge to
brighten up almost any meal...I can taste it on eggs)
A pound of ripe toms peeled and chopped (About 1 3/4 C)
1 teaspoon grated ginger
1 teas mashed garlic pulp
1/2 teas turmeric
1/4 teas cayenne
Put this in a bowl and reserve

Heat 4 T oil (I used Mustard and only 2 T)
Add 4 whole, peeled cloves of garlic and brown lightly.
Add
1 teas cumin seed
1/2 teas black mustard seed
1/4 teas whole fenugreek seed
stir once and then add
2 whole dried hot red peppers (I used one big tein tsin) HAVE THE FAN
ON
When the peppers have darkened and puffed up, add the reserved mixture
above and don't breath the blast of steam.
Cook, stirring a bit 10+ minutes until the mixture is 'dry' but not
panting.
Add 1/2 teas or so salt (ours needed 1 teas) and serve warm or chilled.

Tamarind-mint Chutney
This I make exactly how she says:
1 heaping T EACH of chopped cilantro and chopped mint
2 T chopped GUR (or brown sugar) (again, this is a cheap ingredient
that
keeps, and will make your Indian food more, well, 'Indian'.)
3/4 " peice of ginger minced
1/4 teas kala namak (black salt...very cheap and keeps well)
2/3 cup tamarind paste (I use the compressed bricks...break off about a
cup of the brick and soak in enough warm water to cover and then some.
Break the material up into small peices in the water and let soak at
least 15 minutes. Rub the muck into a strainer with the back of a
spoon,
being sure to scrape a spoon on the bottom of the mesh to capture the
thick muck.)
1/8 teas ground pepper, fine this time
1/8-1/4 teas cayenne
1 teas ground roasted cumin...place raw cumin seeds in a fry pan and
heat over medium, shaking now and then (use no oil) until they darken
and smell toasty. Grind in a mortar or under a rolling pin.

Place all of the above in a blender and puree (I use the one cup
attachment on the Oster Blender).

Mint Chutney
(the green one) Although Jaffrey has a recipe, we've never added the
yougurt.
3/4 C cilantro chopped and firmly packed
1/2 C mint chopped and firmly packed
0-2 seranno chiles (I do seed these for fine texture) minced
1 T of lemon juice
1/2 teas salt (half of this if you use no chile I would gamble)
Puree in blender as above. She add 3/4 C of yougurt which would make a
significantly different dish

The three chutney's above can be made well ahead, and the three
colours,
I think everyone will admit, were very nice together.

"Karin Hulsemann" > wrote in message
newspsmy98vllya5y2q@frog...
> Hi there,
>
> Since I'm new to this group, I had better apologize in advance in case my
> question is one of those that reappears with tedious regularity. However,
> I really would like some tips.
>
> Last weekend, I cooked an Indian curry (Methi Murg). The recipe called for
> fenugreek and coriander. I assumed it was referring to fresh fenugreek
> leaves and bought some. As many of you will undoubtedly know, Indian shops
> in the UK always want to sell you herbs in huge bunches. Unfortunately, I
> only needed a tablespoon or so. The question now is, what to do with the
> rest. I have already given some to friends, but they don't really know
> what to do with it either.
>
> I would therefore be very grateful for some ideas.


I've never seen fenugreek leaves, but if they are more leaf than herb, I'd
put them in a plastic zip-lock bag and freeze them. I've done that with
Kaffir lime leaves with great success.

I'm planning on doing that with curry leaves. I just bought a
fantastic-looking Sinhalese cookbook: Seneviratne, Suharshini. _Exotic
Tastes of Sri Lanka_. New York: Hippocrene Books, 2003, and almost every
recipe calls for curry leaves. I can't believe the awesome-sounding recipes
in this book--they make their dal with coconut milk! So, I'm just waiting
for when I can head over to the Indian store, where I'll buy plenty of curry
leaves and freeze what I don't use.

Oh, and I got that book at a used bookstore. But it wasn't used: It was
one of those discounted new books. Like I've always been saying here on
this ng: Get those rare and exotic books as soon as they come off the
presses, or else you'll never see them again!

That same night at the used book store, I also bought a new, reduced-price
_Taste of Macau: Portuguese Cuisisne on the China Coast_, also from 2003 and
also from Hippocrene Books. Looks awesome. And it seems to be approved by
the Slow Food movement. DC would love it.

I've been meaning to do a review of both books here, but have yet to get
around to it...

Peter

"Karin Hulsemann" > wrote in message
newspsmy98vllya5y2q@frog...
> Hi there,
>
> Since I'm new to this group, I had better apologize in advance in case my
> question is one of those that reappears with tedious regularity. However,
> I really would like some tips.
>
> Last weekend, I cooked an Indian curry (Methi Murg). The recipe called for
> fenugreek and coriander. I assumed it was referring to fresh fenugreek
> leaves and bought some. As many of you will undoubtedly know, Indian shops
> in the UK always want to sell you herbs in huge bunches. Unfortunately, I
> only needed a tablespoon or so. The question now is, what to do with the
> rest. I have already given some to friends, but they don't really know
> what to do with it either.
>
> I would therefore be very grateful for some ideas.


I've never seen fenugreek leaves, but if they are more leaf than herb, I'd
put them in a plastic zip-lock bag and freeze them. I've done that with
Kaffir lime leaves with great success.

I'm planning on doing that with curry leaves. I just bought a
fantastic-looking Sinhalese cookbook: Seneviratne, Suharshini. _Exotic
Tastes of Sri Lanka_. New York: Hippocrene Books, 2003, and almost every
recipe calls for curry leaves. I can't believe the awesome-sounding recipes
in this book--they make their dal with coconut milk! So, I'm just waiting
for when I can head over to the Indian store, where I'll buy plenty of curry
leaves and freeze what I don't use.

Oh, and I got that book at a used bookstore. But it wasn't used: It was
one of those discounted new books. Like I've always been saying here on
this ng: Get those rare and exotic books as soon as they come off the
presses, or else you'll never see them again!

That same night at the used book store, I also bought a new, reduced-price
_Taste of Macau: Portuguese Cuisisne on the China Coast_, also from 2003 and
also from Hippocrene Books. Looks awesome. And it seems to be approved by
the Slow Food movement. DC would love it.

I've been meaning to do a review of both books here, but have yet to get
around to it...

Peter

Thanks ever so much for the recipes. They sound great, especially the
dips. I'm not sure whether I can muster the energy and patience to make my
own pakora, much as I love the stuff. But the tip about the batter sounds
interesting. Maybe one could also incorporate the leaves into some flat
bread.




On Tue, 01 Mar 2005 20:05:41 -0800, kalanamak > wrote:

>> Last weekend, I cooked an Indian curry (Methi Murg). The recipe called
>> for
>> fenugreek and coriander. I assumed it was referring to fresh fenugreek
>> The question now is, what to do with the
>> rest. I have already given some to friends, but they don't really know
>> what to do with it either.
>
>> Karin
>
> From an old post from my previous existance, when I was married to an
> Indian who could really cook. I had methi pakora later with fresh
> leaves...very good. You don't have to dip any veggies, just add as much
> coarsely chopped fresh to the batter that will hang together when
> dropped in oil. To see what chutney's I usually serve it with, look at
> bottom of post.
> blacksalt
> <begin paste>
> All weekend TJ has been threatening me with a
> delight called methi
> pakora. We looked from fresh fenugreek leaf, but
> failing that we bought
> a 'brick' of it dried (whole, not powdered,
> which is also available).
> It's called kasuri methi when dried.
> This is what he did:
> Start with M. Jaffrey's pakora recipe
>
> 1 1/2 C chickpea flour or besan
> 3/4 teas salt
> 1/2 teas baking soda
> 1/4 teas (generous) of turmeric
> 1/2 teap ground cumin
> 1/2 teas ground coriander (for these two, I
> added a teas + of my garam
> masala...which has a healthy bit of both of
> these as a base)
> 3/4 teas whole ajwain or cumin. (We always use
> the ajwain...it gives an
> unusual undertone, and is a cheap seed that
> stores well...available at
> Penzey's)
> 1/4 teas ground black pepper
> 1/4 teas cayenne....(we add 1/2 or MORE...very
> important says tall TJ)
> She says sift, but we don't, just break up the
> clumps of besan and mix
> well with a fork. It travels very well in this
> form, and water can be
> added at the party.
> Beat in 1 1/4 C water until you have a smooth,
> thin batter.
> To this add the methi (to prepare it, measure
> about 3/4 cup into water
> and let soak for 10 minutes, squeeze out the
> extra water and beat into
> the above batter (TJ says it's better with fresh
> leaf, lightly chopped).
> To this add some potato cut into 1"x1"x 1/4"
> peices, onion about the
> same and some bell pepper about the same, in any
> ratio, until it's a
> coated mess that will *just* hold together as
> it's dropped in to hot oil
> in a wok or deep pan. Fry for a couple of
> minutes. Leave the veggies a
> bit crisp.
>
> THE DIPS
> ow for the chutneys, the red one, the brown one and the green one.
> Usha's Hot and Spicy Hyderabadi Tomato Chutney
> (M. Jaffrey say that this perky relish can be kept in the fridge to
> brighten up almost any meal...I can taste it on eggs)
> A pound of ripe toms peeled and chopped (About 1 3/4 C)
> 1 teaspoon grated ginger
> 1 teas mashed garlic pulp
> 1/2 teas turmeric
> 1/4 teas cayenne
> Put this in a bowl and reserve
>
> Heat 4 T oil (I used Mustard and only 2 T)
> Add 4 whole, peeled cloves of garlic and brown lightly.
> Add
> 1 teas cumin seed
> 1/2 teas black mustard seed
> 1/4 teas whole fenugreek seed
> stir once and then add
> 2 whole dried hot red peppers (I used one big tein tsin) HAVE THE FAN
> ON
> When the peppers have darkened and puffed up, add the reserved mixture
> above and don't breath the blast of steam.
> Cook, stirring a bit 10+ minutes until the mixture is 'dry' but not
> panting.
> Add 1/2 teas or so salt (ours needed 1 teas) and serve warm or chilled.
>
> Tamarind-mint Chutney
> This I make exactly how she says:
> 1 heaping T EACH of chopped cilantro and chopped mint
> 2 T chopped GUR (or brown sugar) (again, this is a cheap ingredient
> that
> keeps, and will make your Indian food more, well, 'Indian'.)
> 3/4 " peice of ginger minced
> 1/4 teas kala namak (black salt...very cheap and keeps well)
> 2/3 cup tamarind paste (I use the compressed bricks...break off about a
> cup of the brick and soak in enough warm water to cover and then some.
> Break the material up into small peices in the water and let soak at
> least 15 minutes. Rub the muck into a strainer with the back of a
> spoon,
> being sure to scrape a spoon on the bottom of the mesh to capture the
> thick muck.)
> 1/8 teas ground pepper, fine this time
> 1/8-1/4 teas cayenne
> 1 teas ground roasted cumin...place raw cumin seeds in a fry pan and
> heat over medium, shaking now and then (use no oil) until they darken
> and smell toasty. Grind in a mortar or under a rolling pin.
>
> Place all of the above in a blender and puree (I use the one cup
> attachment on the Oster Blender).
>
> Mint Chutney
> (the green one) Although Jaffrey has a recipe, we've never added the
> yougurt.
> 3/4 C cilantro chopped and firmly packed
> 1/2 C mint chopped and firmly packed
> 0-2 seranno chiles (I do seed these for fine texture) minced
> 1 T of lemon juice
> 1/2 teas salt (half of this if you use no chile I would gamble)
> Puree in blender as above. She add 3/4 C of yougurt which would make a
> significantly different dish
>
> The three chutney's above can be made well ahead, and the three
> colours,
> I think everyone will admit, were very nice together.



--
Using Opera's revolutionary e-mail client: http://www.opera.com/mail/

Thanks ever so much for the recipes. They sound great, especially the
dips. I'm not sure whether I can muster the energy and patience to make my
own pakora, much as I love the stuff. But the tip about the batter sounds
interesting. Maybe one could also incorporate the leaves into some flat
bread.




On Tue, 01 Mar 2005 20:05:41 -0800, kalanamak > wrote:

>> Last weekend, I cooked an Indian curry (Methi Murg). The recipe called
>> for
>> fenugreek and coriander. I assumed it was referring to fresh fenugreek
>> The question now is, what to do with the
>> rest. I have already given some to friends, but they don't really know
>> what to do with it either.
>
>> Karin
>
> From an old post from my previous existance, when I was married to an
> Indian who could really cook. I had methi pakora later with fresh
> leaves...very good. You don't have to dip any veggies, just add as much
> coarsely chopped fresh to the batter that will hang together when
> dropped in oil. To see what chutney's I usually serve it with, look at
> bottom of post.
> blacksalt
> <begin paste>
> All weekend TJ has been threatening me with a
> delight called methi
> pakora. We looked from fresh fenugreek leaf, but
> failing that we bought
> a 'brick' of it dried (whole, not powdered,
> which is also available).
> It's called kasuri methi when dried.
> This is what he did:
> Start with M. Jaffrey's pakora recipe
>
> 1 1/2 C chickpea flour or besan
> 3/4 teas salt
> 1/2 teas baking soda
> 1/4 teas (generous) of turmeric
> 1/2 teap ground cumin
> 1/2 teas ground coriander (for these two, I
> added a teas + of my garam
> masala...which has a healthy bit of both of
> these as a base)
> 3/4 teas whole ajwain or cumin. (We always use
> the ajwain...it gives an
> unusual undertone, and is a cheap seed that
> stores well...available at
> Penzey's)
> 1/4 teas ground black pepper
> 1/4 teas cayenne....(we add 1/2 or MORE...very
> important says tall TJ)
> She says sift, but we don't, just break up the
> clumps of besan and mix
> well with a fork. It travels very well in this
> form, and water can be
> added at the party.
> Beat in 1 1/4 C water until you have a smooth,
> thin batter.
> To this add the methi (to prepare it, measure
> about 3/4 cup into water
> and let soak for 10 minutes, squeeze out the
> extra water and beat into
> the above batter (TJ says it's better with fresh
> leaf, lightly chopped).
> To this add some potato cut into 1"x1"x 1/4"
> peices, onion about the
> same and some bell pepper about the same, in any
> ratio, until it's a
> coated mess that will *just* hold together as
> it's dropped in to hot oil
> in a wok or deep pan. Fry for a couple of
> minutes. Leave the veggies a
> bit crisp.
>
> THE DIPS
> ow for the chutneys, the red one, the brown one and the green one.
> Usha's Hot and Spicy Hyderabadi Tomato Chutney
> (M. Jaffrey say that this perky relish can be kept in the fridge to
> brighten up almost any meal...I can taste it on eggs)
> A pound of ripe toms peeled and chopped (About 1 3/4 C)
> 1 teaspoon grated ginger
> 1 teas mashed garlic pulp
> 1/2 teas turmeric
> 1/4 teas cayenne
> Put this in a bowl and reserve
>
> Heat 4 T oil (I used Mustard and only 2 T)
> Add 4 whole, peeled cloves of garlic and brown lightly.
> Add
> 1 teas cumin seed
> 1/2 teas black mustard seed
> 1/4 teas whole fenugreek seed
> stir once and then add
> 2 whole dried hot red peppers (I used one big tein tsin) HAVE THE FAN
> ON
> When the peppers have darkened and puffed up, add the reserved mixture
> above and don't breath the blast of steam.
> Cook, stirring a bit 10+ minutes until the mixture is 'dry' but not
> panting.
> Add 1/2 teas or so salt (ours needed 1 teas) and serve warm or chilled.
>
> Tamarind-mint Chutney
> This I make exactly how she says:
> 1 heaping T EACH of chopped cilantro and chopped mint
> 2 T chopped GUR (or brown sugar) (again, this is a cheap ingredient
> that
> keeps, and will make your Indian food more, well, 'Indian'.)
> 3/4 " peice of ginger minced
> 1/4 teas kala namak (black salt...very cheap and keeps well)
> 2/3 cup tamarind paste (I use the compressed bricks...break off about a
> cup of the brick and soak in enough warm water to cover and then some.
> Break the material up into small peices in the water and let soak at
> least 15 minutes. Rub the muck into a strainer with the back of a
> spoon,
> being sure to scrape a spoon on the bottom of the mesh to capture the
> thick muck.)
> 1/8 teas ground pepper, fine this time
> 1/8-1/4 teas cayenne
> 1 teas ground roasted cumin...place raw cumin seeds in a fry pan and
> heat over medium, shaking now and then (use no oil) until they darken
> and smell toasty. Grind in a mortar or under a rolling pin.
>
> Place all of the above in a blender and puree (I use the one cup
> attachment on the Oster Blender).
>
> Mint Chutney
> (the green one) Although Jaffrey has a recipe, we've never added the
> yougurt.
> 3/4 C cilantro chopped and firmly packed
> 1/2 C mint chopped and firmly packed
> 0-2 seranno chiles (I do seed these for fine texture) minced
> 1 T of lemon juice
> 1/2 teas salt (half of this if you use no chile I would gamble)
> Puree in blender as above. She add 3/4 C of yougurt which would make a
> significantly different dish
>
> The three chutney's above can be made well ahead, and the three
> colours,
> I think everyone will admit, were very nice together.



--
Using Opera's revolutionary e-mail client: http://www.opera.com/mail/

On Wed, 02 Mar 2005 13:55:34 +1000, Gregory Toomey >
wrote:

> Karin Hulsemann wrote:
snip

>> fenugreek and coriander. I assumed it was referring to fresh fenugreek
>> leaves and bought some. As many of you will undoubtedly know, Indian
snip
>> I would therefore be very grateful for some ideas.

>
> Although I grow coriander myself, the seeds are used for Indian curries
> along with fenugreek seeds, ground into a paste.
Yes, true. I have used the seeds before. I love the curry small of them.


> Coriander leaves are used in thai food, and I've never seen fenugreek
> leaves nor seen them in a recipe.
Here in the UK, the leaves are quite easy to get, even fresh ones. And I
don't even live in London. But, as you say, they just don't appear in any
recipes.

> gtoomey

Karin

On Wed, 02 Mar 2005 13:55:34 +1000, Gregory Toomey >
wrote:

> Karin Hulsemann wrote:
snip

>> fenugreek and coriander. I assumed it was referring to fresh fenugreek
>> leaves and bought some. As many of you will undoubtedly know, Indian
snip
>> I would therefore be very grateful for some ideas.

>
> Although I grow coriander myself, the seeds are used for Indian curries
> along with fenugreek seeds, ground into a paste.
Yes, true. I have used the seeds before. I love the curry small of them.


> Coriander leaves are used in thai food, and I've never seen fenugreek
> leaves nor seen them in a recipe.
Here in the UK, the leaves are quite easy to get, even fresh ones. And I
don't even live in London. But, as you say, they just don't appear in any
recipes.

> gtoomey

Karin

On Tue, 01 Mar 2005 23:20:33 GMT, barchetta > wrote:

> Fenugreek and coriander in the States for curries, refer to seeds and
> not fresh herbs.

This may well be so. But the book I was using a book written and published
in India. It's called Cooking with Indian Masters by J. Inder Singh Kalra
and Pradeep Das Gupta. It is a collection of recipes from restaurant and
hotel chefs in India, who, apparently were stung by constant criticism of
their profession, everyone basically saying only housewives are any good
at cooking real Indian food, and decided to refurbish their image. The
idea appealed to me, and so does the book. It has very detailed and
logical explanations of cooking methods and recipes, although I have only
tried the one.

To get back to the fenugreek leaves, it may well be that methi murg is
usually done with seeds, but it worked well with the leaves. I have since
thrown a handful of these into a pan of pork tenderloin cooked with
mushrooms and onions. That worked as well, although it's not exactly
Indian.

Any more ideas?
--
Karin

On Tue, 01 Mar 2005 23:20:33 GMT, barchetta > wrote:

> Fenugreek and coriander in the States for curries, refer to seeds and
> not fresh herbs.

This may well be so. But the book I was using a book written and published
in India. It's called Cooking with Indian Masters by J. Inder Singh Kalra
and Pradeep Das Gupta. It is a collection of recipes from restaurant and
hotel chefs in India, who, apparently were stung by constant criticism of
their profession, everyone basically saying only housewives are any good
at cooking real Indian food, and decided to refurbish their image. The
idea appealed to me, and so does the book. It has very detailed and
logical explanations of cooking methods and recipes, although I have only
tried the one.

To get back to the fenugreek leaves, it may well be that methi murg is
usually done with seeds, but it worked well with the leaves. I have since
thrown a handful of these into a pan of pork tenderloin cooked with
mushrooms and onions. That worked as well, although it's not exactly
Indian.

Any more ideas?
--
Karin

Karin Hulsemann wrote:
>
> Thanks ever so much for the recipes. They sound great, especially the
> dips. I'm not sure whether I can muster the energy and patience to make my
> own pakora, much as I love the stuff. But the tip about the batter sounds
> interesting. Maybe one could also incorporate the leaves into some flat
> bread.
>
The batter is really not hard to make. Don't cut up veggies, but just
make what USians call "fritters" with the batter mixed with leaves. Dip
in a commercial tamarind chutney.
I haven't seen methi naan...naan laced with chopped cilantro, yes, but
that is a leaf that is often eaten raw, and methi seems to be cooked.
Not sure if it would be done in flat bread. Possibly in a foccacia with
some garlic and garam masala mixed into the batter, although I am not a
huge fan of cross cultural recipes, having seen many teratomas
(monster-tumors) result in the enthusiastic coupling of divergent
cuisines.
blacksalt

"Karin Hulsemann" > wrote in message
newspsm0k1ubmya5y2q@frog...
> On Tue, 01 Mar 2005 23:20:33 GMT, barchetta > wrote:
>
> > Fenugreek and coriander in the States for curries, refer to seeds and
> > not fresh herbs.
>
> This may well be so. But the book I was using a book written and published
> in India. It's called Cooking with Indian Masters by J. Inder Singh Kalra
> and Pradeep Das Gupta. It is a collection of recipes from restaurant and
> hotel chefs in India, who, apparently were stung by constant criticism of
> their profession, everyone basically saying only housewives are any good
> at cooking real Indian food, and decided to refurbish their image. The
> idea appealed to me, and so does the book. It has very detailed and
> logical explanations of cooking methods and recipes, although I have only
> tried the one.
>
> To get back to the fenugreek leaves, it may well be that methi murg is
> usually done with seeds, but it worked well with the leaves. I have since
> thrown a handful of these into a pan of pork tenderloin cooked with
> mushrooms and onions. That worked as well, although it's not exactly
> Indian.
>
> Any more ideas?

more often than not, the reference to fenugreek leaves means dried leaves.
They dry well and easily, and retain much of their flavour. When dry (keep
on the stem) just rub the leaves off, and store in a jar. Very good added to
chicken gravy type curries, and a key component in chaat masala, a kind of
spicy salt mix.
Cheers
Wazza

wrote:
>Fenugreek and coriander in the States for curries, refer to seeds and
>not fresh herbs.

This is simply uninformed. Just as coriander leaf is cilantro, there is
methi leaf and seed, both having different cooking purposes. Methi
leaves are used as greens, while seeds are used in masaalas, pastes and
popped seed mixtures beginning many sauces.

Orlando

wrote:
>Fenugreek and coriander in the States for curries, refer to seeds and
>not fresh herbs.

This is simply uninformed. Just as coriander leaf is cilantro, there is
methi leaf and seed, both having different cooking purposes. Methi
leaves are used as greens, while seeds are used in masaalas, pastes and
popped seed mixtures beginning many sauces.

Orlando