I have no scientific or genealogical evidence to prove this theory but I do have a strong feeling that my stomach originated in the country of India. When I was pregnant with Laylee, the only food I enjoyed and could consistently keep down was Indian food from my favorite restauraunt.
I would like to stop at this juncture and give a shout out to the Bombay House Indian restaurant on University Ave in Provo, UT. Can I get a “Whoop, whoop!”? I do not think I can over-emphasize their role in my healthy pregnancy.
When we moved to Washingtonia, I greatly mourned the loss of this fabulous eatery. Then Real Simple got several hundred chefs from around the US to vote on the best cookbooks representing the foods from various countries. I rushed to the library and got the one they suggested for Indian Cooking. After a couple of weeks of dining ecstacy, I purchased the book and have loved everything I’ve made from it.
Jessica, in answer to your question:
“I love indian food but can only find really lousy recipes. Do you have any good ones?”
I have two words for you — Madhur Jaffrey. Everything in this book is absolutely fabulous. The Rogan Josh is our favorite, served with Aromatic Yellow Rice and Gujerati-style carrots and cabbage. One little hint: fresh green coriander = cilantro. That took me weeks to figure out. None of the grocery stores around had ever heard of it and she uses it in a lot of her recipes. I finally found a produce guy at an upscale store who looked at me like I was a moron and said, “It’s right over there….cilantro.”
Indian food is just the best. And I totally agree with you on madhur jaffery. Her books and recipes are excellent. I wish she had a website with some of her recipes. I also recently found another great book: Indian Home Cooking, by Suvir Saran.
We are part Indian too!
But native American Indian.
My Indian name is She Who Solves All.
Middle is Trips On Lint.
My brother is Stands With A Fork.
we also like curries and kori…
I can vouch for the Rogan Josh. Wow!
In fact, Kathryn very modestly did not mention this, but her Rogan Josh has been eaten by actual Sari-wearing Indian people and highly praised. It is GOOD!
She also didn’t mention that she frequently substitutes beef for the lamb, which is a little easier on the American pantry, and is just as good.
I’m still waiting for someone to enlighten me on what “edamame” is.
“Can I get a whoop-woop”. Oh yes, we’ll definitely have to plan our sequined haltar wearing nights carefully.
Oooh, I love me some Indian food. Actually, the first place I ever tried it was MJ’s restaurant, Dawat, in NYC. But I have to give mad props to Haandi in Falls Church, VA.
Thanks for the tip on the cookbook. My husband can’t get enough Indian food, so I added the book to my wish list and will pick it up…someday. Too bad we don’t have an Indian restaurant in town. As for Bombay House, Tim and I stopped there on our way to catch a flight out of SLC the first time I met his parents. We ended up in the hospital, me holding the bucket for my recently acquired boyfriend, so he could throw up in it. That’s how you know it’s love! Anyway, we figure it was actually a sensitivity to the raw fennel seeds they served as breath mints, and not food poisoning. But we now have some, uh, fond memories of the place.
Moonface – thanks for the tip.
Oh Anna, that is SAD! I never take the fennel. Too weird for me. Now I’m gladdened by that decision and saddened by yours.
Karen, Edamame is the whole form of a soybean. What I bought were the beans still in the pods. It’s supposed to be a healthful snack. We have yet to determine if it tastes any good.
Ooooooo… Bombay House!
Too bad my husband doesn’t eat, well, ANYTHING in the vegetable, spice or meat families. Sometimes I just take my ownself down there and get jasmin rice to go and then roll in it before I eat it.
Aaaaaahhhhhhhhh.
ooh, a note on the edamame —
you know that you put the whole pod in your mouth, extract the beans inside and then remove the pod for disposal, right?
As I said previously, I was just pretending to be chic, cool and healthy. This is the first time I’ve purchased it and I had no idea how to eat it as a “healthy snack.” Thanks BB.
Thanks so much for the recipe info! I feel so important – insiring an entire daring young mom post.
As for being chic, cool, and healthy-sounding… If you can’t seem to choke down whole soybeans (pods or no), just start calling your carrot sticks crudités and consider yourself hip!
She really does make the best Indian food in all the land. I can vouch for it. Even pregnant and pukey, I loved the Rogan Josh!
Thanks for the good laugh!
I can so relate. I was raised in Normaltown, Minnesota to a meat-and-potatoes family. Ergo, my love of Indian food is freakish to them. C’est la vie.
Some friends and I have been operating an Indian spice blog this fall ~ called Naughty Curry due to its untraditional bent. . .:)