--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "curtisdeltablues" <curtisdeltabl...@...> wrote: > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "shempmcgurk" <shempmcgurk@> > wrote: > > > > I suppose the most exotic place I've ever been (aside from certain > > parts of New Jersey) is India. > > > > And the most exotic street foods (or junk foods) I saw and tasted > > while there were Masala Dosa and Onion Bhajis. > > > > The Masala Dosa was incredible. A southern Indian dish, I was > > exposed to it while in northern India, in Kashmir while on a one- > > month TM course there in '81. It's a crepe-type pancake made from a > > flour of ground-up rice and chick peas, rolled up over a potato curry > > or something with a coconut chutney (optional) smothered on the > > outside, accompanied with (or poured over the top) an onion soup like > > broth (the name of which escapes me at the moment. Cost: 1 1/2 > > rupees (well, that was in '81 which at the time equalled about 15 > > cents American). We tried to have 2 or 3 a day. > > > I am certified South Indian food nut. I have spent years perfecting > Idly (steamed cakes) masala dosas and Sambar, the soup you mentioned. > > Here are some details. The batter for Idly and dosa is a specific > kind of rice (not basmati) and split Urid dhal. It has specific > properties than make it work. Sambar is made of Tur dhal a larger > split pea. The secret of great Sambar is roasting your whole coriander > before grinding it and toasting dried coconut. It needs tamarind for > the sour taste and hing instead of garlic. The batter for idly and > dosa has to be fermented for a few days to get sour. You have to soak > and grind the 2/3 rice(coarsely) and 1/3 urid dhal (finely) separately > and then combine them to ferment. I have a great Indian store that > sells the freshly made batter so I rarely make it from scratch these > days. If you use a powdered instant mix use yogurt instead of the > water from the recipe on the box to approximate the sour of freshly > made batter. On last obsessive detail. You fry uncooked split urid > dhal till they brown, with your mustard seeds to add to your coconut > chutney. >
Thanks for the great detailed description of how it's done, Curtis! ...which invokes a fantasy I've entertained from time to time. It comes up whenever the "rat race" gets me down. I fantasize having a "push cart" offering something exotic -- like Masala Dosa -- which I've perfected cooking and which I offer in some urban area like New York or Washington, D.C. And I make it so good that I can replicate for the customers off the street that come by my push cart the same "eureka!" experience I had whenever I first came across the dish. Masala Dosa is a perfect example; a discovery that I felt no one else from my culture had yet experienced. Souvlaki is a good example. It's very common everywhere now but until the '70s it wasn't anywhere except, perhaps, some parts of New York. Someone "discovered" it (although it was common place in Greece) and then it took off. Same with pizza. How many places had a pizza parlour prior to the '30s or '40s? > > > > > > > The Onion Bhajis used to be piled high in those stalls that are found > > one after the other in a marketplace. Love 'em. Fried food at its > > best. Onions in what I assume is a gram flour (chick pea flour) that > > is deep-fried. Mmmmmmm Campbell Soup Good! > > > > Locally here in Arizona they have Indian Fry Bread which, when done > > properly, is delicious. It appears to be bread dough deep- fried. > > That's it. Back in Canada they used to call it Beaver Ears or > > something like that. > > > > And in Quebec they have Poutine, which is French Fries with curd > > cheese and gravy poured over the top. > > > > So, what are YOUR favourite junk foods of the world? > > >
