Is this typically made this time of year?
You’ll find this funny… I was looking up mandel bread and typed mandE without the L - who knew there’s a south asian bread by that name 
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In my family mandel bread was made at Thanksgiving and as part of the cookie collective around Christmas and Chanukkah. As a blended family, favorites from every background are made and mandel bread was always a favorite. My sister and I would be handed a bag of whole walnuts and meat cracking tools and see who could crack the most walnuts for our GGrandmother to use. My brother would sift out the shells. By the time the dough was made, the baking and slicing was done we were back from playing and putting two dozen in each holiday box. GGrandma made dozens at one time. They freeze well too. My other GGrandmother made anise cookies and pignoli, my grandfather made fried dough with conf sugar and my GAunt made the rugelach. As we all got older, married had our kids the list of baked holiday favorites grew but mandel bread is everyones favorite.
I am fairly certain I have had mande roti in several variations. I recall it being like a Indian crepe, served immediately to be eaten warm.
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Great memories! We use to crack walnuts in the door joint… it was great fun
Meanwhile, I have never had (or seen) mande bread/roti… though I don’t like sweet rotis like peshawari naan either, maybe that’s why I never noticed it… I do love roomali, way more than naan. It’s a pity no one makes it here (though I noticed it’s now available frozen).
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In Iselin, NJ at one of the larger Indian markets they have half the store devoted to frozen prepared foods. The roti I had was sold fresh in a stacked packet though not frozen. All the ingredients to make them are avail. at the market.
Its tricky to keep track of which is which specialty, one slight variation is all it takes for a name change, like most regional, traditional recipes. I must say for the 30 plus years i have enjoyed Indian food, I have never been bored. My first exposure was through a friend who had married an Indian and was so eager to learn how to prepare food she would throw parties just to test stuff out and practice. That was years before i ever dined in a Indian restaurant.
Yeah, the frozen roomali is made by Haldiram. I have to try it soon. Though I don’t know why I didn’t just bring it back on my last visit, duh.
I generally find the frozen breads better/more authentic than the fresh, but you have to check the ingredients to make sure there aren’t preservatives.
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I am sooooooo behind.
Kicking off with the kids’ favorite sweet: magaj aka besan laddoos ie gram flour fudge.
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Those look delicious! I have been way too busy to do any special cooking lately - even Halloween didn’t get much of a nod. And I haven’t even begun to think about Thanksgiving, although I don’t think we are going to be having any guests this year, for the first time in forever. If it is just the three of us (me, DH and his adult daughter), I will make a non-turkey main for sure - DH and DSD aren’t that into turkey, and I loathe it except for the skin. Possibly the sous vide pork belly porchetta from Serious Eats - I have been meaning to try it for ages! https://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2011/12/the-food-lab-deep-fried-sous-vide-36-hour-all-belly-porchetta.html
DH will insist upon mashed potatoes, gravy and stuffing, though, so I may roast some turkey parts for stock and sandwiches. And as always, there will be pie. Usually I make apple, pumpkin and cherry, but I wasn’t able to go sour cherry picking this year so that’s out. No need for three pies with just three of us anyway!
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WF sells “carcasses” and parts starting the day before or day of - basically what remains after they’ve taken off the breasts for people just roasting that. Really inexpensive for stock/soup and a ton of meat.
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I wish we didn’t have turkey as the only protein… I end up eating mostly sides for the main meal, and a sandwich later. Turkey soup and turkey curry made from leftovers are much tastier than the main event 
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Saregama,
I kind agree with the turkey protein… several years ago, we decided to add another protein and we took a straw poll and we came away with brisket. We were 18 people, mostly adults and grown children. We then asked for three volunteers…We had a oldtimer like me and two of the 20 something young’ns…
It was not a disaster but very interesting. We had a old fashioned eastern European brisket, made in the oven with a tomato, onion, and coffee and some red wine.
Next up was a whole brisket that was cooked completely over a grill for umpteenth hours, seasoned with only salt and pepper, sliced at the table.
The third was simply made by browning the meat, adding some red wine then a bottle or two of Kraft barbecue sauce!!! (your eyes are ok)…
I did the whole brisket on the grill /smoker…the winner the barbecue sauce brisket…go tell???
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Sounds good!
Aw, I would have voted for yours for sure!
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We always had turkey, ham, and a wild rice casserole made with roast beef and mushrooms. Since we’ve lived in Oregon we’ve tried to include Dungeness crab 
Meat for days 
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Big Sunday catch up session as I have been pretty delinquent…
I made three savory snacks and a sweet one - all in puri / fried cracker form.
- Suvali - sweet, lightly flavored with cardamom
- Farsi puri - salty, with lots of cracked pepper and a bit of cumin
- Goba puri - similar to the one above but thicker
- Masala puri - standard inclusion as a family favorite
Lot of dough. Lot of rolling/pressing. Lot of frying. One kid asked: why are you making SO MANY? I said: how many do you eat at a time? He said: 2 (he ate 8 this afternoon). I said: 
then asked him to help me up from the floor.
Rasmalai - ricotta cheese balls soaked in milk/cream - also made at home to take elsewhere.
Fun with swiping pics again
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Our family Thanksgiving was discussed at length during our Halloween fun last wknd. Meal discussion has quickly continued on txt with pics, recipe links and votes. I’m leaving the final decision to my grandmother, Aunt and my wife (I’m no fool) but I hope it includes a wild rice chestnut stuffing, beet soup and my brothers baked whole fish. I enjoy the traditional foods too but I look forward to those wildcard foods more. I’ve been asked to roast a veg medley and then to focus on getting the house, yard and bar organized…in other words…holiday time is my wifes domain. 
So far the grub list circulating on txt is shaping up:
Turkey, parts roasted not a whole bird
While baked fish w lemongrass butter
Roasted B sprouts with lemony dip
Beet soup
Roasted veg medley with tahini drizzle
Wild rice chestnut stuffing
Foccacia olive and rosemary
Pumpkin something…
Cookie collective
Poached pears
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Wow !!!
Dan, did you say your grandmother?
Yes. Grandma B is nearly 90. Still maintains her ranch home, cooks, bakes and joins me for pizza dinner monthly. She and my Aunt are the only elders left.
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That is absolutely awesome!.. Give’m and extra helping of turkey for me!!!
