What's For Dinner #102 - the Out With the Old Edition - January 2024

Fresh methi has a pretty short shelf life. Depending on your planned use, take a look in the freezer section too. (Fresh has a much milder flavor than dried/kasuri.)

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Aldi! I prefer it to the Italian prosciutto.

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I prefer the dryer speck (and San Daniele) over prosciutto di Parma as well.

Malwani chicken (potatoes for mom) – a coconut-based gravy with a complex spice mix (that @Amandarama is the reigning expert at around HO :smiley:).

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Masoor pulao / biryani – whole brown lentils are considered a meat substitute by some Indian meat-eating communities, so this is prepared using the same method as a meat or kheema biryani / pulao.

I went a bit loco on the papad front (I love me my papads), frying up a selection in addition to my usual microwave method for the ones that should normally be fried, because I had a kadai of oil going already from frying potato and onion bhajiyas at teatime. (‘Twas my dear late grandad’s birthday today, so in line with our family ritual of eating things people love(d) to celebrate them, there was a small batch of bhajiyas, because he was the OG Bhajiya Guy. Every Saturday was Bhajiya Day, with my grandmom supervising a massive fry-up at lunchtime for everyone at home and everyone who visited over the course of the weekend because they knew there would be bhajiyas on offer :smiley:.)

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@Saregama I love reading your posts about the foods you prepare for your family and the memories associated with them. Thank you for sharing.

One of our chefs here in Ottawa has two cookbooks under his belt and one of them has a recipe for masoor pulao that I’ve had my eye on for ages and am determined to put it on my menu one of these days. He is actually having a beeryani (deliberately misspelled) festival this weekend since he will be pairing biryanis with some local craft beer (hence beeryani) or the non alcoholic beverage of your choice. I will be going tomorrow night and I am very excited. All of the beers and biryanis look good and they have the best mango lassi in Ottawa IMHO. I now have 24 hours to decide what to eat and drink :grinning: The restaurant I will be going to is called Thali (and yes I have had their thali and it was very good).

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Awww :blush:

Your meal looks delicious! The padpad reminds me that Maunika Gowardhan has a curry for using up leftover ones: Rajasthani Padpad ki Sabji. Ones of these days I will make enough to have leftovers to make this!

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Good to be aware of! Thanks!

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It’s hard to find okra close by so every so often I take a ride to my favorite Indian grocery store in Edison, NJ to pick some up. My plan was to make my usual bhindi masala and saag paneer but came across a recipe for sautéed okra with paneer. The recipe had a variation with peas so I threw some in. It was ok but a little flat so I added a bunch more spice than the recipe originally called for.

Served with patra - colocasia leaves rolled with chickpea flour and spices. We bought it the first time after watching a women buy ten boxes at the market. We figured we’d try it and now keep a few boxes in the freezer. After heating up the patra the rolls are sautéed with mustard seeds, cumin seeds, shredded coconut, asafoetida, and curry leaves. I always use way more curry leaves than called for as I love them.

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Au Pied de Cochon (Montreal) tourtière, a frozen one shipped to Toronto.

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How strange, mine does not.

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I used up some odds and ends to make a chipotle and bell pepper studded yellow eye bean and rice pilaf. I topped it with some roasted cod and its cooking juices. The last of the rice and beans will be lunches tomorrow.

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Green chile turkey burger, couscous, and roasted green beans

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Blackened BC king salmon. Caesar salad with homemade dressing and croutons.

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I remember a trip DH & I took a long time ago - we flew from Boston to San Fransisco and spent a week driving up the Pacific Coast ending in Coos Bay Oregon and then back down inland stopping at Crater Lake and redwood National forests. We camped in a pup tent the whole trip (told you it was a long time ago!!) I ate king salmon every single chance I got . Haven’t had it since. That looks so delicious!

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We went charter fishing in BC last summer, and had a good trip. We brought home enough king salmon to fill our freezer with filets to last a year.

I like an Alaskan sockeye as well, when we can get them. Silvers, too, if that’s the season.

I don’t think anything beats a fresh wild salmon, but I won’t say no to filling my freezer when the opportunity arises.

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Oh same here, speck alll day.

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I made pulled chicken BBQ sammies on ww buns with cole slaw. The kiddo went crazy for both! I’ll take it.

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I miss salmon .I wont buy farmed raised . Where i live i gaze at the fish at the meat counter . It looks so dry I would probably use it as sandals walking in the desert. That poor fish .

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Stew with kielbasa, chorizo, red onions, red peppers, garlic, potatoes, diced tomatoes and smoked paprika.

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Thank you for your kind words, @ottawaoperadiva.

That festival sounds like fun! Interesting biryanis too. Hope you’ll be able to try a few (if it were me eating alone, I’d probably get the lamb shank because it’s so classic, or the duck, because I’ve never encountered it in biryani).

Enjoy, and do share what you thought of it.

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