The title of this post is wrong in so many ways and the least of which is the non-existence of Bombay. It isnt like Bombay disappeared or anything its that it underwent a name change and it is now Mumbai. Dont ask me how this stuff happens and I can tell you we have a little of that going on right here in NYC, every now and again an avenue gets a 'token' name for awhile but it is never a permanent name change like the Bombay-Mumbai thing and I am not even going to begin to try and understand it.
What I will try and understand is the cuisine and I have been trying to understand it for many years now and I feel confident in telling you that I have barely scratched the surface. I dont know the names of all the language dialects. I dont know the breakdown of the caste system. I dont know diddly squat really but I do like to make curries and masalas.
I heat up the spice mixture until it is aromatic. I get all of my spices from a Pakistani grocery store on 1st and sixth here in Manhattan, I have been shopping at this same location for years and years. This store has big bags of nuts and legumes and masalas and curries and jars and jars of ghee and coconut and tandoori mixes and chutney and on and on and on. Sometimes when I am feeling particularly 'local' I order a couple of handmade paans, the guy wraps them on the spot as you order. The paan thing is like an insider trading deal - not everyone knows about it.
After the spices are perfect I add ghee and the poached chicken and the stock that I poached the chicken in. I let this simmer a bit then I add coconut milk and a little cream right before serving with some fluffy basmati rice. I dont know how authentic the recipe or process is but the flavor is spot on.
I made the 'graduate' a special cake - the older he gets the more 'free form' the decoration gets. A couple years ago his birthday cake looked like this and before that it looked like this. So, while this was not a birthday cake it was very relaxed in its decor. This is a flourless chocolate cake with chocolate sauce.
49 comments:
That cake looks amazing!
What a great store you have near you with all those fancy spices!
I finally found out what ghee is, although I haven't used it in anything yet...
Your dish looks amazing!
That curry just looks beautiful!
Wow the curry looks awesome! Must have gone well with the rice! Great to hear that you have a store nearby having all the spices. Addition to any dish makes it so flavourful! Loved the birthday cake too!
that curry sounds super good!! I love anything with coconut milk. I don't understand how a city can just up and change its name either though. Confusing!!!
nice looking cake. I've rarely made one that's flourless.
It's nice that you have a wide variety of sources for exotic flavorings. I'm not so exotic, myself; I think ginger and garlic are as wild and flavorful as I can get!
And I never try to keep up with name changes. They always change to something else anyway.
Wow...Nice job on the curry. i love curries and masalas, but have yet to try to attempt at making one. I shall one day.
Awesome cake too. I love the skull impression as the design. Very avant-garde!
Your dishes are always presented so beautifully!
Don't you just love those markets? I can get lost in them for hours. I don't know which I want more, your curry or the cake. Congrats to the graduate! :)
I LOVE LOVE LOVE flourless chocolate cake!
@ LK... a few years ago, The Bronx was renamed Bronx.
It still doesnt stick though.
"Hi, im from Bronx"
vs. "Hi, Im from THE Bronx"
I personally like the latter
The name bombay express is making me nostalgic ......and i'm speechless with the creations! Both the dishes look fantastic!!
That cake is soooo tempting!!!
Houston had such great multi-culti restaurants. I really miss that. This looks fantastic...again, you make my mouth water!
Congratulations to the graduate!
Cake looks good, I'm also intrigued by the curry. This is my first year really trying lots of different curries--I'm still trying to get over my fear of the generally long spice ingredient list.
Meal and cake looked darn good! I haven't done a lot with curry, but I know where I can get the spices in town...
Firstly,that's quite a nice 'rangoli' design-I'm impressed!!
Secondly-YOU and "paan"???!!Who'd have ever thought ;) BTW,do you eat the 'meetha'(sweet) paan with gulkhand or is it the one with tobacco?In India,I used to love eating the meeta paan(no beetle nut,mind you).Every saturday after dinner,we would walk up to the local paanwala(person who sells paan)and order for it-haven't eaten one in over a year!!
P.S: Legend has it that Mumbai was named after the goddess "Mumba devi",then the Brits landed and anglicized the name to "Bombay"(I grew up in Bombay and still refer to it as Bombay). I guess the Indian politicians can't find more important issues than re-naming cities and roads!!
How about some Bombay Gin?
what is masalas and ghee??
Wow! You really do like to "paint" a dish. Looks just a tad overpainted in my humble, brutally honest opinion. Wouldn't stop me from digging in and messing it all up, that's for sure!
Curry with rice?! Now that's something I'm really familiar with.
I want you, in my kitchen. NOW, please! That curry just looks SO glorious!!
And that cake? Do you do cake delivery?
Everything you make is so beautiful. Even if I don't like some of the ingredients, I just want to taste it anyway!!
--snow
Do you make ghee or buy it? Just wondering...
This looks soo appetizing. And if it's Indian, you know you've got me hooked! lol
I love Indian food but have not delved into cooking it. I don't understand it, either. It seems so complex. The chicken looks good - if the flavors there your doing something right. What a decadent cake! Love the rattlesnake & the pirate!
Wow this looks so yummy and full of flavors.
The name Bombay express got me here..first time here...
Both look fantastic...the cakes looks absolutely gorgeous..
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i wish there is a store near my place with all these spices. never tried any gravy with ghee. must try this curry for lunch as soon i get hand with all these spices :) yours sound delish as well as the yummy cake.
cheers!!
Beautiful plating of the meal! Gorgeous colors!
Flourless chocolate cakes are one of my favorites. You are always such a tease with desserts.. still waiting on the buttercream cake recipe..
This is seriously the prettiest curry I've ever seen! Love the chocolate cake too!
That shop on 6th is just plain amazing! Every time I pass by, I stop just to smell all of the spices!
Your foods are always so colorful and artfully presented. I love visiting Pakistani/Indian grocery stores too, especially when I find myself in an eating rut. Every trip always inspires me to make something different.
I can almost smell the spices! I live in fear of cooking Indian food because I've botched it several times. I need more practice.
The cake lokos so yummy, I'm sure I wouldn't even notice the decoration! Plus, creative is good!
This curry looks outstanding. the cuisine fromt eh subcontinent is a whole expertise on its own... there's so much to learn that I doubt anyone that isn't born there can master it. So my approach is to master a couple of dishes! I love coconut milk in curries! Delicious!
wow! you make indian food?!?! i'm very impressed. it's so colorful and gorgeous.
and that cake, oh dear oh dear.
Wow! Fabulous That curry looks so Fabulous:)
Thanks for sharing your recipe:)
Have a great Day!
It all looks great. Love the sauce and I would definitely head straight to the cake!
am hooked to that first pic..looks like some exotic Thai dish..wow!
What a fun store to shop! If this tastes half as good as it looks then it is a treat indeed!
OMG, doggyblogg, what an amazing looking dish. Your creativity really impresses me. Kudos my friend.
As always, a master piece. how i wish you were my neighbor. We will trade food. :)
I would really want some of that chicken, and a bit of the cake. I think I just tasted it in my mouth!
Book me a first class ticket on the express! That first photograph is outstanding! And save a piece of that cake for me.
Love the cake!
This is beautiful!
This just may be the best looking post you have ever done! I have no idea what that stuff was before I read about it, but I damn sure wanted it!!!
And the cake? Let's just say, I'm freaking starving!
That curry dish arrangement looks so cool. How long did it take you to line all those up? I hope you food did not get too cold when setting it up for photos. Ours always does. Food blogging come with a price... one must make two plates: one for photos and one for eating(that stays hot). The cake is cool too. I like the skull — kick ass!
I could spend entire days in a shop like that! Wow! And this curry sounds fab! Gotta try and piece together your recipe. And the cake looks outrageous!
The curry presentation is beyond outstanding! But even without the artful arrangement, your dish is amazing in every way. Indian cooking has always intimidated me because of the spice mixtures - there always seems to be a long list of ingredients and I don't trust myself to know what flavors I should be trying to achieve. I suppose the remedy for that is to eat as much good Indian food as I can to get the hang of it!
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