Indian cockatil foods

Shroom,

If you can get your hands on all the spices you need you can have a blast.Wateli dal,
katachi aamti (sweet and sour curry) Sambhur,vegetatian tandoori paneer in green masala,curry chix in coconut milk,chix kolhapuri,hare masala ki murgi,lamb curry with coconut milk ,dried fruits and masala,arbi chaat salad,badani gosht lamb,
I do Indian theme events where I work a couple times of year. Shroom, If you are interested in some recipes for these or others let me know, I have a lot of chutneys recipes and salads and a few dessert,duls and puls etc.
cc

If you're doing Indian, but you don't want to be too "ethnic", as it were, the things that come to mind for me are naan (like you said), pappadum with dal (no, that's not too weird), raita, chicken tikka, definitely basmati rice, skewered shrimp that you maentioned, with onions, cherry tomatoes, and green bell pepper, and your dessert sounds unique. Have you ever made kulfi? I never have, but man is it good. And I believe it's pretty easy.

No comment on the Baklava :p .

The punch sounds really refreshing. And is there anything quite as delicious as homemade pita with hummus? Sounds fab, shroomgirl.

Shroom,

everything sounds tasty!

how about some tyropita
Keftedes
meat ball avgolemono
melititzanes papoutsakia (stuffed eggplant)
artichoke salad (aginanes salata)
eharithesme (baked shrimp with feta)
souvlaki (lamb,chicken ,pork)

Hey put some oregano in your hummis...then you can call it "greek"
heres something funky.

How about a fondue made with resin wine,chix stock and feta? then dip with pita,tomatoes,rice balls,olives,artichokes?
I know wierd huh.

Anyhow
keep us posted :)
cc

Heh, I knew that sounded nasty!!!

I just read about green garlic but I can't remember where I saw it.
cc

You know, cape chef, you heretic cook you, I have made this once to introduce a lovely individual to the greek taste :p

Too bad that back then I was young and innocent and therefore not cynical at all , otherwise I would have stirred in this fondue some pine leaves....so as this guy had a total taste of greek spirit AND temper. :)

I found this post while searching old threads about fondue because I am working on an article about it.

Ambitious

wow, this is interesting. I am pakistani and new at the chef thing, but i was thinking you could make keer (rice pudding).

Brewat(sp)
Seasoned gound lamb in phyllo
Lamb patties topped with cukes, tomatoes and onion in a spiced yogurt.
Crepes fillied with chutney and grilled cnicken(dredged in a slurry of oil, honey and curry powder) tied into a package with a wilted green onion.
britt

My friend Suvir Saran has a recipe in his book Indian Home cooking for a chai pot de creme -- it is sooooooooooo wonderful!

And a couple of weeks ago I was lucky enough to be invited to a henna party at the home of an Indian friend. She had the most wonderful little things to nibble. One of the best was little hollow pastry cases filled with spicy vegetables -- you pour a very liquidy chutney in and then pop the whole thing in your mouth. The trick was to eat it without spilling anything all over you. :p She said that sometimes she pours in rum -- wow! That's some shooter. :D

Indian Snacks = Chaat

If you are still looking to round this out - try looking up Indian Chaat

Some ideas might include

the puffy rice or chickpea "logs" (available like potato chips in bags in the Indian Groceries - look up Patel Brothers they are a nationwide chain of Indian Grocery Stores and have a great range of fresh and prepared products) mixed with yogurt, small chunks of boiled potato, tamarind chutney and cilantro chutney - kick it up a notch and serve in a martini glass (cannt be mixed ahead of time or the chips get too soggy.

this could also be served on an endive leaf or on an asian spoon or an edible spoon or a wonton lotus cup.

skewered tandoori rubbed grilled shrimp with cilantro coconut chutney

also coconut chutney which is southern indian is really good - look up kerala foods (a region in southern india)

what about a marsala dosai quesadilla - mashed potatoes (chunky with roasted garlic, caramelized onions and cilantro-coconut chutney. You can also buy the mix to make the dosai pancakes which I believe use chickpea flour, but we have used whole wheat tortillas and that works well too.

If you can find a vegetarian indian buffet near you (OK we live in NYC and have the advantage of a little india to research from) you will find lots of interesting ideas that are not the traditional tandoori chicken - although tandoori chicken drummers (drum sticks) work well too.

Also baby lamb chops marinated in yogurt, cinnamon, cardamom, garlic, ginger, etc make a nice upscale lamb lollipop and is very palatible to the american taste.