Looking for a reliable Indian Recipe Website

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larry_stewart

Master Chef
Joined
Dec 25, 2006
Messages
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Location
Long Island, New York
Hi,

My usual go-to website for Indian recipes is Manjula's Kitchen. I've had very good success with her recipes, but I am looking to mix things up a bit and try new recipes.

I unfortunately stumbled upon another website last week, and I failed miserably. Edible, but not good. ( If it was one dish I'd blame it on myself, but two dishes is not coincidental).

Anyway, I can search and find many, but Im more interested if any of you have websites that you have tried and liked their recipes.

thanks In advance
 
So, Larry, which website was it you did not like? I checked out Munjula's Kitchen way back, and was not impressed with it when I checked out the garam masala recipe - one with all "raw" spices, which is something I don't like, so I didn't go back.

Here are a couple sites I find authentic recipes on. Sometimes too authentic - FI, adding whole spices, such as cloves and cardamom, to some dishes, in which you have to find them while eating. While Indians are used to this, I only do this with peppers and bay leaves, and smaller things I put in a small tea strainer - easier to remove this way. The first one has some really good masala recipes, but the instructions are often for Indians, in India - setting the spices out in the sun for several days, which is their way of toasting them! But I just have to adjust them for here. Also, some things they use different names for, one being caraway seeds. Took a bit of research, but I found out that when they say caraway, they don't mean regular or black caraway, but shahjeerah, or royal cumin. This is the only one I couldn't find an explanation for on the link, however.

Both have some non-Indian recipes, but I haven't tried any of the Szechwan dishes, which I saw a number of. However, they have some vegan sweetbreads that I've made a couple of, with no butter or eggs.
https://www.vegrecipesofindia.com

https://hebbarskitchen.com
 
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https://www.indianhealthyrecipes.com/recipes/

Was the site that I wasn't impressed with. The pics looked great, but the end product just didn't work out. If It was one recipe I'd blame myself, but 2 for 2 makes me thing something else was involved ( since I usually have pretty good luck with Indian recipes, and Im usually pretty good at scouting them out just by reading the recipe. Obviously, this must have been a bad day for me :) ). That being said, the pics on the side were nice, so maybe the visual outweighed my my impressions after reading the recipes. Anyway, the past is the past.

My first mistake was probably going to a site that says " Healthy Recipes" in its title. In most cases with most cuisines, I prefer too go to authentic basic recipes, and I do the health, vegetarian or vegan conversions myself. I feel that I can make the changes and substitutions better to my liking ( in most cases) than a recipe that has already attempted to make changes. Ive been 'Veganizing' ( if such word even exists) recipes for decades with relatively good success. These days , there are better products to substitute with so things are a little easier. But again, I prefer starting authentic and working my way backwards. This way, at least I know what im starting with and have a good idea of where Ill go. When doing it backwards, or relying on a recipe that someone may have made changes ( away from authentic) already, I find these recipes to turn out tasting ' empty' or for lack of better words ' blah'. and then I have to scramble at the end to try and make it taste edible.

For these reasons is why many times, when I ask on the DC forum for certain recipes, Ill often ask for regular recipes ( meat, dairy included ...) just so I can get an Idea in advance, and work backwards with my changes and substitutions. Although its been years ( decades), I have eaten meat in the past, so I usually have an idea what taste/ texture Im trying too strive for ( knowing it is rarely if ever possible to duplicate, but at least to make something along the same lines). In addition, just as no one would ask me too cook a steak for them since my experience is non existent ( although after all the shows and demos ive seen along with what Ive read, I'd probably do a halfway decent job). I dont expect people who are not familiar with vegetarian / vegan substitutions to make such adjustments for men. Alway open for suggestions, but I kinda consider it my specialty.

(Sorry for rambling, just early in the morning and I guess I have a lot to say with little distractions at this time)

Anyway, thanks for the suggestions Ill check them out later. Ive already told my wife (Immediately after eating those two failures last week) That we are definitely having Indian again this week so I can redeem myself. Kinda like falling oof a bike and getting right back on it again.

As far as manjula's goes, Ive had relatively good success with a bunch of her recipes. I do understand the whole spice thing. Biting Into a whole cardamom or clove is not the most pleasant thing in the world. I usually make sure I remember the count, so when Im eating the dish, once I reach the added amount, I know I dont have to worry about finding another one. Almost like a game lol .

And on a final note, the one thing that annoyed me the most, was not that the dishes came out fair at best. We all have a few rotten eggs. But one of the dishes was potato based, and I used potatoes I harvested from the garden. I hate wasting food in general, But its even worse when its something you grew in the garden and it comes out bad. Im sure you understand. Not that I want anything to taste like crap in general nor do I want to waste any food, but especially not something Ive grown.
 
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