Cooking & Baking
Related: About this forumWhat's for Dinner, Wed., Aug. 27, 2025
Everything is Indian is a colorful cookbook by Justin Narayan, who has Figian-Indian heritage. I checked it out from the library because I a) like Indian food; b) was so attracted to the cookbook's liveliness and color.Every page is a different color! There are many photographs, too, not only of the dishes, but with the author and his family. Some are very funny, like one with his Dad. There are 90 recipes in the book, many of them family recipes. He will sometimes tell little stories about the particular recipe and the cook in the family who made it.
From this I decided to make Dhal Bhat. Dhal Bhat has red and yellow lentils, turmeric, tomato, carrot, onion, garlic, cumin and fennel seeds. From the pictures online and in his book, it looks like the kind of dish where you have the dahl bhat, but you flavor it with different items, such as coriander chutney, pickled onion, or some rice (basmati).

The only ingredient I don't have is the bird's eye chili. If I'm by the greengrocer today, though, I can maybe get one there. They look like this:

I'm making coriander chutney, too.
We have an Ethiopian restaurant in the next town over that has similar dishes. I love dining like this. Every bite, depending on how you combine it with a condiment, is like a different dish.

Attilatheblond
(7,011 posts)justaprogressive
(5,259 posts)Always looking for great salsa recipes!
(Used to make 5gal at a time for a restaurant )
Attilatheblond
(7,011 posts)Just tomatoes, onions (white and green) garlic, cilantro, 2 kinds of chilies, a little salt, generous pour of lemon juice
justaprogressive
(5,259 posts)1. 2 types of onions (white and green) - Normally just white.
2. 2 kinds of chilies. Normally just one.
3. generous pour of lemon juice. Lime juice is the normal acid...
See you're a chef!
SheltieLover
(73,076 posts)Like an early Thanksgiving dinner with chicken instead of turkey. lol
Enjoy!
mike_c
(36,705 posts)...taboulle, and fried cabbage.
justaprogressive
(5,259 posts)when Mrs JP is working 3-11.
Roast Turkey sandwich with bacon,
Alfalfa sprouts and heirloom tomatoes.
+ a Vlasic Zesty Dill pickle...
Emile
(37,022 posts)Later before bedtime, cantaloupe.
Good Evening
spinbaby
(15,312 posts)I have them in my gardenprimarily decorative because Im not likely to use more than one or two.
The dinner thread always reminds me of how weird my single-person dinners have become. Tonight was refried beans covered with cheese, a couple of plums, and a protein shake.
justaprogressive
(5,259 posts)is always a tough proposition. I found that it helps if you make a plan
for a great meal, say, once a week.
+Having a backup plan is a good way of taking care of you, when
you are simply not up for making a full meal.
Soon I'm going to be posting a slew (if they're good enough) of meals for two...
irisblue
(35,784 posts)La Coliniere
(1,533 posts)Made a batch of oven roasted falafel croquettes with cannellini beans instead of chickpeas that turned out great. Drizzled tahini lemon dressing on top. Made homemade tabouli with parsley, mint and tomatoes from my garden. Also had steamed yellow squash tossed in a vegan butter sauce. Cheers!🥂
Love me some Dhal Bhat, Cher
Indian food rocks!
justaprogressive
(5,259 posts)I've hesitated putting up Indian recipes, because, unless you're buying the pre-packaged
dishes, you need a real Indian kitchen style stocked larder!