Anonymous wrote:Costco sells ghee. It makes a difference.

For naan use a pizza stone in your oven or if you have a pizza oven use this.

It’s not hard to make ghee. Just make it at home.

Indian recipe? A pinch of this, a handful of these, a spoonful of that. All from unlabeled stainless steel tins sourced from undisclosed places. Don’t let the round chapati hit you on the way out!

Again, if you have an instant pot, my family loves the Butter Chicken recipe from the New Yorker. So fast and easy and delicious.
https://www.newyorker.com/culture/annals-of-gastronomy/the-butter-chicken-lady-who-made-indian-cooks-love-the-instant-pot

Ok so a few things. I guarantee you that Indian restaurants are not ordering spices in small amounts and grinding each by hand in a mortar and pestle. They are using an immersion blender for pastes using roots, herbs, spices and opinion etc. They also use dried spices that they get from a restaurant supply store or Indian market. The difference between fresh ground spice and dried is intensity. Restaurants simply increase the amounts to compensate which you can do too with a little experimenting.

Garlic powder is actually fine. You need to dissolve it 1-2 tablespoons of warm water before adding it. It’s water soluble and the garlic flavor will release. This is a trick for other cuisines as well.

For any cuisines or food combinations that you start trying read through the pro tips, comment or Google troubleshooting insert recipe. There are techniques that don’t matter much and others that make a world of difference. Toasting nuts and spices before using is one example.

In Italian cooking for example the big one is undercooking the pasta , letting it finish cooking in the sauce and adding pasta water as needed to thin it out. Freshly grated or shaved good Parmesan makes the dish but you are fine using garlic powder instead of fresh garlic.

The freshest taste is always when you grind your own spices. A heavy duty mortar and pestle (I use mine almost every day!) or a blade style coffee grinder used only for spices make short work of it. Either option is under $25 and quite worth it if you like spices.
The other key to Indian cooking, or at least the North Indian dishes familiar to people here, is to use fresh ginger and garlic. Garlic powder is never used, ground ginger used only in a few specific preparations.
Hot peppers are used fresh as well as dried, sometimes both in the same dish.

Anonymous wrote:Can I ask the Indian posters a related question about spices? How can I get the freshest spices for Indian food? There are lots of Indian grocery stores around me, but how do I know which ones have the best, freshest spices or which specific brands are best? Spices are the key to Indian cooking and I want to get the right.

If you want the freshest, it is always best to get whole spices and roast/grind them yourself. Which is a PITA, so the next best thing is to store your spices in an airtight container after you get them, to preserve their flavor. I get mine at the Indian store (just pick a large one with high turnover), but then portion out what I will be using in the next few weeks into small containers, and store the rest in ziploc freezer bags. FWIW, I much prefer the Roshni brand over the much larger Laxmi/Deep.

My family lived this recipe. We’ve been meaning to try more from this site, which someone else mentioned above.

https://www.indianhealthyrecipes.com/matar-paneer-mutter-masala/

Anonymous wrote:Can I ask the Indian posters a related question about spices? How can I get the freshest spices for Indian food? There are lots of Indian grocery stores around me, but how do I know which ones have the best, freshest spices or which specific brands are best? Spices are the key to Indian cooking and I want to get the right.

The brands are all fine. Buy whatever gives you the smallest quantity. MDH is a standard for spice blends. Some blends have salt in them so adjust accordingly. No need for bougie blends.

Anonymous wrote:Can I ask the Indian posters a related question about spices? How can I get the freshest spices for Indian food? There are lots of Indian grocery stores around me, but how do I know which ones have the best, freshest spices or which specific brands are best? Spices are the key to Indian cooking and I want to get the right.

I buy small quantities online from Penzey’s, Diaspora and Burlap and Barrel. Avoid those huge packets sold at the Indian stores. Except for saffron. The tins kept behind the counter are usually less expensive than in other places. My Indian mom turned up her nose when I told her and now she won’t cook without Diaspora’s Pragati turmeric.

Can I ask the Indian posters a related question about spices? How can I get the freshest spices for Indian food? There are lots of Indian grocery stores around me, but how do I know which ones have the best, freshest spices or which specific brands are best? Spices are the key to Indian cooking and I want to get the right.

I use Swasthis recipes. They’re really easy to follow, she does an amazing job of breaking it down step by step. They can be involved, but they are so good.