-- --

Monday, June 30, 2008

What's Cooking in Curry Hill

Little India
Photo by myself on Lexington Avenue, around 28th Street.

I took this photo while crossing the street. You can see clear up to the Chrysler Building, at 42nd Street.

We were in the neighborhood called Little India or Curry Hill, so called because it is located in a sleepy neighborhood called Murray Hill. This short strip of stores and restaurants on Lexington Avenue lies between 30th and 26th Streets. There were cabs lined up on either side of the street; not a surprise, since many cab drivers are of Indian or Pakistani decent.

--


Clive

This morning, Mark and I drove in for spices to make homemade dal, parking Clive, Mark's Mini Cooper, among the yellow cabs. We've been trying to cook Indian food for the longest time. So many curry recipes have turned out 'eh', we were convinced that Indian cooks hoarded their good recipes.

Then this morning Mark stumbled on a gaggle of guided Indian recipes on You Tube. We selected a couple presented by Manjula Jain, an adorable Indian woman, who shares all her home cooking secrets. We have her recipes to look forward to, as well as one Eva so kindly posted for me on her blog.

So tonight we cooked dal in the pressure cooker and an aloo gobi. Actually, Mark cooked both dishes, while I hid in the other room with my hands over my ears, convinced the pressure cooker would explode, lol.

All turned out deliciously, thank goodness.


Related posts: Food Glorious Food and All You Can Eat

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

I recognize that hmm... mistrust towards pressure cookers. They're very popular in France, and I've finally made my way into living in peace with that respect-provoking apparatus. Even though I still sometimes still sneak out to the other room;)

Olivier said...

la photo b&w est magnifique, superbe panorama avec le Chrysler, un vrai poster.

photo b&w is magnificent, with superb panorama Chrysler, a true poster.

Anonymous said...

well Indian chicken curry is famous in whole world.

Eva said...

Sweetie, I didn't mean to scare you when I told you that pressure cookers can explode. It sounds like you and Mark have gotten the hang of using it now. :-)

I love curry, and little can beat true Indian food on a hot, summer day.

I love your picture too. I think I missed the Pakistani and Indian take outs and restaurants on Lexington when I lived in NY. I was way too into Italian food back then.
And I guess that's my 1007th excuse to go back to NYC. :-D

Mom Knows Everything said...

I had Indian food once and I found it very spicy. My BIL is East Indian cooks it alot.

Jane Hards Photography said...

Again such a cinematic view. I do love your monochrome shots of the city. I am always surprised at the amount of space and freedom you produce in such a populated city.

There is nothing like pressure cooker vegetables once you get the hang of them, honest.

Carolyn said...

I used to live on Murray Hill Dr. Funny how towns seem to have the same names!

Ming the Merciless said...

Cooking dal in a pressure cooker is curry in a hurry. :-)

*skip off happily for coming up with that brillant phrase*

Kitty said...

Hi Susu
I wonder why it is that Europeans use them but it hasn't caught on here? It's a shame, since they save energy and time.

Hi Olivier
Thanks! I have a weakness for the Chrysler Building.

Welcome Top Casino
SE Indians are everywhere, thank goodness. I could do with a cooking lesson.

Hi Eva!
Well, I've been paranoid for a while now, long before I read your post, lol. Thank goodness Mark is an intrepid soul.

There are too many neighborhoods here that I haven't had a chance to depict. I hope to cover more soon.

Hi Tammy dear
well, curry isn't for everyone. I can only tolerate when it's mild.

Thanks Babooshka
great to hear from a pressure cooker survivor. Hopefully my brain will calm down soon.

There are some vistas in NY...it depends. This photo was on a Sunday morning, when most people were still sleeping off the night before.

Hi Carolyn
How strange. I wonder whether there is a significance to the term?

lol Ming!