A genetically modified version of the baingan a.k.a brinjal a.k.a eggplant is at the center of a fascinating debate in India. [Time]
The brinjal in question is no ordinary vegetable: it’s full name is Bt brinjal, whose DNA scientists have fortified with a gene that kills a range of common pests. Its creators say the genetically modified vegetable will increase farm yields and bring a less pesticide-laden vegetable to Indian dining tables, where the fiery brinjal-laden baingan bharta enjoys cult status.
However, project baingan ran into a familiar buzzkill – politicians and …

The holiday season is here in the US and A and with that commences the seemingly never ending list of potluck parties, not that I’m complaining. At one such potluck in an official setting, some of us volunteered to bring food towards the potluck lunch.
I took the easy way out, I brought salad and dressing to the lunch. A co-worker of mine, desi obviously, has his contribution listed as “Indian fried rice”, which brings up an all-important question: WTF is Indian Fried Rice?
I probably missed the memo but what is …

India’s top chefs have warned Scottish MPs to keep their hands off the rights to chicken tikka masala.
Link
So here’s the story, Scottish MPs made an attempt to ‘patent’ the name Chicken Tikka Masala, claiming the dish was made in Glasgow, in 1970’s. They got a spicy reply back from Indian food historians who trashed the claim and suggested that the dish has been around for decades (some others claim centuries).
Wikipedia suggests, this (without a reference, though)
The literal meaning of tikka in Panjabi is “bits, pieces” (fron Sanskrit ṭikka, m., “Cake.” …

Its been a while since the slacker desi housekeeper had her say.
Summer is a time to relax- school is out, here in California at least the days are too beautiful to spend slaving over elaborate meals when  the outside beckons. I therefore present tried and tested super easy ways to put food on the table. This post is actually dedicated to those days when there is barely anything in the ‘fridge and you are feeling too damn lazy to go grocery shopping!
1. Desi homes often have left over rice.
Here are …

These days there is no good news in the morning papers at all.People are dying – young folks on the battle field somewhere across the ocean, 80s icons dropping dead , our state is on the verge of bankruptcy. the stock market has rendered my 401 K so irrelevant that I will need to work till I am a 150 years old – its a sad, sad way to start the day. My day begins badly and then I mosey over to office, where breakfast is usually a bowl of …

So Gwyneth Paltrow – she of Oscar and pulchritude fame got a lot of flak lately for a website that she created called goop.com ( Tagline: “Nourish the inner aspect”). Her intentions were good ( remember what they say about the road to hell?) , she just wanted to share tips to make our miserable lives better. I can fully understand why people were not exactly – er -enthusiastic about it. Lets see: Gwyneth Paltrow:
-Hollywood princess
- Oscar winner
- Looks like a goddess
- Married to a rockstar
Then there is me:
- Bollywood …

Meet the first ever desi contestant appearing on “Top Chef” – Radhika.
Trained in classic French and Indian cuisine, she has worked alongside notable chef Vikas Khanna and has staged at the Burj Al Arab in Dubai (link)

Radhika is a first generation Indian American, born in Ohio.
Her favorite dish to prepare is spicy chicken and potato curry with cumin scented rice with clarified butter and mint. She describes her cooking style as globally eclectic with a huge spoonful of …

Inspired by this piece in the San Francisco Chronicle , here is my list of “comfort ” food from the des (in no particular order) :
1. Pavvakai/Karela curry ( Bitter gourd curry ) made by my mom
2. Rajma -chawal ( Red beans and rice) made by my mom-in-law
3. Any kabab platter at the Bukhara restaurant in New Delhi
4. Berry Pulao at Cafe Britannia in Mumbai
5. The Vegetarian Thali at Rajdhani in Mumbai
6. Grilled seafood at the beachside restaurant …

Submitted by The Other Guy from Wham
Name: Chaat Cafe
Address: 320 3rd St, San Francisco, CA 94107
Phone: (415) 979-9946
1. What kind of meal did you have?

A. Tiffin, well a “just because we wanted a bite to eat”.
2. What kind of food is it?
A. Chaat and North Indian.
3. What did you eat and drink?
Bhel poori and pani poori.
4. How is the ambience, decor and service?
A. nothing special, but lots of seatings, some torn seats.
5. What can you get to drink?
The usual desi spread, not sure if they serve beer.
6. What other dishes …

We love talking about two desi things in the US, macacas and mangoes.
While the former gets plenty of face time, the latter has been conspicuously absent since Presidentji deemed that Indian mangoes were ok to be imported into the glorious nation of Amrika. In the meanwhile, in the glorious nation of India, matches made in heaven were obliterated on terra firma thanks to mangoes. Yet, the much anticipated invasion of hapooses on American soil never materialized.
The reason? Cost. [MSN]
India has launched a promotional drive to make its mangoes popular in …

Week 2 on TNFNS was pretty exciting. After racing through various nondescript locations in NYC and answering culinary knowledge related questions, the contestants had to pick up or were allocated raw materials depending on their performances in the quiz. Then Dinner Impossible host, Robert Irvine, who looks an awful lot like Mr. Spock from Star Trek, assigned them the task of cooking brunch for 30 guests on a moving train.
This is how Indian cuisine chef Nipa fared:
Nipa’s team was placed second in the quiz challenge. Given the choice between duck …

Today was not a cooking day in the household and I was picking up some snacks from the local Publix grocery store. I found these under the frozen dinner section and decided to give it a shot. My mistake. Gravy was too watery to qualify as gravy. The chicken had not soaked in the taste. Accompanying rice with peas was supposed to taste like biryani but tasted more like birdfeed, not that I’ve actually tasted any.
Verdict: Not filling, below average taste. At $4 a box, not worth it.

Submitted by Anantha
Name of Restaurant: Dosa Grill (http://www.dosagrill.com/)
Restaurant Address: 1980 Route 27, North Brunswick, NJ-08902 (Near the intersection of Route 27 & Cozzens lane)
Restaurant Phone: 732-422-6800
1. What kind of meal did you have?
A. Dinner

2. What kind of food is it?
A. South Indian / North Indian mix

3. What did you eat and drink?
A.
I had -
a. Idly in Sambar (Mini Idlies soaked in sambar) @ $3.75
b. Gunpowder Dosa (Spicy Milagai podi dosa with masala) @ $7.25
Friend had -
a. Veg Samosa @ $3.75
b. Ghee Roast (Thin crispy rice crepe flavored with Ghee ) …

Submit your own Jhatpat Restaurant Review – 10 simple questions in under 10 minutes now.
The What?
Jhatpat = Hindi slang for “instant”.
UberDesi.com is introducing a new feature: Jhatpat Restaurant Reviews. This section will feature restaurant reviews submitted by our bloggers and most importantly, you, our readers. Staying true to the theme of our blog, we will cover only desi restaurants. However, we may choose to include some quirky non-desi places, world famous restaurants or ones by celebrity chefs. No Applebees or Olive Garden.
The Why?
Because, we all love to travel, socialize …

Submitted by Runa.
Name of Restaurant: Naan n Curry
Restaurant Address: 2366 Telegraph Avenue(between Channing Way & Durant Ave)Berkeley, CA 94704
Restaurant Phone: (510) 841-6226
1. What kind of meal did you have?
A. Ala carte Lunch/Dinner. San Francisco locations open 24 hrs a day
2. What kind of food is it?
A. Pakistani/North Indian fare.
3. What did you eat and drink?
A. Butter chicken, karela sabji (bitter gourd vegetable),Naan. Complimentary chutney bar and complimentary chai
4. How is the ambience, decor and service?
A. Decor: Minimalist and dhaba-like. Service: Self service.
5. What can you get to drink?
A. Soft …

Joe DiStefano of the Gothamist, a New York City based blog, reviews a desi snack, Kurkure. [Gothamist reviews Kurkure]
“Crunchy Cheetos”, he calls themimg: via Gothamist
The word “Kurkure” means “crunchy” in Hindi, and not surprisingly the author compares kurkure to something Americans are more familiar with, (yuck) Cheetos. He proceeds to describe the various flavors, namely, Masala Munch, Green Chutney Rajasthani , Red Chilli Chatka (does Chatka really mean “burn” in Marathi?) and Tamatar Hyderabadi. Most desi snacks, of course, are served with Chai. But Joe suggests something else, we here …

After curry leaves on the West Coast, it’s the next big shortage to hit desi kitchens in the US is that of chaaval (rice). [1]
Rice shortages hit US desi communityimg: via CNN
Limits placed on sales of several kinds of rice by Wal-Mart Stores Inc’s (WMT.N: Quote, Profile, Research) Sam’s Club warehouse division are meant to stop large distributors or wholesalers from depleting its stock, a spokeswoman said on Thursday.
In what should come as a major blow to restaurant owners, each customer is restricted to only four bags of rice per …