I Made Idlis! I Also Tried To Make Gulab Jamuns, But They Didn't Turn Out.

I haven't done a cooking post in a long time. Mostly because I haven't cooked any new recipes recently. I made a delicious karhi yesterday, which prompted my roommate to offer to pay me to cook dinner for her every night, forever.

And today, for the first time, I made idlis.

Technically, I didn't make idlis. Technically, I added water to an idli mix and steamed it in an egg poacher (which Bitterlemons had suggested I use instead of shelling out for an idli pan).

But when they were done, they looked like idlis and they tasted like idlis, which made me very, very happy. (To be fair, they weren't as fluffy as the idlis I got in India, which I am assuming was the fault of the idli mix and not the egg poacher. I suppose I should get a grinder and start making my own batter if I want authentic fluffiness.)

I also made chutney and sambar, both of which I have made before. Sambar turned out a little thick, but that was okay.

And then... well, when I was at the desi grocery, there was a box of gulab jamun mix sitting right next to the box of idli mix. It only cost seventy-nine cents, and I do love gulab jamuns... of course, the idiocy of trying to recreate a dessert made from fresh paneer and rose essence by adding water to some white powder that can be purchased for $0.79...

The results were disgusting, to say the least, and I managed to fill the entire apartment with smoke during the "deep-frying" part. From now on, if I want gulab jamuns, I'm going to have to buy the ones that come in the tin can.