Subject: Re: No noodles in India?

From: [email-masked] (Marjorie Rosen)
Date: Thu, 5 Jan 1995 02:52:43 GMT

Hugh Salamon ([email-masked]) wrote:
: Haven't seen any recipes for noodles from the Indian sub-continent.
: Of course, there are many things we may call "bread", but why
: no "noodles"?  Noodle-eating people, such as most (?) south-east
: Asians, could perhaps get there by sea, but not so easily by land?

: Any suggestions?
: If I am mistaken, and there are Indian noodle dishes,
: please give me a reference to a recipe!

: Hugh
: [email-masked]

>From  CLASSIC INDIAN VEGETARIAN AND GRAIN COOKING, by Julie Sahni

Indian Noodles (Sevian, Phalooda aur Sevai

Most people associate noodles with Oriental, Italian, and possibly 
Hungarian cooking. It is always a matter of astonishment when I mention 
the wonderful steamed noodle dishes of southern India or the transparent 
noodle threads used on desserts in northern India. The Indian familiarity 
with noodles dates back several centuries. Indians make noodles from 
unusual grains and the unique techniques to yield distinct types of 
products. (She goes on to describe three types of Indian noodles.)

She has two noodle recipes included in her book.

Good Luck! - Marjorie

---

From: [email-masked] (Geeta Bharathan)
Date: 5 Jan 1995 05:28:28 GMT

Marjorie Rosen ([email-masked]) wrote:
: Hugh Salamon ([email-masked]) wrote:
: : Haven't seen any recipes for noodles from the Indian sub-continent.
: : Of course, there are many things we may call "bread", but why
: : no "noodles"?  Noodle-eating people, such as most (?) south-east
: : Asians, could perhaps get there by sea, but not so easily by land?

(stuff deleted)

: From CLASSIC INDIAN VEGETARIAN AND GRAIN COOKING, by Julie Sahni

: Indian Noodles (Sevian, Phalooda aur Sevai

: Most people associate noodles with Oriental, Italian, and possibly 
: Hungarian cooking. It is always a matter of astonishment when I mention 
: the wonderful steamed noodle dishes of southern India

=Sevai
: or the transparent 
: noodle threads used on desserts in northern India.

= Phalooda

 The Indian familiarity 
: with noodles dates back several centuries. Indians make noodles from 
: unusual grains and the unique techniques to yield distinct types of 
: products. (She goes on to describe three types of Indian noodles.)

This is a point that has interested me for a long time. The steamed 
noodles of southern India (esp the east coast) are made of rice, and I guess 
that it must have travelled across from, e.g., Malaysia by sea. Trade 
between the south-eastern coast of India and the south-east Asian nations 
was common. Is there documentation of such an import?

What was the origin of Phalooda? I've always imagined it to be an 
exotic (Afghan?) import (no basis fo this, except something about the 
sound of the word...)  Are noodle-type desserts made in any other cuisine? 

Geeta Bharathan