Topic: Cafe Spice Namaste Dhansak

[tempest63]

Cafe Spice Namaste was less than 10 minutes walk from the wife’s office, I don’t know how many times we meant to go there and we did actually book once but something else came up and we had to cancel. The new landlord is redeveloping the building, Cyrus Todiwalla and his wife Parveen have been given their marching orders, and I missed my chance to eat there though it stood in the same building for 25 years.
Listening to Cyrus on a Podcast he mentioned how his Dhansak, a speciality of the house, included dried limes and 5 spice, yet the recipes I have for his version of the dish contain neither of these.
I was wondering/hoping that someone may be able to lay their hands on this version and possibly share it?
Thanks

[Peripatetic Phil]

No mention of either of those ingredients on pp.~76–79 of International Cuisine: India by Cyrus, as far as I can see.  I don't think I have any other books by him.
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** Phil.

[Unclefrank]

The only thing i have is a recipe for dhal using a few pieces of lime pickle but not with 5 spice, could he mean Bengali 5 spice and not the chinese 5 spice.

[tempest63]

It was mentioned on this BBC podcast

https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-food-programme/id342927791?i=1000527116079

I may have to have another listen to see if I heard him right but I’m sure he mentioned both the Persian and Chinese influences.

[Peripatetic Phil]

The only thing i have is a recipe for dhal using a few pieces of lime pickle but not with 5 spice, could he mean Bengali 5 spice and not the chinese 5 spice.

My immediate assumption (which I called into question only on reading your comment) is that by 5 spice he was referring to panch phoran.
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** Phil.

[tempest63]

No mention of either of those ingredients on pp.~76–79 of International Cuisine: India by Cyrus, as far as I can see.  I don't think I have any other books by him.
--
** Phil.

I have Mr Todiwalla’s Spice Box and Mr Todiwalla’s Bombay. The version of the recipe I believe he describes on the BBC podcast is in neither.
He did a Cafe Spice Namaste cookbook some years ago which I didn’t buy at the time (I possibly may not have been too impressed with it) but all the second hand ones on the market seem quite expensive.
I couldn’t find the recipe on the internet either.
Oh well, I shall muddle on with a different recipe.

[Peripatetic Phil]

£7.19 + very modest shipping is the best I can find.
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** Phil.

[tempest63]

£7.19 + very modest shipping is the best I can find.
--
** Phil.

I looked on Amazon U.K. and prices started at £16 but the book conditions at that end didn’t seem too good. I will have another look online.
Thanks Phil