Makhani Masala is the very aromatic butter based tomato cream sauce seasoned with spices and herbs – the base gravy for most of the tomato based creamy dishes in the Indian restaurants. If you are familiar with the lip smacking, finger licking  Paneer Makhani/Paneer Butter Masala (Indian Cheese in a Butter Sauce), Malai Koftas (Cheese balls stuffed with nuts raisins and spices  cooked in a creamy sauce), Dal Makhani (Creamy buttery lentils) or the internationally famed Murgh or Chicken Makhani/Butter Chicken served in the Indian restaurants, this is one sauce they are all based on. The Makhani masala can be  adapted to form a gravy/sauce with a thick tomato base or with more cream/milk added, it makes the more popular light orange creamy sauce usually found in the restaurants. 

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The other day we went out for dinner with a family who had a question about Indian Culture. They wanted to know why Indian Women wear the “DOT” on their forehead. Well I think that the subject is worth exploring. Why do you think Indian Women wear Bindi? I know it is not just the women, or just the married women, who wear the bindi, or tika, or the tilak. One theory I heard which I never came across is that the point between the forehead is a good accupressure point for expecting women, hence married women wear the so called “dot”. Please let me know your views…

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Talking of  Dum Aloo…There are some hundreds of ways to make Dum Aloo. In West Bengal it used to be a must dish served for weddings with “Radhaballavi” (lentil stuffed puri), and I loved the slight & subtle sweet taste of that kind of dum aloo.

Also during fall/winter time, when there would be small new baby potatoes, & the peas in the shell, my mom would make peas kachori and dum aloo with the bite size potatoes. It used to be an all evening activity when we would all sit and shell the peas and rub the potatoes to skin the already peeling skins.

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