The MasalaWala

I love Indian food yet I find myself ordering take out rather than going to restaurants. So when I was invited to a press dinner at The MasalaWala, I was thrilled! The restaurant is understated and seats less than 30. The cuisine focuses on Indian street food. My mouth immediately started watering when we received the menu. The Kolkata Gobi Manchurian immediately stole the show.

I don't know why I've never experienced such deliciousness in my life. The cauliflower was crispy and to some extent it was difficult to tell it was cauliflower. The blend of Indo-Chinese spices made this reminiscent of a high class general tso dish.  I was also a big fan of the Lamb Kakori Kebab.

In the last year lamb has reappeared in my diet and this was probably the best I've eaten. The lamb is imported from Australia, home of the world's best lamb. It is triple ground so it's incredibly tender then grilled in the Tandoori. Simply to die for! The Chicken Tikka was a close second.

The small chunks of chicken were marinated overnight which definitely showed in the depth of the flavor. They were then grilled in the Tandoori which cooked them to perfection. The samosas were standard fare.

Definitely well seasoned and thankfully not overstuffed but with so many other interesting dishes on the table it was not the star. When the entrees started arriving my nose was having a party thanks to all the amazing aromas. I absolutely loved the Nawabi Lamb Biryani (bottom left).

The lamb was just as tender as the Kebab. The rice was also cooked to perfection. The blend of flavors was what made it so amazing. I definitely had dreams about the biryani the following night and fully intend on calling in an order whenever I'm in the neighborhood.  The Chicken Kali Mirch was another great dish.

It had a unique flavor unlike anything I've tried before. The black pepper chicken was blended with a variety of spices reminiscent of curries I've tried before but with an extra kick.  The Lamb Pasanda was spectacular.

I really tasted the difference in Australian lamb than what I've eaten elsewhere. I had high hopes for the Shrimp Malabar. The flavors were right but the shrimp was slightly overcooked, almost tough.  The coconut curry was mild with slight tamarind undertones.

Overall, I was quite pleased with the selection at The MasalaWala. The mix of new dishes and familiar staples was refreshing. I had to leave before dessert so I will definitely be back to try it out!

Hungry yet?

Copper Chimney

A few moons ago, AAA and I attended a press event at Copper Chimney. It was a private affair with a hand selected menu showcasing many of the top dishes at Copper Chimney.  

The lighting wasn't very good so some of these images may be a little more washed out than I would like.  We started with the Tandoori Samosa. 

These mini pockets of heaven were filled with spicy potatoes and peas. They were very flavorful so they didn't require a sauce, but one of the batches may have been baking for a little long because it was a little dry. The Gobi Honey Garlic were one of the surprising treats.  Gobi means Cauliflower in Hindi. The Cauliflower florets were tossed with a multilayered spice blend. They were not hot, just spice filled. Definitely a big fan. Bombay Bhaja was another surprising favorite.

We were served a variety of fritters, onion, eggplant, potato and spinach fried in chickpea batter. The spinach was my favorite and it was spicy, so you know I loved it! The Shrimp Balchao was by far my favorite appetizer.

A spicy blend of onions, tomatoes and curry cooked with red wine -- perfection! I was satisfied with the appetizers and truthfully, if the dinner stopped then, I would have been satisfied and quite impressed. But, thankfully it didn't! 

The entrees were saved in four separate bowls but really I ate them as one.  My favorite was the Lamb Vindaloo.

A tangy and spicy blend of lamb and potatoes. The lamb wasn't as tender as I would have liked, but the flavors were up there with the best vindaloo I've ever had.  The Chana Pindi was also up there on my list.

I don't know when I first fell in love with chickpeas, but it was definitely an India dish that first did it to me. I loved the blend of onion and tomatoes. Allegedly there were pomegranate seeds in there as well, but I don't recall tasting any. The Chicken Tikka Masala was solid.

Nothing spectacular in my mouth, but AAA was a big fan. The Saag Paneer Bhutta was another solid performer.

Spinach and cheese in an onion and tomato curry sauce. The other diners that sat my table were definitely into it and finished their portion quite quickly, but really who am I to judge? Wasn't much left when I finished.  

Copper Chimney gets solid marks from me. The appetizers were great and really opened the palate and set a high bar for the entrees. The entrees met that bar and a few of them even exceeded it. Definitely Indian food worth traveling for. Special thanks to One Source Resource for the invite!

Hungry yet?

Mint NYC

Although I eat a fair portion of Indian food, it’s not often that I’m fortunate enough to review an Indian restaurant.  When I received the invite to Mint, I was thrilled.  I reviewed the menu at home and was quite overwhelmed by the number of tasty treats.  I was not sure what to expect but had high hopes.  The first course certainly did not disappoint.  We received quite the spread.

My favorite was the Aloo Tikki. 

The mashed potato patties were flavorful.  The blend of herbs and spices in the patties was incredible.  The dish was further enhanced by the chickpea blend that served as a sauce.  I will definitely do my best to recreate the chickpea blend at home.  When the Spicy Shrimp Balchao arrived I knew I would be happy.

The shrimp was cooked in a fiery pepper sauce.  It had a powerful kick at the end of each bite.   The Malai Chicken was amazing!

The chicken must have been marinated for hours.  It was light and flavorful and melted in my mouth.  The Vegetable Masala Samosa was also delightful.

It was a little less exciting than the Aloo Tikki, but jam packed with potatoes and peas and no less flavorful.  My least favorite was the Chicken Seekh Kabab.

The ground chicken skewers just didn’t do it for me.  They were a little dry looked like odd little sausages.   After all those appetizers, you would think we had enough to eat, but that was just the beginning.  Our entrées started to arrive.  The table was packed in no time.  My favorite dish was the last to arrive.  The Tomato Fish was phenomenal.

Each bite was fully seasoned, the fish was moist and completely enveloped in the sauce.  I don’t know the last time I ate fish that was so tender and flavorful.  The Lamb Pasanda was a pleasant surprise.

The lamb was mild and tender.  The cashew sauce was different than the typical curry that I expected.  The Chicken Tikka Masala was a bit disappointing.

I was looking forward to it because the chicken appetizer was so spectacular, but it fell flat.  The chicken was not as moist and overall the sauce didn’t live up to expectations.  The vegetarian entrées we sampled, Saag Paneer (spinach and cheese) and Yellow Tadka Dal (lentils and spinach) were among my favorites even though they didn't photograph too well. 

I especially enjoyed the Yellow Tadka Dal because I did not expect the lentils to have the depth in flavor.  I always underestimate vegetables and this time I was happy to be wrong. 

Mint is a beautifully designed space with a captivating front lounge and a middle dining room.  The “private dining” in the back is poorly placed because it is right in front of the restroom.  The restaurant was near full while we were in there including the bar and lounge area.   The food is best-enjoyed family style.  I recommend going with an empty stomach otherwise you’ll be sorry about the food you leave on the table.

Hungry yet?

Spicy Chicken and Potato Curry

These days, I find myself checking out the Whole Foods website for the weekly sales about a half hour before I leave work then plotting my evening meal.  A few weeks ago, I was extremely successful with my version of this recipe.  Instead of beef, I used boneless chicken thighs.  The recipe on the website is essentially perfect – I just had to substitute one ingredient.

Ingredients

½ onion, chopped

2 serrano chiles (remove seeds for a milder curry)

3 cloves garlic

1 tbs peanut or expeller-pressed canola oil

1 pound boneless chicken thighs, cut into 3/4-inch cubes

1 tsp fine sea salt, plus more to taste

1 cinnamon stick

1 ¼ tsps coriander seeds

1 ¼ tsps ground cumin

1 tsp ground turmeric

1 (13.5-ounce) can light coconut milk

1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained

½ tsp sugar

1 pound red potatoes, cut into 1-inch pieces

1/3 cup packed cilantro leaves

In a blender, combine onion, chiles, garlic and ½ cup water and blend until smooth. Set aside.

In a large skillet with a tightly fitting lid, heat oil over high heat. Sprinkle chicken with salt. Add the chicken pieces to the skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned. Transfer to a bowl with a slotted spoon. Set aside.  Return the skillet to medium-high heat and add cinnamon, coriander, cumin and turmeric; stir for 10 seconds and then add the onion and chile mixture. 

Simmer for 1 minute and then stir in coconut milk, tomatoes and sugar. (The tomatoes added a texture that I didn’t love, so I’ll probably leave them out next time.) Add the chicken back in, cover the skillet, and simmer 40 minutes.  Stir in potatoes and continue to simmer until chicken and potatoes are very tender, about 20 minutes more; remove the lid during last 10 minutes of simmering if you would like a thicker sauce. Remove cinnamon stick. When you taste the curry, you’ll definitely want to add more salt.

After adding enough salt, I decided to taste it, but ended up eating it as though it were soup.  I then had another bowl with rice.  This curry was amaaaazing! Thank you Whole Foods!

Hungry yet?

Ajanta

I’ve been spending more time in the Morningside Heights area these days. In the three years I lived over there I pretty much spent most of my time on the restaurants on Amsterdam, but truth is there are lots of good affordable restaurants around the area.  I went to Ajanta for dinner last weekend and must say that I definitely regret not ordering from there more when I lived so close.  Of course the meal started with Vegetable Samosas.

Yumm! (pardon the pictures - I think it's time for a new camera!) I should have taken a picture after I cut it open so I could reveal the spiced peas and potatoes. The crust was not greasy – which is quite the accomplishment considering how my hands usually look when I’m done eating a samosa.  The sauces of course were a positive addition to our meal.

When our entrees were served, I remembered immediately why I heart Ajanta.  Their individual serving bowls always made me feel like I was getting more than my money’s worth. A hearty portion of Lamb Saag arrived.

Obviously I didn’t help out on that one but based on the repeated return to the bowl, it must have been delicious.  My Chicken Vindaloo was spectacular.

Yes it’s true I almost always order the vindaloo at Indian restaurants, that’s because it’s amazing! I loved it! We also had some Basmati rice.

It was perfectly cooked. It’s quite disturbing how often I go out and the rice at a restaurant is hard in the middle or too mushy. Thankfully that wasn’t the case here. Fluffy perfect rice. Dessert wasn’t in the cards at Ajanta so we skipped out after stuffing our faces.

Columbia students better get on it – Ajanta is a delicious affordable Indian restaurant. Once you leave the comfort of Morningside Heights, it’s hard to find an Indian restaurant this good and still affordable. Yes it’s not the best Indian food you can find in New York, but if you’re in the area this is worth a try. Especially the Chicken Vindaloo!

Hungry yet? 

Chickpeas in Spicy Tomato Gravy

After my somewhat successful Curry Chicken experience, I figured I could tackle a vegetarian dish.  Although I only eat poultry and fish, I tend to make a face whenever I have to eat vegetarian. Yet, something about this dish intrigued me.  It is another Sanjeev Kapoor recipe from Food and Wine magazine with very slight modifications on my part.

Ingredients

8 garlic cloves, chopped

2 jalapeños, chopped

One 2-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and chopped

1/4 cup vegetable oil

3 onions, cut into 1/4-inch dice

2 tablespoons ground cumin

1 tablespoon ground coriander

1 tablespoon cayenne pepper

1 1/2 cups canned diced tomatoes

Two 15-ounce cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1 cup water

Salt to taste

Directions

In a food processor, combine the garlic, jalapeños and ginger and process to a paste. In a large nonstick pot, heat the oil. Add the onions and cook over moderately high heat until sizzling, about 3 minutes. Reduce the heat to moderate and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are browned, about 7 minutes. Add the garlic paste and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 2 minutes. 

Add the cumin, coriander and cayenne and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes and simmer over moderate heat until thickened, about 6 minutes.

Add the chickpeas and water and simmer until the chickpeas are flavored with the gravy, about 8 minutes. 

Season the chickpeas with salt. Serve with naan and enjoy the awesomeness!

This recipe was pretty easy to make and definitely a super delicious meal. I spiced it up with lots of cayenne and also made it thicker by adding less water than the original recipe calls for.  You should feel free to adjust to your liking. I sure did! J

Hungry yet?

Devi NYC

Out of fear that I may not see her again before the year ended, I asked Ms. O if she had time to grab dinner last week.  Lucky for me, she said yes.  I suggested Dévi because I have heard great things and it was on Village Vines.  VV offers discounted dining at restaurants without brining in a coupon.  Just make a reservation through their website and you’re good to go.  The restaurant is nicely decorated but the décor could stand for an upgrade.

We sat on the main level and our server was pretty attentive though his tone at times sounded as though we had never eaten Indian food before.  If only he knew….  They started out by bringing out the chef’s amuse.

A delicate puff pastry filled with mushrooms and a nice level of spice that was well balanced by the fresh pastry. Ms. O and I started with two appetizers.  Tamarind-Chicken Wings and Shrimp And Calamari Masala Frito Misto.

The chicken wings were extremely flavorful and filled with tamarind, red chiles and garam masala.  There were certainly enough wings to go around so this appetizer is made for sharing, but the wings themselves were mostly small – must have used small chickens, maybe even Cornish hens!

The Masala Frito Misto was a little less impressive.  Not to say it wasn’t good, but I think the description on the menu was different than what turned up.  The plate was filled with as many peppers as pieces of seafood.  The few pieces of seafood were quite delicious. A plate of plump shrimp and delicious well-seasoned pieces of calamari.  The tomato-chutney mayo was also impressive.  As for the entrée, I had a harder time selecting than I thought I would.  I wanted to try something new, but in the end I ordered my tried and true favorite, Chicken Vindaloo.

This tangy spicy curry is made even more amazing by the potatoes and incredible amount of spice.  The seasoning was on point at Dévi, except they UNDERSALTED the chicken!!! How could they?!  Ugh.  I was disappointed but in the end it was still quite delicious just missing a little something.  Ms. O’s Abha Aunty's Baingan was perfect.

 Rich delicious baby eggplant mixed with tomatoes, onions and tamarind.  Wowee!  I’m so glad I added eggplant to my list of things to eat!  One thing I will note is that while their prices are *somewhat* reasonable (small plates more than entrée so average), they don’t serve their entrées with naan or rice!  Absurd.  Of course we ordered naan and it was perfect!  The only real mistake from the night was ordering dessert.

Our Mango Cheesecake was really lacking.  There was no cheesecake to be tasted and the mango flavoring was barely there.  Allegedly there was Mango-passion fruit sauce but again that didn’t really come through.  The pieces of “mango pate de fruit” were really not that great.  It was jellied rather than candied which made it less desirable.  Next time I'll stick to the food and skip the dessert.

Dévi was a great dining adventure and thanks to Village Vines it was a little less pricy than it could have been.  The menu has a lot of great options and is definitely worth exploring so I could see myself going back to try something else.

Hungry yet?