Photo credit: Hush Supper Club

What's a former World Bank worker doing running a secret supper club? Meet the accomplished amateur cook who goes by the name Geeta and hosts the Hush Supper Club in her Washington D.C. home. This weekend, Geeta brings Hush to the Bay Area, where she'll serve up culinary storytelling along with vegetarian Indian food.

Geeta grew up in Chicago eating the food of the Gujarati region in northwestern India. Her family followed the dietary restrictions of people who practice the ancient religion known as Jainism, a vegetarian cuisine that prohibits eating root vegetables that can't regenerate on their own (think potatoes, onions, and garlic). Well, there was that brief period when her father, worried about his children's ability to assimilate in America, took them out to eat hamburgers for a year or two. But otherwise, Geeta told me, she's led a meatless life.

Around three years ago, Geeta's mother became ill and she worried she might lose her (she's well now). But at the time, Geeta was struck by the fact that if her mother passed she'd take with her all the recipes to the food Geeta grew up with. She vowed then to learn the food traditions of her family and to master the comfort dishes from her family home.

Now in her late 30s, Geeta recently gave up her World Bank job traveling to Africa to devote much of her time to educating people about the food traditions of her culture and the stories behind these classic dishes.

Her Supper Club's are popular in D.C., where word spread quickly. Prominent media coverage in The Washington Post and on Rachel Ray's blog has helped.

Hush Supper Club. Photo: Pam Rutter

Last Friday she held a Supper Club in a friend's home in The Elmwood neighborhood of Berkeley. Tonight Hush comes to San Francisco's Potrero Hill and on Saturday to Oakland's Jack London Square. Geeta spoke with Bay Area Bites earlier this week.

What can attendees expect at a Hush Supper Club event?

I think of it more as a salon than a trendy underground dinner.There's a playfulness to these salons, a sense that people can be kids again. I want to challenge the hipsters who aren't bothered to get bothered (or involved) with something. We'll start with a cocktail, which allows people to get the "What do you do?/How did you get here?" questions out of the way. I don't socialize with my guests at this stage, I like them to get to know each other, as it's often strangers coming together.

I like to keep it small; 12 is ideal, sometimes we'll have up to 16. The more intimate the better. The evening typically lasts four to five hours and the suggested donation is $75.

Why did you start the supper club?

For three reasons: One, India is on the move and I wanted to tell the story of my people and my culture. Secondly, before there were celebrity chefs and fetishized food, there was just food and the stories behind the dishes we eat, and I want to continue that tradition. And three, as someone who likes to tell stories, I like to question people's assumptions about culture and provoke them to think through food.

What are some misunderstandings about the Jain diet and how closely do you follow the food regimen?

Some people think we don't eat dairy, but yogurt is a big part of our diet. It gets kind of complicated with the food rules but essentially we don't eat any plant that can't regenerate itself, which is why tubers like potatoes are off limits, as well as garlic and onions. When I traveled to Africa a lot I found myself eating eggs, which is a big no-no in the Jain world, but I needed to find protein sources. As a rule, Jains don't drink, but this Jain likes a cocktail.

What's on the menu this weekend?

We'll probably start with a saffron-cardamon infused cocktail. Since it's summer I'm thinking mangoes. Mango lassi, of course, but also mango soup which is savory. I'll do a chaat making demonstration. I'll probably serve a chana chaat (chickpea snack), which is the quintessential Gujarati street food.

We'll have dhokla (steamed lentil-and-rice cakes), a chana masala, and a classic corn dish, with green chili, coconut, and raisins. Maybe some okra.

And then falooda, a cooling, creamy, rose-scented dessert with basil seeds and gooey noodles, that you mix all together. It has this wonderful perfume. Chai, of course.

Have you noticed differences in the dinner conversations in the D.C., Chicago and Bay Area Hush Supper Club events?

In D.C., since so much of Washington life involves international travel, you can literally verify headlines at dinner parts with people just back from Uganda and Iraq. I challenge people there not to ask "What do you do?" In Chicago I suggest people find something else to talk about beyond the bears, bulls, cubs -- in other words sports. Here in the Bay Area, there's a lot of talk about the food and food culture, so I encourage guests to mix it up.

What are some of the signature flavors in your cuisine?

Common spices used in Jain cuisine include saffron, cinnamon, cardamon, chili, coriander, cumin, and turmeric. Fresh herbs include cilantro and mint and curry leaves in the winter. We get a lot of protein from chickpea, lentil. or bean flours. And we use yogurt in our flat-bread doughs.

Photo credit: Hush Supper Club

What's the secret ingredient in your spice box?

The mystery ingredient is hing (asafoetida) which is a pungent garlic-like flavoring and a digestive aid, known for its anti-gas properties, as my mother likes to say.

What's next for Hush?

I'd like to write a memoir about my food and culture, and my experience sharing it through the supper clubs. I walked away from a life at the World Bank for a spice box. But that kind of entrepreneurial pluck is respected by my people.

Details:

For up-to-the minute info on ticket availability -- a few seats were still left at press time for both Hush Supper Club events this weekend -- visit the Hush Supper Club Facebook page. To reserve a spot visit the Hush Supper Club site. Follow @hushsupperclub on Twitter.

The popular Indian food truck Curry Up Now has hit the big time. Their first brick and mortar restaurant opened this past Saturday in downtown San Mateo to long lines out the door. Fortunately, they invited some friends, family and food bloggers for a sneak peak the day before they opened to the public.

“Everything’s the same except now we have a restaurant,” said staffer, Jessica Hui. Their four food trucks will continue serving their versions of Indian street food all over the Bay Area. “The restaurant is more of a sit down place to eat, whereas the trucks are for people who just want to grab and go,” although takeout is always an option at the restaurant as well.

Customers order from the oversized menu on the wall and pay at the counter. You then scribble your name on one of the mini chalkboards they’ll give you, and take it to your table so the food can be delivered to you there.

The menu looks almost like a mural, becoming a focal point for the entire room. “The fonts on the chalkboard menu are inspired by hit Bollywood movies,” says owner Rana Kapoor. That, along with their newly redesigned pink and orange logo, add a pop of color and character to the otherwise clean, simple, yet comfortable setting. And there is definitely an urban feel from the distressed wood and brushed metal accents that is on par with their street food roots.

The menu is almost identical to what you’d find on one of their trucks, including fan favorites like Chicken Tikka Masala Burritos, Kathi Rolls, and Deconstructed Samosas. They plan to do different specials everyday to change things up a bit.

The biggest differences are the selection of Thalis, which are like dinner/lunch plates, and include saffron basmati rice and parantha (a sort of flatbread) and small salad. Diners choose from either two or three items from the list of options, which include Kadhai chicken, paneer or tofu, and Keema Matar Aloo. Fans of the Curry Up Now trucks and those familiar with Indian food will have no problem maneuvering through the menu. Those who aren’t will need some handholding from the friendly staff.

The other difference from the truck is the addition of a kids menu. Since this is a suburban brick and mortar joint, the need for this was obvious. “I didn’t know what to put on the kids menu so I asked my kids what I should do,” says Kapoor. “They said, ‘Mom, just serve them what you serve us!’” Hence the three options of either a quesadilla, Tandoori chicken or paneer, or Kathi Roll, and a side order of fries or broccoli.

Chicken Parantha Quesadillix with yogurt

Like any other restaurant, there’s no point in judging the food on the very first day of operation, but I’m glad to say all the items I ordered were completely consistent with the taste and quality of the food on any of their trucks, including the Chana Masala, a spicy stew of chickpeas and classic Indian spices, and the Chicken Parantha Quesadillix with yogurt on the side and that famous green sauce.

Curry Up Now’s over 4000 Facebook and almost 6000 Twitter followers will surely be excited at the thought of grabbing a Kathi Roll whenever they want now. And with a stable location, new fans won’t have to have a Twitter account to find their food.

Curry Up Now
Address: Map
129 South B Street
San Mateo, CA 94401
650-477-1001
Restaurant Hours: Tuesday-Sunday, 11am-10pm
Facebook.com/curryupnow
@curryupnow

Curry Up Now truck. Photo: Rana & Akash Kapoor

As one of the first food trucks to hit the Bay Area culinary scene, Curry Up Now has seen all the trials and tribulations that come with this niche business. They specialize in authentic Indian street food with some fusion elements thrown in for good measure.

Their menu items and locations change regularly so it’s always a good idea to check their website, Facebook or Twitter posts for daily updates. But they usually have a few regulars on the menu that stay constant, including their made-to-order Chicken or Paneer Kathi Roll and creamy Chicken Tikka Masala Burrito, mixed with fragrant saffron basmati rice and then wrapped in a tortilla. But my personal favorite is the Deconstructed Samosa, which is their homemade potato and pea stuffed pastry pocket, fried and then topped with mini-samosas, spicy chickpea curry (chana), tomatoes, red onions, tamarind sauce, their secret green sauce and your choice of ground beef (keema), chicken or paneer (vegetarian option). Their food is so good, it’s now become a weekly craving for me. And I’m obviously not the only one because their fourth truck is expected to hit the East Bay soon.

Deconstructed Samosa. Photo: Elaine Wu

I sat down with husband and wife team, Rana and Akash Kapoor, to ask them what they’ve learned, what’s next, and why it’s all worth it.

Where did the inspiration to start a food truck come from? You were one of the first ones on the scene.
AKASH: The idea started in early 2009. Then we got serious in the summer and launched on September 26th, 2009. It was a trend in Southern California and in Portland and we kind of took inspiration from everyone else’s ideas and threw ours in there and that’s how we started.

With weekly appearances in San Francisco, the Peninsula, the South Bay and now the East Bay, is your Bay Area wide domination complete?
AKASH: We’ve always wanted to serve our food to people all across the Bay Area. So now we’ve got 4 trucks hitting all the major areas, and we’d like one or two more as a “backup” or roving truck.

What are your plans for the future? I’d heard speculation at one point about franchising.
AKASH: Right now we’re very serious about opening a brick and mortar restaurant. In fact, it’ll hopefully happen within the next 90 days or so. That’s where we see the growth potential. We’re hoping eventually to start franchising and perhaps grow to multiple locations all over the country. A bit like a Chipotle or Panda Express, but with quality Indian food. The food quality is still and always will be the number one priority for us. But the restaurant will serve everything we do on the truck with perhaps 10 or 15 more items. Some things we’ve always wanted to serve but are impossible to make on the truck, like desserts and more entrées. As far as the trucks are concerned, we’ll keep them as is and maybe add a couple more. They all have to go through health inspections and the permit process. It takes a while.

What do you think the future is for street food in the Bay Area? Is it just a fad?
AKASH: I think the U.S., in general, adopted street food quite late and Northern California, in particular. There’s street food everywhere, especially on the East Coast. I think it’s here to stay.

RANA: It’s an alternative food movement for those who want to experience the food and culture of a region and the Bay Area street food scene is no different.

AKASH: I think because there seems to be a new truck on the scene almost every week, there’s gonna be consolidation and bigger players will take over because it’s hard to survive and grow and make money. Because if you don’t grow, you’re gonna go away.

We’re hearing a lot lately about brick and mortar merchants complaining that food trucks who park in their neighborhoods are stealing business from them. What are your thoughts around that?
AKASH: I believe some of these mom and pop places need to step up their game! Whether you’re a food truck or a sandwich shop, people have to like your food and you have to offer something different that you can’t get everywhere else.

RANA: We still go through it everyday with restaurants in the neighborhoods we visit. We went through it in Burlingame, but the city and the people have been great. One merchant came and cussed us out early on when we were out there. But you also have to be sensitive to the merchants around you. We try to stay away from restaurants that serve food similar to ours. If we park right in front of a coffee shop, we don’t serve chai because it’s probably on their menu, too. You have to be supportive. I mean, why not work together? There was one instance where the merchant came out and gave our customers samples! When you want to work together, something good can come out of it.

What is your opinion of other street food trucks? Are they competition or is it a community.
AKASH: People should respect when someone’s been in a location for a long time and not show up at the same time with the intent of stealing business. And it’s important for all of us food trucks to obey the parking rules. Everyone will get kicked out if someone steals 5 parking spaces. That doesn’t help anyone in the long run.

RANA: For example, if we want to go to a location that someone’s been at for a while, we call them directly and ask if it’s okay. Just call us! We’d love to build a community.

AKASH: I’ve actually been talking to the folks who run Off the Grid about starting an association for street food vendors and food trucks, especially in San Francisco. When traditional small businesses start bullying a food truck, whose going to advocate for us? We need a collective voice to represent this growing community.

You currently have over 4700 followers on Twitter and over 3600 Likes on Facebook. You’ve been through a lot of ups and downs, but your customers seem to be very loyal.
AKASH: They’re amazing. We listen to them and make changes all the time. When someone says that our food quality’s gone down, we listen. We call people who take the time to tell us how we’re doing. We make changes immediately.

What sort of wisdom can you impart to newer trucks going through it all?
AKASH: People need to do their homework before they go out. We didn’t and we’re still learning.

If it’s so much trouble, why keep doing it?
RANA: The passion. It’s always been there and it’s been a dream for both Akash and I. We’ve always loved to cook and entertain. And I love people. For me, I want people to tell me how they feel about the food and communicate with them. When people care, something good always comes out of that.

Photo credit: Chris Schumack

Chef Kirti Pant has been cooking modern Indian cuisine at Junnoon (pronounced "Juh-noon") since it opened in Palo Alto in 2006. The 36-year-old chef grew up on air force bases all over India, where he was born. Pant's mother was a wonderful cook, and he enjoyed cooking with other air force families, and learned about the various regional cuisines of India. This background is one of the reasons that Junnoon owner Sabena Puri brought Pant on board. She was looking for someone beyond the "heat and curry" food that many diners may expect from a commercial Indian kitchen. Pant says his understanding of food diversity is reflected on Junnoon's menu, with "an eclectic menu from regions all over India," rather than one singular type of Indian food. Spices are ground daily, meats are seasoned and cooked to order and a variety of sauces are available. Dishes include Darjeeling steamed wontons with pork and green chilies, Bombay crab and cod cake, and tangy semolina shells filled with chickpeas, mint and tamarind.

Chef Floyd Cardoz of NYC's famed "New Indian" Tabla restaurant helped develop the menu with Pant, and Cardoz is a consulting chef and partner in the restaurant. Before landing at Junnoon, Panti worked at the Cinnamon Club in London, Tamarind in NYC, and studied at the Institute for Hotel Management in New Dehli, where he quickly realized he wanted to become a chef.

Pant lives in the East Bay with his wife, Aparna, and young daughter, Anika. He loves a samosa from Bharat Bazar in Fremont, which he considers a guilty pleasure. His wife Aparna is a vegetarian, so the choice of Green's for date night makes sense. Pant sites its "great location, overlooking the waterfront and stuffed mushroom entrée" as reasons for visiting the San Francisco classic. The Pants also enjoy the prix fixe menu on the The Napa Valley Wine Train for a date night getaway.

The Pants like to go to Sala Thai in Fremont, for "good Thai food" where orders of basil fried rice, Penang chicken and Thai red curry with vegetables are favorites. In Sunnyvale, Pant seeks out Saravana Bhavan, a chain vegetarian South Indian restaurant. Daughter Anika gets mini idli, which are "coin-sized steamed rice and lentil dumplings with sambar and coconut chutney." Sambar vadas, which are lentil dumplings in a spiced lentil and veggie broth, are another favorite. Pant says he loves to also try "Mysore masala dosa and sambar" while at Saravana Bhavan as well.

Aparna loves Chinese food, so the family goes to PF Chang's for the hot and sour soup, steamed wontons, curried vegetables and Kung Pao chicken. "Because it’s kid friendly," they also go to another chain restaurant: Elephant Bar & Grill, for orders of warm asparagus dip with chips and braised lamb shank with roast gravy and mashed potatoes are their standard go-to items.

Ingredients for Spicy Mash

Indian food -- the aromatic spices, the color, the bold flavors. Love it. Unfortunately, I'm a bit of a wimp when it comes to heat (good thing for raita and mango lassis to soothe my burning tongue). But, when I tasted this Spicy Mash for the first time, it was so delicious I couldn't stop eating it. Tears were starting to stream down my face, but my hand just kept bringing forkful after forkful to my mouth. It hurt so good.

This brilliant recipe is all thanks to my lovely friend, Fatema. I was super excited when she offered to come over one night to teach us some Indian home-cooking. I've experimented a bit with Indian food before, but still haven't been able really nail my favorites, like Chicken Tikka Masala (the hunt continues for the perfect recipe).

As Fatema unpacked her bag of groceries, I quickly discovered why. It's in the spices! Fatema's mum had just sent her a shipment of spices from Bangladesh via London. They knocked the socks off any of the jarred spices I had in my spice rack. I might as well be storing sawdust in my pantry.

The fragrance and potency of those Indian spices transformed this very simple dish of smashed potatoes. Raw onion and cilantro also added layers of savory, fresh, flavor. (I know, I usually hate raw onions, but it works in this. The trick is to slice them as thin as possible.)

The measurements in this adapted version of Spicy Mash are based on the potent spices I received from Fatema, so this may take a little bit of trial and error the first time you make it with the store-bought stuff (assuming you don't have a little Indian spice fairy like I do). My recommendation is to make the spice butter as directed and then add it gradually to the potatoes, tasting as you go. If more flavor is needed, you can always add more spice, but remember, you can never take out. So taste, taste, taste, as you go, until you get just the right ratio to your liking.

I also made some adaptations to Fatema's original recipe. Like I mentioned before, I can't take too much heat, so I omitted the minced green chilis she used and cut down on the amount of chili powder. I also added some ginger, grated to a pulp on a microplane, for some extra umph…and a bit of milk and cream cheese, which has always been a secret ingredient in my house when it comes to creamy mashed potatoes.

Special thanks to my little spice fairy and her spice smuggling mum! Spicy Mash is definitely going to be a new staple in my repertoire.

Spicy Mash

Spicy Mash

Serves: 4-6 as a side

Ingredients:
2 pounds potatoes, peeled and quartered
½ cup onion, thinly sliced
¼ cup chopped cilantro
1/3 cup milk
3 tablespoons butter
1 ounce cream cheese
1 tablespoon grated ginger
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons yellow curry powder
½ teaspoon turmeric
¼ teaspoon chili powder
Pinch of chili flakes

Preparation:
1. Boil potatoes about 20 minutes, or until you can pierce through them easily with a fork.
2. Mash the potatoes, adding the milk, cream cheese, ginger, and salt, and incorporating well.
3. In a saucepan, melt the butter until it starts to froth. Add the curry, turmeric, chili powder, and chili flakes. Cook the spices for a minute or so in the butter, toasting them up until they are fragrant. Be careful not to burn them.
4. Add this to the mashed potatoes and mix well.
5. Stir in the onions and cilantro. Serve while warm.

Note: If you love spice and need more heat, add some finely minced green chili pepper.

You know how that lovely yellow curry served up at your favorite hole-in-the-wall Indian restaurant turns your napkin, the tips of your fingers, even your plate completely yellow? Congratulations, you have had a swift, yet definitive introduction to turmeric.

Turmeric has been turning everything yellow for eons. Originally it was not used as a spice for cooking, but as a dye, primarily for coloring holy robes.

Turmeric has been mentioned in the Vedas, the ancient Hindu sacred texts. It was associated with purity and cleansing. Even today, orthodox Hindu households will use turmeric water to purify everything from themselves, to objects in the house, to the house itself before a religious event. Along the same lines, Hindu brides and bridegrooms have a ceremony called ʻhaldiʼ (the Hindi word for turmeric and also the name of the ceremony), just before their wedding day.

This yellow-orange rhizome (that is a relative of ginger) is also credited with tons of medicinal uses. It is used as an antiseptic and an anti-inflammatory agent. When a classmate in school cut her finger during a cooking class, a well-meaning friend promptly threw some turmeric on her finger. Good move as far as providing an antiseptic, but bad for the bleeding. As it turns out, turmeric is also an anti-coagulant. Studies show that curcumin, the main flavoring compound in turmeric, is also an anti-oxidant.

Turmeric imparts a rich, ochre yellow to anything it is added to. The mustard so popular on hot dogs gets its color and part of its distinctive flavor from this golden spice. Turmeric is famous for its inclusion in curry powders. Marco Polo noted the following about turmeric when he came across it in 1280: “There is also a vegetable which has all the properties of true saffron, as well the smell and the color, and yet it is not really saffron.” This isnʼt entirely true. Turmeric and saffron can both turn things yellow. The similarity ends there. Saffron is fragrant and enchanting, its flavor elevated and floral. Turmeric smells a bit acrid; Its flavor is earthy, reminiscent of ginger and mustard.

Turmeric in Indian cooking is used primarily in its dry, ground form. Just a small amount is more than enough to convey the ginger-peppery flavor. In some parts of India, turmeric leaves are used to wrap dumplings before steaming. There is a milder flavor and flowery aspect associated with the leaves that is different from the stem from which the powdered spice is derived.

Forming the base on which several dishes can be built, turmeric, along with asafoetida and mustard seeds, are featured in countless recipes from the Indian sub-continent. Lentils, vegetables, meat and fish, all do well with a seasoning of turmeric. One of the simplest dishes featuring turmeric is also the most satisfying. Called kadhi, different regions of India have their own versions; it tends to have a thinner consistency in the south as compared to the north. It can be plain or made with chickpea dumplings (pakoras).

Buttermilk Kadhi

Serves: 3-4

Ingredients:
2 cups buttermilk
1/2 cup chickpea flour (besan)
1/3 tsp asafoetida
1/4 tsp turmeric
3-4 green chillies, split lengthwise (Serrano or Thai chillies)
1/2 tsp grated fresh ginger
1 tsp sugar
Salt to taste
Cilantro for garnish

For seasoning:
2 tbsp clarified butter (ghee) or canola oil
5-6 curry leaves
1 tsp asafoetida
1 tsp cumin

Preparation:

1. In a pot, combine the buttermilk, chickpea flour and 2 cups of water. Stir together to dissolve any lumps.

2. Add sugar, salt, turmeric and asafoetida and mix.

3. Move the pot onto the stove on medium high heat and bring the mixture slowly to a boil, stirring constantly. Add more water to thin it down if the mixture is still too thick. (The ideal consistency would be like tomato soup).

4. When the buttermilk comes to a boil, add the green chillies and ginger.

5. In a separate small pan, heat the ghee or oil to prepare the seasoning. Add mustard seeds (which should begin to splutter if the oil is hot enough) followed by cumin, asafoetida and curry leaves. Continue to heat gently for a few seconds to season the oil or ghee.

6. Pour the spiced oil into the buttermilk mixture. Stir everything to incorporate.

Garnish with some cilantro and serve.

Notes:
Keep stirring the mixture as it starts to boil to prevent the buttermilk from curdling and separating. Once it has reached a boil, the thickening of the chickpea flour keeps the ingredients emulsified. Though oil can be used here, try and use ghee. There is a voluptuousness of flavor that ghee brings to the dish. Also, if using oil, make sure it is neutral tasting like canola or peanut oil. An oil like olive oil tastes too strong and would disrupt the other flavors.

Though traditionally served on steamed rice, kadhi can also be served with chapatis or enjoyed just by itself. It is rare to find this dish in restaurants. This is home-cooking at its most basic. You could try variations by including some carrots or peas in it. Serve with rice and an Indian spiced pickle or papad, to create a simple and nutritious Indian comfort food dish.

The kitchen was always interesting to me as a child because it had a number of things I wasnʼt allowed to touch. My sisters didnʼt have these rules. That is because my mother didnʼt worry that they would kill themselves by trying to eat salt or spices straight out of their tins. My curiosity almost always overshadowed my caution. All that stopped the day I knocked loose a couple of my milk teeth; the day I tried to munch on methi (fenugreek) seeds.

When you look at the squat, rectangular and extremely hard seeds of fenugreek, you may wonder why anyone would take any trouble to work with it. But this unyielding spice is accompanied by a nutty, bitter and mellow flavor that could not be replicated by anything else. It loses some of its toughness when you gently fry or boil it, which also brings out its subtle flavor. The fragrance of the whole spice is a bit woody. But the wheaty, caramel colored seeds release a nutty aroma when cooked. In a spice blend, its flavors meld with the other spice to give the blend a deep bass note.

Due to the tough physical nature of the spice, it finds wide application in its ground form. But its seeds are also popular. A little goes a long way with this spice, as too much can make your meal overwhelmingly bitter. This is especially true if you are using whole seeds.

Fenugreek seeds also have medicinal qualities. As traditional remedies, concoctions of fenugreek are used as an appetite stimulator, in the curing of cough and congestion and prescribed to nursing mothers.

In India, the leaves of the fenugreek plant are used as a fragrant herb when dried and used as greens in their fresh state. The bitterness of the seed is reflected in the fresh leaves. They are very fragrant when they are dried. In the dry form, fenugreek leaves are used in curries and paired with vegetables like peas. They pair especially well with cream-based recipes. The seeds are like a more humble cousin. They too are used in different kinds of curries and in combination with various vegetables like okra and eggplant. The difference is that the seed will form the base of the recipe while the herblike leaves will be sprinkled on top of a dish towards the end of cooking.

Potatoes with coconut and fenugreek seeds

While several dishes use fenugreek seeds, either as part of a spice mix or on its own, the seeds are the star of this recipe along with the very versatile potato. It would be hard to define the roots of this dish. It falls under some semblance of western Indian cooking, but I think the credit lies with my mother-in-law, from whom I got the recipe. Were you to try to look for a similar vegetable recipe, you would most likely end up with several using fenugreek leaves. Like most Indian dishes, this one involves a combination of a few spices but they all come together in celebration of this unassuming seed, which is often relegated to a supporting role.

Serves: 3-4

Ingredients:
4 large yellow or red potatoes
1 cup grated coconut (fresh or frozen)
5 to 6 peppercorns
1/2 tsp tamarind paste
1 tsp black mustard seeds
1/4 tsp asafoetida
1/2 tsp fenugreek seeds
4 to 5 curry leaves
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
1 large tomato, diced
2 to 3 tbsp canola or vegetable oil
Salt to taste

Preparation:
1. Cut potatoes lengthwise into eighths.
2. In a food processor, grind together the coconut, peppercorns and tamarind paste.
3. Heat the oil in a deep pan. To this add the mustard seeds, asafoetida, fenugreek seeds and curry leaves.
4. When the mustard seeds and curry leaves start to splutter, add the potatoes and stir to coat.
5. Add the turmeric and chilli powders and toss the potatoes in it until evenly coated. Fry for a bit.
6. Add the coconut gravy. Stir together and cover the pan to allow the mixture to simmer for a short while.
7. Once the potatoes are just about cooked, add the diced tomato and stir. Add salt.
8. Turn up the heat to bring the mixture to a rolling boil. Then turn the heat down to simmer for five minutes before serving.

Serve with rice or bread.

Notes:
Fenugreek seeds should be lightly roasted. They are horribly bitter and hard to eat when they are subjected to a dark roast. The seeds are readily available in any store that sells spices. Certain grocery stores, like Safeway may sell it in its powdered form. Indian chilli powder is purely ground up dried chillis. That (as well as asafoetida) are available inexpensively in Indian stores. Curry leaves should be available in their freezer section. A good thing to remember is that most Indian stores will sell spices at much more reasonable rates than other stores. Since they are widely used in Indian food, the spices there should also be fresher because of the rapid turnover.

We all have our go-to, dirt cheap, hole-in-the-wall Indian spot. This is not it. And thank goodness for that. No, Sultan is doing something different here -- something exciting yet familiar. Step inside and hardwood floors, sleek tableware, flattering dimmed lighting, and soothing earth-toned walls meet the eye. Meanwhile, the nose is met with scintillating aromas of spice and good things to come.

Sultan interior

This family-run Indian restaurant differentiates itself from neighboring competitors with its classed-up ambiance and presentation, and continues the theme through its menu of updated classics. Sultan has taken traditional recipes (some passed down for generations, some inspired from street food favorites) and given them a contemporary twist, serving them up with style and finesse.

Trio of Dishes from Sultan

Papadum with Mango Chutney

Chef Khadija, the matriarch of the restaurant, was formally trained in Mumbai. She uses organic ingredients whenever possible, including free-range chicken and New Zealand lamb, and freshly grinds all her spices, regularly shipped in from India. While this focus on fresh ingredients has placed Sultan into a higher price range than your typical Indian restaurant, the extra few dollars is well worth it. The quality of products and made-from-scratch effort shines through in each dish, and you are left feeling like you are eating at mom's table... when mom is a professional chef.

Chicken Tikka Masala

Sultan's Murgh Tawa Masala (their version of Butter Chicken, or Chicken Tikka Masala as many know this popular dish by) is the best I've tasted yet in the city. Incredibly rich without being too heavy, the chicken is smoky and spiced with just the right amount of heat, and the thick velvet tomato and yogurt sauce melts luxuriously in your mouth.

Garlic Naan

With every great sauce comes a need for a great sauce receptacle. Fired to order, the fluffy, fresh naan here fits the bill. The Garlic Naan is scattered with lots of fresh garlic and cilantro, and baked in a clay oven until crispy and slightly blistered on the outside, warm and chewy on the inside.

Kheema Naan

The Kheema Naan, stuffed with minced lamb meat, garlic, red onions, and fresh herbs, was savory, hearty, and would have made an excellent appetizer on its own.

Chicken Korma and Tikka Masala

Looking hindsight, it probably wasn’t the wisest decision to invite my spice-intolerant friend to this particular dinner. Nevertheless, Sultan rose to the occasion when posed with the challenge of creating a dish with no heat. That’s right, an Indian dish with no heat, but still full of flavor, is indeed possible. Our special needs Chicken Korma was created, a mild curry fragrant with turmeric, cashews and saffron, gentle enough for a baby’s palate.

Stir Fried Okra

The Stir Fried Okra (Bhindi Masala) was colorful and fresh. Cut into even bite-sized pieces and appetizingly bright green, the okra was sautéed with ripe tomatoes and caramelized onions. The stickiness of the okra was pleasantly present but not too pronounced. The tomatoes were heavily spiced and seasoned, and cooked down to create some intensely concentrated flavor.

Mint Chicken Tikka

The Mint Chicken Tikka featured two skewers of smoky chicken, rubbed full of mint, yogurt, and aromatic spices. Grilled so you get all those delicious bits of charred crunch, this was the best reinvention of street food I’ve seen in a long time.

Vegetarian Samosas

For their take on Samosas, Sultan uses a light, crispy shell similar to eggroll wrappers rather than the traditional heavier pastry shell. Their vegetarian version is filled with a puree of potatoes and peas, and attractively presented with mint and tamarind chutneys.

Mango Lassi

If the spice is heating up a bit too much, cool down with a Mango Lassi, a smoothie made with tangy thick yogurt and ripe mango. Served in a large milkshake glass, this creamy, sweet treat was the perfect balance to all the heat from the meal.

Casual enough for a family dinner, yet classy enough for date night, Sultan's winning combination of authentic Indian fare, dressed up presentation, and attentive service make this an oasis in a neighborhood that diners typically walk briskly by. And with lunch buffet for a mere $10.95, you can feast and still count your riches on the way out.

Sultan
340 O'Farrell St
(between Mason St & Taylor St)
San Francisco, CA 94102
415-775-1709

Hours:
Monday-Sunday, 11:30 am-2:30 pm; 5:00 pm-10:00 pm

Three Indian-inspired cookbooks tantalized my tastebuds this year. Each presents a new way of experiencing Indian flavors and food.

Madhur Jaffrey's Quick & Easy Indian Cooking is actually a reprint of a book first published about ten years ago, but you-know-who made the whole "quick and easy" thing in fashion again so I can see why it was reprinted. What's interesting about the recipes, is that Jaffrey is not trying to dumb down the cuisine or simplify it. There actually are plenty of Indian recipes that don't take days to make or long shopping lists. The notes with each recipe tell you if it is a one-pot dish, how to serve it and sometimes the history of the dish. Many of the recipes are ones I had not seen before such as Chickpeas Cooked in Tea, Gently Stewed Beets, and Stir Fried Green Cabbage with Fennel Seeds.

The next book called Modern Indian Cooking, is still firmly more Indian than American but presents contemporary interpretations of classic Indian dishes. The merging of traditional Indian flavors with ingredients or techniques more likely to be found in the West, makes the dishes seem fresh and exciting. Lamb Chops with Rosemary and Lime is a perfect example of the unexpected, of a combination of India and European cuisines. Curry Corn Chowder with Roasted Poblanos sounds enticing and Paneer Picatta (sic) is a great vegetarian version of the classic Italian dish. Slices of paneer cheese are sauteed then the pan is deglazed with sherry, onions, capers and ginger are added and finally lemon juice, butter and cilantro.

American Masala is in some ways the least Indian. These are the recipes from the home kitchen of restaurant chef Suvir Saran. Masala is the Hindi word for a spice blend, and also refers to excitement and vibrancy, says Saran. While there are plenty of Indian recipes, there are also plenty of recipes with nary an Indian hint of spice such as Three Cheese Spinach Dip, Asparagus Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette, Lemon Raspberry Cream Cake or Honey Glazed Pork Roast with Vegetable Confit. Still, the use of garam masala changes the nature of some dishes such as Fried Chicken Masala, Spiced Meatballs with Tomato Chile Sauce or Scallops with Roasted Red Pepper Chutney. I guess if the concept is vibrant dishes, it certainly achieves it.

Curry Corn Chowder with Roasted Poblanos
makes 4 servings

2 poblano chiles
1 pound potatoes, peeled and diced into (1- inch) cubes
4 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 medium onion, chopped
1/4 cup celery, diced
1/2 cup green pepper, diced
Salt to taste
3 cups fresh corn kernels or frozen corn, thawed
2 cups vegetable stock or water
1 cup cream
1 tablespoon curry powder
3 tablespoons cilantro, chopped

PREPARATION
Pre heat the grill or a broiler. Grill or broil the chilies until the skin begins to blacken, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let steam until the skin loosens, about 10 minutes. Peel the chiles and chop coarsely, Set aside In a small sauce pan, add the potatoes and enough water to cover and cook until tender. Drain and set aside. In a large sauce pan, heat the oil, cumin, onion, celery and pepper and saute until the vegetables are softened, about 5 minutes. Add salt and corn and cook for 3 to 4 minutes longer. Stir in the roasted chiles, potatoes, stock, cream, curry powder and 1 tablespoon of cilantro and simmer until the soup thickens, 20 to 25 minutes.

Recipe courtesy of Modern Indian Cooking, Copyright 2007, Silverback Books

Every year, on the first Sunday of November, tens of thousands of Sikh from across the U.S. and Canada travel to Yuba City for the largest gathering of their extended community in North America. It's the only public festival I've seen in this country where not a single piece of food is sold, yet I still managed to eat and drink for six hours straight.

Food is offered free to all who come: Every single one of the 60,000 Sikh (give or take 20,000 in any given year) who take part in the festival, and the few hundred curious folk like me who show up for the food.

Cauliflower pakoras fresh from the oil.

All along the side of the parade's path are stations of Sikh men and women rolling roti, frying pakoras, stirring curries, and cutting sweets. Everything served is vegetarian, to be as inclusive as possible. Friendly, young men offer fresh fruit, water, juice, and hot chai to all who walk by -- even the Christian evangelists with their placards and flyers.
A line of women roll fill bread with potatoes masala while a two-man team shares dipping and frying duty.

Men from the Punjab region of Northern India were among the earliest immigrants to the Pacific Northwest and then the Central and Imperial Valleys of California. Many of them were Sikh, and their hard work -- felling trees, laying rails, and laboring in fields and orchards -- helped build the West.

The November festival in Yuba City honors the Sikh scriptures, the Guru Granth Sahib, and the recitation of its words is central to the procession. Large, decorated semi-trucks help pull the priests and musicians through the crowded streets.

This Thursday, I'll be giving a presentation about the importance of the communal kitchen in the Sikh religion. There'll be lots more photos, including many archival ones, and we'll discuss how Asian Americans such as the Sikh navigated strict immigration and alien land laws to establish thriving farms in the Central Valley.

"Sikh Temples and Communal Meals: Religion, Politics and Potluck in California's Central Valley"
Presented by Thy Tran
Thursday, October 11, 2007
5:15-6:45 pm

Magnes Museum
2911 Russell Street, Berkeley, CA
Contact: Erica J. Peters, Culinary Historians of Northern California
Phone: (650) 938-4936
Email: e-peters-9@alumni.uchicago.edu

The Indian karahi has the same lovely, generous shape as a Chinese wok.