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Tag: Indian

  • Namasteak, USA

    Namasteak, USA

    As many Indian restaurants worldwide consider serving beef taboo, chef Sujan Sarkar savored the rare opportunity to taste quality meat. Beef from Nebraska was considered a specialty at one of the Michelin-starred restaurants he worked at in London, Galvin at Windows, a French spot formerly inside the Hilton Park Lane in London. Sarkar, chef at Indienne — Chicago’s lone Michelin-starred Indian restaurant, and one of only three that have earned that status in the United States, says British beef couldn’t compete with USDA prime cuts.

    Beef is expensive, not widely available in all parts of India, and is considered holy in many sects of Hinduism. However, in the U.S., non-Indian Americans tend to associate Indian cuisine only with that singular cultural practice. It’s such a widespread perception that English speakers, like Chicago baseball announcer Harry Caray, even have an expression tied to it — holy cow! Chicago Seven member Abbie Hoffman turned it into an anti-authority metaphor and is credited with saying “sacred cows make the tastiest burger.” UHF features “Weird Al” Yankovic’s playful portrayal of Gandhi in 1989 while ordering a medium-rare steak. The first wave of Indian restaurants in America brought the cultural norms of the early 1900s with them and shunned beef. Tandoori chicken was positioned in the ’60s as the Indian American counterpart to the showstopping Beijing duck popular at Chinese American restaurants. Lamb curries and kabobs emerged as stand-ins to satiate America’s beef lovers.

    But decades later that Puritan image of India is fading in America, and it appears Chicago, with its storied meatpacking history, has become the center for a new style of Indian dining that embraces the beef. One tell is Sarkar who says one of his favorite restaurants is Asador Bastian, a well-regarded Basque steakhouse that’s a short walk from Indienne. Though Indienne proudly features vegetables in all menus — not just the vegetarian option — Sarkar has been experimenting with a beef dish. For private events only, he’s serving a short rib braised with a Madras curry inspired by black peppercorn sauce. It makes sense, after all, black pepper originated in India.

    “Some people are cooking camel, ostrich,” Sarkar says. ”We don’t have to do it here, because that’s not from here. But in America, beef is one of the main sources of protein, and people like that — and it’s good.” These days, seeing beef on an Indian menu is hardly shocking. The protein has earned a place in prominent Indian restaurants across America like Dhamaka in New York; Rania in Washington, D.C.; and BadMaash in LA.

    The beef brisket at Indus in suburban Chicago is stellar.

    Beef can be found in India, but diners need to be in the know. It might have different names. Sarkar remembers seeing it called water buffalo. Vinod Kalathil of Thattu has memories of attending engineering school in India and seeing the reactions from his Northern India classmates when they saw beef served at the dining hall: “They were absolutely shocked,” Kalathil recalls. And Sheal Patel of Dhuaan BBQ remembers walking through night markets in Mumbai and Delhi and seeing plenty of street vendors selling beef and pork dishes.

    Patel represents a wave of second-generation chefs all over America who have experimented with their home spice pantries, livening American staples from burgers to omelets to pizzas. Patel says TikTok has played a role with desis sharing techniques and photos from their travels. “I don’t think 10 years ago this would be a very welcome topic,” Patel says. Patel calls Dhuaan a tribute to the food his mother cooked as well as his visits to Central Texas where barbecue — particularly beef — is king. His brisket and masala beef cheesesteaks have popped up at bars across Chicago.

    Kalathil, who grew up in India, would see beef labeled as “mutton sukka” (dry beef) offered at restaurants in the South Indian state of Kerala, where it’s more common to find beef. Kalathil and his wife, chef Margaret Pak, have served beef at Thattu, their lauded Keralan restaurant, from day one. Inspired by Pak’s Korean heritage, they use short rib in their beef fry — slow-roasted thin slices of meat fried with coconut oil and flavored with curry leaves and onions.

    “We want to make sure the food is for everybody,” Kalathil says — Thattu has plenty of vegetarian options, too. “And if some people don’t want to eat that, that’s perfectly fine.” However, he says beef is essential to Keralan culture.

    Thattu is playing with different cuts of beef as short rib is expensive, and while Western restaurants may use the bones for stock for soups or sauces, there’s little history of utilizing scraps in South Asian cuisines. They may even switch to boneless lamb in their biryani as some guests have expressed a preference. Pak and her kitchen crew are also tweaking a new beef burger offering.

    A watershed moment in Indian American history may have occurred in 2015 when Lucky Peach, the defunct food magazine ran a recipe for tandoori steak using thick beef ribeyes as opposed to the thin cuts found in traditional South Asian beef dishes. That begot a steak pop-up run by chefs Dave Chang and Akhtar Nawab and cheekily named Ruth Krishna’s Steakhouse, though Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse attorneys quickly hit the effort with a cease and desist letter.

    Flash forward to 2023 when Diaspora Spices began selling Steak Masala as a competitor to McCormick’s Montreal Steak Seasoning. Diaspora founder Sana Javeri Kadri, who grew up eating beef — she’s Hindu, Jain, and Muslim — says the spice mix, which went through four or five recipes, is a top seller that customers use on vegetables and meats alike. She says Diaspora has received zero negative feedback. The mix is made with Diaspora’s Surya Salt, Aranya Black Pepper, Sirārakhong Hāthei Chillies, Pahadi Pink Garlic, Hariyali Fennel, and Wild Ajwain.

    Steaks going into an oven.

    Highland Park’s Indus also serves a wagyu beef steak.

    A slice steak on a wooden plate.

    A 12-ounce American wagyu ribeye from Vander Farms comes with spiced herb butter, “chimmichutney,” and nizaami dum aloo.

    “This myth that India is vegetarian is obviously the voices of few speaking louder than the country at large,” Javeri Kadri says. “It’s a very Hindu, upper-caste take — most lower-caste folks don’t have the privilege of not eating meat.”

    Chicago should be used to religious and class restrictions. Blue laws, which date back to the late 1800s, were Catholic doctrines that prohibited activities like going to the movies, traveling, or selling anything on Sundays. Even as laws loosened, some operators continued to keep restrictions. In the ’80s, many Chicago grocery stores would cover their meat coolers with a blue wrap to prevent customers from putting beef into their shopping carts.

    Earlier this year in suburban Chicago, a new contemporary Indian restaurant, Indus, debuted featuring a wagyu beef ribeye and brisket cooked in a pellet smoker (Indus also smokes vegetarian dishes, like daal, with tasty results). Indus is one of the few Indian restaurants around Chicago that brings out steak knives. Owners Sukhu and Ajit Kalra say the brisket is so popular they’ve been getting requests from Jewish customers who wanted it for their High Holidays. It wouldn’t be the first Jewish-Indian crossover. In August while at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, as his wife prepared to accept the Democratic presidential nomination, Doug Emhoff complimented his wife Vice President Kamala Harris saying she “makes a mean Passover brisket.”

    A fine dining steak dish with edible flowers.

    This beef dish from Michelin-starred Indienne is available for private events only and made with American wagyu, a short rib kofta, tomato pachadi, varuval, and curry leaf.
    Indienne

    However, many restaurants remain uncomfortable discussing the topic of beef. Some chefs around the country declined to comment for this story. They didn’t want to alienate customers with strong opinions about beef. It’s still a sensitive subject and one that drifts into politics, with Hindu nationalism driving narratives. Rakesh Patel of Patel Brothers, the world’s largest South Asian grocer, founded in 1974 in Chicago, says his company has never carried beef. He says it was challenging enough to hear objections from vegetarians when the chain began carrying fish, though frozen fish is one of the chain’s biggest money makers.

    But some see the subject as a matter of hospitality. In years past, James Beard-recognized chef Zubair Mohajir has shied away from serving beef at Coach House, his tasting menu restaurant. Mohajir is Muslim, so beef isn’t prohibited, but he’s avoided it to offend any customers. It’s a form of respect. At his new restaurant, Mirra, which blends Mexican and Indian flavors, there’s a carne asada dish that, according to co-chef Rishi Manoj Kumar, is as much a tribute to Mexican cuisine as it is a way to honor Chicago’s steakhouse culture and history of meatpacking.

    But as India isn’t a monolith, neither is South Asia. Chicago is no stranger to dishes like frontier beef. Local Pakistani restaurant, Khan BBQ, has served the item and other beef options like chapli kebab for more than two decades along Devon, Chicago’s main South Asian hub. A newer entry, Tandoor Char House in Lakeview — a Pakistani Indian fusion spot — has long embraced beef with items like beef seekh kebab and beef nihari. Owner Faraz Sardharia says his father being from India and his mother being from Pakistan granted him the freedom to design a menu without boundaries.

    However, many Pakistani and Bangladeshi American restaurants (and other countries within the South Asian diaspora) still label themselves as “Indian” for marketing purposes — it was easier to conflate rather than to explain nuance to American diners Googling “butter chicken near me.” Beef is often absent from these restaurant menus to avoid sounding off any alarms. Others, however, were bolder, sneaking beef onto the menus — dishes like Bangladeshi beef tehari — to pique the interest of non-South Asian customers.

    Indian American chef Hetal Vasavada, a recipe developer and writer, competed on Season 6 of MasterChef when Gordon Ramsay and the gang made her recreate the chef’s famous beef Wellington. Vasavada, a vegetarian, rose to the challenge. She read through Reddit threads full of comments from uneducated viewers who weren’t familiar with India’s diversity, attempting to pigeonhole her. She had never cooked or tasted beef in her life, and the show’s fans saw that as a liability. They wanted her off the show. She relished her success in that environment. When it comes to celebrating holidays like Diwali, which is traditionally vegetarian, Vasavada keeps an open mind.

    “I think because India is so vast and everyone celebrates it so differently, it’s hard to say what’s right and wrong. In the end, I truly do not care what you eat,” she says. “Practicing as a Hindu, an Indian American, I don’t eat meat, but if you want to eat meat, go for it — I am unbothered. Celebrate and eat however you choose. And I think we just need to be a little bit more open-minded and less pushy about our beliefs on others.”

    Many objections to serving beef at Indian restaurants in America come from immigrants who long left South Asia and believe their hometowns or villages have stayed the same since they’ve left, Kalathil says. He wants to see more restaurants serve beef and pork. That philosophy is shared by many of his colleagues, including Sarkar. The old-fashioned mindset poses a danger to creativity.

    “That is with all Indian food — not only the beef,” Sarkar says. “People still have an outdated understanding of how things should be.”

    Ashok Selvam

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  • Chicago’s Best Indian, Pakistani, and Nepalese Restaurants

    Chicago’s Best Indian, Pakistani, and Nepalese Restaurants

    Tandoori-adobo roasted cornish hen from Mirra.
    |

    Garrett Sweet/Eater Chicago

    The chefs and cooks representing Chicago’s South Asian community have expanded their culinary vision in recent years. Restaurants are diving into regional fare, and there are now two options for Indian tasting menus.

    While the suburbs continue to see growth, and with that comes more food options, Chicago has more Indian restaurants than ever, and they’re located all across the city. Urban dwellers can find Indian, Pakistani, Nepalese, and Bangladeshi food. A few Devon Street entries even have outdoor seating, a new development as the city’s South Asian hub continues to evolve. While Devon, the birthplace of Patel Brothers — America’s largest Indian grocer — holds a special place for many, the rest of the city has wonderful culinary options that shouldn’t be dismissed.

    Below, find Eater Chicago’s favorite South Asian restaurants.

    Read More

    Eater maps are curated by editors and aim to reflect a diversity of neighborhoods, cuisines, and prices. Learn more about our editorial process.

    If you buy something or book a reservation from an Eater link, Vox Media may earn a commission. See our ethics policy.

    Ashok Selvam

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  • Inside Mirra, Where a Medley of Mexican and Indian Flavors Coexist

    Inside Mirra, Where a Medley of Mexican and Indian Flavors Coexist

    Vice President Kamala Harris — the daughter of an Indian woman and Jamaican man — took the podium on Thursday night at the Democratic National Convention at the United Center, three weeks after former President Donald Trump lied about her identity during an interview in Chicago. This may resurface those silly concerns about whether something can be two things at once.

    Mirra, a unique restaurant that mixes South Asian and Mexican flavors, is out to prove that duality can exist. The restaurant debuted on Thursday in Bucktown adding another notable recent opening to the area surrounding Damen and Armitage avenues. Neither of the restaurant’s two chefs have Mexican roots. Zubair Mohajir is a James Beard Award nominee for his work at Coach House, his fine-dining Indian restaurant in Wicker Park. Rishi Manoj Kumar is ethnically Indian and from Singapore. He learned to love Mexican food as he worked with Rick Bayless at Bar Sotano in River North.

    South Asian and Mexican flavors mingle at Mirra.

    Their restaurant aims to highlight the tales of South Asian migration in America, stories like how Harris’ mother arrived when she was 19 to go to college. It’s how Northern Indians from Punjab settled in California to build railroads and mingled with Mexicans in the late 19th century. That produced the ubiquitous roti quesadilla which ditched the traditional Mexican tortilla for Indian flatbread. Mirra’s version features roasted mushroom and Amul (a processed cheese from India; the chefs at Logan Square’s Superkhana International use it in their famed butter chicken calzone). The opening menu also features a dum biryani with braised lamb barbacoa. This isn’t a typical biryani diners would buy from a street vendor. Dum biryani is fancy and sealed with a pastry shell over the rice and meat to preserve the aromatics.

    A close up of table with plates

    Mohajir enjoys chatting with customers at the chef’s table at Coach House. It was there where Mirra took shape as the Southern Indian chef, who grew up in Qatar, found a story of an Indian girl, Mirra, kidnapped and taken to Mexico. He used Mirra’s history as inspiration. A popular Mexico City restaurant, Masala y Maiz, also played a role. In 2022, chefs ​​Norma Listman and Saqib Keval traveled to Chicago and popped up at Bar Sotano after befriending Kumar. Listman is a native of Texcoco, a city about 15 miles northeast of Mexico City. Keval’s parents are from Ethiopia and Kenya; their families were from India, arriving in Africa two centuries prior. They met while working in San Francisco’s Bay Area.

    A bowl sealed with a pastry.

    Dum biryani with lamb barbacoa sealed with roti.

    As the idea for Mirra matured, Mohajir and Kumar realized they needed to be more honest. Instead of aping Listman and Keval’s template, they needed to tell their own stories; neither one of them is Mexican. So they shifted and changed the restaurant’s design and changed the menu to better reflect their ideals.

    While a tasting menu will eventually arrive on Wednesday, September 4, the opening a la carte menu is accessible with crispy tacos filled with Mexican green curry and scallops, a tandoori and adobo Cornish hen, and a carne asada made with a 40-day dry-aged ribeye and salsa macha. It’s served with mashed roasted eggplant, known as bagan bharta to South Asians. A happy hour menu includes birria samosas, oysters, and drinks from partner David Mor. Mor made the drinks for Mohajir’s Lilac Tiger — the bar in front of Coach House — and has his own establishment. Truce, just up the street from Mirra, was one of the bigger bar openings of 2024. Tony Perez, who also works a Lilac Tiger, curates the wines.

    Chicken plated with sauce.

    Tandoori and adobo Cornish hen.

    Meen Moilee (yellowfin tuna, moilee-style leche de tigre, confit Sungold tomatoes, avocado)

    Meen Moilee (yellowfin tuna, moilee-style leche de tigre, confit Sungold tomatoes, avocado)

    Crispy Tacos (Hudson Bay scallops, Mexican green curry, nopales pico, crispy fenugreek roti)

    Crispy Tacos (Hudson Bay scallops, Mexican green curry, nopales pico, crispy fenugreek roti)

    Desserts at traditional South Asian restaurants are sometimes lacking. At Mirra, they’ve combined rasmalai, a Northern Indian sweet made with cheese, with tres leches cake serving it with saffron-cardamom-infused milk. There’s also a rice pudding which should remind diners of flan with nods to kheer, an Indian sweet made with sugar and milk.

    Chef Oliver Poilevey, whose family’s French restaurant, Le Bouchon, is down the street from Mirra, says his father, Jean-Claude Poilevey, would not approve of his son using Vietnamese fish sauce in French food. Fusion is a term that’s used sparingly, with chefs fearful that cultures are mashed together without respect for tradition. That’s not what’s happening at Mirra, Kumar and Mohajir say. Their dishes are created thoughtfully. It’s not just about combining cultures by hastily stuffing tandoori chicken into a tortilla and celebrating. Mirra shows how Mexican and South Asian spices and food can complement each other without worry if this is ridiculous cosplay.

    Walk through the space below.

    Mirra, 1954 W. Armitage Avenue, open 4:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday; tasting menu starts Wednesday, September 4. Reservations via OpenTable.

    Ashok Selvam

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  • Mansi Shah Blows Us Away With New Novel, A Good Indian Girl

    Mansi Shah Blows Us Away With New Novel, A Good Indian Girl

    It feels like everyone’s vacationing in Europe this summer except us at THP! And by everyone, we mean the book characters we’ve been reading about. Mansi Shah’s new novel, A Good Indian Girl, transports us to Tuscany, Italy.

    A Good Indian Girl by Mansi Shah is a story about Jyoti Shah, an Indian American divorcée spending her summer in Italy after her husband of more than 15 years left her for being unable to conceive. There, Jyoti rekindles her passion for cooking and tries to figure out how best to live her life.

    It felt like A Good Indian Girl had been written with us in mind, and we’re taking it to heart! Here are three of our favorite things about Mansi Shah’s A Good Indian Girl.

    Cover: A Good Indian Girl by Mansi Shah
    Image Source: HarperCollins Publishers

    Book Overview: A Good Indian Girl

    Content Warnings: mention of pregnancy and miscarriages, infertility, racism, medical procedures, needles, depression

    Summary: Jyoti is the “perfect” Indian American daughter: She stayed out of trouble, looked after her younger sisters, and married a man her parents approved of. So when her husband, Ashok, pushes her to quit her dream job as head chef to focus on conceiving, she obliges, knowing this will please her parents—only for Ashok to leave her when she cannot carry to term. Now unemployed, childless, and divorced, a disgrace to her Gujarati family, Jyoti books a ticket to Tuscany for the summer to visit her best friend (and fellow social outcast), Karishma.

    Carbs, chianti, and la bella vita slowly restore Jyoti’s confidence, inspiring her to experiment with Indian-Italian fusion recipes. But when she unexpectedly goes viral for her impromptu cooking vlogs—and candid vent sessions—her gossiping aunties have a field day. And when a shocking reveal comes to light, Jyoti must choose between family acceptance, a fulfilling career, and even motherhood, all before the summer ends…

    The Italy Itinerary

    In the past two weeks, we’ve reviewed books about London and Paris, and now we’re in Italy for A Good Indian Girl. This book only adds to our ever-growing European bucket list, specifically the kind of food we’d love to try. Jyoti’s best friend Karishma is the ultimate tour guide, showing her the best pasta spots that Jyoti could appreciate to the fullest. Karishma also takes Jyoti to the Amalfi Coast, going on boat tours and swimming in caves. We can only read and dream of these experiences (for now)!

    So Many Recipes

    The scenes where Jyoti cooks and eats in A Good Indian Girl are some of our favorites! She cooks hangover cures, Gujarati comfort foods, and eventually Indian-Italian fusion dishes. And the way readers experience these dishes is just out of this world. We’re salivating imagining the rich and savory goodness of this novel. Plus, that’s not even the best part. Everything that Jyoti cooks has a recipe listed at the back of the book! So if you can try your hand at making samosas, saag paneer ravioli, or even Gujarati Shaak-inspired risotto.

    The Topic Of Living Childfree

    Another one of our favorite things about A Good Indian Girl is how it addresses being child-free. After years of trying to conceive and suffering several miscarriages, Jyoti now grapples with her decision to destroy the embryos she had with her ex-husband Ashok. She knows that she may not have any kids at all once that happens. But she starts to realize that she never really wanted children. She only went with what her parents and former husband wanted, never stopping to ask herself. Meeting other people in Italy who live fulfilling, childfree lives like Karishma, Ben, and Mae helps her start living for herself. And the possibilities are limitless.

    An inspirational and sincere message to children of immigrants, eldest daughters, and women choosing to be childfree. We recommend reading Mansi Shah’s A Good Indian Girl with all our hearts.

    A Good Indian Girl by Mansi Shah comes out September 3rd, and you can preorder a copy of it here!

    What’s your favorite thing about A Good Indian Girl so far? Are you adding it to your TBR? Let us know on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram!

    Want to hear some of our audiobook recommendations? Here’s the latest!

    TO LEARN MORE ABOUT MANSI SHAH:
    FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | TIKTOK | WEBSITE

    Julie Dam

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  • Max’s Prequel Series Dune: Prophecy Casts Indian Superstar Tabu

    Max’s Prequel Series Dune: Prophecy Casts Indian Superstar Tabu

    Dune: Part Two was a hit, so while it’s a little surprising there’s been no official announcement on expected third movie Dune Messiah, here’s a consolation: the first update in awhile on Dune: Prophecy, the Bene Gesserit-centric prequel series (originally titled Dune: The Sisterhood) in the works at Max.

    Denis Villeneuve on Ending Dune: Part Two That Way

    Indian superstar Tabu, whose work outside of Hindi films includes Life of Pi and The Namesake, has joined the cast in the recurring role of Sister Francesca. The character is described in Variety’s report as “strong, intelligent, and alluring, Sister Francesca leaves a lasting impression in her wake. Once a great love of the Emperor, her return to the palace strains the balance of power in the capital.”

    It’s an encouraging bit of news for Dune: Prophecy, which has had a bumpy road amid a series of cast and director changes—though that’s not necessarily a knock against what the series will eventually be. It was first announced back in 2019, just before the entertainment world faced major schedule changes from the pandemic and then the Hollywood strikes. Just look at how well those delayed Dune feature films turned out!

    Along with Tabu, the cast for Dune: Prophecy includes Emily Watson, Olivia Williams, Travis Fimmel, Johdi May, Mark Strong, Sarah-Sofie Boussnina, Josh Heuston, Chloe Lea, Jade Anouka, Faoileann Cunningham, Edward Davis, Aoife Hinds, Chris Mason, and Shalom Brune-Franklin. So far there’s no release date, but the series is heading to Max eventually.

    Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.

    Cheryl Eddy

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  • Inside Chicago’s New Desi Bakery and Masala Chai Cafe

    Inside Chicago’s New Desi Bakery and Masala Chai Cafe

    Cafes in India often feel like French cafes with similar layouts. The differences stem from Indian bakers using croissants and other baked goods as vehicles for savory flavors like the spiced potatoes that fill a samosa or the tamarind zing from chutney used in snacks like chaat.

    And though coffee is popular, especially in places in South India where kaapi, filter coffee made with chicory and cardamom, Indian customers have the patience to wait for a properly brewed cup of masala chai. Generally, there’s a void for cafes that feature teas for all varieties in Chicago, and while there are a few South Asian snack shops that feature desserts like gulab jamun or burfi, baked goods aren’t as easy to track down. Thattu in Avondale offers a puff filled with spicy beets, but there are more possibilities, especially when the authenticity police go off duty which can allow for more flavor mingling.

    That’s the goal at Swadesi, a new cafe that recently opened in West Loop. It comes from Sujan Sarkar, the chef behind the city’s only Michelin-starred Indian restaurant, Indienne. Sarkar was also the opening chef at Rooh Chicago in West Loop and brought over Yash Kishinchand to manage the cafe. Sarkar is familiar with Kishinchand due to their time working at Rooh Columbus in Ohio.

    Swadesi’s menu is more of a second-generation South Asian American feel that bridges Western and Eastern tastes. That creates inventions like croissants with samosa chaat or butter chicken. Jaggery, a cane sugar that’s used in South Asia, is used in a chocolate chip cookie. Beyond the baked goods there are breakfast and lunch sandwiches served on pav, a type of roll the size of a slider bun.

    They’ll eventually serve wine and beer, but it’s mostly a daytime affair. There are rumblings about hosting pop-up events in the evenings. As far as the tea, it’s imported from India and staff will take their time brewing. Other drinks include an oak smoke vanilla latte, malted milk chocolate mocha, and turmeric & ginger latte.

    Tour the space and check out some of the food below.

    Swadesi, 328 S. Jefferson Street, open 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. on weekdays.

    Butter Chicken Croissant

    Butter Chicken Croissant

    Jaggery chocolate chip cookie

    Jaggery chocolate chip cookie

    Ashok Selvam

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  • The Team From Chicago’s Only Michelin-Starred Indian Restaurant Is Opening a Cafe

    The Team From Chicago’s Only Michelin-Starred Indian Restaurant Is Opening a Cafe

    The team from Chicago’s only Michelin-starred Indian restaurant, Indienne, is opening a cafe where customers can sip fresh-brewed masala chai. Swadesi Cafe should open next week in the West Loop with unique pastries like samosa chaat croissants stuffed with spicy potatoes and a pleasant hint of tart tamarind. The menu also includes chicken tikka toasties with chicken, cheddar, cilantro, and mint.

    Indienne chef Sujan Sarkar worked on the food alongside chef Sahil Sethi, his collaborator who oversees Sifr (ownership’s Middle Eastern restaurant in West Loop). But the man in charge of day-to-day operations at Swadesi is Yash Kishinchand. He’s a recent graduate of the Culinary Institute of America in Napa where students run a cafe. That’s where Kishinchand received his only barista training.

    Sarkar has toyed with the idea for a cafe for years. Kishinchand moved from Columbus, Ohio to Chicago to open St. Regis Chicago — the luxury downtown hotel that now houses Tre Dita and Miru. After he left the hotel, Sarkar offered him a chance to open Swadesi inside the former Ruin Daily at 328 S. Jefferson Street.

    Kishinchand who enjoys brandishing a chef’s torch — he keeps a shiny gold-colored one handy for the finishing touches on treats like jaggery chocolate chip cookies — is trained in French cooking, and says he wasn’t as familiar with Indian ingredients and he received an education from chefs Sarkar and Sethi when creating Swadesi menu. The cafe’s name is derived from “desi,” a term that often refers to Indian Americans. The menu intends to reflect their tastes in combining cultures. How else would you explain the cheesy potato tikki tots? And it’s not just South Asian, a carrot halwa cake gives a taste of the Middle East.

    This bakery approach isn’t that different from Kasama’s where pastry chef and co-owner Genie Kwon combines her husband’s Filipino culture and her Korean heritage with French pastry. In Lincoln Park, Indian native Arshiya Farheen has slipped in subcontinental influences in her pastries at Verzenay Patisserie.

    There’s been a wave of interest in Indian egg sandwiches. Mini chain Eggoholic helped popularize them locally, and places like Superkhana International have taken them to another level. Swadesi will offer its own with avocado on a spiced potato rosti — yes, the Swiss get a say. There’s also a butter chicken croissant with burrata.

    Finding the literal sweet spot for masala chai in Chicago has been a challenge. Swadesi will allow customers to customize the sweetness levels with sugar, and down the line, alternate sweeteners may be offered. For now, the masala chai is made to order whole milk, but an oat milk ready-to-go version is available. These drinks fundamentally differ from the chai lattes most coffee shops serve made from concentrate. Masala chai specialists, ones who brew black tea with South Asian spices (Swadesi uses ginger, rose, and cardamom), aren’t frequent in Chicago. Chiya Chai and Superkhana in Logan Square are locals’ best bets. Along Devon, Sukhadia’s Sweets and Snacks is a popular and quick option. Some Indian restaurants don’t offer the beverage. In Avondale, Thattu, which specializes in cuisine from the southern state of Kerala, serves South Indian filter coffee. Brewing masala chai takes time, but so does preparing pour-over coffee, so there’s a labor precedent if a demand emerges.

    But it’s not just about tradition. Swadesi also plans to serve a cold nitro masala chai.

    Eventually, Swadesi will extend hours and Kishinchand says they’re hoping to sell beer and liquor. The focus is on morning and evening service, but dinner pop-ups are a possibility.

    Swadesi, 328 S. Jefferson Street, opening Monday, March 26.

    Ashok Selvam

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  • Chickpea Dumplings in Curry Tomato Sauce | Kitchen Nostalgia

    Chickpea Dumplings in Curry Tomato Sauce | Kitchen Nostalgia


























































    Chickpea Dumplings in Curry Tomato Sauce | Kitchen Nostalgia







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