Indian Street Food — in Lafayette, IN
Street food: often some of the best food you will find anywhere, though it can be a bit of a gamble with problems later. I’ve heard about Indian street food, even seen bits on TV about it on various travel shows. Now, thanks to an enterprising family, I’ve gotten a small taste of it.
Shaukin Indian Fast Food is in south Lafayette, at the corner of 350 South and Concord Road. A couple of people I know from India had highly recommended it to me, and last Saturday I finally had the chance to try it.
The restaurant is small, and is geared towards to-go orders. That said, they have a small table, almost a coffee table, and several chairs where you can sit in cramped delight. From the moment I came in, I was made to feel welcome and the host/proprietor spent a good bit of time talking to me and explaining the different options.
At his suggestion, I explored three dishes: Chicken Frankie, Samosa Chaat, and Dahi Vada.
Chicken Frankie is chicken and vinegar-soaked onions served in a flat bread wrap. It was tasty, tangy, and could be described as an Indian version of the soft-shell taco to someone unfamiliar with Indian food. Nice, not too much, and the spices were strong without being overwhelming.
My favorite of the day was the Dahi Vada, lentil-based “balls” with curd and spices. The flavors were fantastic, and showed what can be done with spices when used fresh, right, and in the right amounts. Not hot, but rich with strong flavors and delight.
The Samosa Chaat was my second favorite, even if the samosa could have used a bit more thawing. The combination of hot samosa with the yogurt, three different chutneys, chickpeas, and onions tickled the senses, while the flavors played well with each other. Taste, texture, temperature — the senses were all used in this delightful dish.
Also, many places claim to serve Lassi, a popular Indian drink made with yogurt, but few truly do. Shaukin does the real thing (or as close as the food police are going to allow), and the Salted Lassi was perfect with the food. Think I’m going to have the Mango next time…
My one complaint is the location — I wish it were closer to downtown or even north of town, as I don’t get south all that often. I may well make it a monthly visit just to sample the rest of the menu, as the Chilli Paneer and Pav Bhaji are calling to me. If you want Indian street food without having to worry about playing health roulette, then go visit this unique and delightful establishment.
Recommended.
Smith Woodhouse Port
It probably shows my lack of experience in the full world of port, but I only recently seem to have become aware of Smith Woodhouse ports. At least I can’t find any references to it in my notes (nor can I find all my old notes, but that’s a different tale).
Given the introduction that was a bottle of their Lodge Reserve Porto, I will be exploring further. Despite my strong preference for vintage ports, this was an outstanding blend, full of good flavors and a maturity that I was not anticipating. So much so that I am contemplating splurging on a bottle of their vintage port to sample.
Worth exploring.
An Apology For A Lack of Free Ice Cream
Yes, posting has been off. As mentioned previously, I’ve been involved in the creation of a food-related non-profit. It is incorporated, and yesterday almost three quarters of a pound of paper went to the IRS to request 501(c)(3) status. Preparing that package has been a challenge, to be polite, and all anyone can do now is hope that I made few mistakes, that the IRS has few questions and grants the request for expedited processing, and that the charity is indeed given tax-exempt status.
More free ice cream soon, promise.
A Dinner Feast
Sorry for the lack of posting, but between work and trying to file for 501(c)(3) status life is busy.
That said, last night brought about a treat to end the day. Some morel mushrooms unexpectedly arrived in my kitchen, so I decided to:
1. Roast two bulbs of garlic at 300 degrees for a couple of hours. Easy to do, just cut the tops off the bulbs, coat with olive oil, wrap in foil, put in the oven, and cut it on. Set time, walk away.
2. Already having a smoked pork chop for dinner, I cooked up some potatoes and mashed them with roughly one bulb of the roasted garlic, some cream, a bit of smoked salt and sea cream salt, and some sweet butter from Normandy.
3. Cleaned and sauteed the morel mushrooms in sweet butter from Normandy, sea cream salt, and a small amount of ultra-light flavor olive oil. These were fresh and at least semi-local, and the flavor was magnificent even before cooking. The goal is to enhance, not cover.
4. Carefully reheated some asparagus that I had wrapped in Prosciutto ham and grilled (froze the leftovers, what few there were, and saved for a time like now).
5. Enjoyed with a glass of Boggle Old Vin Zinfandel.
That’s the way to end a long day of a long week. More soon I hope.
Quick Review: Night Stalker
As noted yesterday, I decided to try Night Stalker from Goose Island. I will admit up front to a certain bias in regards Goose Island, enjoying both their restaurant and their brews.
Night Stalker is a very hoppy Imperial Stout ale, in fact about the hoppiest I’ve ever had. On the first taste, it is in fact a bit overwhelming. That said, the malts and a hint of chocolate do come out on following sips, but the hops predominate. If you like a different Imperial Stout, this is a good try for you. If you like a more traditional, you will not like it nearly as much.
I’m joining my wine pusher in an experiment: I’m setting aside a bottle or two to let them age. When you have an ale this hoppy, it will continue to mature over time even in the bottle. A good example is a Scottish Ale I brew, that needs to age at least six months before drinking. It will be interesting to see how Night Stalker changes over the next year or so. Of course, that means I need to go buy a few more bottles…
North Shore Distillery Tasting
Friday evening had me stopping by Village Bottle Shop in West Lafayette, IN (@VillageBottle on Twitter) to grab a bottle or two of Night Stalker to try. When I walked in, I found that the North Shore Distillery was there doing a tasting: how could I resist?
I was greeted with a nice Moscow Mule made using their vodka, and was intrigued. While a grain vodka (and I admit a bias towards potato), it was made with grain from the midwest, so gained a leg up with me there. Had I been thinking clearly (long day), I would have gone straight to tasting the vodka by itself, but…
Their #6 Gin is a delightful modern presentation, with a very aromatic nose that favors citrus over the juniper and spice. On the first sip, the juniper dominates at first, but begins to fade into the background as the tongue is coated with spice coming out. A second sip brings out lemon and spice, and it was unsurprising to learn that fresh lemon peel is a component of this fine gin. The finish is good, smooth, somewhat tart. This is a gin that could be put at cellar temperature and sipped almost as a liqueur to savor the components and enjoy the floral nose. As it is, it should make an excellent component to any number of mixed drinks.
The #11 Gin is old school all the way. Heavy juniper greets the nose, with just a bare hint of spice and no floral to speak of at all. Upon tasting, the juniper jumps up and slaps you before retreating into a nice clean taste. The follow brings out more of the spice and the finish is quite nice. Don’t expect any floral here, just an outstanding old school gin to enjoy.
It is easy to see why the gins are award winning, and receive excellent reviews. Nor are the gins the only product to receive critical acclaim.
Sirene Absinthe Verte is the single best Absinthe I have ever tasted. It is brewed by a very traditional recipe, and brings out the best parts of what this drink should be. Anise dominate the nose and the first taste, but you quickly pick up on more. Mint, spice, and floral notes fill the nose and mouth, providing a balance and richness that far too many modern Absinthe brands lack. Rich, complex, and well worth trying if you are a devotee of this much maligned drink.
I hope one day soon to try their vodka plain, and to try their Aquavit as well. They also do single batch limited releases that I hope to be able to sample one day soon as well. This small-batch distillery is well worth watching and sampling.
Recommended.
Bella Burgers
I got started doing these a while back with a vegetarian ex, and have continued to refine them because, frankly, they taste good. Here is the current iteration.
Hardware:
Grill or Skillet and Oven
Bowl, small
Half pan or sheet pan for oven (if needed)
Knife
Cutting board
Brush
Ingredients:
1-6 large portabella mushroom caps
Olive oil
Bacon drippings
Garlic
Dill
Kosher salt
Pepper, fresh ground
Balsamic vinegar
Real Mozzarella cheese
Smoked real Mozzarella cheese (optional)
Truffle oil (optional)
Whole wheat extra-large hamburger buns
Clean mushroom caps as needed and remove stem. Fine chop fresh garlic, and fine chop any fresh herbs — it is okay to use dried on these. Slice fresh/real Mozzarella so that you have enough to cover the inside of each cap. Mix together olive oil, bacon drippings (melted if need be), garlic, dill, pepper, and a pinch of salt. Brush mixture onto mushroom caps and then grill face down for a bit, then flip and brush on a dab more of the oil/spice mixture. Drizzle a little bit of Balsamic vinegar (crema would be wonderful) into the caps, then place cheese to cover. Cook until cheese melts, then serve on whole wheat extra-large hamburger buns. If you don’t have a grill, cook in skillet cap side down, then flip and cook a bit longer. If cooking multiple, slip onto a baking sheet and bake at 250 degrees until the cheese is melted.
Enjoy!
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