Taco Bell rings in India

When I saw the item that Taco Bell had opened its first store in Bangalore earlier this month, I was wondering how a chain so dependent on ground beef was going to be able to make it in India, where cows are revered, not eaten.

But according to their press release, half of the menu at the Bangalore Taco Bell consists of vegetarian products crafted specially for Indian consumers. Items include crunchy potato tacos and burritos made with potatoes and paneer, a fresh, unripened cheese used to add protein to a wide range of Indian foods. The remainder of the menu is composed of spicier versions of Taco Bell’s signature foods, such as nachos, quesadillas and Crunchwraps.

I quit eating at Taco Bell shortly after working there in the late '70s, disgusted with having to ladle meat from the pans of ground beef swimming in grease into tacos, then topping them with a cheese-like product.

Heck, with options like the ones to be offered in India, I might reconsider my aversion.

Indian spice

After writing about potato curry, someone asked about my garam masala. It is indeed a mixture that varies from kitchen to kitchen (and one of the reasons trying out new Indian restaurants is such an adventure), but here is one I like. (The photo to the right shows black peppercorns, but I don't use them in my garam masala, because they tend to overwhelm the other spices when stored. It's easy enough to add freshly ground pepper as you're cooking.)

Garam Masala
Makes about 4 tablespoons

Ingredients
1 tablespoon cardamom seeds
1 2-inch cinnamon stick
2 teaspoons cumin seeds (black cumin if you can find it)
1 teaspoon whole cloves
1/2 nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon dried coriander seeds
1 piece star anise
1 long bay leaf

Instructions
Roast all the spices lightly on low-flame for about 2 minutes. Grind them to a powder in a clean, dry spice grinder. Store in an airtight glass jar in a dark, cool, dry place.

Eat like a "Slumdog"

Riding the wave of "Slumdog Millionaire," here's an easy recipe for potato curry.

Ingredients
4 medium potatoes
1 big onion
2 tomatoes
2 tablespoons oil
2 teaspoons cumin seeds
1/4 teaspoon asafoetida
1/4 teaspoon tumeric
2 teaspoons red chili powder, divided
Garam masala
cilantro leaves for garnishing
Salt to taste
1 teaspoon crushed ginger
4 crushed garlic cloves
1/2 cup frozen baby green peas (petit pois)

Instructions
Wash potatoes and peel them if you want them to look pretty. Otherwise, leave the nutritious skins on. Chop them into 1/2" thick cubes.
Chop onion finely. Chop tomatoes and cilantro.
Heat a wok or a sauce pan. Add oil. When oil is heated, add cumin seeds. As the seeds sizzle, add asafoetida and turmeric powder. After this, add 1/2 tsp chili powder in the tempering. This gives the gravy a nice deep red color. Also if you add chopped cilantro at this stage, it enhances the flavor of the curry.
Add onions and fry until they become light brown. Add chopped tomatoes and saute until they soften, blend with the onion and oil separates from the mixture. Then add crushed ginger and garlic. Fry until just aromatic.
Add peas and diced potatoes. Mix and add 2 cups hot water. Cover and cook for 20 minutes.
Remove the lid and check if potatoes are tender. Add salt, masala and the rest of the chili powder and mix. Let it simmer uncovered for 5 minutes to thicken the gravy.
Garnish with cilantro and serve with plain rice.
Note: You can find the garam masala and asafoetida in Indian groceries. You can make this dish without them, but it won't taste authentic.

India, translated well and badly

San Francisco has a wonderful mixture of ethnic cuisines, and my friend Donna, who has lived in the city for almost three decades, loves to eat in the Mission district, where she says the scene is an ever-changing kaleidoscope of different restaurants. We settled on Dosa, and its incredibly varied menu was a delight. The appetizer of chickpea dumplings with tamarind, yogurt and cilantro sauces danced a Maypole on our tongues. Donna ordered a salad, and it was delivered with incredibly fresh mixed greens, tossed with a slightly sweet dressing and topped with an orchid. Nice! My calamari dish was spicy but not too searing and it came with a half-plate of greens as well. We shared an entree of five thick pancakes, each a different flavor; my favorite was the one with bright green peas. It was served with four sauces, each changing the flavor of the pancakes ever so slightly.

This was such a stunning contrast to the meal I had on Saturday in Walnut Creek, a rather pretensious little suburb in the East Bay. I chose Bread of India on the basis of it having won, four years running, Best of the East Bay from Diablo magazine. All I can say after my meal there was they must have paid someone off big time. My chicken shish keebab appetizer was so rubbery it could have been used as suitcase wheels, while the herbed naan had the tiniest bit of sliced basil on top of it and was charred on the bottom. I don't mean just a little toasty; I had to peel the black off in order to eat it. Needless to say, I was not a happy camper. It was all I could do not to warn off those diners who hadn't ordered yet; I could only hope my choices had been bad ones and the rest were OK.