Chinese Mirch: A Review

Framingham, MA location

Last night my parents and I decided that we would try out a new hip restaurant: Chinese Mirch. I guess you can liken this to a bistro that is a fusion of Indian and Chinese food or as they describe it "Chinese food, Indian flavors"  

Located in Framingham, MA right off Rt. 9, Chinese Mirch gives a good insight into Indo-Chinese food.  The first thing that I immediately noticed, and enjoyed, was the decor. There is a strong mix of Asian influence with stark modern decor. My favorite part was the central booths, they are red lacquered in a S like formation. In the Framingham location, a large red lacquered wall separates the entrance from the dining area really adding to the ambiance. I would give the decor 5 stars. Fresh, unique, clean and to the point.

This is NOT the Framingham location, but it looks very similar

Now that decor has been discussed, let us delve into the most important part, food. There is a healthy selection of options when it comes to the menu. The restaurant has innovative dishes as well as drinks. They have a series of non-alcoholic drinks that makes the drink menu at your standard chain look dull. My mother and I got the Mirch Mojito; lemonade, ginger, mint and simple syrup. This was a delightful summery drink that we thoroughly enjoyed. 

Mirchi mojito and the hot & sour soup

Starters: There was definitely many choices of soups and appetizers to chose from. The two that we decided to pick was: fried okra and hot & sour soup. As per my dad's statement, the soup was quite delicious. It was spicy and had a good kick of ginger to clear the throat. It looked good, so that is promising.

The fried okra was based on a strong recommendation from my uncle. He raved about the okra without giving away what was going on with the okra. Well I'm glad he didn't give it away because it was a delicious surprise! I had no idea someone could do that with okra. The basic concept of their fried okra was this: cut the okra length-wise, deep fry them (with no oily residue) and dust them with chaat masala. Then it is served with a slightly sweet sauce. I think it would be better if it was a bit spicy to off set the crispy-ness of the okra. But, voile you have something freakin' amazing! I would have to give this dish 4.5 stars.

Entrees: Everyone ordered their own dish: I ordered the Coriander Fish (per the suggestion of my momma), my father had the Szechuan Fried Rice with Veggies & Egg, and my momma ordered Wok Omelet with Green Chilies (served over plain fried rice) topped with vegetable stir fry. 

Yup, there's my thumb

The Coriander Fish was really yummy. It reminded us of a Telugu dish made with eggplant. The fish was doused in a savory, but tart, spicy coriander sauce peppered with baby corn, water chestnuts and shredded green beans. It was accompanied with basmati rice. The fish was first deep fried and then put with the sauce. I thought it was a good move because then it added a new level of flavor to the mix. It was a bit too tart at times and I think they could hold off on the lemon a bit. I would give this 4 stars. 

My daddio had the Szechuan Fried Rice, and he was really quite fond of this dish. He said that it had a good level of spicy and mix of flavors. However he complained that there wasn't enough egg or variety of vegetables in the dish. I would have to agree, there was clearly more rice to add-ins ratio happening in this dish. There were only peas and corn for vegetables, which really isn't adding enough variety or any for that matter, and only a sparse amount of eggs in the dish. Due to the lack of these, my dad gave this dish a 3.5. stars. 

The final entree, ordered by my mom, was the Wok Omelet with Green Chilies, and sadly I believe this dish was a bit of a disappointment for her. I should tell you all know, she has quite a high tolerance for spice and had high expectations for this dish. This dish was given a 2 star rating for spice, and it did not meet her expectations. It probably would have been wise to ask for it to be made extra spicy because the star rating was catered towards the American palate. I can say that the dish did look delicious, but can looks be deceiving? It came in a lovely serving vessel with a pillow of rice on the bottom, a fluffy yellow omelet, and dressed with stir fry vegetables in a gravy. To add some needed heat, my mom asked for extra sauce and was given szechuan oil sauce. It looked quite intimidating, but apparently added the kick she was looking for. My momma gave this 3 stars.   

I'm not spicy enough!

I kick you! Highhhh ya!

Even if we aren't crazy about it, we will eat our money's worth!

Desserts!: No meal can go without a nice sweet end. Chinese Mirch had a good selection of desserts to chose from. We each decided to go big and get our own desserts...I know big ballers! 

I ordered the Molten Chocolate Cake with Ice Cream. Eeps was this good!! I mean you really can't go wrong when you combine warm decedent chocolate cake with cold velvety vanilla ice cream. The bottom of the plate was drizzled with raspberry sauce. I find nothing better than chocolate and raspberries, it was seriously an excellent dessert. This hit the spot and I was totally not able to finish it because I ate the majority of my entree and was feeling the food baby kick. 

drooooooollllllllllllllll

My mom ordered something that I think made her happier than her entree, Chilled Bengal Lychees with Vanilla Ice Cream. For those who don't know, lychee is an exotic fruit that its a smaller than a golf ball, has a bumpy red exterior and a white-ish/semi-translucent interior with a large cylindrical brown seeds. 

Exotic with a cherry on top! 

Finally, my dad ordered the Mango Mousse Shooter Topped with Whipped Cream. I think he really liked this, then again he has a severe sweet tooth that just about anything can satisfy. Ending any Indian-esq meal with mango is always utterly satisfying and I imagine this satisfied the need. 

Mangood!

Overall the restaurant was a okay. There are definitely things that they could work on. One of those should be price. I know this is being marketed as a hip bistro, but the price is a bit high for the quality of food offered. On average appetizers were priced from 6 to 10 dollars, entrees were from 11 to 18 dollars and desserts were around 8 bucks. I think there was a bit of inflation with prices. Drinks themselves were also a bit expensive and didn't seem necessary considered they had no alcohol in them. I'm not being a lush here, I'm just saying drink shouldn't be expensive when they don't have expensive ingredients in them....

If you haven't had Indo-Chinese food, then Chinese Mirch would be a good place for you to go to. They have a wide variety of foods to deal with all diets and needs. I don't know if I would frequent this place like I do some other restaurants, but at least one visit will give you a good picture. 

Potatos & Brussel Sprouts: Mmmmmm They're Good

Yummy, yummy, yummy I've got love in my tummy

Elementary my dear Watson!!

I feel like it's has been way to long since I've written a blog post, but I think I have valid reasons. I was pretty must not cooking this weekend. My uncle made bhajis Saturday, but since I didn't have my camera, I couldn't exactly document the process. Sorry!!!!! Instead, I was busy stuffing myself full of fried veggies while watching PBS' Sherlock. P.S. it's an awesome miniseries, you should really check it out!! 

Tonight for dinner we are having: aloo (potatoes) kura, brussel sprouts kura and muddha pappu (boiled toor dal). Some simple fresh food that can be made on the fly, when you don't have anything else in the house. Now I've documented my brussel spourts kura before, BUT I decided to blog about the recipe again; 1) because I have better pictures this time and 2) well I dont have a 2, I just wanted better pictures. 

Aloo Kura

Artsy? Yes? No? Maybe So?? 

Ingredients 

• 5 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed 
• 2 heavy pinches of cumin seeds
• Salt
• Turmeric 
• Chili powder 
• Hing powder 

Directions: 

1. Wash and peel the potatoes 

2. Cube the potatoes into small pieces, and place in cold water. Once all the potatoes have been cut, drain the water and wash them twice. This helps get rid of excess starch....or at least I like to say it does. Also break up the cubes with your hands so they dont stick together and cook better.

3. In a large shallow pan heat oil. Once the oil is heated, add hing powder and cumin seeds. 

4. When the cumin seeds sizzle, add the potatoes.

5. Season with salt, turmeric and chili powder 

6. Cook until the potatoes are tender 

The darker brown are scrapings caramelized potato that adds an extra kick

Brussel Sprouts Kura

Ingredients 

• 1lb of fresh brussel sprouts, quartered 
• 1/2 tbs of coriander seeds, roughly ground 
• Salt
• Turmeric 
• Hing powder 
• Chili powder 

Directions: 

1. Wash the brussel sprouts and quarter them. 

2. In a pan, heat oil. Add the hing powder.

3. Once the powder sizzles, add the brussel sprouts, carefully because they could splatter up in your face. 

4. Season the sprouts with coriander powder, salt, turmeric and chili powder.

5. Cook until the core of the sprouts are tender. If they caramelize then that is okay because it adds more flavor. 

*Notes*

The aloo is one of the most basic kuras in the Indian cookbook. For one thing not many people hate potatoes. I'm sure once you say curry or spiced it freaks people out, but try something new. It wont kill you, unless you're allergic to it.....

Ease: Both kuras are very easy to make 

Ayurvedic Friendly: Yes to the brussel sprouts, no to the potato

Yummy: I feel like I should remove the category because I don't like to blog foods I don't like

Food That Will Stick to Your Ribs: Kitchadi

There are many things I enjoy, one of them being vintage cookbooks, especially those of the Indian nature. When my dad first came to this country in the mid 70s (helloooo disco), he bought this cookbook called Foods of the Orient: India. 

I've taken a new fascination with this book. There's a plethora of recipes from all over India that are familiar and new to me. The recipe that I made the other day was kitchadi. This is a ridiculously hearty, coma inducing combination of rice, lentils, vegetables and ghee. Every area in India has their own interpretation, you can see mine below. 

SriVani's Kitchadi

Ingredients

• 1 1/3 cup of rice (soaked for 30 minutes and rinsed) 
• 1/3 cup moong dal (washed & drained) 
• 1/4 cup toor dal (washed & drained) 
• 1/3 cup masoor dal (washed & drained) 
• Ghee
• 1 medium/large onion sliced 
• 3/4 cup of sliced leeks 
• 5 garlic cloves, crushed 
• 1/2 bag of frozen Suran (Indian yam) 
• 1/2 bag of frozen duo romano beans
• 3 carrots peeled and cut length wise
• 2 tbs. ground coriander 
• 5 green chilies chopped 
• 2 in. piece of ginger 
• Salt
• Turmeric 
• 2 tbs garam masala

Directions 

1. In a mortar and pestle roughly grind the ginger, garlic and green chilies. 

2. Slice the onion thinly and set aside. Chop the carrots into bite size pieces. 

3. In a large pan, heat oil. Add the leeks and cook until they are almost translucent. Then add the ginger/garlic/chili mix and cook for 2 minutes. 

4. Once the mix has cooked, add the carrots, suran, beans, salt, and the ground coriander mix.  

The suran totally looks like chunks of beef....except we don't roll that way

5. Cook the vegetable mix until the vegetables are tender. Set aside. 

6. In a bowl, mix together all of the dals, rinse and wash them. 

7. In a medium size bowl, add garam masala and salt to 3 cups of water. 

8. In a rice cooker, coat the bottom with ghee. Then add the washed dals, soaked rice and vegetables. Mix thoroughly.

 

9. Cover the mixture with the masala water and mix again. 

10. Cover and cook the kitchadi until the rice cooker clicks. 

11. While the kitchadi is cooking, in a small pan, fry the onions until they are brown in color. Top to finished kitchadi with the crispy onions. Fried onions makes everything better. 

*Notes*

*Kitchadi can be eaten with anything, I prefer eating it with achar/avakaya

*Any and all vegetables can be used for this dish. If you are loving that whole tree-hugger/hipster thing, then seasonal vegetables are your best bet!

My plating as improved EVER so slightly. Well I think it has......okay not really

Ease: This is a dish that is easy to make, but is time consuming. 

Ayurvedic Friendly: Yes, this is :) 

Yummy: I had to wait on writing this post because after 2 bowls kitchadi I fell asleep.....you be the judge 

A Little Slice of Korean Heaven: Sapporo Korean BBQ & Sushi

If you are from the Massachusetts area then, I have a restaurant for you! Sapporo Korean BBQ & Sushi restaurant is a traditional Korean experience right in your local area aka Westboro, MA. A family  run business, Sapporo offers authentic Korean cuisine and BBQ, unique flavorful, widely varied of sushi rolls married with a relaxed fun  family friendly ambiance. Now when I say family owned, I mean family owned. More often then not you will see the owners son and daughter in law walking around the restaurant, greeting customers, filling waters glasses always bearing a bright smile. 

Now I know what some of you may be thinking, Korean food? I don't know how I feel about that. I'm used to Chinese food, but not Korean food! Will I like it?! Will I eat something I'm not used to?! 

Nabe Yaki Udon 

Let me calm your hesitations. If you give it a shot, you will love it. For those who are nervous about trying new foods look at it this way; one of the best ways to learn about a new culture is through their food. The Sapporo menu has been catered towards the American palate. The flavors have not been muted, but most of the ingredients are something you will recognize and not flee from. 

Speaking of flavors, one of my favorite things about Sapporo is the fact that the food is home-style Korean food. The head chef makes food the only way he knows, authentically Korean. He is always in the kitchen preparing the many delightful dishes they offer! 

My most recent trip to Sapporo warranted a blog post so I could tell everyone about how amazing the food is. I went with my sister and we enjoyed several dishes that I think gives a good picture of the variety at Sapporo. 

Nabe Yaki Udon: Udon noodles with shrimp tempura and vegetables in a clear broth. This is but one of the many noodle dishes on the Sapporo menu. This dish also may be an excellent starter dish for someone who isn't familiar with Korean food. The warm slippery noodles swim in a flavorful broth that is accented with crispy tempura shrimp and vegetables. I highly suggest this dish if you're having Korean food for the first time. 

My food has an aura about it. A delicious aura

Tofu & Vegetable Teriyaki: This is also another dish that is good when you're not used to the awesomeness known as Korean food. This dish is also quite heart healthy. Steamed vegetables with melt in your mouth tofu. The teriyaki sauce adds are great zing to the dish. This dish is perfect for vegetarians.

Happy Tofu :)

Crispy Tuna Roll: I often say that the only other food that can comfort me the way Indian food does is sushi. If you know me or my eating habits, that's a pretty freakin' big deal. This is a delightful roll filled with tuna, avocado, and tobaiko, lightly fried in tempura batter. Now let's break this down: delicious sushi roll that's deep fried.......Where can you go wrong?! Oh wait, you can't because this roll is amazing. I've had many of the Sapporo rolls and they are all phenomenal. I will say one thing, there are so many that it will require several dozen visits before you've had them all. I suggest you do it. 

Peace. Love. Sushi.

So much bang for your buck

The last thing we had is something slightly more adventurous, Spicy Squid Stir-Fry. Ahhh I love squid! For all of those who just wrinkled your nose at this statement, take a moment, try it and then you'll understand why. Now the Sapporo version was definitely something I had never had before. Its a medley of squid and vegetables doused in a fiery red sauce that comes out on a sizzling platter. Fired in a wok, the vegetables and squid and cooked perfectly. They have a slight caramelization on them making it irresistible. It would probably be eaten best with a warm bowl of fluffy rice, but we were so hungry that we dove right in. 

Spicy Squid Stir Fry

mmmm I'm drooling

These are just some of the items found on the Sapporo menu. I haven't even gotten into the BBQ options available. The have quite a few tables with a gas grill in the middle. A server comes over, places your protein and vegetables onto the grill cooking it before you. The entrees are served with rice, miso soup and their delightful Korean side dishes. I could probably devote an entire blog post to how much I love the side dishes, but I won't I will leave it to you so you can go to Sapporo and try them yourself!

The next time you are looking to try something I suggest you go to Sapporo. It has a wonderful family welcoming atmosphere that is reasonably priced. Making it friendly for this rough economy. Dishes are moderately priced, based on ingredient, and are always fresh to boot. Sapporo Korean BBQ & Sushi is a wonderful family owned business, so to all of my friends in the area go and visit and get a true taste of Korea!! 

Protein Filled Crepe: Adai

For those who have only had a dosa from an Indian restaurant, and never made it from scratch; it's a long process. Similar to that of making an idli. Today, I felt like having some version of a dosa, but didn't want to wait several days. Cue adai. 

Adai is a Tamilian dish that blends 4 types of lentils with rice into a smooth paste, creating a protein packed meal. It's filling, nutritious and delicious. It's the fast food version of a dosa and is worth a shot. You can see the recipe below!

Adai

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup chana dal
• 3/4 cup moong dal 
• 3/4 cup toor dal
• 3/4 cup udad dal
• 1/4 cup rice
• 6 red chilies 
• Hing powder 
• Salt 

Directions

1. In a large bowl mix all dals and rice. Cover with water and soak for several hours, or until most of the water is absorbed. 

2. After the mixture has soaked, drain the liquid and wash the lentils twice. 

3. Add the dals to a large grinder. Add the chilies, hing powder and salt. 

4. Blend into a fine paste. You a little water to aid in blending

5. Move the mixture to a bowl. 

6. Take a large flat pan and place on medium-high heat. Rub oil on the pan. 

7. Ladle some mixture into the middle of the pan. Then use the bottom of the ladle into the middle and move it in a circular motion going outwards. 

              

 

8. Add a little bit of oil to the sides so it will be easy to remove. 

9. After the adai has cooked on top, flip it over. 

10. Remove once its golden brown. 

*Notes*

You can eat the adai with avakaya. It's the best thing to eat it with. 

Easy: Very easy and simple to make, once you get the hang of it. 

Ayurvedic Friendly: Very much so!

Yummy: Delicious, I had about 6 of these and now I'm fighting a food coma.