Uyghur and Sushi fare in Northern Virginia

Spicy chicken

Queen Amannisa, 320, 23rd Street, South, Arlington, VA. 22202.

My first exposure to Uyghur cuisine. We tried their lamb stew, a big plate of spicy chicken with homemade noodles, and their traditional bread. Portions were large and easily shared by two. The bread was especially good. Both the dishes were well executed. Tolerable levels of spice - similar to Indian or Chinese cuisine. Reasonably priced for the location.

Takumi, 310-B South Washington Street, Falls Church, VA 22046. 

This is a sushi restaurant recently opened in Falls Church. Without claiming to be much of an expert on Japanese cuisine, I can say that the sashimi was fresh and best I have ever had. We tried their  tuna and scallop sushi rolls along with sake salmon rolls with mango puree. They were delicious. If I were to be critical, it would be of the small portions. However, I have found this to be true of sushi in general. Recommended for fans of sushi.

The spicy Marathi fare

Misal Pao

If you are traveling along the Konkan coast and in mood for some spicy cuisine, do yourself a favor and visit the city of Kolhapur.

Kolhapuri Mutton Curry

There you will find some of the spiciest dishes along the west coast of India. A reasonably priced restaurant of Hotel Opal will give you an authentic and non-pretentious Kolhapuri dining experience. I tried several  specialty dishes including mutton (goat) curry, mutton pickle, chicken and mutton fry, chicken malvani and pandra rassa (white curry). There were all outstanding.

If you want to test your tolerance for high levels of spice, I would recommend trying Misal Pao, another common dish found in the city's quick service establishments. This dish is prepared with a local bhel mixture, sprouts and a spicy red curry and is usually had with pao (bread). I tried this on several occasions, but my most fond memories are those served in dhabas (road side food-stalls).

The Mediterranean flavors

Seafood Paella

Panache restaurant, Washington DC
This restaurant specializes in French and Spanish tapas. The tapas menu is extensive, and includes both hot and cold tapas. My experience was opposite to the reviews I had read - I found the food disappointing relative to similar establishments in the DC region.

We tried several items - garlic shrimp and Manchego cheese, lamb rack and seafood risotto. I would not try any of it again. The lamb was probably the best of the lot - hard to go wrong if cooked well. The main courses had no flavor, just bulky portions that fill your plate.

Moving on to desserts, the creme brulee was good but tiramisu was sugar-laden and, similar to the entrees, bulky. Not recommended.

Ser, Arlington, VA

Garlic Shrimp at Ser

In contrast, Ser, an upscale Spanish restaurant, was fabulous. The food struck me as authentic to similar dishes that I had tried in Spain. The menu was not very large, but everything we tried was good.

With respect to appetizers, I tried their shrimp covered in olive oil along with manchego cheese and loved them. For the main course, we ordered the seafood paella. The quantity was such that it was easily shared by two people. This dish was delicious, and I could tell that it was cooked in a high quality olive oil. A little pricey but worth it. Definitely recommended.

Shrimp Sandorini

Shrimp Sandorini is one of my favorite Greek dishes that I tried making at home. A fairly easy dish to prepare.

Ingredients
1/2 pound wild caught shrimp
2 teaspoons diced garlic
1/2 finely diced onion
3 small diced tomatoes
1/2 cup white wine
1/4 cup feta cheese
Fresh olives
Olive oil
Chopped cilantro (coriander)
2 tablespoons of lime juice
salt and pepper to taste
Bay leaves (optional)
Green peas (optional)
Basil leaves (optional)
1 small cinnamon stick (optional)

Step 1: Saute onions and garlic in olive oil. Add the tomatoes, olives and let them cook for 5-10 minutes in the white wine. If you would like to add some spice, throw in some bay leaves and a cinnamon stick.

Step 2: Add the shrimp, feta, lime juice and cilantro. Add salt and pepper to suit your taste.

Step 3: Bake at 350F for 10 minutes.

Step 4: Serve hot with rice or bread.

The rich flavors of South India

Chicken kebabs

Indian cuisine is as diverse as its population, a point which was driven home during a recent visit to Bangalore and Secunderabad, two metro cities of Southern India. During this trip, we partook in traditional breakfast fare such as masala dosa, idli, vada sambhar with a wide spread of different chutneys (coriander, peanut,tomato, and mint). 

At the Amanyana Spa resort in Coorg- a coffee-growing region of Southern India, a few hours from Bangalore, we dined on traditional Coorgi fare, including dark pandhi (pork) curry, coconut-based koli (chicken) curry, accompanied with akki roti (bread made of rice flour). The experience did not meet expectations. It was edible but not outstanding. However, to be fair, we really did not have a point of reference to compare this to any other Coorgi cuisine.  On a more positive note, we got to try steamed chicken momos (dumplings) at a food stall outside the Tibetan monastery in Kushalanagar. This is a pretty rare find in the South, so if you are in Coorg and curious to try momos, this might be worth your while.

Coorgi pork and chicken curry

Another Southern city we visited was Secunderabad, the twin city of Hyderabad. Here, I tried the region's most famous Hyderabadi Biryani and kebabs - traditional dishes that incorporate Mughal, Persian, and Andhra flavors. Our culinary tour of the city included stops  at Royal Reve Hotel, where we enjoyed local takes on chicken kababs, and chicken dum biryani. These dishes were very well done and also reasonably priced, as compared to food in other metros. If you are here on leisure or work, you owe it to yourself to pay this establishment a visit.

Goan-style Goat Curry

Ingredients
1 pound goat
1 large red onion
1 large tomato
1 cup grated coconut
2 tablespoons garam masala
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 tablespoon ginger garlic paste
1 tablespoon of curd
1 teaspoon tamarind juice
2 green chilies
1 cup finely chopped coriander leaves (cilantro) 
Salt to taste
Sugar to taste

Step 1: Grind the ginger-garlic, cilantro, chilies together into a paste and marinate the goat along with  curd and 1/2 teaspoon of chili and turmeric powders. Keep aside for about 7-8 hours.

Step 2: Saute onions (sliced length wise) in 1 teaspoon coconut oil. Add the grated coconut and fry till it turns light brown. Blend the mixture with tamarind juice into a fine coconut paste.

Step 3: Saute onions, tomatoes in a pan, till it turns soft. Add garam masala, chili, and turmeric powders.

Step 4: Add the marinated goat and saute for 5-10 minutes on low heat. Slow cook the curry on low heat till the meat is tender.  Alternatively,you could pressure cook for 3 whistles. Simmer for 5 minutes.

Step 5: Once the goat is cooked, add the coconut paste and salt and sugar. Serve hot with rice/bread.

P.S. Sheela Kelekar contributed this recipe to the blog. 

The Brewery Fare in Northern Virginia

Egg rolls and fish sliders

Unlike wineries which typically have a food menu limited to breads and cheese, the menus at breweries tend to offer more variety. This diversity was on display when I visited two breweries in Northern Virginia.

Gordonbiersch, located in Tyson's Corner, despite being located in mall (which always sets off my culinary alarm bells), has pretty good food. We have been here several times and have never been disappointed. For appetizers, we have tried their garlic fries, southwest egg rolls, beer-battered fish sliders and they have all been very flavorful and delicious. A variety of entrees are also available, among which we have tried their fish tacos, and cheese burgers. Slightly pricey for their organic produce, but completely worth it. You will not be disappointed.

Pate with spent grain crackers

Caboose Brewing Company is located along a biking trail in Vienna, Virginia. Without claiming to be an expert on the beers they served, as far as the food was concerned, we liked it. We went there in the afternoon, the time when they don't serve their entrees, but we got a chance to try a few of their appetizers. The menu was rather short and most of the items that were there seemed slightly over-priced, though not to the degree that it should deter those who are interested in the somewhat elevated combination of crackers and pates on offer.  The hand-cut potato frites, Pennsylvania duck liver pate, and salmon pate were both served with spent grain crackers, were very good. And of course there is plenty of beer to wash all of the food down.