Goat Stew

Goat stew

Ingredients
1/2 pound goat (on the bone)
1 large red onion
2 small tomatoes
2 tablespoons ginger garlic paste
2 tablespoons yoghurt (marinade)
10 small baby carrots
3 stalks celery
4 small potatoes
1/2 bell pepper
2 garlic pods
1 cup of spinach paste
2 spoons coriander seeds
2 bay leaves
2 green cardamon pods
1 spoon chilli powder
1 spoon turmeric powder
1 spoon coriander powder
3 teaspoons garam masala
1 chicken bouillon cube
1 cup of milk
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
Fresh coriander leaves
2 green chillies
Coconut oil
Ghee or Clarified butter for cooking

Step 1: Marinate the goat (on the bone) with yoghurt, chilli, turmeric, coriander powder and ginger garlic paste for 4 hours. In a separate bowl, boil spinach with green chillies and garlic. Let it cool and grind it to a paste.

Step 2: Saute diced onion, tomatoes, carrots, bell pepper, celery, bay leaves, coriander seeds, cardamon pods in coconut oil and clarified butter until brown. Add the chicken bouillon and garam masala.

Step 4: Add the spinach paste and the goat to the mix.

Step 5: Add two cups of water and let it cook for about 2 hours. I pressure cooked it after letting it cook on a medium flame for 2 hours. If you do not want to pressure cook, you might want to cook it for additional two hours (depends on how tender you prefer your goat).

Step 6: Add 1 cup of milk and flour to thicken the stew. Add some more garam masala if you like it more spicy.

Step 7: Add fresh coriander leaves. Serve hot with bread or rice.

Specialty ethnic food retailers in Northern Virginia

Amity, Meat and Grocery

Fresh olives at Amity

Turkish
10372, Lee Highway, Fairfax, VA 22030
Located in Fairfax, Amity sells Halal meats and Turkish specialties. Their breads, feta cheese and baklava is mouth-watering! Their olives are also very good. 

European Foods, Portuguese, Brazilian and Spanish
2700 Pershing Drive, Arlington, VA 22216
Located in Arlington, European Foods sells some of the finest Portuguese, Brazilian and Spanish specialties. If you are fond of freshly baked bread and choriso (sausages), it is a must-go. They also have a variety of imported wines and fresh olives. A bit pricey. 

Italian Store, Italian
It has several stores in Northern Virginia. Slightly pricey but worth it. They have some of the finesh imported pastas, freshly made pasta sauces, a selection of cheeses and wines.

Russian Gourmet, Eastern European
Has several locations in Northern Virginia
Offers great cakes, russian salads, and other gourmet food. Pricey but good quality. 

Patel Brothers, South Asian
11116, Lee Highway, Fairfax, VA
Offers a range of South-Asian foods - spices, lentils, and fresh vegetables. Their strength is their fast food- samosas, vada pao are available at the counter. They also have several frozen meals that are worth trying. 

Babylon Market, Mediterranean
1044, W Broad St, Falls Church, VA 22046
Located in Falls Church, this store has a variety of Middle Eastern food (dates, dry fruits, honey, Tahini, and grape leaves) as well as fresh meats including goat and beef. It has a wide range of prepared frozen foods including kubba (meat pies) and an aisle of Iraqi staples. 

Specialty Market, Peruvian
2190, Pimmit Drive, Falls Church, VA 22043
Located in Falls Church, this place offers a variety of Latin American food, veggies (great avocados), seafood and meats. They also have some delicious home-cooked tamales at their counter that you might want to try. 

Buen Nao, Vietnamese (near Bestway Supermarket on Route 50)
This small grocery stores sells a variety of Vietnamese staples. Freshly shredded papaya (great for salads), pickles, sauces for pho, duck eggs, kim chee and veggies. It also has a section of meats that includes duck and shrimp balls). 

Lotte Plaza, Korean
It has several stores in Northern Virginia. Known for its fresh vegetables, meats and seafoods. If you are fond of sweets, try their Shila Bakery. They have some great cakes. It also has a decent sushi bar. 

Los Angeles - a destination for ethnic food lovers

Taquitos in avocado sauce at Olvera street

We recently spent a long weekend in Los Angeles. If you are fan of different ethnic cuisines, LA's various ethnic enclaves offer a variety of options.

We tried several dishes ranging from sushi, Korean soups, biryani to curries. While none of it was something I had not eaten before, when you try these dishes in places that primarily serve a native audience, you can be assured that the food is authentic.In Little Bangladesh, for example, one restaurant featured Bengali sweets like kheer kadam which are typically not found even in some of the Bangladeshi restaurants I have visited.

The ubiquitous Mexican food was a complete delight. From mom-and-pop shops to up-scale chains, this city has it all. I tried some dishes for the first time, like flautas, taquitos in avocado sauce at the popular Olvera Street, and experienced guacamole being made fresh at my table at Rosa Mexicano. And the fact that you can have a wholesome meal for less than $10 certainly adds to the feel-good factor.

West African cuisine - Appioo African Bar Grill

Appioo African Bar Grill,
1924, 9th St NW,
Washington DC, 20001

We recently visited Appioo African Bar Grill, a Ghanian restaurant in downtown DC. It was my first experience with west African cuisine so i may not be the best judge of its authenticity but I loved it!

 My personal favorite were their plantains (Kelewele) - which were well executed and had a very nice ginger flavor . We also tried their Appioo chicken wings with a spicy sauce, Jollof rice (Ghanaian rice cooked in a tomato sauce) with goat, and Komi Ke Kenan (fermented corn and cassava dough dumpling with chicken). I would imagine the food would be perceived to be a bit spicy for a western palate but, in my opinion, it was one of the best meals I have had - with just the right blend of spices.  There was a lot of meat on the menu. Although I did not try any of those dishes. if you are a fan of spicy stews, they would be worth trying them.

The ambiance was at best modest but the prices were very reasonable. Recommended.

Romanian Food Festival

Lime cake

Romanian Food Festival, 2017.
Potamac, Maryland.

We recently attended the Romanian Food Festival in Potomac, Maryland.

It was my first exposure to Romanian food. It was very simple, closest to home-cooked food. We tried their vegetables and pork stuffed cabbage rolls, polenta (boiled corn meal), grilled chicken and home-made stuffed pork sausages.

A bit bland for my palate but edible for sure. My favorite were the desserts. We tried a moist lime cake stuffed with cream and baklava. Unlike most desserts, these flavors were very subtle.

Qiche with caramelized onions and feta (topped with smoked salmon)

Basic Ingredients (2-4 servings)
4 eggs
Ready-made Pie crust
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1 cup Feta/Goat cheese
1 cup milk
Finely chopped 1/2 cup spinach
1 1/2 red onions
1 small tomato
1 teaspoon salt (alter to your taste)
1/2 teaspoon pepper
Rosemary

Step 1: Break the eggs into a large bowl and add  the cheeses and milk. Add spinach, diced tomato, salt, pepper, rosemary. Mix them well and set aside.

Step 2: After allowing the frozen pie-crust to thaw for an hour and a half, set it in a baking dish, greased with butter.

Step 3: In a separate pan, caramelize the onions.

Step 4: Allow them to cool down and add it to the prepared mixture. 

Step 4: Preheat the oven at 350 degrees F ( C) and bake it for 40-45 minutes. Place smoked salmon on top. Cut into wedges and serve hot.

Russian-Uzbek Fare

Rus-Uz

Steamed dumplings

1000 N. Randolph Street

Arlington, Virginia 22202

Rus-Uz, in Ballston, Arlington, offers Russian and Uzbek cuisine. Having been here several times, I have found the quality of the food to be consistent and the prices are fare. 

During our most recent visit, we picked the pirohski (potato and mushroom pastry) and Herring under fur coat (a layered fish salad) for appetizers. For the main course, we had a Uzbek delicacy called manti (large steamed dumplings with lamb and onions, served with a sauce on top), and russian roasted salmon with pomegranate sauce. Personally, I found the food a bit bland for my taste. But I could see the comfort food appeal in all their dishes - simple and well-executed. For meat-lovers, there were several beef and pork dishes on the menu. 

If you are in mood for some simple and hot food on a cold day, this is a great ethnic dining option in Arlington. Reasonably priced. Recommended.