Two Meals Worth of Tikka Masala
When I was in college at Wesleyan in Middletown, Connecticut it was always a challenge to find a nice restaurant for dinner. There were the ubiquitous Thai joints, the beer and burger stops, the fajita and margarita vendors and the pizza and pasta places. There was also sushi, which was great, but not always affordable on a college student budget. When I needed a place for my parents to host a group for my 21st birthday, I did some asking around and learned about Haveli India. It’s a great Indian restaurant on the outskirts of town— so good, in fact, that I have yet to be as impressed with any the places I’ve tried in Chicago.
I was in Middletown on Friday and Saturday for an alumni meeting at Wesleyan. My cousin Leftover Girl just transferred in as a junior, so I took her and a couple of her friends to check out Haveli. After a few twists and turns as I attempted to remember how to get there, we finally made it. We were seated immediately after walked in and served delicious pappadums (lentil crackers) with three kinds of chutney. A round of Indian Kingfisher beers followed shortly.
We wanted to share, but Leftover Girl’s friends were vegetarians. We decided to get two vegetable dishes and two meat along with a side of chewy naan. LG ordered the classic, rich chicken tikka masala. Tender boneless skinless chicken is cooked in ginger, garlic, yogurt and various spices, baked in the tandoor and sautéed with tomatoes. And don’t forget the special ingredients that make this dish so rich and filling: butter and cream. I ordered the lamb vindaloo (pictured above), extra spicy. It consists of earthy lamb cooked with every spice from coriander to cinnamon, potatoes and some vinegar for bite. I always ordered this dish as a student, so I decided to do it again for old time’s sake. It was as good as I remembered it, but not quite as spicy. Maybe my palate has toughened up in the past two years.
Leftover Girl’s friends ordered the saag paneer (sauteed spinach with large squares of soft Indian cheese) and the mattar paneer (the same cheese with a tomato-based sauce similar to the tikka masala). These were almost better that the meat dishes. It’s amazing to me how Indian cooking styles from both the Northern and Southern parts of the country manage to produce vegetarian food that is as appealing, if not more so, than meat-filled dishes. The spices, the richness and the depth of flavor in the sauces makes these dishes like these filling as well as inspiring, things I can rarely say about vegetarian menu items.
We left the restaurant ready to burst and carrying three take-out bags. True to her name, Leftover Girl announced plans to have chicken tikka masala for breakfast. When I got back to her campus apartment and put the bags in the fridge, it almost seemed for a split second like I was back in college eager to make my leftovers from Haveli last for yet another delicious meal.
Haveli India
1300 South Main St.
Middletown, CT 06457
860.347.7773
Empanada Boy and I had a great dinner last night, but before I tell you about that, I have a confession to make. Remember my post about Empanada Boy’s proposal? Remember how I said it would take me at least two years to get used the idea of getting married? Well, after about one month I decided it wouldn’t be that traumatic after all. EB and I will be getting married in August, 2008— August 3, to be exact. So, I guess I exaggerated a bit.
EB and I once began a meal there with a Scotch egg— a hardboiled egg wrapped in meat, breaded and fried. We both ordered Belgian ales: EB tried the earthy and deep Kwak, and I opted for the malty, spicy, fruity Triple Karmeliet. EB’s was delicious, but mine may have been the best beer I’ve ever tasted.
The menu here is pretty evenly split between surf and turf, but we couldn’t stay out of the water. For our entreé we ordered mussels for two Belgian style (only $10 per person!). A large covered pot arrived at our table. When the server lifted the lid, steam came out, revealing a massive pile of tender mussels with crusty bread on top. These divine shellfish were cooked in Wittekerke white ale with shallots, thyme, bay leaf and fennel. They came with a side of perfectly crispy Belgian-style frites. Just having completed a 10-mile rollerblade, we were hungry enough to finish off the whole pot. I was full, but I couldn’t help wishing for a big ladle to drink the rest of the broth down.
Rosh Hashanah was last week. And when it comes time for Rosh Hashanah, the one thing that I think of most— apart from services, shofar blowing and atoning for sins— is honey cake. It’s traditional to eat honey around this time of year in order to ensure a sweet year ahead. This is an amazing recipe that Mango Mama shared with me, though it has undoubtedly been traded through many hands. It features just about every ingredient under the sun (except butter because it’s dairy-free). Whisky, coffee, orange juice and baking spices come together in a cake that is light, moist and extremely addictive. All it takes is one bite to make the world seem a little sweeter. Try it for yourself!
I got an email on Saturday from a German girl who has become my pen pal. She found me on the Internet when she googled her own name because we have the same first and last names. The connections don’t end there: it turns out that her mother grew up— and her father now lives— in Cologne, where my grandfather’s family lived before being driven out by the Nazis. This girl who shares my name isn’t Jewish, but she and I seem to have a lot in common. It’s hard for some of my relatives to contemplate the idea of exploring a shared German past, but I know that my friend is more knowledgeable about and respectful of Jewish culture than many of my fellow Americans. Like most German students, she has studied the war and the concentration camps in great depth and has even done some research on the places where my relatives lived in Cologne.
It seemed fitting to me, then, to follow my latest pen pal correspondence with a trip with 
When it came to food, though, the fest was quite affordable. We went up to one of the two booths, which are run by older men and women volunteers from the German-American community. Both men and ladies take their jobs very seriously. The ladies strode around their tent purposefully, assembling sandwiches, plating giant pretzels and scooping up pieces of cake. EB and I also spent some time watching one of the men as he boiled the sausages before putting them on the grill. We asked if he used beer, and he told us the health department wouldn’t let them, but he recommended we try it that way at home. 
The deliciously plump brat that Empanada Boy ordered (shown above) was, nonetheless, juicy and flavorful. It came with a nice side of warm, fresh, kraut and tangy German potato salad. I had a whole herring sandwich, made with red onions and tasty pickled herring. For dessert, we shared a piece of spongy cake fill with rich, eggy custard and topped with baked almonds. We sat and ate our lunch while listening to one of the many German bands that entertains the crowds through the weekends.
As I promised last week, I’m here to fill you in on some of the other meals I enjoyed on the cheap (relatively speaking) while I was in New York. For the sake of order, I’ll begin at the beginning.
The next day, after feasting at Otto, Daddy Salmon’s cousin Maple Syrup offered to lead the way to 
Next came Daddy Salmon’s party. It was a blast and excellent food was had by all. My grandma, Rice Pudding, was one of the guests of honor. She stayed in Long Island (or the ‘Guyland as my cousin Ketchup likes to call it) at my aunt and uncle’s house, so we took the train back out the next day to see them. They live in Plainview, which is undoubtedly a nice place to live but leaves something to be desired in terms of entertainment. It’s nice to see my cousins, but the thing I most anticipate about the area where they live is eating bagels from 
Legend among Bagel Boss fanatics like my cousins Black Cherry Soda and Bagel with Lox (who used to eat very little else) is that the bagels here are so good because of the mineral content in the Long Island water Somehow I have a hard time buying that, but these are among the best— if not the best— of any bagels I’ve ever tasted. They have just the right density and the perfect tooth-feel. Other wonderful things about Bagel Boss include: top-notch bialys, great spreads and fish salads, a 100 percent kosher kitchen and excellent black and white cookies. Best of all— it’s open 24 hours a day! Relatives or no relatives, this is reason enough to come to Plainview (or neighboring Hicksville, to be exact).
I love my Long Island relatives, and I love Bagel Boss, but two days in the ‘Guyland exhausts most of the great culinary and cultural opportunities. The next day it was back to New York for a trip to the MoMA before flying to Chicago. Before viewing the awesome Richard Serra sculpture show, Mango Mama, Flava Flav and I joined Uncle Second Breakfast and my cousin Momotaro for lunch at 
