East West Mix

Have you tried it? What are your thoughts on the dishes we offer and the ones you’d like to see?

Living in Copenhagen, Denmark has been a great opportunity to better understand what flavors I yearn for. It is such a different experience than living in Boston, when every cuisine is available at seemingly every price point. In Denmark, it is cost prohibitive to eat out regularly. Even a simple chai often costs $7 and upwards! Rani is no longer down the street, so I must create what I crave.

Tonight’s dinner was a wonderful exercise in just that. Instead of traditional meat-lasagna, it was a light lasagna stuffed with browned cumin, eggplant, onions, garlic, and tomato with a kick of garam masala and red chili (thank you SK for the recipe). The stuffing was layered between lasagna plates with a little bechamel, topped with cheese, and baked. The warmth of the spices combined with the comfort cheese and pasta gave me a sense of both building this new home I have in Denmark while returning to the home that I know always have in the US. Perhaps the combination of elements, whether they are ingredients, or life circumstances seem unusual, but I think the possibilities are limitless. -AKM

Having been in the hotel and restaurant industry for many many years, one question we often get is – “what do you eat at home?” While our diet at home is primarily lentils, rice, and vegetables, we do experiment with other cuisines and do a fair amount of the east-west mix.

At breakfast, we brew fresh chai to go with our toast and cheese or add turmeric and coriander to our eggs.

At lunch, we experiment with tofu as a substitute for paneer in our spinach curry or include fresh whole wheat tortillas as the “bread” in a meal. Even when we order pizza, we add a few jalapenos or lemon juice to kick up the flavors of the tomato sauce.

For larger meals and special occasions, we pick a regional cuisine and try new recipes. At Thanksgiving last year, we created a vegetarian Ethiopian feast with injera bread (which has great similarities to dosa), lentils (similar spices to Indian food, but different proportions and preparation) and vegetables.

Over time, it’s less about Indian food vs. American food at home and much more about blending the elements we like. Great food doesn’t only happen at restaurants – a few tweaks here and there can up the flavor of any meal, at home or out.

Welcome to Rani Bistro’s first effort at blogging. We’ll be adding our thoughts shortly and we’ll begin the process of creating a space where Indian food and the enjoyment associated with it are explored.