Mystic's all-you-can-eat luncheon
Published:Thursday | May 1, 2014 | 12:00 AM
Janet Silvera, Senior Gleaner Writer
WESTERN BUREAU:
Over 80 persons came out to indulge in the taste of Northern India. The incredibly tasty fare was on show at Mystic India at Whitter Village in Montego Bay on Sunday, as part of the restaurant's monthly 'All You Can Eat' luncheon, which has grown considerably in the last two years.
At Sunday's brunch, Kareena Mahbubani team of chefs presented a menu that included samosa chaat, pani puri, bhel puri, chana bature and mutton Biryani in buffet style and live stations.
"The pani puri and bhel puri are active stations as they involve a lot of different sauces and chutneys such as tamarind, red chilli and mint," Mahbubani explained to Food, unable to take her hands off the bhel puri, mixed on the spot with the chutneys, puffed rice crisps and wholewheat puris topped with a combination of fresh organic vegetables served in bamboo cones.
"Crispy and tangy," is how it was described after the tasting session.
Ideally, the bhel puri is a savoury Indian snack, and is also a type of chaat. It is often identified with the beaches of Mumbai (Bombay). Bhel puri is thought to have originated within the Gujarati cafés and street food stalls of Bombay, and the recipe has spread to other parts of India where it has been modified to suit local food availability.
As for the pani puri, which are rounds of puffed up wholewheat crisps, these are cracked open and stuffed with a healthy bean sprouts and potato mixture, dunked in a cumin, tamarind, cilantro and mint flavoured water.
Chilled and spicy was the best way to describe this meal, while the water (pani) is said to be very healthy, and all the ingredients good for digestion. In India, the pani puri (also known as Gol gappa, pani ke bataashe) is a popular street snack.
As if this was not enough food for the eyes to feast on, Mystic India served up a red carpet of samosa chaat, one of their most popular. This, too, is spicy, tangy and sweet and also a popular street food in India. The samosa chaat is served by adding a mashed samosa topped with chickpeas, freshly cut veggie toppings, fresh yogurt and a dash of lemon goodness.
The taste buds were also privy to chana bature, the gem among Punjabi vegetarian recipes. The sight of the puffed fried bread with an aromatic tangy flavoured chickpea curry or chole is hard to resist, even to those who are diet conscious. It has a crisp exterior and spongy interior with a mild sour flavour. Chole or chana bature is filling, decadent and makes for a complete meal.
And, finally, the mutton biryani, a traditional dish in Indian cuisine, consists of pieces of mutton or lamb simmered together with basmati rice. Additional ingredients traditionally include a very long list of aromatic, spicy, and savoury Indian herbs, yogurts, citrus flavouring and saffron. It may also contain tropical flavours, such as a papaya, coconut shavings, and chopped cashews.
This dish is commonly served as a one-pot dish.