Image: Dina Avila
THEY SAY THAT WORKING at Berkeley’s famed Chez Panisse restaurant under the tutelage of farm-fresh legend Alice Waters changes a chef. Such was the case with Troy MacLarty, whose four-year stint at that restaurant led him to Portland in 2005, anxious to shake hands with the Willamette Valley’s mud-stained farming community. But after nearly two decades of farm-to-table cooking (most recently at the now-shuttered Lovely Hula Hands), MacLarty has turned to Indian street food—an epicurean tradition that emphasizes spice and texture over seasonality—at his new NE Alberta Street restaurant, Bollywood Theater. In other words, it’s the antithesis of Alice Waters.
“After cooking, harvesting, and eating with the ‘Chez family,’ it’s impossible not to believe in that ethos,” says MacLarty. “But what Portland really needs is a decent Indian place.” Turns out, when he wasn’t eating farm-fresh meals at California’s temple to organics, MacLarty was fork-deep in Berkeley’s blossoming Indian scene, catching thrills from humming heat and elusive, earthy spices. After leaving Chez Panisse, he spent years researching regional curries, taste-testing chutneys, and risking gastro-intestinal assault during R&D trips through India’s street-food hubs.
The dishes that inspired MacLarty—herbaceous bhel puri from Mumbai’s beaches, wraps of kati flatbread from Calcutta, and cool kachumber salads from seasoned street vendors—are largely alien to the Pacific Northwest. But with this recipe, MacLarty finds a flavorful diplomacy by imagining “what an Indian cook would do if they had asparagus.” As our regional farmers markets continue to heat up for summer, MacLarty answers that question by plunging into one of Portland’s final food frontiers: Indian street food with Northwest flair.
GRILLED ASPARAGUS WITH PANEER AND COCONUT MILK CURRY
(Serves 6)
- 2 bunches asparagus, ends snapped
- 1¼ cups paneer* (homemade or store-bought), sliced
- Juice of 1 ½ lemons
- 2 cups coconut milk curry**
- ½ cup roasted cashews*, roughly chopped
- Olive oil, as needed
- Salt, to taste
(1) COOK asparagus over a hot grill or in a cast-iron skillet until lightly charred. (2) PLACE slices of paneer on top, and season with salt and pepper. (3) FINISH with lemon juice, coconut milk curry, and roasted cashews.
**COCONUT MILK CURRY
(Makes 4 batches)
- ¼ cup canola oil
- 1 tbsp cumin seeds
- 1 large onion, diced
- 1 tbsp roughly ground black mustard seeds
- ½ tsp turmeric
- 1 tbsp salt
- 1 ½ tsp chile flake
- 3 cups puréed tomatoes (9 medium tomatoes’ worth)
- 2 cups water
- 1 2/3 cups coconut milk, stirred
(1) HEAT oil on medium heat in a pot, add cumin seeds, and fry for 30–45 seconds. (2) ADD onions and sauté until cooked and golden. (3) ADD mustard seeds, turmeric, salt, and chile flake, stirring briefly. (4) ADD tomatoes, stir, and reduce heat to low, cooking until oil begins to separate on top. (5) STIR in water and increase heat to medium. (6) BRING to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer 5–8 minutes. (7) STIR in coconut milk, and bring to a boil. (8) ADJUST seasoning to taste.
*Paneer
(Makes 9 oz)
- ½ gallon whole milk
- ½ tsp granulated sugar
- 4 tbsp white vinegar
(1) PLACE milk in heavy-bottomed pan, and stir in sugar. (2) BRING mixture to a boil, add vinegar, and turn off heat. (3) ALLOW to rest for 5 minutes, until liquid separates from solids. (4) LINE a sieve with three layers of cheesecloth, strain, and allow solids to drain for 5 minutes. (5) ENCLOSE paneer in cheesecloth, weigh down, and allow to sit for 1 hour. (6) REMOVE weight and use when ready.
*Roasted Cashews
- ½ lb whole cashews
- 1 tbsp canola oil
- ½ tbsp salt
- ¼ tbsp Amchoor (green mango powder)
- ½ tbsp garam masala
- ¼ tbsp cayenne pepper
(1) COMBINE all ingredients and bake in 375-degree oven until lightly toasted.
Published in the The Gorge issue of Portland Monthly.
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