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Indian Style for American Tastes

© Eve Carr

I love the spicy flavor of Indian food, and it’s always fun to eat in Indian restaurants. The rich flavor of Tikka Masala, Kabobs with the piquant cucumber and Mint Raita and, of course pappadums, thin lentil chips, are always a treat.

When I lived in northern Virginia, near Washington, D.C., Indian restaurants were plentiful, and I frequented them often. But, now, living in rural Virginia, Indian restaurants are few and far between, so I needed to figure out a way to enjoy Indian cuisine more.

One way—and this works for some things— is to take a cooler along when I do make it to an Indian restaurant, order extra, and bring it home to tuck away in the freezer. This works fine for some foods, but, as with other cuisines, some things—especially those containing potatoes—just don’t freeze well.

The other solution would be to dig out my Indian cookbooks and whip up an authentic Indian meal myself. But the raw ingredients are difficult to find for me, and, quite frankly, with a busy schedule, I just don’t have the time.

So that’s why I was pleased to discover Patak’s Indian products. They give “American Taste, Indian style.” Patak’s ® cooking sauces allow you to bring Indian cuisine to your dinner table with very little effort. From Korma, the classic northern Indian sauce with a mild, creamy coconut flavor and delicate hints of ginger, garlic and coriander, to Madras, a hot savory sauce composed of a blend of red chilies, coriander and cumin, these products allow me to quickly enjoy Indian flavor in my own home.

These products deliver an Indian taste because Meena Pathak, the director of research and product development, is a leading authority on Indian food. She was born in Bombay and, despite her mother’s desire for her to pursue a career in medicine, she developed a love for preparing and sharing food. She earned a degree in hotel management, food technology, and catering, with an emphasis on Indian and International cuisine, at the Sophia School and Catering College in Bombay. Today, although she lives in England, where her factory is located, she travels to Indian every three months to keep upon food trends and develop new recipes.

For more information about these products, visit www.pataks.co.uk and www.worldfood.com

Here is one of her recipes so you can enjoy the flavor of India as well.

Spicy Mango Shrimp

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 pound fresh shrimp, peeled and deveined