Mexicans love hot stuff as much as we do. During an ongoing food promotion at the All American Diner, Team Viva discovered tamarind drinks, tangy chicken and even carrot cake with a kick
Cumin-spiced pineapple blended with tequila and rum. We wondered if we were hopping mad to try out something so quirky, when our stomachs were rumbling. Our eyes went to the other item under ‘Mexican pureedos,’ that left us just as confused: cinnamon-spiced tamarind blended with tequila and vodka. We sighed and decided to order both — a sibling had joined us at the table.
Travelling all the way to the All American Diner at India Habitat Centre from the other end of town to taste Mexican food had better be worth it.
As two tall margarita glasses were placed on our table, we said a silent prayer, and took a sip of Tama Tama, the tamarind drink. Ice and spice were two words that popped in our head. Being a devotee of Old Monk and Coke, this was a jolt we had expected, but were unprepared for.
It was hot in a way no drink we had tasted. It wasn’t so bad. Another sip. It was really good. The sibling, our recently vegan brother, nodded his appreciation. The stage was set for a spiced evening. As we looked at the rest of the menu, the vegan wavered. There was chicken and avocado soup, chicken tacos, fish ceviche, grilled chicken, steamed fish — cheese, loads and loads of it.
Chef Pawan Uppal got us a bit of everything, and we began our culinary journey. The corn and cheese soup, up first, served with toast, was a smooth, creamy affair, followed by hot and sour chicken soup. The fresh bits of avocado offset the meaty flavour of chicken, preparing our palate for the next item, salad. Chewy pieces in the amazingly lemony salad were fish. Done to perfection, one of the freshest, lightest salads I have had in a long time, the ceviche was a delight. Potato salad, on the other hand, in true Mexican style, was back with a generous share of melted mayonnaise.
The chicken tacos, served stylishly on a wooden tray, were fresh and tangy.
Next was the star of the meal. The Pollo Con Almenadorado, grilled chicken with refried beans and Mexican rice, served with almond cream sauce. It had a sumptuous, smoked flavour. But the steamed fish, swept us of our feet. With zero oil and zero calories, unlike the cheese-doused dishes that Mexican food is famous for, the fish was soft, with none of the seafoody stench, usually associated with it, and a hint of lemony tang. Despite being full, we savoured our way through the fish and Mexican rice, thanking Chef Uppal for the wonderful preparation.
But Chef had more spice up his sleeve — this time in dessert. As he ordered the carrot cake and the caramel custard to be brought to our table, we looked at him skeptically. Surely, he wasn’t planning a spicy dessertIJ
He smiled and egged us on. The two dishes looked like any other item in a reputed patisserie, with nothing to reveal the savoury flavours within. Scooping a spoonful of the custard, we didn’t know whether to be intrigued or disappointed. With a prominent sweet tooth, we have always liked custard sickly sweet, but here, the spices had taken over.
We tasted cumin, coriander and as Chef Uppal pointed out, five spice. However, the caramel lent the slightly sweet taste required for me to take a second helping, and third. Our sibling meanwhile, chomped happily on carrot cake.
This was not as sweet as we Indians are used to, but light and tasty, with a fine layer of cream in between to keep you hooked. It was polished off in two scoops straight and we would have asked for more, had the stomach not rumbled in revolt at overeating.
It is not a bad idea to try something new once in a while, we thought as we plodded home.
The secret of cooking lies how you use ingredients. Never did I think we would drink cumin-pineapple vodka or eat spicy dessert.
But then, chalk and cheese, blended together, may just be a winning combination.