Pumpkin – Wong Eats

In my last blog, I quibbled about the logistical and parking issues that Washington D.C. poses to the suburbanite who wants to venture into town for a decent meal, hence my lack of blogs on its eating establishments as of late. After posting a photo of my meal at my favorite Indian eatery on social media, a friend of Indian descent invited me to join him for a meal at his favorite spot serving the same South Asian fare. Having not heard about that locale and realizing that it was in a quiet neighborhood, I decided to met up my friend and his lover, as well as another couple, to sample their offerings.

Indigo is a corner townhouse that has been remodeled with a few tables on the ground floor as well as the rather cramped kitchen behind it. But the appeal for the customer lies in the garden that is replete with brightly colored benches and tables, as well as a tikki-like bar to the side. After perusing the slightly over-whelming board of a menu, we placed our orders and found a seat in the garden patio with a bottle of Indian lager beer and some typical condiments. The alcoholic beverage was quite hopsy with a slight sweet aftertaste, reminding me of Southeast Asian lagers that I grew up on. The Chutney was fruity and sweet, yet hinting of some spice notes. The Achar pickles tasted house-made with the softened fruits and vegetables paired with some chili and seed spices, a good mix that made it quite proper. The mint/coriander sauce was a bit sour-sweet, redolent with the herbal qualities of the leaves present in the sauce, making it irresistibly sippable. As for our orders, here is the rundown of the different dishes that we savored:

Chicken Saag, Pumpkin, Mushroom, Okra, Cauliflower.

Chicken Tikka, Cabbage, Chickpeas.

Lamb Curry, Gobhi, Eggplant, Saag, Daal.

Goat Curry, Cauliflower, Okra, Eggplant, Pumpkin, Flat Bread.

The main/meat dishes:

The Chicken Saag was a combination of tender pieces of chicken that tasted well-seasoned due to a marination, paired with a silky smooth puree of spinach that was devoid of any bitterness, spiked by a good dose of fresh ginger that brightened the mix as well as providing some spice heat. This dish was very sumptuous and one of the best versions that I have tasted, making me return to it continuously. The Goat and the Lamb Curries had pieces of tender meat, an indication that they were stewed long enough in a sauce similar for both meats, but without falling apart due to some skillful timing in the kitchen. The tomato-based sauce was perfumed with the proper spice mixture that was well-balanced as not to overwhelm the natural meat flavors that managed to assert their presence without any extraneous gaminess. As for the Chicken Tikka, I did not manage to be presumptuous enough to poke my fork into a newly-made acquaintance’s plate, but he seemed rather satisfied evidenced by the few morsels left at the end of the meal.

The sides:

All the orders came with a copious amount of Basmati rice that was light and fluffy, seasoned with salt (which some establishments omit, unfortunately), studded with whole cumin seeds, and was made healthy with ribbons of fresh spinach.

The Cauliflower came in large whole pieces that were not overcooked, seasoned with cumin, tomato and a good dose of turmeric judging by its rich yellow hue.

The Okra was still al dente and surprisingly not slimy at all, paired with some sautéed onion and fresh tomato, reminding me of the Southern-styled preparation.

The Mushrooms were quite firm and meaty, cooked in a tomato puree sauce, tasting spicy with chili heat, and fragrant from cinnamon, making it a very appealing hit for this mushroom lover.

The Pumpkin was surprising not sweet like most other preparations, but it had notes of squash along with chili heat, spiking ginger, and onion sweetness.

The Eggplant was wonderfully smokey, vegetable sweet, and silky smooth, reminding me of a properly prepared babaghanouj which made me return my fork often into my friend’s tray.

The Daal Lentils were cooked until very smooth and spiced with woodsy spices without overwhelming the legumes.

The Cabbage was cooked without any mushiness and made interesting with anise seeds, and garam marsala, with some chili heat that produced a back throat burn.

The Raita was quite thick for a yogurt sauce, tasting much creamier than the usual kind, quite salty, and having thin cucumber strands running though it, which became the perfect relieving foil for all the spices and heat in the other sides and meat courses.

The flatbread was not the usual fluffy Pratha or Naan Bread but more a wheaty textural bite that reminded me of Chapati bread or the Tamil-style Tosai.

My friend was right, and thankfully so, to steer me to this place. What Indigo offers is what superb Indian food is all about: interesting and differentiated spicing (not a monolithic seasoning approach like some inferior establishments practice), freshly cooked dishes with equally fresh ingredients (not reheated tired leftovers), and a good variety of dishes to accommodate the knowledgeable diner. What I tasted that night exemplified the above qualities, which made the experience satisfying on many levels and pleasing to this diner who has found an Indian establishment in the city, albeit not downtown (a relief), worth mentioning and with high praises. The place’s funkiness has a wonderful charm that makes good food the great equalizer, with the garden furniture making no distinction whoever sits on it to enjoy their meal. Indigo is a great find indeed which deserves my many future repeat visits.

My former roommate is an avid traveller mainly due to the exigencies of his job and a sense of wanderlust to see the world. One of the perks for him is having the opportunity to visit a myriad of restaurants in various parts of the world. One year, back from a trip to San Francisco, he was exuding with delight about having a wonderful meal in an Afghan restaurant. Back then I was quite a connoisseur of Indian and Pakistani cuisine, but Afghan food was terra incognito within the realm of this palate. One for gastronomic adventure, I knew I had to delve into this cuisine and find a restaurant serving such offerings after hearing my friend speak about his meal.

Being the kind and considerate roommie that I was, I would pick my mate up from the airport back from his frequent trips. For many years, we had driven by a nondescript building off the main road, with a large drap-looking sign that barely made an effort to entice passersby into its dining room. After hearing my friend’s exuberant remarks about this exotic cuisine, we decided to pay a visit to Afghan Restaurant in Crystal City, VA, a stone throw away from Reagan National Airport (No, it is NOT “Reagan Airport” as some folks seem to truncate the name to – that irks me!). It took a bit of suspension of first impression judgement to enter its doors, and since then, we have not stopped returning to this establishment for over 15 years.

Always up for something unique and out of the common, the adventure for me starts with the first bite, or in this case, the first sip. Dogh is a fermented yogurt drink that has been lightened with some soda water and slightly brined by a touch of salt. It has the slight creamy taste of whole-milk yogurt but this richness is cut by the mild sourness from the fermentation. In addition, flecks of dried mint add the bite and slight herbaciouness to compensate the dairy flavor. This drink is not for the novice and it is an acquired taste, of which my friends would wince and remark that it tastes like toothpaste. Not for me – it is uniquely delish!

As for an appetizer, a favorite order is Mantu. These are steamed dumplings that are filled with scallions and bits of minced beef. The silky dough makes the perfect purse for the stuffing without being too thick or too delicate, providing support to the bits of not overly cooked scallion and morsels of tasty beef. The slathering of yogurt sauce along with a meat sauce made with a tasty tomato sauce and bits of vegetables makes this opener a tasty treat. What amazes me is the resemblance of this dish to the Mandu dumplings popular in Korean eateries. According to Wikipedia, the Mongols brought these meat purses from the Middle East to the Far East along the Silk Road in the 14th century – tasty bites with an interesting history. Along with the steamed dumplings, a baked version, Boolawnee, proved to be equally tasty during past visits.

The mainstay in Afghan cuisine are the meat dishes, especially the Kebabs that dominate a large portion of the menu. The menu offers a variety to choose from: Chicken, Beef, Lamb, and Fish, in either whole pieces or in ground meat form. Over the years we have zoned in on a couple of them in part due to their savouriness and in other part due to personal tastes of the other sharers: Boneless Chicken Thigh Kebab and Shami Kebab. The chicken thigh version comes with pieces of chicken that have been marinated in a seasoning and perhaps in some yogurt to helps to tenderize these bits of dark meat. The chunks come slightly charred and with a light smoky taste from having been grilled over charcoal while the meat remains moist and savory from the seasoning. The Chicken Breast version is equally tasty and moist, but my dining mates prefer the stronger tasting dark meat. The Shami Kebab is made from ground beef with some seasoning, grated sweet onions, and a bit of garlic. These pieces of beef make a tasty bite due to the seasonings and it will even entice the not-so-beef eater. But one can’t forget the humongous piece of freshly baked naan bread that makes the obligatory partner to this meal. Pieces of dough have been cooked in the tandoor oven, providing a crispy outer shell with a moist stretchy fluffy inside. The customary way of eating the pieces of chicken and beef is wrapping them with Naan bread and slathering the sandwiches with the accompanying spicy cilantro yogurt sauce. This is a perfect combo that has you coming back and wanting more with each bite. A skewer of grilled onions, green peppers and tomatoes can be added to round off these meat dishes.

Meat dishes definitely abound in this establishment. However, we have discovered that Afghan cuisine is not all about meat like in many Middle Eastern dishes. A section in the menu is dedicated to vegetarian dishes and they are worth discovering. The Vegetarian Rice Platter is the perfect partner to balance out the above meat dishes and it is a must order. This quartet comprises of sautéed spinach, roasted eggplant, stewed pumpkin, and Rice Palau. The chopped spinach is well-seasoned with a tinge of sourness to counterbalance any bitter taste (none btw), the soft eggplant still in chunks and amazingly slightly sweet, the pumpkin soft and naturally sweet sitting in a small pool of rich ghee, and the grains of basmati rice fluffy, a bit oily and heavily scented by large cardamom pods that add some exotica to the lean looking grain. The topping of caramelized carrot shreds and plump raisins brings more interest to this starch and it attempts to steal the highlight. For my friends and me, our kebab dishes would not be complete without an order of this divine combination of vegetables and rice. This easily would satisfy the most finicky vegetarian/vegan customer who would not think finding something worth ordering in a meat-laden menu.

As for my former roommie, he seems to order only one dish: Super Combo. It is definitely a combo that comes with a skewer each of chicken, lamb, and shami kebab, Rice Palau, along with a Qurma, a well-seasoned lamb stew. This is truly a meat delight for the die-hard carnivore to which my friend has taken his vows. The Qurma is very tasty with only a slight hint of the lamb gaminess that makes it palatable for the sensitive eater. It is a dish worth ordering to get a sampling of the different meat offerings in this restaurant and for the famished diner.

The desserts are limited in the offerings. However, apart from the predictable Baqlawa (Baklava), there is Ferni. It is made with milk and cornstarch, and it is served chilled and topped with a dusting of pistachio bits. It is akin to the usual rice pudding except the texture is a bit funky, much like an over-starched sauce that has congealed up. Aside from this textural issue, it is a tasty dessert with a slight hint of Orange Blossom essence in the pudding. Definitely a favorite of my mega-canivore friend.

In the best-selling novel, The Kite Runner, in which the author chronicles life during pre-Taliban Afghanistan, we see a frequently appearing character, Ali, who is the family’s long-time servant. He was faithful, constant, unassuming, and ever-pleasing. In more than the 15 years that we have been visiting Afghan Restaurant, it has demonstrated the very same qualities in the food that we relish in during our meals, never dipping in food quality or warmth in service. Just like the Ali character’s demure personality, or display sign in the restaurant’s case, one cannot discern beyond the looks, or in this case, how wonderful and enticing Afghan cuisine is unless he or she walks through those double doors. Or you may be invited to the wedding dinner in the banquet hall if you accidentally enter the adjoining room. Either way, the experience is never disappointing.