26 E STREET
SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH 84103
(801) 203-3325
LAVANYA MAHATE, OWNER
LOGANATHAN KANNAN, CHEF
When you meet the team behind Saffron Valley, you just assume they are family. Chef Loganathan Kannan says, “This is not a business about making money, this is like our family. We love to cook and we love to serve.” This way of thinking pervades every detail of the food and service at Saffron Valley.
Saffron began with the duo Chef Kannan and Lavanya Mahate. Lavanya previously worked at the chamber of commerce helping women around the city start businesses. Inspired by their stories, she began a business of her own. She initially started an Indian spice line, which continues today. Then, upon meeting Kannan and finding out they were from the same city in India, they decided to team up to serve their favorite Indian foods to Salt Lake residents.
The food at Saffron is a mixture of all the orients of India. So while you’ll find some dishes connecting to Kannan’s southern Indian roots where his grandfather and father were chefs, the menu is also filled with the best dishes from all around the country. And to keep things interesting, they hold festivals every three months at the restaurant, celebrating foods and traditions of India.
While Saffron does traditional Indian food exceptionally well, Kannan will want you to branch out a little from the typical dishes when you order. The chicken makhni curry dish is similar to tikka masala but with a creamier taste. The lamb Karaikudi with wintry spices is the perfect snow-day comfort food. Or try something representative of Kannan’s southern Indian roots, like his dosas: savory lentil and rice crepes with your choice of filling, from a panir vegetable medley to chicken tikka. Dahi poppers, served with yogurt sauce and tangy chutneys, help start the meal off with cool flavor. If you want a little taste of all the meat kabobs, try the Saffron mixed platter, with several kinds of tandoor-grilled meats and cheese. To end a perfect meal at Saffron, split a mango lassi, a creamy fusion of yogurt and sweet mango, a taste as sweet as the family serving your meal.
(SERVES 4)
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast
For the marinade:
1 cup plain yogurt
3 tablespoons ginger-garlic paste (find at Indian grocer)
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
For the sauce:
3 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons ginger-garlic paste
2 serrano peppers, minced
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 teaspoon garam masala
2 teaspoons paprika
8 Roma tomatoes, diced
1½ teaspoons salt
1–2 cups water
1 tablespoon dried fenugreek leaves (optional)
½ cup heavy cream
Minced fresh cilantro, for garnish
To prepare the marinade: In a large bowl, mix together yogurt, ginger-garlic paste, salt, and pepper. Add the chicken and toss to coat. Marinate at least 30 minutes, or in the refrigerator overnight.
Preheat oven to 400°F. Place the chicken in an oiled grill pan and bake for 30 minutes. Turn off the oven and let the chicken rest until the sauce is ready.
To prepare the sauce: Place a large skillet over medium heat and add the butter. When the butter has melted, add the ginger-garlic paste and serrano peppers. Sauté until lightly browned. Add the tomato paste and cook for about 3 minutes. Add the garam masala and the paprika and sauté for about 1 minute.
Add the diced tomatoes, salt, and 1 cup water. Bring to a boil, simmer, and cook until thickened, about 20 minutes. Add more water depending on how much liquid the tomatoes give.
Pour the sauce into a blender or food processor, or use an immersion blender, and process until smooth. Pour back into the skillet and bring up to a boil.
Dice the cooked chicken into bite-sized pieces. Add the chicken and fenugreek leaves, if using, to the sauce. Simmer and cook for about 10 minutes. Add the cream and stir through. Garnish with finely chopped fresh cilantro and serve over rice, with naan, or wrapped in Dosa (see recipe on next page).
(MAKES 2 DOZEN)
For the dosa batter:
1 cup whole skinless urad dal (black gram or lentil with black skins removed)
3 cups idli rice
1 tablespoon salt
For the dosas:
4 cups fermented dosa batter
1–1½ cups water
4 tablespoons vegetable oil
To prepare the dosa batter: Soak the dal and rice together submerged in water for 3 hours. In a blender grind the soaked rice and lentils in two batches, adding just enough water to make a smooth consistency. Combine with salt and let the batter ferment in a large bowl, lightly covered, for about 6–8 hours in a warm place.
To prepare dosas: Add enough water to the fermented batter so you have a smooth, pouring consistency. Make sure the batter is not too watery; it should coat the back of a spoon.
Heat an iron griddle and grease lightly with oil. Pour about ½ cup batter in the center of the griddle, using a round ladle. With the back of the ladle, gently spread the batter in a circular motion from the center toward the sides of the griddle, forming an 8–10-inch concentric circle.
Drizzle about 1 teaspoon oil around the edges of the dosa and drizzle a few drops on the top as well. If the griddle is greased adequately and is not sticky, the edge of the dosa will start to come off the pan in about 1 minute or so. Use a spatula to gently lift the dosa and turn over. Cook this side for about 1 minute.
Place a few tablespoons of Chicken Tikka Masala as filling in the dosa and fold into a semicircle. Serve hot.
(MAKES ABOUT 2 CUPS)
1 cup chopped mango (peeled and stone removed) or ¾ cup mango puree
1 cup plain yogurt
½ cup milk
4 teaspoons sugar
Dash of yellow food coloring (optional)
Put mango, yogurt, milk, sugar, and food coloring into a blender and blend for 2 minutes, then pour into individual glasses and serve chilled. The lassi can be kept refrigerated for up to 48 hours.
