27 EAST MAIN STREET
MOUNT KISCO, NY 10549
(914) 218-3333
FACEBOOK.COM/LITTLESPICEBAZAAR
CHEF/OWNERS: BONNIE SARAN AND KAREN GERA
Modest. Affable. And, dare I say it—cute? Whatever you want to call her, Little Spice Bazaar’s Chef Bonnie Saran is a great big liar.
For all her cuddliness, Bonnie Saran is a restaurant animal—and as shrewd as any scarred, thirty-year veteran. Before debuting Little Kebab Station (the first of her three side-by-side Mount Kisco restaurants), Saran used the business degree that she earned in India to work as a consultant to Indian restaurants in New York and New Jersey. Called upon during financial crises, Saran knew the paths to restaurant failure like the back of her own hand. Having seen the catastrophes wrought by overreaching, Saran’s first venture, Little Kebab Station, was a parable of achievable goals.
With no liquor license and ten seats (well, twelve if you count the two chairs at the complimentary tea station), LKS was barely an actual restaurant. Yet its message—telegraphed by spice-colored walls, a painted frieze of Indian food trucks, and Bollywood stars pasted over ugly fluorescents—was clear. Little Kebab was fun, DIY, and miles from the stuffy sitar-and-samosa Indian restaurants of the past. Rather than serving ponderous curries, Saran introduced Westchester to Bombay frankie rolls: kathi wraps of highly spiced kebab meat, fluffy fried egg, lemon, and fiery onion and mint chutnies. At Little Kebab, Saran offered lighter, modern takes on Indian standards (but never spared the flavor). Often she used locally sourced ingredients.
Almost as soon as Little Kebab Station debuted, Saran snagged popular and critical favor, and claimed the loyalty of many local celebrities, most notably, Martha Stewart herself. Stewart remains a vocal supporter.
Saran’s second venture, Little Spice Bazaar, debuted in 2012 and is even more casual than LKS, if that’s possible. It’s a loud, buzzy lassi shop that also offers sit-down salads. Little Spice Bazaar’s Ayuvedic, probiotic lassis—made with tangy house-made yogurt, fresh fruit, and medicinal spices and herbs—is an instant addiction for everyone who tries it, even those who have never done yoga or attempted a cleanse. Besides lassis, papri chats, and the stunning bhel puri (recipe follows), Little Spice Bazaar offers teas and an array of Indian culinary and medicinal spices. Also look for a small, carefully curated selection of Indian groceries that includes incense and health and beauty aids.
(SERVES 4)
2 cups puffed rice (available at many Indian grocery stores)
10 crushed papadi (these Indian wheat crisps are available at many Indian grocery stores)
¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons sev (crunchy chickpea flour noodles, available at many Indian grocery stores)
¼ cup diced boiled potatoes
¼ cup chopped onion
3 teaspoons roasted cumin seed powder, plus more for garnish
2 teaspoons chaat masala (you can find this spice blend online or at many Indian specialty stores. Alternatively, you can blend it yourself—recipes, which vary slightly, can be found online.)
¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
½ cup tamarind chutney (recipe follows)
½ cup mint chutney (recipe follows)
1 tablespoon pomegranate seeds
¼ teaspoon chili powder (or to taste)
In a medium-size bowl, toss together the puffed rice and eight of the ten papadi (crush these by hand). Add ¼ cup of the sev, the potatoes, onion, roasted cumin seed powder, chaat masala, and ¼ cup of the cilantro. Add the tamarind and mint chutnies. Toss everything together until the ingredients are well combined. Garnish with the two remaining papadi (crushed by hand), pomegranate seeds, the remaining tablespoon of chopped cilantro, the remaining 2 tablespoons of sev, and a sprinkling of cumin seed powder and chili powder. Serve immediately.
(MAKES 1 PINT)
2 cups coarsely chopped mint leaves
1½ cups coarsely chopped cilantro
½ cup coarsely chopped red onion
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 green chiles, finely chopped (optional)
2 cloves garlic, chopped
½ teaspoon salt
In a blender puree all the ingredients together using a small amount of water (use as little as possible). Puree until very smooth.
(MAKES 1 PINT)
1 slab dried tamarind (about 200 grams, available at many Indian groceries)
100 grams jaggery (available at many Indian groceries) or 1½ cups granulated sugar
2 teaspoons cumin seeds, toasted
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
1 tablespoon black salt (available at many Indian groceries or online; kosher salt may be substituted)
¼ teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon powdered ginger
Pull the block of tamarind into 1-inch pieces and place these in a small saucepan. Cover with 2½ cups water and bring this mixture to a boil. When boiling, reduce heat and simmer the mixture, stirring, until the tamarind is mostly dissolved. Place a strainer over a small bowl and pass the tamarind mixture through the strainer. Discard the seeds and return the tamarind to the pot. Add the remaining ingredients and return the mixture to a boil. Taste to correct for sugar and salt, then stir in a tablespoon (or so) of water—the chutney will thicken when it cools. Remove the mixture from heat. Cool completely and refrigerate. This tamarind chutney can be kept refrigerated for up to 1 month.