Onion Tree

Chaat is one of India’s crown jewels of street food: vibrant, tangy and crunchy. It’s said a perfect chat balances five tastes: sweet, sour, spicy, salty, and tangy. The name comes from the Hindi chaatna, “to lick”, hinting at its flavor-bursting taste profile. It likely originated in the Mughal court of Emperor Shah Jahan (16th c.) in modern-day Delhi, when his physicians prescribed light, spaced foods to aid digestion. Today, chaat is a social ritual and symbol of India’s  street food democracy- flavorful, affordable and diverse, with many variations (Mumbai’s bhel puri, Kolkata’s jhal muri, etc.) assigned to India’s many states. I suppose we could add Long Island-via-Italy to that mix too, with Chef Jay’s version featuring burrata cheese and “mango water”! .

Sev is a popular Indian snack made from chickpea flour, seasoned with spices and deep-fried into thick, crisply, noodle-like strands. It can be eaten on its own, but is often used as a topping for chaat or curries. 

Dosa-Battered Tempura is Chef Jay’s obvious fusion of that staple South Indian delicacy with Japanese technique. Using dosa batter, made from parboiled rice and urad dal, which is then soaked and fermented, Jay coats his vegetables of choice to create a dish rooted in two cuisines seemingly unrelated to each other. 

Patri ni Macchi, or “fish in leaf” in Gujarati language, is a dish originated by the Parsis, descendants of Zoroastrians who fled Persia over religious differences and settled in what is now the state of Gujurat, where they adopted local ingredients while retaining elements of their Persian palate- namely balance, freshness and symbolic foods. Fish, a symbol of good fortune, became central to Parsi feats, and wrapping it in banana leaves added the additional meanings of purity and protection. Today it is a highlight of Parsi weddings- skipping it is considered unlucky-  embodying fertility, abundance and auspicious beginnings. 

Saag Paneer. We’ve had Chicken Tikka Masala Pizza… we’ve had Masala Margherita Pizza… now it’s time to train our tastebuds on Onion Tree’s Saag Paneer version of their award-winning Neapolitan pie. One of North India’s iconic dishes, saag refers to leafy greens while paneer is a fresh farmer’s cheese introduced during the Mughal era- a Muslim dynasty that ruled India between the 16th and 19th centuries. The dish originated in Punjab, where fertile plains and dairy traditions made it a natural pairing, with greens representing renewal.

“Crispy Karma” Indian Fried Chicken is the signature dish from Chef Jay’s pioneering, and growing, Manhattan Indian Fried Chicken chainlet, Crispy Karma, making a special pop-up appearance tonight on Long Island. Yet another example of Chef Jay’s creative cross-cultural blending, here the crunch of Southern-style frying meets the spice and soul of India. Jay’s recipe is inspired by Murghi na Farcha- a Parsi dish brought over by the Zoroastrians, who fled Persia for India in the 7th century AD to escape religious persecution. 

Champaran ka Mutton is a rustic, slow-cooked goat dish from the Champaran district of Bihar, a Northwestern Indian state bordering Nepal. Featuring tender meat and intense aromatic flavors, it is traditionally prepared in an earthen pot sealed with dough and cooked over charcoal fire. The pot is shaken and rotated as the meat steams in its own juices, creating deep, layered flavors. Today it’s known as a symbol of Bihari pride, the state’s most well-known dish, and a communal dish traditionally cooked outdoors for gatherings or special occasions… the region’s spiritual equivalent to BBQ, if you will.

Kochi Fish Curry is an iconic dish of the Kerala’s Malabar coast, India’s southwestern border with the Arabian Sea, where Kochi is the largest city. Kochi has been a maritime hub for over 2,000 years- a crossroads for Arab, Portuguese, Dutch and British traders, all drawn by the region's black pepper, cinnamon, and cardamom. Amid this confluence of cultures, fish curry evolved as the region’s staple dish, with seemingly every village along the backwaters having its own version. The dish likely began as a humble fisherman’s stew, cooked in earthen pots and later refined with influences from Arab spice traders and Portuguese settlers, who introduced chilies to the Kerala people in the 1500s. Today it’s an identity marker for Kerala’s coastal communities, eaten almost every day as a source of daily sustenance. 

Ringna Bateta is a staple dish hailing from Gujarat, a state north of Mumbai, bordering the Arabian Sea and Pakistan, and known for its vegetarian cuisine of the sweet-spicy-sour flavor balance known as khatta-meetha. A simple dish- ringna literally means eggplant in Gujarati and bateta potatoes- it’s the kind of dish where every Gujarati family has their own recipe, Chef Jay’s included (tonight we’ll be sampling his generation-old version). Gujarati cuisine is shaped by Jain tradition, turning scarcity into art and humble ingredients into soulful meals. Nowhere is it better exemplified than in Ringna Bateta.  

Rava Kesari, translating literally to “semolina saffron delight” is a golden, fragrant South Indian cake deeply woven into ritual life in the region. Often left as offerings to deities in temples or served at weddings and festivities, the dessert is associated with wealth and devotion, with its goldenness symbolizing purity and divine grace. 

Lassi is one of India’s oldest and most iconic drinks- a creamy, cooling yogurt-based beverage dating back over 4,000 years to the northern region of Punjab, bordering Pakistan. The word lassi comes from the Sanskrit lasika, or “beaten curd”, and ancient Ayurvedic texts praised it for its digestive properties. Traditionally, farmers hand-churned yogurt with water using a wooden whisk, creating a natural fermented, probiotic drink that provided energy and hydration in India’s hot climate. Over time, lassi became a symbol of hospitality, offered to guests and deities alike, with its simple ingredients creating a base for countless variations such as sweet, salted, or rose.

Paan Lemonade is a modern Indian fusion drink blending the ancient ritual of paan with the tang of lemonade. The result is a minty, sweet, floral and slightly peppery drink. Paan (betel leaf- a tropical plant used in Southeast Asian traditional medicines) dates back over 2,000 years. Ancient texts mention it as an aphrodisiac, mouth freshener and digestive aid and even today in cities such as Delhi and Lucknow, the leaf is chewed after feasts. Lemonade, meanwhile, has been an ubiquitous cooling beverage in oft-sweltering India for time immemorial. In recent years the combination of the two has risen in popularity, blending betel leaves, mint, fennel, lemon juice and sugar with soda or chilled water to create a vibrant, green, aromatic and Ayurvedically balanced refreshment.