When Padma Lakshmi invites you to dinner, you don’t need to worry about the food. The chef, author, activist, television host, and recent James Beard award recipient knows her way around a kitchen. The only thing required from a guest? An empty stomach and an open mind.
Lakshmi, in partnership with DAH!, a producer of India-inspired yogurts, recently co-hosted an intimate dinner at Semma, the stylishly appointed Greenwich Village Indian restaurant.
Featuring cuisine created by Michelin-starred Chef Vijay, a native of Tamil Nadu, the night kicked off with an array of artfully crafted cocktails. We sampled a few and decided (for safety’s sake) to commit to one for the remainder of the evening. Our choice was the El Cristiano Silk Smitha—a smooth mixture consisting of cardamom, El Cristiano Reposado Ultra tequila, agave, and pink peppercorn.
Our host presented several visually stunning and fragrant appetizers to help guests diminish the potency of the cocktails. We sampled Chicken 65, a bite-sized piece of crispy fried chicken, accompanied by a DAH! plain lassi dip. Although delicious, we soon learned this was merely the opening act for the real star of the appetizer show–tawa prawns. Plump and juicy with a mild hint of spiciness, these threatened to ruin our appetite for dinner. It was hard, but we reluctantly said no when offered our fourth sample.
Dinner showcased many beautifully presented and luscious dishes, but the gold medal winner was kozhi allepey. A flavorful spring chicken with a garam masala DAH! lassi gravy. A pungent cornucopia of spices was evident in every bite. Vendakkai mor kozhambu, a dish composed of thinly sliced and fried okra in a lassi-based gravy, was a mouthwatering vegetarian option. Layers of spice managed to engage but not overwhelm our tastebuds and there was none of the congealed texture often associated with okra. Parotta, a vaguely sweet flatbread was the gold winner in the side dish category. Every table asked for more.
Of the two desserts offered only thayir mambazham is worth a mention. With a haze of mango lassi, fresh mangi and vermicelli, it felt like a crime to disturb the beauty of the dish with a spoon, but we’ll take our chances with the jury.
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Words by Ingrid Belqaid
Photos by Startraksphoto.com