Pakistani Yam Kabobs and Kachoris at Tamarind Tribeca

By Sarah DiGregorio Wed., May 12 2010 at 9:40 AM

Categories: DiGregorio, Vegetarian Delights of NYC

Newcomer Tamarind Tribeca is distinguished by a menu full of regional specialties, some of them relatively obscure. It would be as though an American restaurant offered Indiana pork tenderloin sandwiches, shrimp gumbo, chicken and dumplings, lobster rolls, poutine, and Texas barbecue. You'd think a restaurant like that couldn't be much good, but in the case of Tamarind Tribeca, you'd be wrong. We sampled from the wide-ranging menu last night and were pleasantly surprised. The meal included a couple vegetarian delights of note.

Yams are mashed with paneer, potatoes, red chiles and aromatic cardamom to form the tadpole-shaped Tofah e zameen, or Pakistani yam kabobs ($10). Then they're blistered in the glowing tandoor and served with an incendiary hot sauce. The kabobs are sweet, salty, and spicy, very delicious.

If you forgive the cheesy plating, you'll find that these kachoris are very tasty. The vegetarian snack, a crunchy shell filled with a highly spiced mix of lentils, beans, and/or dried fruit, is popular all over India. These are stuffed with lentils and peas, flavored with asafoetida and dry mango powder for tart funk. The potato-mango salad on the side is spiked with fennel.

99 Hudson Street
212-775-9000