Yellow Chili Hits The States

Indian food is one of the tastiest and most fun out there.It is an experience, enhanced by beautiful surroundings and exotic aromas. Now it's going to be pushed one step further thanks to a man who can be called the Mario Batali or Bobby Flay of India - Chef Sanjeev Kapoor creator of the Yellow Chili restaurants in India.

Priya Krishna, food writer and author of the cookbook,Ultimate Dining Hall Hacks. wrote a fascinating article about Chef Kapoor in yesterday's New York Times Food section. He has created a chain of restaurants, Yellow Chili in India,  - think of it as their Applebee's.or Olive Garden along with having his own twenty-four hour food channel Food Food. He is the country's most famous chef who has not only restaurant franchises but also a whole line of cookbooks. People adore him as is the case with  the  married couple Kamal Laur and her husband, Satvinder Ghotra. They  have opened one of his Yellow Chili in Buena Park, California. It will draw in fans,mostly from the heavily Indian populated towns of nearby  Irvine and Artesia.It is also close to the famed Knotts Berry Farm so curious tourists as well as n locals  and Indian food lovers will also probably visit. The Ghotras plan on hosting Diwali and Holi festivities there too to draw in more business.They've already threw a New Year's Eve bash in the adjoining banquet room with seats going between $100 and $125 a person.

The success of Yellow Chili depends on its' menu. The restauarnt, which is already established in Canada and Oman, features Northern Indian cuisine.These signature dishes of Chef Kapoor are hearty ones, rich with sauces and spices. One is Lalla Mussa Dal, a fiery lentil dish , spiked with Kashmiri red chili powder  a kind of cayenne and ginger. Another dish is Shaam Savera, spinach coated dumplings submerged in a thick tomato gravy. The restaurant also offers soups such as the popular Mulligatawny and tomato basil shorba or soup.American audiences would love their chaat dishes, fried street dishes reinterpreted for diners. There's chicken lollipops and fried fish patties to crunch on and share with friends. Yellow Chili would definitely appeal to vegetarians thanks to a large  list of vegetarian dishes that feature potatoes, cottage cheese. and mustard leaves.There are also sorts of curries from ones starring veggies to ones loaded with shrimp and chicken along with lamb. There's a variety of Indian breads from gluten free roti to naan along with basmati rice.. Desserts include  Phirni, their version of rice pudding.

The Ghotras want to turn Yellow Chili into a well known chain like the OLive Garden. They just may, be that successful especially with the hordes of Chef  Kapoor fans. Yellow Chili may be the next place to go for good eating.