Kosher Indian Food at UN Plaza Grill: A Visit to the Subcontinent without a Plane Ticket or a Passport

Jul 6, 2022 by

By Susan L. Rosenbluth

Those who can get to midtown Manhattan’s kosher UN Plaza Grill before July 31, will have a chance to participate in the upscale eatery’s Global Chefs Pop-Up tour of world cuisine with a spotlight on India.

The chef, an award-winning cookbook author, culinary instructor, and food blogger, Rinku Bhattacharya, is known for her focus on sustainable, deeply flavorful, earthy cooking. In collaboration with the restaurant’s culinary director, Ines Chattas, she created a three-course menu showcasing Indian dishes, ingredients, and techniques through a kosher lens.

While not Jewish herself, Ms. Bhattacharya, the Westchester-based author of The Bengali Five Spice Chronicles, has specialized in the cuisine of Eastern India, a section of the country in which immigrants have made an impact on the foods that adorn local tables.

Adapting for Kashruth

The Jewish community of Kolkata (formerly known as Calcutta) was established in the late 18th century when adventurous Baghdadi-Jewish merchants, originally from Aleppo and Baghdad, settled in the emerging capital of the British Raj.

According to Ms. Bhattacharya, the culinary influences of this community were widely shared in the country and resulted in dishes that combined Indian seasonings with Middle Eastern techniques. For example, instead of adding cream or yogurt, the Jewish community substitutes coconut milk. This allows them to adhere to kosher dietary laws while replicating the cuisine of their new home.

The Jews used goat or chicken for most of their fleishig-based cooking, avoiding beef out of respect for their Hindu neighbors. Not surprisingly, Jewish Bengali cooks adapting to the local cuisine began including local sweet and sour flavors, with the use of nuts and raisins. Some food historians say the Jews immigrants to India introduced stuffed vegetables to the Bengali table.

Our reviewers, from left: Natan Alper, Miriam Rosenbluth, and Elana and Dr. Benjy Rosenbluth

Sampling Menu

Four representatives from The Jewish Voice and Opinion sampled the menu now being presented at the UN Plaza Grill, featuring Ms. Bhattacharya’s gluten-free and/or vegan recipes. These dishes reflect the traditional food of India’s Bene Israel Jews. According to lore their ancestors arrived in India sometime in the first or second century CE when they were shipwrecked in western India on a trading voyage to the far east. Other historians have argued that they belonged to the Lost Tribes of Israel.

Dinner started with roasted tricolored sweet potato and chickpea chaat (it means “lick” or “taste” and refers to savory snacks often served as hors d’oeuvres), which our reviewers found “sweet, spicy, and tangy. There were also crispy kale and onion fritters, called pakora and Tandoor chicken wings. Our reviewers found the pakora delicate and flaky, and the wings “crispy and exciting, served with a lemon wedge.”

A tasty mint-and-beetroot raita was used as a side dish and a dip. Raitas are typically made from yogurt, but at UN Plaza Grill, it was not. Nevertheless, one of our reviewers found it “minty and refreshing,” another said it was “savory and creamy.”

Tofu Tikka Masala, Goan Salmon Curry & Coconut Cardamom Chicken Curry

Entrees and Desserts

For entrees, our gustatory explorers sampled Tofu Tikka Masala (tofu in a coconut bell pepper sauce), Goan Salmon Curry, and Coconut Cardamom Chicken Curry, all complemented by a fried, flaky flatbread (tofu tikka seeded paratha) and basmati rice.

While all the dishes received praise from our reviewers, they waxed poetic over the chicken.

For the sweet finale, they were served Almond Sesame Shortbread Cookies (“rich and enhanced by the creamy vanilla ice cream—impossible to tell it was parve”) and Coconut Carrot Halwa (“a sweet and delicate taste of Israel as a topping for the marvelous ice cream”).

“They were both perfect endings to an adventurous culinary journey,” said our reviewers.

Roasted Tricolored Sweet Potato and Chickpea Chaat and Kale and Ren Onion Pakora; Almond Sesame Shortbread Cookies with Ice Cream, Coconut Carrot Halwa with Ice Cream, Tandoor chicken wings

New Ingredients and Techniques

According to Ms. Chattas, working with “amazing chefs like Rinku is so exciting,” especially the opportunity “to learn about new ingredients and techniques.”

The UN Plaza Grill is located at 845 First Avenue (at 47th Street), and on-site parking is available. For reservations, go to the restaurant’s website at www.unplazagrill.com or call 212-223-1801.

“We’re exposing our guests to a more exotic array of gustatory lessons, and our guests’ tastebuds will be treated to some extraordinary, authentic flavors,” said Ms. Chattas.

UN Grill Ines

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