In a delicious twist on the regular St. Mary’s Farmers’ Market, last Wednesday a crowd gathered in the midday sun around a canopy shading an assortment of dishes from Mother India. Drawn in by the aromatic fragrance of exotic spices and multi-colored meals brought by head chef and manager Ginni Singh, people flocked to get a look and taste — free of charge — of the fare served at the Lisbon Street restaurant.

Mother India is the first local eatery to take part in the farmers market food demonstrations, which organizers expect to hold at least monthly. Tina Guenette, market manager for the St. Mary’s location, said the cooking demonstrations stemmed from the idea of supporting local businesses.

“The big point of having a farmers market is to offer local products and different cuisines that folks aren’t used to. It’s really a good experience and exposure for them, both the restaurant and the customers,” she said.

Since opening the Lewiston location of Mother India in April of 2009, the family-run operation, with a sister restaurant in Bangor, has seen business fluctuate with the seasons. The first two months of operation here were steady, but the summer tends to lag and business picks back up in the fall and winter when college students return. By participating in the food demonstration, Singh hoped to reach a few more people who may have been hesitant to try Indian food before, and make new customers out of them.

“Once people try it,” said Singh, “it becomes like an addiction.”

Singh offered heaping portions of four menu items — mixed vegetable korma, vegetable fritters, chicken tikka with green peppers and onions, and the most requested dish at the restaurant, chicken tikki masala. He also brought with him the basics of any Indian meal: basmati rice (a fragrant rice cooked with spices), naan (a traditional leavened flat bread) and several chutneys and sauces that add flavors from sweet to hot.

Although not technically demonstrating the cooking methods used in preparing the dishes because of his concern that wind would complicate keeping burners lit and the inconvenience of having to drag a clay oven to the site, Singh did make a point to thoroughly explain each of the prepared dishes to those gathered for the demonstration.

“People don’t know about the flavors,” said Singh. “They think that Indian food is spicy, but it’s not. It’s using different flavors like black and green cardamom, cinnamon sticks, nutmeg, turmeric, cumin, coriander and black pepper.” The misconception of spiciness held by those who have never tried Indian food derives from their inexperience with the spices used in preparing the country’s dishes.

“We can tailor the food to any degree of spicy the customer wants,” explained Singh. The restaurant uses a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being the hottest and one being completely mild. “We can do 3.5, 9.2 — anything. We do ‘hot’ up to a restaurant standard and some people even challenge us with super hot here in Lewiston,” said Singh

Becky McBride of Bowdoin lingered back in the crowd with a friend, watching as Singh generously piled palm-sized plates with an array of unfamiliar food to those in front of her. She had never tried Indian cuisine before, but was intrigued by the aroma and presentation. When it came her turn, she asked what each item was and eventually decided to try them all.

“This is very good. I really like it!” she said to her friend, who nodded enthusiastically. “It has a different flavor to it, but it’s nice. There’s a great blending going on. I will definitely try Indian food again now that I tried this.”

 The consensus from others who tried the food was the same: It’s really good.

“Ambrosial,” described Auburn resident Kevin Simpson of the taste. He had made the trip to the farmers market with his wife, Judy, specifically for the cooking demonstration. “We go to their restaurant as often as we can. There’s no reason not to like it. They can easily make it just the way you want.”

With a wide range of choices from vegetarian fare to lamb and chicken dishes, Mother India brings a welcome diversity to Lewiston’s existing eateries. And judging from the satisfied faces and clean plates at Wednesday’s demonstration, it seems that Singh has attracted a few more regular customers.

Chicken Tikki Masala

This is an easy recipe of chicken marinated in yogurt and spices and then served in a tomato-based cream sauce. Serve with rice and warm tandoori bread (naan).

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

1 cup plain yogurt

1 teaspoon lemon juice

2 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper (optional)

1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger

(salt to taste)

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into bite-size pieces

4 long skewers

1 teaspoon butter

1 clove minced garlic

2 teaspoons ground cumin

2 teaspoons paprika

Minced green chili to taste

Salt to taste

1 cup tomato sauce (8 ounces)

1 cup heavy cream

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro.

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, combine the first six ingredients. Add salt to taste. Stir in chicken. Cover and refrigerate for one hour.

2. Preheat grill on high heat.

3. Lightly oil the grill grate (can use olive oil). Thread chicken onto skewers and discard marinade. Grill until juices run clear. (About 5 minutes on each side.)

4. Melt butter in skillet over medium heat. Saute garlic and chili paste for 1 minute. Season with cumin, paprika and salt. Stir in tomato sauce and cream. Simmer on a low heat until sauce thickens (about 20 minutes). Add grilled chicken and simmer for 10 minutes. Transfer to a serving platter and garnish with fresh cilantro.

Next week: Got to gelato? This heavenly frozen treat from Italy offers up less fat than ice cream and more intense flavors. A visit to two Maine gelato makers, and their recipes for tasty frozen success.

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