A taste of east-meets-west cuisine

Want to try a taste of India to spice up your next meal? If so, you're in luck. On NBC's "Today" show, Floyd Cardoz, executive chef of New York's Tabla & Bread Bar restaurant, shares a look at American dishes infused with traditional Indian spices. Check out one of his recipes:

Rice Flaked Black Sea Bass with Lime-Jaggery Gastrique
Chef Floyd Cardoz, Tabla & Bread Bar
4 portions

For Gastrique:
4 tablespoons shaved jaggery
1 cup water
1/4 Pasilla de Oaxaca
Juice of 3 limes
1/2 cup reduced brown fish stock or veal stock
1/2 table spoon toasted ground coriander
1/4 tablespoons toasted ground black pepper
Salt

Method:

For the Sauce:
1. Combine the water and jaggery in a small pot and heat until the jaggery starts to caramelize.
2. Add lime juice and Pasilla to jaggery and simmer for 3-4 minutes. Add the stock and the spice and simmer for a couple of minutes.
3. Season with salt.

For the Bass:
4 6-ounce fillets of Striped Bass
2 eggs
3 tablespoons flour
Salt
Pepper
1 cup rice flakes (Poha)
1/2 cup canola oil

Method:
1. Combine the eggs and flour in a bowl and whisk until smooth.
2. Brush the egg wash on to one side of fish dip in rice flakes.
3. Season fish.
4. Heat a sauté pan over medium heat. Add the oil. When oil is hot add the fish rice flakes down cook until golden brown.
5. Flip fish and continue to cook in a 375-degree oven for 3-4 minutes.

For veg:
1 tablespoon canola oil
1/2 teaspoon Mustard seeds
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1 sprig curry leaves
1 tablespoon butter
1 ounce bacon
2 shallots minced fine
1 teaspoon fresh root ginger, peeled and minced fine
1 teaspoon fresh green chilies minced fine
6 cups Swiss chard, leaves picked and stems sliced thin

Method:
1. Heat a sauté pan over medium high heat. When hot add the canola oil and the mustard seeds.
2. Next add the cumin and curry leaves. Cook for 1 minute add bacon, butter, shallots, ginger and chilies. Sauté for 1 minute.
3. Add the stems of the chard and cook for 2-3 minutes.

When stems are tender add the leaves, salt and cover for 2-3 minutes cook until tender.

Recipe provided by Floyd Cardoz, executive chef of New York's Tabla & Bread Bar restaurant. Copyright 2004. All rights reserved.

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