Nosh Pit

Truck Stop: Sanjey Noriega of Curry Now

A peripetatic basketball player returns to his roots.

Posted by: Christopher Werner on Apr 17, 2012 at 09:13AM 0 Comments

Sanjey Noriega of Curry Now

“I started a food truck because I always wanted to run my own business and felt I should do something I enjoy: cooking.” And so, after eight years traveling the globe as a basketball player, Sanjey Noriega returned to Seattle, where he had settled as a teen, and set out to launch his mobile business.

His truck, Curry Now, offers a rotating selection of East Indian and Pakistani dishes drawing from an arsenal of family recipes. Consider it the four-wheeled response to this city’s dearth of decent Indian eats.

Here, Noriega pulls over for a few questions.

What items sells out first? Our chicken curry bowl is by far our most popular item. It’s the one constant on our menu.

What else should I try? The chicken tacos, because they are served on roti that I make every day.

Where do your recipes come from? Most are longtime family recipes that I learned from my mother and my aunts. Others I learned on my own and developed through practice. I usually spend a couple weeks practicing before I will introduce a new dish to the public.

What item will you never reveal the recipe for? The mixture for our masala. It is a unique mix that we have developed over time.

Any aspirations to expand or go brick-and-mortar? For now, we want to focus on the street food, but we may venture that way at some point.

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Tags: Street Food, East Indian Cuisine, Seattle Food Trucks, Truck Stop, Curry Now, Sanjey Noriega

The Weekly Spread: Jalapeno-Mint Chutney at Hopvine Pub

The chef adds yogurt to offset the heat from this fresh Spring chop-up. It’s still pretty spicy.

Posted by: Jessica Voelker on May 24, 2011 at 12:11PM 0 Comments

The Hopvine’s Michael Congdon makes a chutney for each season.

Photo courtesy: The Food Aisle

The condiment in question The Hopvine Pub’s jalapeno-mint chutney, a bright chop-up that’s added to the baked turkey-and-chutney sandwich: roasted turkey and Swiss cheese piled between slices of whole wheat bread from Essential Baking.

Made by The Hopvine’s Michael Congdon, more famous for the pub’s boldly flavored soups. “I’ve been making chutneys for years,” says Congdon, who adds that East Indian cuisine was one of the first that he explored as a chef.

Traditional East Indian chutneys are vegan, and that’s how Congdon makes this one at home. At the pub, however, “a lot of people complained that it was too hot” so he added yogurt. The chutney still packs heat—your server will likely offer a word of warning—but thanks to the cooling effect of the yogurt it’s like a slap in the face without the sting that follows.

Made with Mint, jalapenos, green onions, ginger, salt, sugar, lemon juice, and plain Greek yogurt. “I avoid nonfat and lowfat yogurt at all costs,” says Congdon.

Available Now! Each season, the Hopvine changes up its chutney, and the jalapeno-mint is served strictly during spring. Come summer, Congdon will switch to a cooked peach chutney; Fall’s the moment for raw cashew chutney—the chef’s favorite. In winter he cooks up a mango spread for the sandwich.

Parting thought You can order the sandwich by the half and pair it with one of Congdon’s soups. The pub is currently serving the garlic soup, a perennial favorite made with garlic (fresh and roasted), herbs, cream, white wine, croutons, and Swiss cheese. Get there now if you want some; Hopvine will be changing things up for summer soon.

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Tags: Capitol Hill, Lunch, Sandwiches, The Weekly Spread, East Indian Cuisine, Chutney, Seattle Condiments