Photo By Gail
Are you an adventurous eater? I sure am. Of all the ethnic foods that I love to eat, nothing has quite as distinctive a spice profile as the cuisine of India. It’s not just about the taste, it’s about the aroma — about the very being-ness of the food. What if there were a condiment you could add to foods to give them that Indian spice profile and crave-able flavor without having to hit up the exotic spice market and then spend all day in the kitchen? You would want to know about it, amiright? Please let me introduce you to Tiffin Asha’s Green Tomato Pickle condiment or, as I like to call it, Indian Food in a Jar.
See The Goodness
Green Tomato Pickle (and its partner in crime, Tomato Ginger Pickle) is just the latest offering from Tiffin Asha, the professional side to the partnership of Elizabeth (a classically trained Chef) and Sheila (a musician/ singer/songwriter, and civil rights attorney) who first met in 2002. Sharing their lives together ignited a passion that resulted in the 2013 creation of the Tiffin Asha culinary adventure, which started as a food cart and later become a wildly popular restaurant based in their adopted home town of Portland, Oregon.
Green Tomato Pickle Brings The Tofu Veggie Rice Bowl to Life
Tiffin Asha’s South Indian-inspired recipes lead to critical acclaim across the local area. When the pandemic hit, the two quickly transformed their restaurant into a take-out only spot, drawing on much of the experience they’d gleaned operating their food cart.
The Only BBQ Sauce You Need
Fueled by the reality that times were changing, the couple realized that the way people gather and eat would change. Sadly, Tiffin Asha’s brick and mortar location closed in May 2021. With the goal being to create ways that their customers could still enjoy Tiffin Asha flavors under any circumstances, the condiment line was born.
Transformed Mac & Cheese
This reincarnation of Tiffin Asha made perfect sense. Indeed, versions of their pickle line had been offered at the restaurant, and the new business model had an added bonus – no geographical limitations.
Sheila was kind enough to send me a jar of Green Tomato Pickle for review and I have been enjoying it on eggs, in rice dishes, and to enhance the above pictured Macaroni and Cheese. I asked her what they heck is it (turmeric? curry?) that so perfectly captures the essence of Indian food in this exciting and very flavorful sauce. Her reply: “We blend and grind our own spices to create our own unique masala spice blend, which includes turmeric, black mustard seeds, and a few other things that are top secret!” Tiffin Asha condiments are made by hand in small batches and are non-GMO project certified.
Tiffin Asha’s product line is the direct result of Elizabeth and Sheila’s roots in traditional methods and bringing new applications to a variety of foods, not limited to any one cuisine. Tiffin Asha’s Green Tomato Pickle joins the next generation of American condiments, and will unlock the flavors of your everyday food in new ways. Love + Anarchy in a jar represents the equation of Elizabeth and Sheila’s family and the food they create.
Visit Tiffinasha.com for more information, to get recipes, and to shop online!
Tiffin Asha: Bring It Home For The Holidays (Image TA)