Kaeng Roti at Sticky Rice [Pics]

Kaeng roti, or "curry with roti bread," has just been added to the permanent menu at Sticky Rice.


kaeng roti / roti kaeng*


"àràwy mãi?"**

The curry for this dish is kaeng kàrìi kài, a mellow Indian-style "yellow" curry with sliced chicken and cubed potato.
Thin in body, with a spicy sweet profile, it makes for a great “dip” with the buttery griddled roti.

The accompanying sweet cucumber relish provides textural contrast and palate refreshment between bites.


Regards,
Erik M.

Sticky Rice
4018 N. Western
773.588.0120
Seven Days


* As you may recall, T.A.C. Quick had a similar dish on special, several months ago, which included the same high-quality commercial roti product.

** "Is it delicious?"

Hmmm

It would appear Sticky Rice's offering has less heat than what TAC offered. I had the impression the TAC variant was higher on the spice heat than I would enjoy.

Thanks for the information.

Cathy2 wrote:It would appear Sticky Rice's offering has less heat than what TAC offered. I had the impression the TAC variant was higher on the spice heat than I would enjoy.

Pictured above is the first serving ever to leave the kitchen, and they were very curious to know what I thought of it. Quite honestly, it was a bit sweet for me, but I imagined it to be more in line with a true Thai palate. Additionally, I felt it could use a bit more heat. Not much, but a bit.

We'll see how they adjust it.

At any rate, it is not nearly as aggressive as that of T.A.C., which, if you remember, included some of the curry powder that I made last year. The curry outlined here is very mellow, rich, and smooth.

Think of it as breakfast food. Thais often do.

E.M.

HI,

I didn't recall your curry as the secret ingrediant until you mentioned it. Though having used your curry I recall the heat was controlled by the other curry pastes introduced to the dish.

Curry with roti as breakfast is something I learned about in the last year from various posts here. I have roti in the freezer waiting for the next time I make curry.

An Indian restaurant once advised me to described my level of heat tolerance as sweet. There was some bite to it, which I could handle. Would describing heat level as sweet in a Thai culinary environment do the same?

Regards,

Cathy2 wrote: Would describing heat level as sweet in a Thai culinary environment do the same?

I cannot presently afford the time to write that essay.

My off the cuff response is, "No."

I am very leery about employing the direction that you were provided in the American Thai restaurant environment. "Sweet," can often score you downright "shitty," as restaurateurs have generally come to take "sweet" and "spicy" to mean something that you or I would not otherwise intend. Oftentimes there will be an excessive amount of sugar, coconut milk, water, etc., added in an attempt to temper a paste or sauce. Or, and perhaps worse yet, there will be more than chile absent a dish that was requested "non-spicy." Either way, the unique and delicate balance between the components of a dish--salt, chile, souring agents, aromatics, neutral/bland ingredients, etc.--is irrevocably disturbed. The cook knows this and, yet, in an attempt to please her customers, she is left sending out dishes despite her own better judgement.

Unh. Tragedy writ large.

Remember, though, I am picky. You do as you like.

E.M.

Erik,

I take your advice to simply shut up and enjoy, which I intend to do.

Thanks!

Regards,

Kaeng roti looks similar to roti canai, as served at the Malaysian restaurant Penang (although it looks as if Sticky Rice's version is boneless, which Penang's is not).

Presumably both the Thai and Malaysian versions are adaptations of some Indian dish, but I wonder which came first?

Penang
312/326-6888
2201 S. Wentworth Ave.
Chicago, IL 60616

if you are asking which came first- the malay or thai adaptation of a chicken curry and parantha, I'd put my money on the malay version as there are many more subcontinentals there

Hi,

Ostensibly to avoid the rush hour traffic home, I had an early dinner at Sticky Rice. I ordered the Kaeng roti, or "curry with roti bread." Perhaps this dish was sweet by Erik M and his Thai friend's standards, though it was just right for me. I didn't sense any heat immediately, though I did as an after taste and I could feel it moving down my esophagus; my usual indicator of stealth chili heat presence. It was certainly something even the chili-heat adverse, like myself, could eat and enjoy; which I did.

While waiting for my meal, I had good company reading Erik M's translated menu, which inspired me to try several other dishes that I will post about separately.

Thanks, again, for a solid recommendation.

Regards,