From Emmy-nominated host Padma Lakshmi’s lassi board to desi home cooks, creating tandoori boards, 2023 may see a desi spin to the American hosting essential.
If there was one food trend that took 2022 by storm, it has to be the butter boards. It all began when Brooklyn-based cook Justine Doiron introduced to the world the butter boards – a unique, new take on the cheese boards. The trend soon went viral, and millions of men, women across the globe were seen creating their own butter boards.
While this trend of big snacking platters with an assortment of hors d’ oeuvres, mainly comprising cheese and meats served over a wooden board, are today as ubiquitous as barbecues on July 4th, looks like 2023 may see a desi spin to this hosting essential.
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Recently, Indian American TV personality and cookbook author Padma Lakshmi posted a video on her Instagram of making of what she called a lassi board – a desi take on the American butter board.
The celebrity chef used the lassi, or Indian yogurt, which is sipped as a beverage. She used strained lassi as the base layer on her board and topped it with smoked paprika and some Mediterranean spices, such as sumac and zaatar, to create a perfect dip for Indian savories such as papri or mini naans!
But it appears the best-selling author is not the only one giving a desi swag to an American food trend. Desi home cooks across the country are adding their own spices and savories to give a smoking hot (quite literally) spin to butter boards.
Aurora, Illinois, -based home chef, recipe developer and YouTuber Nidhi Bothra shares with the American Bazaar her own take on the trend – a tandoori butter board – just the right mix of “India-meets-America†dish you may need for your New Years’ Eve party!
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Tandoori Butter Board ingredients
Tandoori corn and paneer:
▪ 1/2 cup corn, boiled or frozen
▪ 1/2 cup paneer, diced in small cubes
▪ 2 tsp mustard oil, for sauteing
▪ 1 1/2 tsp ginger garlic paste
▪ 4 oz butter, softened, for the board (approx. 120 grams)
Read: New York chef opens a farmers’ restaurant and lassi bar in India (October 6, 2022)
 Marinade:
▪ 2 tbsp hung curd or Greek yogurt
▪ 1 tbsp mustard oil
▪ 1/2 tsp red chili powder
▪ 1/2 tsp Kashmiri red chili powder
▪ 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
▪ 1/2 tsp mango powder (amchur)
▪ 1/2 tsp kasoori methi
▪ 1 tsp lemon juice
▪ 1/4 tsp garam masala
▪ 1/2 tsp coriander powder
▪ 2 tsp roasted besan (gram or chickpeas flour)
▪ salt, to taste
Toppings:
▪ 2 tbsp mixed color bell peppers, finely chopped
▪ 3 tbsp red onions, finely chopped
▪ 1 tbsp cilantro, finely chopped
▪ chaat masala
▪ mint cilantro chutney
▪ garlic chutney
▪ microgreens
Instructions
- Mix together all of the marinade ingredients in a large bowl. Add in the corn, paneer and ginger-garlic paste. Mix until the corn and paneer are well coated. You can make this a day or two ahead of the party and keep it in the fridge.
- Heat mustard oil in a non-stick pan on medium heat. Add in your marinated paneer and corn, and saute for 7-8 minutes until the paneer turns golden brown.
- Your tandoori paneer and corn is ready. Keep it aside and let it cool down to room temperature.
- Now, place a parchment paper on a board of your choice. Spread a thin layer of softened butter over the paper.
- Then spread cooled down tandoori paneer and corn evenly over the butter.
- Top it with mixed color peppers, onions, cilantro, chaat masala, mint-cilantro chutney, garlic chutney, and microgreens.
- Your Tandoori Butter Board is ready!
- Serve the butter board with some naan bites, pav buns, crostini, crackers and your choice of breads. Enjoy!!
Recipe:Â https://naturallynidhi.com/tandoori-butter-board/
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