Dinner at Tiffin Asha

Tiffin Asha was adored as a food cart from when it first opened in 2013, and in 2017 expanded into a brick and mortar restaurant in the NE Killingsworth in the NE Portland neighborhood. This now provides owner Sheila Bommakanti along with partner Chef Elizabeth Golay more comfort and space to show off South Indian food. Here’s a look at what a dinner at Tiffin Asha (open Thursday-Saturday, and also offering brunch on Sundays) can offer you.

Start off with a beverage – such as a warm Chai with Nilgiri blue mountain black tea, spices,, or Banana Lassi with ripened bananas, lime, coconut, yogurt . They even have a their unique take on the Mango Lassi here with their Mango Almond Lassi with mango, creamy almonds, orange, tamarind, saffron

The menu is divided up into Tasters, Nibbles, Curries, Idlis, and Dosas, with additional add ons of chutneys, pickles, sides of sambar, dosa, idlies or rice or additions of gun powders always relevant to any of the menu choices.

Gun Powder? Yes, explosive housemade gun powders, eaten just like a chutney, served with unrefined sesame oil and idli pieces. These spice-blend condiments are very common in Southern India but not often seen in the US, so don’t miss out. Just sprinkle this on anything you want from the Tiffin Asha menu. You see below

• Red: dried red chili, peanut
• White: toasted lentils
• Green: curry leaf
• Black: black sesame.

For some additinonal layers of flavor, look for Housemade Indian pickles, served with a choice of papadam or rice or Chutney, a variety of housemade chutneys served with papadam

From the Nibbles portion of the menu, add some vegetables to your meal here via Sauteed Leafy Greens, black mustard seed, garlic infused sesame-chili oil. Definitely order the Chicken Pakora, spicy fried chicken bites, black cardamom infused honey, crispy chili. This is the main protein that was the famous Hot Chick Dosa from their cart, which combined chicken pakora with a dosa. You can make that happen manually by ordering the Chicken Pakora order with a dosa – or come to brunch when the Hot Chicken officially appears on the menu.

From the Dosas side of the menu, the classic is what they call Paper, aka crispy plain dosa, served with sambar & chutney, pickle or powder. Chef Elizabeth has her own signature blend of lentils and rice that balance soft and crispy. Check out her way of creating these with the beautiful swirl pattern and her own combination of crunch at the edges while still offering the perfect swaddle or dipping vehicle.

I like the unusual Cheese Dosa, crispy dosa with creamy white cheddar, served with sambar & chutney, pickle or powder and you can add a dusting of gun powder of your choice. Other dosa options include more traditinoal Masala Dosa with gold potatoes cooked with tempered spices, crushed green pea chutney and definitely NOT traditional Sweet and Salty Dosa that offers honey, Rogue Creamery’s smokey blue cheese, and fleur de sel.

Tiffin Asha may be more known for the dosas, but there plenty of other South Indian hard to find gems also on offer here. For instance during March diners were able to check out dishes like the Black Futsu Squash Curry and String Hoppers, hand pressed and steamed rice noodles with tempered curry leaves and hen of the woods. Here are also Lamb Kabab Uttapams, fermented Indian style pancakes with garam masala, data pickle, cashew cream, crispy kale

If you can, save room for dessert like Coconut Ladoo with coconut milk, cardamom, rose petal, or the Ginger Honey Kulfi with blood orange almond caramel and almond sugar cluster.

Or do what I do, which is have the Salty and Sweet Dosa for dessert…

The interior of Tiffin Asha has a whole side letting in light with huge windows, and balances clean simplicity with touches of carved wood and in a corner on the way to the restroom, a tuk tuk (aka motorized rickshaw).

Do you have a favorite Southern Indian dish, what is it? Have you been to Tiffin Asha, or where do you get your Indian food fix?

Disclosure: I attended a complimentary shared media meal, but I also have been here on my own and paid with my own money, which is how I zeroed on dishes also not part of the media meal. I was not paid/sponsored or asked to write this post. I think Tiffin Asha is a great little women owned business that we should all support. I will always provide my honest opinion and assessment of all products and experiences I may be given. The views and opinions expressed in this blog are entirely my own.