GrubGirl.

I bought the Shan Lahori Fish Mix for 99 cents, based on advice from my friend. I went to Trader Joe’s and bought some frozen Tilapia. The recipe below falls into the South Asian category, given the make-up of the spices. My friend is from Pakistan, which tends to share similar cuisine with that of North Indian cuisine (if this needs correction, please comment and let the author know!).

The fish mix is a bag of pre-mixed spices. Use only 2-3 Tbs. for these cooking options, not the whole bag!

Option 1:

Remember Shake ‘n Bake from the 70’s? Well, a friend has introduced me to Shan spice mixes, which remind me of Shake ‘n Bake. These are pre-mixed spice packs for different Pakistani dishes. So although you aren’t really coating meat with these spices, you are just adding a few key ingredients to produce a legit-tasting South Asian meal.

(Here in San Francisco, you’ll notice that many Indian restaurants bill themselves as Indian & Pakistani cuisine. There are many similar dishes but Pakistani dishes do not contain pork…and they do eat beef. Think Shalimar.)

Vik’s Chaat Corner
726 Allston Way
Berkeley
(510) 644-4412

If you live in San Francisco, it’s easy to forget how close Berkeley is. On a nice weekend, hop on the bridge for a short 15-minute drive over to the East Bay, home of the California Golden Bears (my alma mater).

Just off the University Ave. exit is an unexpected place to go for cheap, fresh Indian food. “Chaat,” as a friend told me, basically means “snacks”…and tucked in this industrial area is what looks like a garage-turned-cafeteria, serving Indian delicacies.

Naan-N-Curry
533 Jackson Street (Between Kearny & Columbus)
SF, CA 94133
415-693-0499

I went to the Naan ‘n Curry (on their bowls, it’s called “Naan ‘n Cyurry”) for dinner with some pals….

…and was surprised that they, too, had increased their prices in the last year. C’mon, can’t anyone get a meal for $4.99 in SF anymore? Ok, ok, no need to discuss the rising prices of chicken, produce, and wage laborers. One of my companions was quick to note a shiny new Zagat’s award behind the cash register — calling N ‘n C one of best cheap eats in San Francisco. This is Zagat’s, mind you. Our theory has nothing to do with city politics or agribusiness. We just know that a Zagat’s budget is a bit bigger than a GrubGirl budget…so to someone who is lured there by Zagat’s, the prices are still cheap. For not-so-closet grub diners, we were a bit perturbed.