Welcome to Mumbai to Maine – Maine’s first Indian-inspired culinary brand!!!
There’s something wonderful about being the first to introduce something unique and special to the world. But I feel like it also comes with tremendous responsibility. I consider myself a culinary ambassador for my homeland, Mumbai and my Goan heritage, here in this beautiful state of Maine.
MY STORY
Let me tell you a bit about how and why these simmer sauces came to be.
At 16 years old, I left Mumbai and moved to Canada with my family, our lives packed in 12 suitcases. Fast forward, I am fortunate to call Maine my home now for over a decade.
The Castelino family: L to R: My gorgeous mother, Regina, two-year-old me, Karen (my six-year-old sister) and handsome Dad (check out those sideburns.)
So this idea for simmer sauces, started a couple of years ago when I had just lost my mom and found myself having this intense and nostalgic craving for my all-time favorite dish, her signature Caldine: a creamy, spicy, luscious coconut gravy with juicy shrimp. I knew I wouldn’t find mom’s Caldine on a shelf at the food store, as a frozen entrée or even at a restaurant.
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CRAVING COMFORT FOOD
In fact, I couldn’t find any comforting home-style Indian food at the grocery story that matched my expectations here in Maine. Everything tasted overly processed to me and one thing was for sure: it definitely did NOT taste like my mother’s home-style cooking.
Homestyle Red Lentil Dahl – tadka of ghee, red onions, garlic, ginger, red chilis, cumin, red chili powder, curry leaves and black mustard seeds.
So, I went back into my kitchen, dug out my mom’s heritage recipes and mastered each one. I was thrilled with the results and thought to myself, there have to be others who probably have never experienced authentic home-style Indian flavors. I was determined to find a way to make these unique mouth-watering Indian recipes accessible to anyone.
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INTRODUCING
After spending countless hours in my kitchen crafting batch after batch, I am excited to introduce you to Mumbai to Maine’s shelf-stable Indian Simmer Sauce collection: Saag, Makhani and Caldine.
These savory simmer sauces are authentic, true to the specific region of India that they originate from and absolutely DELICIOUS!
- Based on my family’s heritage recipes
- Crafted with authentic, freshly ground spice blends.
- Handcrafted right here in Maine.
- For an authentic meal within minutes simply pour, add your choice of protein, simmer and serve.
- These 16 oz, ultra-premium simmer sauces will sit pretty in recyclable glass jars on your pantry shelf for up to a year. I can assure you they will not last that long, once you give them a try. 🙂
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SIMMER SAUCE LINE
Let me introduce you to the star line up!
Caldine is a Goan inspired sauce from the West Coast of India, a creamy coconut gravy with an infusion of toasted coriander, cumin, Tellicherry peppercorns, Kashmiri chiles and the finest turmeric. You can read more about this hallmark Goan dish and why it holds the most special place in my heart here. You can see below, all I added was some fresh steamed Maine lobsters to my Caldine sauce and within minutes we had dinner on the table this past Mother’s Day!
Lobster Caldine: A true Mumbai to Maine original recipe! When you live in Maine, lobster is the only way to celebrate this iconic Goan dish.
Makhani is the Indian word for ‘with Butter’. How could that get any better, you ask? Well, this ghee-tomato based cream sauce is infused with the finest Indian spice blends like toasted and freshly ground cardamom, cumin, coriander, peppercorns and a touch of heavy cream — because this dish is meant for royalty. Makhani pairs perfectly with chicken of course (are you a Butter Chicken fans, if so check this post out ???) but it also makes for a slam-dunk spicy Chickpea Masala, Paneer Masala, or my husband’s favorite, melt-in-your-mouth boneless lamb over steaming hot Basmati Rice and ghee-slathered garlic naans.
Makhani Murgh – (Butter Chicken with the Makhani simmer sauce.
Saag is the Indian word for leafy greens. Hailing from the North Indian state of Punjab, this hearty, vegetarian sauce is loaded with spinach, broccoli, aromatic and healing spices like Fenugreek and Garam Masala with a touch of cream . It’s often the go-to dish for the farmer because its packed with nutrients to sustain them for a long and hard day’s work in the fields. A home made aloo-fenugreek paratha would go so well with this dish. My mouth is watering already! You can put a vegetarian spin on this with cauliflower, chickpeas, sweet potatoes and paneer( Indian cheese) or add tender morsels of marinated lamb to elevate this thick gravy to another level of de-lish! We’ve been eating so much of this Saag in 2020 to stay healthy but also up our spice game in the kitchen on busy school and work days!
Murgh Saag ( Indian-style Creamed Spinach with Chicken)
There is no arguing, Indian food and its cultural influence are trending like never before. With restaurants not being as accessible as much during the pandemic, people are cooking more at home now than ever! AND, they are looking for different ways to be creative in the kitchen and up their spice game by tinkering with ethnic cuisines that are bursting with bold and spicy flavors.
It is my hope you have fun with these sauces and leave my blog feeling inspired to add more flavor and spice into your everyday cooking! If you are ever craving a home-style Indian meal or feeling too exhausted after your marathon zoom work calls to cook up an authentic Indian meal, or like me you just miss your mother’s amazing home-cooking, simply reach for a jar in your pantry and within minutes you will be transported back to your childhood and to India with a single bite of my mouth-watering, rich and luscious Makhani, Caldine and Saag sauces.
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FOOD CONNECTS…..
At the end of the day, food has this power to bring people together and it also has the influence to transport you to your childhood or a special place you love.
Since 2015, I have shared my Mumbai to Maine story through my blog, podcast, social media channels and teaching Indian cuisine at Stonewall Kitchen Cooking School. I’ve done this with intention and passion, because it has kept me connected and rooted to my childhood in Mumbai and my Goan (Portuguese-Indian) heritage.
I am so excited to share this labor of love, my debut simmer sauce collection, with you right in time for the 2020 Holidays. It’s an homage to my talented mother, who was and will always be the best cook I know and a heartfelt love letter to my Mumbai.
I would love for you to be a part of my story going forward.
So please go ahead and send me a message via my blog, ask me a question about Indian food, order a simmer sauce or two or three. I would love to see what you cook up with them in your kitchen.
I encourage you to get creative and share your creations with me on Facebook @mumbaitomaine, IG @mumbai2maine.
Thank you with all my heart for joining me in my Mumbai to Maine journey in a jar. It’s going to be quite a ride, and I am so glad I get to share it with you.
Love,
Cherie Scott
