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After Alexander the Great conquered Persia in 334 BC he was drawn by tales of an exotic land to the southeast and marched there with his entire undefeated army. He crossed out of Persia, now Iran, into what is now Pakistan and into Punjab in what was then India and still is. In spite of several military successes, Alexander's men complained about being so far from home. Since India was divided into many powerful kingdoms, with fierce rulers ready to fight to the death, Alexander decided to return to Macedonia. He sought to leave India by sailing down a river which at first was thought to be the Nile but ended up being the Indus. On their river journey, the Greeks saw many wonders of which they brought stories back to the West, telling of flocks of peacocks, giant snakes, huge and fierce beasts such as tigers, flowers and vegetation the like of which they had never imagined and magnificent palaces and cities. Alexander regretted not being able to conquer the lands of India but was somewhat comforted in at least he had convinced some of the people there that he was a god. And so India remained a mystery to the West for another 1500 years.
Now in Easton we are blessed to be able to taste the flavors of the Indian subcontinent in two places, The Bombay Tadka and more recently the 4 Sisters Kabob and Curry. 4 Sisters is a food truck with delicious traditional Pakistani and Indian cuisine, with the most fresh ingredients. I discovered it when my daughter won eight chickens, including three roosters, in a raffle. Since we wanted eggs that we could eat we had to look for homes for the roosters. I put "Free Roosters" messages all over Facebook and one of the ladies from the food truck responded, so we dropped them off there. I loved to see the words "American Dream" painted on the side of the truck. I had to know the story behind the family, and here it is:
The family’s story is one worthy of a novel and begins in Kashmir when owner and chief cook Shahida Perveen was a child, preparing food for her seven uncles. The family’s journey to the Eastern Shore began in 2001 when they left their native Kashmir, Pakistan to come to the United States. Like many immigrants seeking better opportunities, Shahida worked various jobs, including a 7-Eleven on Kent Island, while learning a new language and how to drive a car, and did some catering on the side. Ann created a contact list and every Thursday night they would text the menu for Friday pickup. Soon their list grew to over ninety customers and the family started looking for restaurant space in Easton but found nothing to suit their needs.
The women opened 4 Sisters Halal Meat & Groceries on Park Street in Easton selling spices and frozen foods. Realizing that most people couldn’t cook authentic Indian and Pakistani food, even with the seasonings, the daughters encouraged their mom to follow her passion of cooking her own food and started exploring the idea of a food truck affiliated with the store.
Using her own recipes, Shahida buys only the freshest ingredients and prepares everything by hand, incorporating her distinctive spice mixes to more traditional fare. With her deep knowledge of the curative properties of foods, she often includes healthful options like bitter melon and turnips in her side dishes. Her naan is made by hand without the benefit of a tandoor oven, cooked instead on a flat pan on top of the stove and with the dexterity of a seasoned chef. (Read more.)
A day or so later we returned to the 4 Sisters to order food and drink. We ordered mango lassi to drink and it was to die for, with crushed pistachio nuts among the combined flavors of mango and rosewater. Then, we sampled the Chat Samosa as an appetizer, very tasty and delicious. The naan bread was fresh and fragrant from the oven. Since we love chicken biryani, we ordered enough for both of us. We also decided to try the goat biryani, never having eaten goat; it is similar to lamb but has a more intense and pungent taste. Since we had a third person dining with us at home we ordered a third entree, the lamb masala which came in a spicy sauce with the most tender chunks of lamb. We asked for medium spiciness which was good because full-strength would have been too hot. All the meats were tender and flavorful. The yogurt sauce was perfect for toning done the spiciness while preserving the flavors. For dessert we had the gulab jamun, which are fried dough balls made with milk, sugar, rose water and cardamom powder, very delicious. We cannot wait to return to try more Indian specialties. I like patronizing family-run businesses, of which there are many in Talbot County. If you like Indian food or just want to try it, I encourage you to visit the 4 Sisters.
