Greenville spice maker transforming menus at Camperdown restaurants with Indian flavors

Passion for cooking fine dining has given a local spice maker a chance to help design traditional Indian food and other items at CAMP Modern American Eatery and Juniper - Greenville.

While short on options for authentic Indian food in the area, two Camperdown restaurants are working with Bhumi Chhabra of Masala Matters, a local Indian ground spice maker. Chhabra pitched her 17-blend spice product in hopes of introducing more Indian savor into the heart of downtown Greenville.

"Their menu is super eclectic, and all of their dishes have a twist," said Chhabra of her initial visit to CAMP during the 2021 BMW Pro-Am event. "So, I figured, let's try to work together on something that integrates an Indian kick."

Chhabra approached executive chef Drew Erickson at CAMP and laid out a selection of spice blends that mostly complement fish, red meat, and chicken. After reworking a few recipes, making various marinades and combining seasonings, CAMP and Chhabra rolled out a lamb tikka masala. It was on the menu for more than a year. The restaurant sold nearly 75 pounds of lamb per week.

The restaurant usually rotates dishes on a quarterly basis, but this one is so popular. Although CAMP does not make traditional ethnic-style dishes, Chhabra's authentic blends and local sourcing complemented a flavor unique to the downtown dining scene.

"One of the fenugreek leaves that went into the seasonings, I could never replicate myself," Erickson said. "It tasted so authentic and delicious."

Juniper to showcase three-dip sharable Indian-style dish

It's hard to find a good curry, naan or chicken vindaloo dish in Greenville — the choices are few.

According to Visit Greenville SC, there are only three Indian restaurants within county limits. And most recently, Swad Restaurant & Store on Laurens Road closed after 28 years in business.

Currently, Persis Biryani Indian Grill and Saffron Indian Cuisine are on Woodruff Road, over eight miles outside of downtown. India Palace Restaurant has remained open on Liberty Lane after 30 years but is nearly two-and-a-half miles from Main Street.

Chhabra wants to showcase more Indian culinary options that you can make at home. Her spices are available at Feed & Seed Co. at Judson Mill, The Cook's Station, Cottage Grove Gift & Home and Oil and Vinegar. In only three years, her spices are sold all over Greenville.

The locally sourced spices are grown in Greenville and Atlanta and are purposely packaged in small quantities to maintain freshness and flavor. The Indian taste is why Juniper got on board with Chhabra's Masala Matters spice recipe.

"Bhumi is very passionate about food," said Chef Fernando Coppola, director of culinary and beverage at Juniper. "She brought me some dishes that she cooked at home and even made a very good biryani. Immediately, we started talking about food, her spices, and even tried a few options."

After working in the food industry for more than 20 years, Coppola is well-traveled and familiar with various Asian and Indian dishes. While dining in Qatar in 2011, a chef from Bangladesh made him a memorable lamb biryani. The dish was similar to what Chhabra made for him and convinced him to use her 17-spice blend for a dish soon to premier at Juniper.

In September, Juniper and Chhabra will present their rendition of red lentils dal, paneer butter masala with curried potatoes and peas served with stone-fired flatbread.

"She's an expert on Indian food, and I am not," Coppola said. "Bhumi brought a lot of food for me to try, and it inspired me because that's how I learn."

Coppola already had planned a menu change at Juniper and had included plans for a three-dip, sharable meal with infused Indian spices and sourdough bread. And then, Chhabra offered her expertise in Indian blends in early July.

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A second opportunity and chicken tikka masala at CAMP

As Chef Diego Campos and Chhabra sat at the table discussing their newly created chicken tikka masala dish, Chhabra fought to add more butter. But Campos said it was an interpretation of how much butter the original dish called for.

This will be Chhabra's second entrée that she helped design at CAMP.

Nearly a year and a half ago, Campos and Chhabra began to develop the butter chicken interpretation that uses Chhabra's 'Butter My Chicken' spice blend alongside locally sourced produce from Growing Green Family Farms in Anderson. Although the traditional recipe calls for more butter, CAMP's rendition provides a more refined approach to the plate.

"We try to keep in mind that at CAMP we're a modern American, not directly trying to replicate true Indian cuisine," Campos said. "(Chhabra) helps us in the fact that she is making flavors she grew up with. That's how we achieve some authenticity."

Their new collaboration dish opened on the menu at the beginning of August and will stay on the menu until the beginning of winter, if not longer, depending on the reception of diners.

"We're very excited about this dish," Campos said. "The flavor is there."

To commemorate her contributions, Masala Matters and Chhabra's name will appear at both Juniper and CAMP, a nod to the courage it took to add a taste of Indian food to downtown dining.

Together, a representation of Indian culture has arrived for the fall menus at both establishments. They are fun and shareable dishes.

The collaboration of CAMP Modern American Eatery and Juniper with a local spice maker helps to fill some of the void of Indian food downtown.

– A.J. Jackson covers the food & dining scene, along with arts, entertainment and more for The Greenville News. Contact him by email at ajackson@gannett.com, and follow him on Twitter @ajhappened.

This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Greenville's Camperdown restaurants add Indian spices to some dishes