Indian food from Battle of the Food Trucks winner is in a different league

What’s on offer?

Christopher Braganza, the owner of Spice Genie, was the popular winner of RTÉ's Battle Of The Food Trucks TV series last year. A trained pastry chef, who worked in Castlemartyr Resort and the Cliff House Hotel, his primary role since he arrived in Ireland in 2012 has been as a soccer referee with the League of Ireland.

He opened Spice Genie in August 2020 at the Wilton Farmers’ Market, cooking on site from a rented gazebo, serving dishes inspired by the food of his birthplace in Goa.

Braganza sources his meat locally and cooks it fresh in the market each day. Beef is from Edward O’Farrell in Midleton and lamb is from Michael and Eileen Kenneally in Shanagarry. Two of his newly developed Spice Genie ready-to-eat meals will soon be on-shelf in Supervalu.

What did we order?

From the small menu on a chalk board, we ordered vegetable samosa, masala dosa, lentils and potato and beef masala.

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How was the service?

Totally charming. Braganza and his fellow chef are happy to chat and explain what is on offer.

Was the food nice?

Tucking into the food from Spice Genie was so enjoyable that the people sitting beside us on the bench at the market asked where we had got it.

The vegetable samosa, which had just been deep-fried, had deliciously crusty pastry, filled with a mix of potatoes, carrots and peas, flavoured with coriander, cumin and chilli.

Vegan dishes include the masala dosa, a crispy pancake made from a fermented batter. It is filled with potato and spiced with curry leaf, cumin, turmeric and coriander leaves. The coconut chutney on the side has a good kick of green chilli heat.

The potato dish, also vegan, comes with mildly spiced lentils and rice. The Goan inspired beef masala is a substantial serving with chunks of savoury, slow-cooked meat, rice and smoky aubergine.

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What did it cost?

The total was €38 for dinner for three people – vegetable samosa, €2; masala dosa, €12; lentil potato, €12; and beef masala, €12.

Where does it deliver?

There is no delivery, it’s at the Spice Genie food truck in Cork farmers’ markets only. You can find it at the following markets: Wilton Farmers’ Market on Tuesdays, 9am to 2pm; Kinsale Farmers’ Market on Wednesdays, 8am to 2pm; and Midleton Farmers’ Market on Saturdays, 8am to 2pm.

Would I order it again?

Most definitely, and I love the fact that there are good vegetarian and vegan options.