Marigold's dahi "kabab" salad: In 2006, when co-owners Sandeep Malhotra and Jim Dragatsis opened Uptown's Marigold, they wowed us with their contemporary Indian fare. The menu has its share of traditional dishes, but New Delhi native Malhotra puts his contemporary thumbprint on a host of others, including the dahi (yogurt) "kabab" salad, a frilly salad with frisee, arugula, pistachios and a peppercorn laced house-made yogurt cake, all drizzled in a sweet yet spicy orange coriander vinaigrette. Inspired while attending his cousin's wedding in India, where he tasted a bite-size fried yogurt kebab appetizer, he re-creates his version here. "The salad is modeled after a modern goat cheese salad," Malhotra says. The homemade yogurt hangs draining in cheesecloth for three days, making it firm enough to mold. It's then combined with garlic, ginger and black peppercorns, rolled into a disc, dredged in flour and pan seared. The frisee and arugula give crunch while the vinaigrette adds traditional Indian spices and a hint of sweetness. While milder tasting, the dahi cake adds the creamy texture in lieu of cheese for a composed salad that reaches new heights.

— Laura Levy Shatkin, special to the Tribune