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Fried Armenian String Cheese with Tomato-Tamarind Sauce and Nigella Powder

When Mish Mish first opened, owner Alex Tewfik bought so many of the imported string cheese braids for the kitchen that he nearly caused a shortage at area Levantine markets. Luckily, he found Sun-Ni Cheese, an Armenian string cheese company headquartered in the Philadelphia suburbs with production in Secaucus, NewJersey. You can buy Sun-Ni products online or at supermarkets such as Whole Foods and Wegmans or hit up your local Middle Eastern grocer for imported brands. Or, you can make your own with this recipe from the culture archives.
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Servings 2 to 4

Ingredients
  

TOMATO-TAMARIND SAUCE:

  • 2 28-ounce cans peeled whole tomatoes
  • 1/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons tamarind paste
  • 2 jalapeño peppers, stems and seeds removed
  • 2 tablespoons chopped garlic
  • Half-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
  • 1/2 Spanish onion, peeled and chopped
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • Juice of 1½ large lemons , about 1/3 cup
  • Pinch Aleppo pepper
  • Kosher salt, to taste

NIGELLA POWDER:

  • 1/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons nigella seeds
  • 2 teaspoons black peppercorns
  • 1 tablespoon Aleppo pepper flakes
  • 1/2 teaspoon sumac

FRIED CHEESE:

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup cornstarch
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 tablespoon baking soda
  • 1 cup light beer (the restaurant uses Miller High Life)
  • 1/2 cup unflavored vodka (use an inexpensive brand)
  • Kosher salt, to taste
  • 1 braid of Armenian string cheese, separated into 4 thick ropes
  • Vegetable oil, for frying

Instructions
 

TOMATO-TAMARIND SAUCE:

  • Place all ingredients into a large bowl.
  • Puree with an immersion blender until combined but still somewhat chunky.
  • Sauce can be stored in the refrigerator for up to a week. Use any leftover sauce as you would marinara, or with grilled meats and rice.

NIGELLA POWDER:

  • Toast nigella seeds and peppercorns in a skillet over medium heat until fragrant, watching carefully so they don’t burn.
  • Let seed mixture cool, then buzz in a spice grinder with remaining ingredients.

 FRIED CHEESE:

  • Combine first 7 ingredients in a large bowl, whisking well to blend.
  • Heat vegetable oil in a large deep skillet until it reaches 375°F on a kitchen thermometer.
  • Submerge cheese into batter and let most of it drip off so it’s lightly covered.
  • Slowly dip all 4 cheese pieces into hot oil to avoid splattering. Fry on one side for 1 minute, then flip and fry for 1 minute on the other side. Transfer to a paper towel–lined baking sheet.

TO SERVE:

  • Dust cheese pieces with nigella powder and serve immediately with tomato-tamarind sauce for dipping.