The ‘Roar’ of the Muddy Tiger

Over the centuries, The Banyan tree has taken on significance as a symbol of fertility, life and resurrection. It is a fitting symbol for ‘DesiStoriesAshaUSA’ which presents the stories of South Asians who have wandered far and wide from their ancestral homes, traversing new frontiers and setting down roots and networks in the US. Our goal is to connect and establish closer ties within the diasporas of the South Asian community and facilitate a dialogue with our readers. We will showcase stories of achievement and success and also resiliency and hope.

Our story today features entrepreneur and restaurateur Jyotiee Kistner and her food venture Muddy Tiger bistro, serving Indian street food with a Maharashtrian twist.

Jyotiee grew up in Pune, helping and learning from her father, who ran a food business catering to the cycle of weddings, birthdays, religious and social events that form the entertainment fabric of life in India.

She migrated to the US in 2011 to pursue her career in the software industry. Traveling around the US for work, she found dense hubs of Indians and Indian restaurants, but the cuisine inevitably focused on the ubiquitous butter chicken and Naan, a general euphemism for Indian cuisine in the US, especially Minnesota.

Until 2018, Jyotiee continued to excel as a software designer, eventually being introduced by a friend to her now husband, Andy Kistner. Their visit to the city of Jyotee’s youth, Pune, was a culinary delight for Andy. “It was a feast for my husband. He was really surprised with all the food and culture”.
Flavors of authentic Indian cuisine vastly differ, sometimes in every town and village in India, and they saw an opportunity to present something different!

Photo Courtesy: Edina Magazine

“In India, each region has their own specialty. It is not stereotypical [Indian-American] food. Language and food is so different every 100 kilometers in India. While some regions serve hot and spicy dishes, others specialize in more sweet and savory meals”. In Pune, Marathi cuisine is the specialty. “My [native] city has a balance of sweet, spicy, tangy [and] sometimes bitter—everything in one dish. We wanted to share what Western India is doing, and especially Indian street food.”

Indian street food, or chaat, is essentially quick, accessible and affordable bites. Rather than sitting down, customers order food from a food stall and grab it on the go. It’s the food locals eat on a daily basis. “At home, chaat is affordable for any economic level,” Jyotiee says. The people selling the food make everything fresh daily and she wanted to take a similar approach.

To introduce Marathi cuisine to Twin Cities residents, the couple opened a food tent in 2018 that made appearances at the Centennial Lakes Farmers Market. They also experimented with restaurant pop ups at the Minneapolis Shake Shack, run by her restaurant mentors, in the process learning how to run a commercial kitchen. Growing in popularity, they opened a food truck in 2021, and in early 2023, they opened the Muddy Tiger Bistro featuring counter service in Edina.

Andy came up with the name Muddy Tiger, an unusual, catchy name for the business. The name resonated with Jyotiee, as she used to work for Save the Tiger Project with WWF-India. “When we are in college, most students get involved with the [Tiger] Project through our education system,” she says. Tigers are the national animal of India, and symbolize strength, speed, agility and grace, criteria she wanted to associate the restaurant with: “Somehow today, I am still fascinated by the tiger. [Muddy Tiger] stays with people.”

Sweet, Tangy and Spicy

Specializing in the Marathi cuisine of that eponymous state, the contemporary, blue hued bistro dives into the snacks arena of ‘chaat’ and ‘street food’, recognized for its complexity of flavors and tangy essence, augmented by rice bowls and wraps. Special meals such as a vegetarian ‘thali’ or plate, feature dishes of textual depth, complexity and diverse flavors, including a soft puri with a hint of crispness for scooping up savory offerings.

Jyotiee embraces the sweet and spicy flavors from her hometown that have delighted the palate of both the informed and uninformed customers of her cuisine. The dishes use minimal spices and incorporate hometown ingredients such as coconut and peanuts. They can find a variety of vegetarian options, though chicken and lamb feature on her menu. The ‘Tawa’ chicken has become a customer favorite, and a safe way to sample the flavors of Marathi cuisine in a familiar format. Exploration and more adventurous eating usually follow!

Jyotiee says “It just balances out that taste of everything in one bite,” noting that there are no artificial flavors or preservatives in any of their dishes.
She has her unique blend of spices flown in from her hometown every three months or so. Her parents prepare the spice mix and send it over in bulk to use in the restaurant. “My dad used to have a catering business. I grew up helping him and learning from him, so all those recipes I grew up learning are from my home. All are family recipes.”

Jyotiee often has to explain to visitors that Muddy Tiger does not feature stereotypical Indian items such as curry and buttered chicken. She says these items are not served in her native city unless it’s at North Indian themed restaurants.

Popular items at Muddy Tiger include Sabudana Vada (soft, savory and mildly sweet patty featuring tapioca, potatoes, peanuts, spices and herbs), Pav Bhaji (buttered and grilled buns with a delicately spiced lentil filling), Tawa Chicken, and Rose Falooda (layered dessert in the mold of a parfait or sundae). Vada Pav, one of Muddy Tiger’s specialties, generates an explosion of soft and crunchy accents all within one bite.

The restaurant also adds occasional specials to its menu, featuring other regions in India, often in line with festivals and holidays.
Checkout their Valentine’s Day special for February 14th.

Recognition

As a tribute to the Kistner’s hard work, and countless hours poured into their ‘labor of love’, the press coverage has been gratifying.
They have been featured in both Edina Magazine and MSP magazine and in ‘EATER’ Twin Cities on the South Asian Food Scene, and the 15 Hottest New Restaurants in the Twin Cities.

The Roar continues

The name ‘Muddy Tiger’ is memorable, and the authenticity of the tasty cuisine is ensuring return customers. “All my dishes are really close to [the] original experience. Many people keep telling me, ‘I used to eat this back home’, and this is what makes the late nights and early mornings worth it. Me and my husband do everything from cooking to mopping the floors. We built the whole restaurant by ourselves. Whatever we have, we are putting in the restaurant,” she says.

Jyotiee’s ultimate goal is to bring her hometown to her Minnesota customers, so people can “feel like they’re home.” As evidenced by the press coverage and return customers, her goal is coming to fruition and Muddy Tiger continues to thrive.

DISCUSSION : Our goal is to start a dialogue through the stories we present here. Please send us your comments, either by posting a comment at the bottom of this blog, and/or sending an email to ’ashausastories@gmail.com’.

AshaUSA’s mission is to provide culturally specific programs to the South Asian community to foster health and harmony in their lives. Please visit our website ‘ashausa.org’ for more information on our programs, volunteer opportunities and resources.