FFWD Weekly
Copyright © 1998 All Rights Reserved.
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| FOOD Not so long ago, when A Passage to India was in the theatres and an ever growing string of acclaimed writers, from Salman Rushdie to Anita Rau Badami, were filling book stores, it became quite clear that things sub-continental were increasingly popular. India was suddenly all the Raj, one might say. But one part of Indian culture has always been with us - its cuisine. And any one who thinks that Indian food consists almost entirely of the most fissionable elements of the edible periodic table - vindaloo curries that go off the culinary Richter scale and so on - should go to Moti Mahal to discover the wide possibilities India's ancient cuisine has to offer. Moving from its venerable location on 17th Avenue, Moti Mahal (1805 -14 Street SW, phone 228-9990) specializes in the milder and creamier foods from the Kashmir region of India. Which is not to say that if a sinus clearing curry is what you are looking for you won't find it here - you will. But most of the menu is based around the kormas and tikka masalas that don't require half the Glenmore reservoir to put out the fire. Indian menus always offer an extravagant array of eating choices and the Moti Mahal is no exception, with traditional samosas ($3 to $3.50) as starters. Most of the main dishes are either chicken, lamb or vegetable, although there are prawn options as well. Skipping over the chicken korma ($10) and the chicken vindaloo ($10), my companion and I decided on the chicken tikka butter masala ($12) - a perennial favorite of mine and usually a good litmus test for a restaurant. We also opted for the Royal lamb korma ($10) over the lamb kashmiri ($11), lamb Goa curry ($10) with its temptations of spicy coconut, the various biryani possibilities and the numerous paneer specialties ($7) offering cubed homemade cheese in cream and tomato sauce. Refusing the possible temptations of vegetable jalfrazii, okra lady fingers and eggplant bartha (all $7) we only needed to add a mixed vegetable curry ($7) and some delectable butter naan bread to have a meal fit for a maharajah. The tikka masala was delicious, a sophisticated blend of mild spices in a rich creamy sauce, and was superbly complemented by the lamb korma, with its blend of almonds and raisins in another mildly hot sauce that hinted at coriander. The vegetables added a delightful element to the mix, working their sweet and savoury magic with the chicken and lamb as well as with the kashmiri pilau rice ($4) which was suffused with fruits, saffron and other spices. It all made for a veritable Kama Sutra of taste sensations leading to ultimate dining satisfaction. The new location, while a little more off the beaten track than before, is more spacious and better appointed than the old, rather run-down space. Tastefully decorated with Indian objets d'art, it is easily accessible for those wheelchair bound and also for those of us nicotine bound. |
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