India
520 Main Street
Warren
by Bob Mariani
It’s safe to say that India restaurant has indeed added quite a bit of spice to the downtown Warren area. With its sparkling, torch-lit court yard and its warm, welcoming interior atmosphere, India is a great addition to a town that’s definitely on the way back up.
India really strives to pamper its customers, making certain all the intricacies of their version of Indian cooking are explained on the ample menu. They say, for example, that traditional Indian recipes have been modified "…to eliminate excessive fat, cholesterol and calories, without sacrificing taste." And I must say they’ve succeeded.
On the Saturday night we were there without reservations, we had a pleasant ten-minute wait in the court yard where it would have been lovely to dine al fresco had not the wind whipped up a bit too seriously.
Once inside, we began with a bread basket for the table— freshly baked flat breads with six different toppings from mild sweet honey, to spicy garlic and onion.
For her entrée, one of our companions ordered the classic lamb saag, juicy chunks of lamb in a mild spinach-based curry sauce with a dash of cream, fresh ginger and garlic. Saag is also available with chicken, shrimp, scallops, or tofu.
Lamb saag is usually my favorite, but I thought I’d branch out a bit and ordered one of the Chef’s special curries, the Peppered Duck in Tamarind Curry. I was very pleased with the juicy duck tenderloins that had been marinated in a tangy, sweet and spicy Tamarind-based curry. They’d also added un-chopped hazel nuts and sliced figs. The pepper sauce had just the right amount of zing for me and it was nicely blended with the sweet and sour sauce. The nuts and figs added not just another texture, but another flavor note as well. Methi mashed potatoes accompanied the duck, adding a milder taste to balance the sharpness of the pepper/Tamarind sauce.
One of our other dining companions opted for the Jalfrezi curry with chicken, specifying that he did not want "the full heat." Jalfrezi is a slightly spicier curry flavored with cumin seeds and served with sautéed green peppers, red onions, and fresh mushrooms. He was very satisfied and not overpowered by the spicy-ness of the curry.
Our fourth entrée was the chicken with mango curry. Just slightly spicier than the mild saag, the chicken had been gently sautéed in a sweet and sour, mango-based curry and laced with pineapples and cashews. Another well-balanced, well-blended dish with a kind of tropical flair.
Prices at India are extremely reasonable with no entrée over $15, and there are tons of interesting appetizers ($3 to $6), and side dishes ($1.50 to $3).
For dessert, we had the Gajar Halva ($3.50) which is a kind of shredded "carrot pudding," topped with pistachios and a low-fat whipped cream. This was a new one to us and it was an extremely refreshing, light dessert. We also shared some of India’s marvelous Shahi Kheer ($3), cardamom-flavored rice pudding served light and milky. I had the simple but very palate-cleansing mango ice cream topped with a sweet mango sauce.
Although India has four locations throughout Rhode Island, it seems to do its best to adapt to the local scene. On weekends in the Warren location, there are live local bands playing a really interesting mix of cool jazz/world music. And on the night we were there, they also had a North African belly dancer—a lovely and somewhat more sedate version than the frenetic belly dancing we’ve come to expect.
India is open for lunch and dinner every day and they’ve got a Sunday buffet brunch from 11am to 3pm. There’s a "bargain bar menu" from 11am to 6pm and 9pm until closing); they do take-out and cater private parties as well. There’s even a Monday through Thursday $30 Dinner -for -two special that’s got to be one of the best deals around.
Be assured that which ever one of the four India locations you go to, you’ll be treated with the utmost courtesy and promptness. Their take-out menu and other locations are on their website
or call 245-4500.Bob Mariani is a Southeastern New England freelance author. Besides his "Table for Two" restaurant reviews found here, he also writes jazz articles on allaboutjazz.com.
