At the food court, a graceful entry into India

By GAIL CIAMPA
Journal Food Editor

• See the menu.

Regardless of how many fine Indian restaurants there are in Rhode Island, many diners still have never tried a one. Some among us cling to the idea that we don't like spicy food, and therefore we won't enjoy Indian cuisine.

I imagine these same conversations going on not so long ago in spots where there was little experience with Italian cooking. Hard to believe, but true, according to friends who grew up in Kansas. Consider all the spices in a pot of Sunday gravy with meatballs. Pesto must look mighty strange to someone who didn't grow up with a pot of basil growing on the counter and pine nuts on cookies.

We fear the unknown. This is why Indian restaurants hold buffets, to take the mystery out of the cuisine.

But if you want to expand the palate in a totally non-threatening setting, you might want to head to the mall. There at the food court at Providence Place, Gourmet India has the desire, food, experience and easy-access setup to serve a first taste of Indian dishes.

On a recent visit with four of my colleagues, we noted the counter workers' exceptional patience with all our questions; a total willingness to let us try a sample of anything on the menu; and a satisfying, delicious meal at the end.

Two universal favorites

Two of our favorite dishes that day are the restaurant's best sellers, I learned later from general manager Vishal Sood. Both are mild in their spiciness, and one is meat and the other vegetarian -- chicken tikka masala and saag paneer.

The chicken for the tikka masala ($5.65) is prepared tandoori style, which means it is cooked in intense heat to seal in juices in a charcoal-fired oven shaped like a pitcher. Tikka refers to it being cut into small pieces. Masala is a blend of spices in a tomato-based sauce.

It doesn't sound any more mysterious than an Italian cacciatore dish, does it?

One of my dining companions, Vegetarian P, travels often to England, where she says chicken tikka masala is now considered the national dish, even served in McDonald's. Of course, Great Britian and India share that colonial history, so the popularity of this dish, while scandalous to traditional fish-and-chips folk, is not surprising.

Saag paneer, the vegetable entree ($5.25), is made with an almost creamed spinach (saag is the word for spinach) and chunks of home-made soft cheese (paneer) which has a mild flavor. There's also a bit of onion and fresh tomato added. Vegetarian P declared this version "nicely spiced, clean-tasting and filling."

Another dining companion, Meat-Loving P, shared her lamb roll-up ($5.95), like an Indian gyro, with our table of non-lamb eaters. We were all pleasantly surprised by the tender slices of marinated meat cooked to perfection in the tandoor oven. It was wrapped along with crisp fresh lettuce and crunchy green peppers in naan.

The naan is leavened bread made with pastry flour to make it delicate. Each batch is made to order in the tandoor oven, whose intense heat puffs it up to a fluffy texture, not like a wrap at all. It can be ordered plain ($1.90) or with a variety of spices including garlic or mint. It is also offered layered with onions or spinach or spiced mashed potatoes or lamb. It would be a meal in itself.

Mild and wonderful

M and C both enjoyed the mildness of the chicken tikka masala, which is what most novices should start with when exploring the cuisine.

M also tried the vegetarian gobhi mutter ($5.25), another mild dish with huge fresh cauliflower pieces cooked with potatoes and peas. He had not had the dish before, but being able to see it behind the counter, and able to sample, makes it very easy to try new things.

C tried chana masala ($5.25), a vegetable dish, and I found myself sneaking forkfuls off her plate. These tender garbanzo beans had been soaked overnight and then cooked with tomatoes and herbs in a mild sauce. The melange of flavor, with the creamy bean, was a delight, and a perfect side dish to the heat of my chicken vindaloo ($5.65).

I was looking for the heat, and I got it with this dish.

A vindaloo is a spicy curry. Curry, in Indian cuisine, refers to stews made with special mixes of spices that might include coriander, cumin, turmeric, ginger, cloves, cardamom and chili powder. In other words, curry isn't something covered in the powder you find in the spice aisle.

A vindaloo curry has a sharpness that comes from vinegar. My sauce was tomato-based and five alarm, with onions and garlic blended with the chicken and nice chunks of potatoes. I loved the cooling contrast with the slice of naan, too.

It's served over a perfectly blended basmati saffron rice. Basmati is long-grain rice, and the saffron gives it a creamy yellow color. It has a nutty but delicate flavor.

From start to finish

Indian appetizers are always a highlight, and Gourmet India offers two, both of which we tried.

The vegetable samosas ($1.95 for two) are turnovers stuffed with a creamy potato-and-pea filling. I loved the filling, but the pastry was a bit heavier than I'd like.

The onion bhaji ($2.50 for five) were a perfect mix of onion and chickpea batter, deep fried. Vegetarian P applauded the dish for not being greasy, a usual problem.

The bhaji were served with two dipping choices, a delightful sweet tamarind sauce and a flavorful mint sauce.

C, who embraced the concept of trying new things more than most, ordered the rice pudding for dessert. This looked more like soup than pudding but drew raves for its cooling sweetness. Bits of cardamom, a member of the ginger family with a lemon-like flavor, and pistachios dotted the chilled dish.

Beverages include soda, spiced tea and lassis, Indian smoothies made with homemade yogurt. A mango lassi ($2.60) we tried was just right, sweetened with mango pulp and rose water. It makes for a filling drink.

Weekend specials include a masala dosa, a crepe made from rice and lentil flour, stuffed with potatoes and served with lentil soup (sambhar) and coconut chutney. Specials offer a tandoori platter with assorted chicken and lamb items. No beef is served, as cows are revered in the culture.

Gourmet India is a chain of fast-food restaurants mostly in Boston area malls. This first Rhode Island restaurant opened June 18.

Owners Vijay and Yogi Sood certainly have mastered the fast-food arrangement without compromising the quality. All the food tasted amazingly fresh emerging from the steamers. Of course, no oils or fats are used in the tandoori cooking, which keeps the ingredients tasting clean.

The counter help, too, stayed fresh through all our questions, and that may be their greatest strength in recruiting new fans to the palate-pleasing joys of Indian cuisine.

***

Gourmet India, Providence Place Food Court, (401) 632-0626, www.gourmet-india.com. They also cater office lunches. No credit cards. Open mall hours. Breads $1.90 to $3.95; appetizers $1.95 to $2.50; entrees $5.25 to $6.75. Desserts $1.95 to $2.25. Beverages $1.19 to $2.60.

***

Bill of fare

Vegetable samosa . . . . . . $1.95

Chicken tikka masala . . . . $5.65

Lamb roll-up . . . . . . . . $5.95

Mango lassi . . . . . . . . $2.60

Large soda . . . . . . . . . $1.39

Rice pudding . . . . . . . . $1.95

Tax . . . . . . . . . . . . $1.56

Tip . . . . . . . . . . . . $4.00

Total . . . . . . . . . . .$25.05

---

Gourmet India