Going Indian: Jakarta's spice delights<\/p>\n
Mehru Jaffer, Contributor, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Those who eat alone choke alone, my grandmother used to say.
\nBut sometimes I like to test the truth of that saying by lining
\nup by myself for a sizzling leg of tandoori chicken dipped in
\ngreen coriander sauce at Akbar, the Indian stall tucked away in a
\ncorner of Plaza Senayan's sprawling food court.<\/p>\n
I also order a plain naan, or the fresh bread pulled out
\nbefore my very eyes from a clay oven, along with a cup of masala
\nand milk tea. The added request to those kind souls behind the
\ncounter is to make it a takeout! And once armed with the goodies
\nI sneak into the adjoining cinema for an afternoon showing of an
\nIndian film. The bliss that is experienced for the next two
\nhours, or more, is quite impossible to describe in words.<\/p>\n
Akbar has a lengthy menu to choose from but my favorite
\nremains the above combination. My sensibilities have often been
\nscandalized to see the uninitiated pile up their plates with
\neverything that is available on the menu, even though the art of
\nenjoying Indian food remains in eating the right mix. For
\nexample, rice and bread should not be consumed together, nor
\nshould mutton biryani topped with mutton curry or lentils.<\/p>\n
The flavor of each curry comes out best when eaten with either
\nplain, boiled rice, or with bread. For the same reason food from
\nnorthern India is not allowed to share its sauces with delicacies
\nfrom the south. Mutton or chicken marinated and simmered in a
\ntandoor, or a clay oven, are part of northern Indian
\ncuisine, but have become synonymous today with Indian food in
\ngeneral.<\/p>\n
Tandoori food originated in a tiny area on the northwestern
\nplains of the subcontinent. Over a period of just half a century,
\ntandoori food has managed to capture the imagination of the whole
\nworld as the people from this region settled in different corners
\nof the globe in search of a better life, many of them opening
\nIndian restaurants.<\/p>\n
The ethnic group called the Sindis from India's Bombay area
\nwere the first to come to Jakarta in large numbers. And today
\nthere are more than a dozen Indian restaurants scattered across
\nthe city, some of them equipped with excellent kitchens.<\/p>\n
One of these restaurants, the Jewel of India in the Hotel
\nAmbhara in South Jakarta, is a place where the food is spicy but
\nnot hot. "This is a place where I take those friends who are not
\nused to the taste of chili powder," says Poonam Sagar of
\nIndoindians, a website that lists many Indian recipes in Bahasa
\nIndonesia.<\/p>\n
Haveli, in the Graha Indorama building, is visited by those
\nlooking for a sumptuous meal and an elegant ambience. The lunch
\nbuffet is good value for money considering the variety of food
\navailable.<\/p>\n
Hazara is often seen as unnecessarily expensive with small
\nportions, though the atmosphere is dreamy. But it is also offers
\nthe most succulent seafood delights, like tandoori prawns and
\nshrimp curry.<\/p>\n
Its prime location and breathtaking view do not justify the
\nprices at the Shah Jahan. But the restaurant has obviously gotten
\na new chef and the reputation of the restaurant is again on the
\nrise. It is recommended that the thali, or large plate with an
\nassortment of dishes chosen by the chef, be tried.<\/p>\n
For similar tasting dishes at much more reasonable prices in
\nclean but unpretentious surroundings, visit the Pakistan
\nRestaurant on Jl. Fatmawati, South Jakarta. And away from the
\nbusiness district there are plenty of other Indian restaurants in
\nthe northern part of the city providing excellent food in an
\ninformal atmosphere at almost throwaway prices.<\/p>\n
It is not essential that each Indian meal should include
\nbread, rice and meat. Often it is fun to tickle the palate and
\nmake an entire meal out of street food alone, like chaat, snacks
\ncalled samosas or the southern Indian vadas and idlis, which are
\ninvariably accompanied by cheeky chutneys and provocative
\npickles.<\/p>\n
Quisine Restaurant on Jl. Veteran, Central Jakarta has the
\nusual fare but feast yourself just on the kebabs for a change.
\nNoble, in Sunter, North Jakarta, includes different kinds of
\nseafood and Chinese dishes, too. And apart from Rasa Sayang's
\nIndian menu, it also has a good choice of local food in Block K.<\/p>\n
A stuffed paratha (bread filled with mashed potatoes and
\nlightly fried in oil), for example, is a meal in itself. And the
\nbest ones are found at the Taj Mahal in Pasar Baru. And the
\nSahara Restaurant on Jl. Veteran fries up the most mouth watering
\ndosa, or fluffy rice and lentil pancakes, in town.<\/p>\n
Dawat in North Jakarta is the latest Indian restaurant in
\ntown, and owner Kenny swears that the tandoori chicken he puts on
\nyour plate is very special, all because of a single secret spice.<\/p>",
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