Going Indian: Jakarta's spice delights

Mehru Jaffer, Contributor, Jakarta

Those who eat alone choke alone, my grandmother used to say. But sometimes I like to test the truth of that saying by lining up by myself for a sizzling leg of tandoori chicken dipped in green coriander sauce at Akbar, the Indian stall tucked away in a corner of Plaza Senayan's sprawling food court.

I also order a plain naan, or the fresh bread pulled out before my very eyes from a clay oven, along with a cup of masala and milk tea. The added request to those kind souls behind the counter is to make it a takeout! And once armed with the goodies I sneak into the adjoining cinema for an afternoon showing of an Indian film. The bliss that is experienced for the next two hours, or more, is quite impossible to describe in words.

Akbar has a lengthy menu to choose from but my favorite remains the above combination. My sensibilities have often been scandalized to see the uninitiated pile up their plates with everything that is available on the menu, even though the art of enjoying Indian food remains in eating the right mix. For example, rice and bread should not be consumed together, nor should mutton biryani topped with mutton curry or lentils.

The flavor of each curry comes out best when eaten with either plain, boiled rice, or with bread. For the same reason food from northern India is not allowed to share its sauces with delicacies from the south. Mutton or chicken marinated and simmered in a tandoor, or a clay oven, are part of northern Indian cuisine, but have become synonymous today with Indian food in general.

Tandoori food originated in a tiny area on the northwestern plains of the subcontinent. Over a period of just half a century, tandoori food has managed to capture the imagination of the whole world as the people from this region settled in different corners of the globe in search of a better life, many of them opening Indian restaurants.

The ethnic group called the Sindis from India's Bombay area were the first to come to Jakarta in large numbers. And today there are more than a dozen Indian restaurants scattered across the city, some of them equipped with excellent kitchens.

One of these restaurants, the Jewel of India in the Hotel Ambhara in South Jakarta, is a place where the food is spicy but not hot. "This is a place where I take those friends who are not used to the taste of chili powder," says Poonam Sagar of Indoindians, a website that lists many Indian recipes in Bahasa Indonesia.

Haveli, in the Graha Indorama building, is visited by those looking for a sumptuous meal and an elegant ambience. The lunch buffet is good value for money considering the variety of food available.

Hazara is often seen as unnecessarily expensive with small portions, though the atmosphere is dreamy. But it is also offers the most succulent seafood delights, like tandoori prawns and shrimp curry.

Its prime location and breathtaking view do not justify the prices at the Shah Jahan. But the restaurant has obviously gotten a new chef and the reputation of the restaurant is again on the rise. It is recommended that the thali, or large plate with an assortment of dishes chosen by the chef, be tried.

For similar tasting dishes at much more reasonable prices in clean but unpretentious surroundings, visit the Pakistan Restaurant on Jl. Fatmawati, South Jakarta. And away from the business district there are plenty of other Indian restaurants in the northern part of the city providing excellent food in an informal atmosphere at almost throwaway prices.

It is not essential that each Indian meal should include bread, rice and meat. Often it is fun to tickle the palate and make an entire meal out of street food alone, like chaat, snacks called samosas or the southern Indian vadas and idlis, which are invariably accompanied by cheeky chutneys and provocative pickles.

Quisine Restaurant on Jl. Veteran, Central Jakarta has the usual fare but feast yourself just on the kebabs for a change. Noble, in Sunter, North Jakarta, includes different kinds of seafood and Chinese dishes, too. And apart from Rasa Sayang's Indian menu, it also has a good choice of local food in Block K.

A stuffed paratha (bread filled with mashed potatoes and lightly fried in oil), for example, is a meal in itself. And the best ones are found at the Taj Mahal in Pasar Baru. And the Sahara Restaurant on Jl. Veteran fries up the most mouth watering dosa, or fluffy rice and lentil pancakes, in town.

Dawat in North Jakarta is the latest Indian restaurant in town, and owner Kenny swears that the tandoori chicken he puts on your plate is very special, all because of a single secret spice.