Mirch Masala Indian Cuisine
Located in the recently redeveloped Nanluoguxiang, a mixed use neighborhood of shops, bars, restaurants and residences, is the Indian restaurant Mirch Masala. We were met by it's owner Daya Shanker, originally from Delhi and a passionate veteran of Beijing's restaurant scene. Featuring diverse vintage Indian cuisine with a lively family-friendly decor, Daya offers healthy, fresh and slightly toned down (less spicy and longer cooked) vegetarian and traditional meat dishes. He is enthusiastic about attracting local Chinese customers as well as Westerners, eager to explain authentic flavors, textures and colors, and keeping prices at a very reasonable level.
We started with lassi, a yogurt smoothie, one made with banana and one with rose water, both delicious (15 yuan). For an appetizer, a vegetarian somosa, a flaky triangular pastry stuffed with a spicy potato filling; very satisfying (12 yuan).
We sampled four intrees, all well handled and each one unique in it's flavors, texture and color. From the clay tandoori oven came the yogurt and spice marinated chicken, with it's extraordinary orange coloring and mildly smoky/spicy flavor (25 yuan). Shrimp Mushroom brought it's namesake in a rich, garlicky sauce (45 yuan). Immensely tender cubes of lamb in a simple but brilliant mild curry sauce made the Rogan Josh an immediate favorite (35). Impressive too was the Baingan Bharta, a baked eggplant casserole mixed with carmelized onions and tomatoes (25 yuan). It's satisfying flavor and texture reminded me of those casseroles someone in your family always had to make for Thanksgiving or Christmas (or both).
It would be a shame to waste the delicious sauces left from the dishes we had eaten. A serving of aromatic basmati rice took care of that: the sauces were spooned over the rice, as much a treat as the dishes themselves. A lively neighborhood, attentive service, and terrific food: check it out!
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