Abu Dhabi: The Indigo restaurant at Beach Rotana Abu Dhabi has remained at the top of the game with their creative approach to curries and the clinching evidence is in their ongoing promotion – Cuisines of the British Raj.
The food festival is a glorious throwback to the colonial era when British palates were making peace with fiery Indian spices. With a few exceptions like Lady Edwina Mountbatten, who had famously devoured the roast chicken that was meant for her pet terrier, not many of her countrymen could handle the unadulterated curry.
Thus was born the Anglo Indian cuisine, which was essentially a culinary marriage between East and West. The content was English but the approach Indian. Desi (indigenous) cooks indulged their English bosses with dishes that saw an amalgamation of traditional British cuisine with the Indian style of cooking. The rest is in the menu that serves up some of the most delectable dishes that make Indian cuisine the world’s ‘hot’ favourite.
We began with Muligatawny soup (Dh41), a quintessential Anglo-Indian cuisine. The spicy, tangy soup takes its name from Milagu (pepper) and Thanni (water). A great appetiser, it can be rightly dubbed a close cousin of ‘Rasam’ – a south Indian soup made of tomatoes and cumin powder.
Fish and chips fanatics must try the Indigo fish n chips (Dh116) – this British classic is immersed in Indian spices and deep-fried. The twist is not too harsh as the flavours do not overpower the taste of the fish. The hand-cut fried potatoes are also yummy with a desi salad on the side.
But the star of the night was Rosemary-infused tandoori tiger prawns (Dh94) served on an upright skewer. The chargrilled prawns infused with Goan pickles and aromatised with rosemary was cooked to my liking. Not too bland, not too spicy. You will also love the Devilled Lamb Chops (Dh80) served with a thick layer of smoked aubergine chutney.
The tandoori dishes taste exceptionally good because the meats are grilled in a charcoal oven and not on an electric grill.
But on the downside, Tandoor roasted chicken and pear salad (Dh62) with walnut and celery could not tickle my tastebuds. The salad, served as a chunky white slab topped with roquette leaves, looked exotic. But looks, as they say, are deceptive. So I will advise you to give it a miss.
Moving on to the main course, we had Chicken Madras (Dh92) – spicy chicken curry with onions, tomato and coconut masala, and Chicken Tikka Masala (Dh92), the most popular Indian dish in the UK. Both curries are toned down versions and low on spice, but they are rich in flavour. The dishes were not too greasy and went down perfectly with over-hot fluffy breads.
Sitting with a Kulfi falooda ice cream followed by a mint tea, we had already spent a good two and a half hours at the restaurant. So please note: If you are in a tearing hurry, Indigo can wait till you have had a relaxed evening to indulge gloriously.
Details
Meal for two: Dh350 to 500
Location: Beach Rotana in Abu Dhabi
Timings: 12.30 to 3.30pm, 6.30 to 11.30pm
For bookings: 02-697 9000
We recommend: Indigo fish n chips, Rosemary infused tandoori tiger prawns and devilled lamb chops
