by MATHILDE RABBAT

North Indian cuisine is known for its reliance on bread as primary flavour sopper, and you’ll find both naan and flavour a-plenty at a little Sikh-run joint on Jarry that serves up primarily Punjabi grub at prices you’re sure to like.

I’m a sucker for a good samosa, so I started with a couple of those. At 50 cents a pop, you just can’t go wrong. The crispy golden shells, with their tiny green pea, onion and soft potato stuffing, are worth every penny. The sauces that accompany them—one minty and spicy, one fruity and sweet—are definite musts for dipping. Add just the right amount of salt and cumin seeds to the filling and the whole thing spells y-u-m. I should’ve gotten some to go, since they do take-out and they’ll doggy bag just about anything you want.

Besides the samosa, you’ll find other fried concoctions like the bhindi (okra) main dish ($6). This little green guy is first sliced, then thrown in the pan with a heap of thinly sliced onion. Luckily, the slimy factor was avoided altogether with the okra, as they can easily turn into slippery little buggers when cooked. That said, all that frying is a little heavy on the tummy. I also wouldn’t recommend scooping it up with the place’s “special naan” ($2), since that too is topped with a good share of onion and likely to induce onion overkill.

On the topic of naan, there’s a good variety of the stuff to choose from here. Besides your fully loaded “special,” there are other permutations, such as one sprinkled with cilantro, garlic and cumin ($1.50), and also one fit for Popeye, where shredded spinach is integrated to the salty dough before baking ($2). They’re all good, so I’d suggest letting the dishes you choose dictate the appropriate naan to be had. The shahi paneer ($6), for example, is a dish that could support any of the more loaded naans. It’s composed of chunks of soft white cheese that squeak against the teeth like tofu, submerged in a thick, sweet, curried milk sauce spiked with a touch of tomato. My pal, newly initiated to Indian cooking, had this dish made mild, as the kitchen is amiable to toning down hot dishes for more sensitive palates.

Though the menu here is very veg friendly, the place is also a haven for meat lovers, as you’ll see from the selections featuring beef, lamb, chicken and seafood, showcasing shrimp and fish ($6–$8). Chicken and minced meat are even integrated to certain naans. Of the meaty selections, worth noting is the lamb achari ($7.50). Tender lamb is sectioned into cubes, then fried, and bathed in a tasty sauce with slivers of onion, green pepper and delicious coriander. Watch out though ’cause this lamb’s got back—as in bone. I fished a few shards of it out of my dish.

I like to live dangerously, so, for a change, I elected to have my mango lassi after the meal instead of before. The experiment proved to be a success. The way I see it, there are two ways of making ’em: with or without yogurt. Mine belonged to the “with” category, which was a very good thing—so thick the straw stood straight up.

When it comes to atmosphere, this place has all of the ingredients that a little Indian joint should have: a mostly Indian clientele, a couple of grand three-tiered chandeliers, faux-flower arrangements, likenesses of gurus, etc. A couple of peculiar features, though, include filling water pitchers by dunking the entire pitcher in a cooler loaded with water, and transferring salads from a refrigerated display case to plates using nothing but the server’s bare hand.

India Beau Village
ADDRESS: 752 Jarry W. (corner Champagneur, 80 bus)
PHONE: 272-5847
HOURS: Every day 11 a.m.–11 p.m.
BEST FEATURES: Cheap veggie samosas, tasty mango lassi, friendly service and affordability of pretty much everything on the menu
ALCOHOL: Beer
WHEELCHAIR ACCESS: No
VEGETARIAN FRIENDLY: Yes
CREDIT CARDS: Interac only
NON-SMOKING SECTION: Not really
PRICE: $10 a head before taxes & tip
RATING: **1/2 out of ****