A dosa good stuff

>> Savour South Indian and Sri Lankan specialties at Restaurant Jolee

by SARAH MUSGRAVE

If you thought you had Indian food pretty much figured out, it’s time to think again. The dishes you get at most Montreal restaurants—tandooris, kormas, bhoonas—tend to reflect cooking from the northern part of the sub-continent. Food from the south is a whole different thing, generally lighter and less saucy, with an emphasis on vegetarian meals. Restaurant Jolee specializes in this lesser known but equally delicious South Indian and Sri Lankan cuisine. For less than $10, you can stuff yourself on all sorts of unfamiliar concoctions, for an exciting and healthy eating experience.

All that said, there are recognizable offerings on Jolee’s menu—tikkas, thalis and samosas, for instance—but it’s more fun to concentrate on the weirder items. And there’s no shortage of them, along with menu descriptions that aren’t always enlightening. Case in the point: the vadai appetizers are described as “C dale” or “U dale” with coriander, green pepper and chillies. The waiter explained that they’re made of different kinds of deep-fried dahl (C dahl and U dahl, I guess), but we still were unsure what we’d be getting. They turned out to be yummy little cakes that many other customers were eating, and a good call at 75 cents each. The vadai masala, consisting of whole lentils, hot red chillies, onion, mustard seeds and cilantro, was quite crunchy—somewhere between cornbread and spicy falafel. The other patty, made of lentil flour, was similar to a donut, with a denser, softer texture and a savoury taste.

The vadai come with an incredible moist and fluffy chutney made with shredded coconut, curry leaves and chillies. This spicy and sweet accompaniment is served with every part of the meal—a good thing, as it’s so delicious you won’t want the waiter to take it away.
Next up, we shared a couple of South Indian staples. One was kothu roti, a plate full of chopped pita-like bread, onion, egg and your choice of meat (chicken is $6). It’s all tossed together like a dry stirfry, and served with a wedge of lime, for a complex taste that’s more aromatic than spicy. Homey and foreign, it’s definitely a must-try.

We also ordered a dosa, a large rolled crêpe made with rice and lentil flour, which can be had plain or with a variety of fillings. We opted for the masala version ($4.50), stuffed with a mix of nicely spiced vegetables including potato and peas. It comes with a bowl of stewed veggies called sambar: carrots, green beans, squash, onions, eggplant and lentils, with a decent dose of hot stuff in the liquid. This pancake-like dish rates up there too—I could devour it for breakfast, lunch or dinner. In retrospect, I suppose it’s meant to be eaten with your hands. Oh well.

Finally, although the waiter warned us it would be too much food for one sitting, we tried the carrot idly ($4.50). Also served with sambar, this consisted of steamed cakes of ground rice and lentil powder flecked with fresh carrot. With a texture reminiscent of firm cream of wheat, I can’t imagine making it through the seven patties without keeling over. Very filling but fairly bland, it’s definitely better for sharing.

We got the leftovers to go, no big deal since the whole time we were there people were streaming in and out with take-out bags. Even though the décor is nothing to look at—it’s entirely reclaimed from the space’s last incarnation as a Vietnamese restaurant—I recommend sitting down for a meal at Jolee. The Bollywood extravaganza on the TV screen is a definite bonus. :

Restaurant Jolee
Address: 5495A Victoria (Côte Ste-Catherine metro)
Phone: (514) 733-6362
Hours: noon–11pm
Best features: South Indian specialties at cheap prices
Alcohol: no
Vegetarian friendly: yes
Credit cards: cash
Wheelchair access: yes
Price: $8/person before tax, drinks or tip
Rating: HHH out of HHHH

Feedback? restoagogo@hotmail.com