Indian winter

Curry and Naan is a great bet for classic dishes and Southern Indian staples, but could turn up the heat

The combination of spices in Indian dishes makes me crave this type of cuisine at least once a week, especially now that the weather is getting colder. Montreal has its fair share of Indian restaurants, and it seems everyone has a favourite—whether it’s Ganges in NDG or Bombay Mahal for its BYO option, we’re spoiled for choice and price. Recently, I heard that a fellow food lover and ex-Mirror writer Mark Slutsky was a fan of the relatively new Curry and Naan on Jean-Talon W., so I gathered some diehard Indian fans and head­ed over to check it out.

Curry and Naan is owned by the same people who ran Delhi-Bombay, which used to be located across the street. A flight of stairs leads you into this cute and cozy spot that really puts extra effort into its atmosphere. Packed on a rainy Tuesday night, the bright walls and hanging lanterns make the place feel warm and festive. The staff is helpful and there’s a constant stream of curried dishes flowing from the kitchen. It also helps that $15 gets you a litre of wine—now we’re talking!

We started with two vegetarian samosas ($1.50) and an order of pakoras ($2.49). The samosas were huge and easily shared. These golden pyramids were packed with potatoes, onions and peas and had a nice outer crunch, which gave way to a smooth, mild mixture with a hint of cumin. The pakoras came six to a serving and verged on being too dense and chewy to eat more than one or two.

We continued the meal with a selection of dishes including tarka dhal ($5.99), palak paneer ($6.99), chana masala ($5.99), lamb vindaloo ($8.49), shrimp curry ($8.99), chicken tikka masala ($7.99), raita ($1.99), naan ($1.75), roti ($1.49) and rice ($1.99).

All the vegetarian dishes were good but the tarka dhal (spilt red lentils and/or split yellow lentils), with its thick consistency and garlicky undertones, was the most luxurious. Though it lacked the fried onion topping and whole dried chillies, which is always a welcome element, it was definitely one of the best dishes we had.

The palak paneer (spinach and cheese) was a soft, buttery mixture of spinach and cream with generous cubes of mild Indian cheese that easily broke apart and blended into the dish. The chana masala had a more liquid consistency with chickpeas mingling in an aromatic sauce. I couldn’t put my finger on it but it lacked something—perhaps some fresh herbs would liven it up.

Lamb vindaloo is usually my favourite and I always like to see how spicy a restaurant will go with this dish. I was slightly disappointed: the sauce was buttery, rich and tangy but had very little heat. The lamb pieces, however, were generous and the meat tender. So if heat’s not your thing, this is a safe bet for the vindaloo-wary crowd.

The shrimp curry was in a sauce similar to the chana masala. This lighter style of curries is common in the south of India and was excellent to soak up with the rice. The shrimp were tender and, though a little small in size, definitely worth a try.

The chicken tikka masala was my ordering misstep—I wanted the chicken tikka, a tandoori treat, and instead ordered this British hybrid invention by accident. Combining chicken tikka with a creamy tomato-based sauce, it was first concocted to appease the British sensitivity to spice. Reminiscent of butter chicken, this mild curry came through with generous chucks of moist tandoori chicken, an indication that next time I’ll definitely go for the tikka.

The raita is usually a staple I order to tone down some of the more heated dishes. Made up of cucumber and yoghurt, it’s really a pleasant coolant, but alas, we really didn’t need it much with this meal.

The naan bread was excellent, fluffy, buttery and incredibly light, but if it’s too rich for you go for the roti, a thinner, wholewheat and less filling option. The rice was a fuller long grain variety and surprisingly non-greasy, much like rice you’d cook at home.

Curry and Naan was a great dining experience with solid dishes and excellent service. I wouldn’t hesitate to go back, especially because at $20 a person, including alcohol, tax and tip, you can’t go wrong. I just wish they weren’t so shy about adding a little spice to the mix. ■

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