Tamarind surprise
Just weeks after raving about Keralan cuisine, Alastair Paulin is pleased to find another south Indian restaurant in Christchurch.
In mid-November, I wrote a rave review of Keralan restaurant Southern Spices.
I was a fan of the largely vegetarian South Indian cuisine and its use of fermented rice batter and coconut to bring a twist to typical Indian food.
Little did I know that just a couple of weeks later, another Keralan restaurant was to open in Christchurch.
Tamarind on Riccarton Rd is very different from Southern Spices but equally praiseworthy. This is a restaurant that aims more to introduce Westerners to Keralan cuisine from its location in the midst of Christchurch’s restaurant row, with a well-designed booklet menu that explains the background of Keralan food. The elegant interior features framed prints, ornate Keralan mirrors and a recurring elephant motif.
As the menu explains, Kerala’s food traditions derive from a mix of largely vegetarian Hindus, Syrian Christians, who eat more meat and fish, and Muslims, who “make delicious breads and sizzling Biryani”.
I would confirm all that, except for the fact that I was too full to try a biryani. Another regret is that I did not order a whole chicken from the tandoori oven. At $21, it struck me as a bargain, and when I saw the generously loaded sizzling plate heading to another table, I had a pang of jealousy. Oh well, a restaurant, like a party, is best left wanting more.
We began with a starter that could have been a main dish. Beef coconut fry was cubes of beef cooked in a heavy curry paste flecked with chunks of fresh coconut and fresh curry leaves. It came with an anemic coleslaw that was best ignored but the impulse to serve something that cut the heavy flavours was a good one. I was grateful for my hoppy Tamarind IPA and some stolen sips of my wife’s delicious mango lassi. But even better would have been some naan. I have only myself to blame as I ignored the waiter’s hint when he asked about breads as I ordered.
We could not go past the intriguing section of the menu called “Hidden Gems of Kerala”. From it we selected iddiyappam with egg roast, described as “Kerala-style string hopper pancakes served with egg roast”. I had no idea what to expect. But I assumed something resembling a pancake would feature.
So I was confounded by a bowl of curry and a small plate of what looked like tiny rice noodles. I confessed my ignorance to the ever-helpful waiter and he explained that the tiny rice noodles were the string hopper pancakes. They made a good base for a curry of onion and tomato, in which were hidden two boiled eggs.
The curry was so rich and “meaty” that I would have sworn it contained meat, but it was just the heady combination of the fresh spices that gave that impression. Anyone who turns their nose up at vegetarian fare should try this dish and reconsider.
An Alleppey fish curry was also based on a rich tomato and coconut curry, with large chunks of tender monkfish starring. This was served with rice but after realising my error with the beef coconut fry, I overcompensated and ordered a parotta – a soft many-layered grilled bread – to help sop up the fragrant curry. I did not regret my excess, and look forward to trying other Keralan breads there in future.
I was also keen to try a traditional Keralan dessert of payasam, not to mention nearly everything else on the menu. The flavours were bold and exciting, the service friendly and helpful and despite only having been open for a month, there were no signs of opening jitters.