Boston Phoenix, 06/27/2002, continued
When you arrive, the table is set with a basket of fresh papadum wafers and three sauces for dipping: an impressive cilantro purée, a thin tamarind sauce, and a fresh onion-chili chutney. Don’t fill up, as there is plenty to come, and refills of the papadum basket cost $2. Indian salad ($4.25) is a good idea, but don’t look for spice relief, as this mixture of chopped tomatoes and cucumbers also has chili peppers and cilantro mixed in. The effect falls somewhere between a fresh salsa and a Middle Eastern salad.
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The mixed-appetizer platter ($8.99) will take care of several diners, with samples of all five listed appetizers. I was especially impressed with the chicken tikka ($5.55 à la carte), ultra-tender chicken marinated in yogurt (and hot pepper); and with the very spicy aloo tikki ($3.55), fried mashed-potato cakes with vegetables mixed in. Mixed pakoras ($4.55) are fritters of either cauliflower or potato, nicely fried and crisp at the table. The vegetable samosa (two for $3.95) is stuffed with fine cubes of potato and cabbage in a large fried pyramid; the meat version ($4.25) is lamb and peas flavored with a lot of cumin. Both samosas fell apart when cut into pieces, so they’re harder to share than the other items.
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