LOCATIONOn the corner of Light Square.
PROFILED BY DE GROOTS MEDIAIt’s hard not to be enthusiastic about Gazhal’s food when greeted by manager Vikas Toor, whose passion for the trade is undeniable. He zaps you like a beef vindaloo, with bursts of information about authentic Indian cuisine. Vikas wants to educate Australians about “real” Indian food and offer diners a taste of traditional Indian cuisine with a menu that features a number of rarely seen dishes. He does so in a light, contemporary dining room, centrally located on the corner of Light Square’s lawns.
Lentil dumplings soaked in yoghurt and topped with a sauce of dates, tamarind and dry ginger is a unique addition to the Gazhal menu. Crispy fried spinach with gram flour, chickpeas and potatoes chat-laced with chutney and spice also stands out. You may like to forego a meat-based entree and sample the unique-sounding ground mushroom kebabs, although char-grilled lamb chops marinated in malt vinegar and spices are also hard to ignore. Butter chicken is there to please the masses, but why not be adventurous and try Kalmi rogan josh – drumsticks simmered in their own juices with fennel and saffron. If you are intent on a curry, then allow chef Lalit’s goat version to seduce your tastebuds. Cooked on the bone, the meat does not stay there for long. Don’t waste a drop and order the naan stuffed with minced mushrooms to use as an edible mop. Desserts offer an apple and rice pudding “full of the goodness of milk” – a fitting end to a menu full of good things.
Roz Taylor