Restaurant review: Indira for Indian If you desire a meal from the top end of the Indian edibles, says Gamal Nkrumah, go for Indira Deep tropical to cool alpine, it's all presented in the most palatable fashion imaginable on the platters of princes and emperors. South Asian cuisine is, in spite of the considerable historical connection between Egypt and India, not particularly popular in Egypt. Egyptians and connoisseurs among the expatriate community in the country, dedicated to the very best of Indian cuisine, frequent Indira. There is no better restaurant in Cairo to sample the delights of the khansamas, or royal cooks, of the Mughal emperors than Indira -- the late Indian prime minister's name is known to all and sundry, though. Chef Vikram Ghorpade of Indira champions the princely legacy. Mughali cuisine, he explains, is replete with imperial rich gravies that are his delicious trademarks. He works hard to recreate the lavish dishes of Emperor Jahangir's chefs for contemporary samplers of one of the most opulent edibles ever invented. For the Egyptian palate, meat and chicken are perquisite for a princely meal -- and the Mughal emperors couldn't agree more. The Nizams of Hyderabad, southern India, perfected their own Muslim Indian non-vegetarian dishes such as biryani. Hyderabad biryani, ideally prepared with yoghurt- marinated goat meat and basmati rice, can also be prepared with chicken or beef. The blending of the Mughali carnivorous cuisine with the local vegetarian Telangana of Hyderabad created a fresh amalgam of complimentary cooking styles. The recipes are a closely guarded secret. Chef Ghorpade would not disclose such mysteries, but hints that the buzzword is improvisation. I examined the menu carefully, and instantly pointed out to my companion that raita is bound to be an essential accompaniment to any fiery Indira dish. According to the ancient Ayurvedic tradition of classical India, the mixing of cucumber and yoghurt are harmful to humans. Therefore, in authentic Indian cuisine, the two are never mixed. Raita is prepared by crushing caraway seeds and red mustard which are the essential ingredients for this refreshing paste. Corriander, cumin and cayenne are added to the mint, but the green of the mint overwhelms both the colour and flavour of the dip. Finely chopped coriander leaves topping garnished the cooling imperial delight. Raita, however, is a soothing concoction and especially after a fiery Indian curry, so the raita cucumber and mint dip at Indira was a refreshing condiment, and I didn't suffer any horrifying aftereffects -- at least, so far. We settle in the sumptuous surroundings of Indira for an imperial repast. Golden Buddha heads nestled in the deep recesses of the restaurant. We sample mouthwatering samosas. Tandoor or curries, Chef Ghorpade beckons. Rogan josh, lamb curry, jazzed up with garlic ginger and peppercorn, was heavenly. The dal makhani is yet another imperial delight cooked slowly for hours on a low heat, on charcoal, to produce a creamy texture. The word curry is derived from the Tamil, kari, or simply sauce. Tamil cuisine is one of the most exquisite vegetarian cooking traditions ever created. Rich creamy lentil curry, rusty red in colour and full of flavour, with doughy nan bread suffices as a integral meal. Mesmerising techno-Indian soundtrack blasts away adding a contemporary ring to the ambrosial imperial ambiance of Indira. Most of the curries were meat, as opposed to seafood, based. Notable exceptions are tandoori prawns and lobster curry -- note that the latter costs a walloping LE300, I am certain those lobster lovers will delight in it. Reminiscent of the shahi dastarkhan (dining abodes) of yesteryear, we were reluctant to leave Indira. Chef Ghorpade, a native of Bombay, spent five years in Cairo -- mostly cooking curries at the Hyatt. His traditional Indian cuisine is of the highest standard. He ingeniously mixes tamarind, ginger, dates, cinnamon, bay leaves and apricot -- in a manner reminiscent of the British Houses of Parliament sauce that contain vinegar, which Ghorpade declines to use. Which brings me to dessert. Noorjehan, chief consort of the Mughal of India Emperor Jehangir, is credited with inventing kolfi, South Asian ice cream. She had the pure ice shipped from the pristine lakes nestled high up in the Himalayas to prepare her husband a soothing dessert on the torridly hot Indian plains. She poured dollops of malai cream or fresh clarified butter to add to the richness of her invention. Shaved or crushed ice and your choice of kesar (saffron) kolfi or elaichi (cardamom) kolfi. I recommend both. Indira Indian Restaurant InterContinental Cairo CityStars Ali Rashed Street, Nasr City, Cairo Tel: 2480 3000 Dinner for two: LE380
