Restaurant review: Ragas for all tastes A magical atmosphere and top-quality cuisine pleased Gamal Nkrumah Massala is a charming little L-shaped vermilion-hued restaurant with attractive Indian-inspired furniture and paintings reminiscent of the Raj. The waiters and waitresses are dressed in what I presume to be Indian outfits -- lilac and pink for the waitresses, beige and brown for the waiters. This particular eatery, like its twin -- The Chinese Lounge -- is for those of you living in Heliopolis or Nasr City who fancy a taste of India. Both Massala and its Chinese twin are located in the Karvin Hotel, tucked away in a tiny alley off Al-Mirghani Street, one of the main thoroughfares of Heliopolis. Massala is open from 2pm until midnight. It is well worth the trip even if you live further afield, especially if you are a connoisseur of Indian cuisine. The owner-manager is a suave and princely-looking Indian, Oberio Kaval, who is married to an Egyptian. The couple run both the hotel and restaurant. Indeed, Kaval used to be manager of the Mena House Oberoi, across the road from the Giza Pyramids. The dishes on offer are authentic Indian delicacies, even though at times the dishes are modified to cater for a more cosmopolitan taste. Take for example Massala's Paalak, creamy spinach, which comes with paneer (home-made cottage cheese and garlic) and is served with either sweet corn or mushrooms (the tinned varieties). It is an enticing side-dish even though neither tinned mushroom or sweet corn is authentically Indian. Jhinga massala prawns cooked with onions, coconut milk and Indian spices are a veritable delight, and it is a renowned south Asian specialty. It is a tad too rich and cholesterol-laden, but it is a treat all the same. Murgh Jalfareizi chicken with sweet bell peppers, onions, tomatoes and aromatic spices is a house specialty, but for the children, I thought murgh tikka, boneless chicken glazed with selected Indian spices, would be a safer bet. And, indeed, it was. They loved it, hungrily devouring the entire plateful of chicken. The Kashmiri rogan josh fish curry cooked with coconut milk and delicate spices was delectable. My sons were not too keen on the fiery curry, even though I specifically asked for the curry to be mild. As a matter of fact, the menu does mention that "all dishes can be prepared without chilies, mild or hot". There were other options such as the Massala kebab platter, chef's selection of tandoori specialties, but the mild murgh tikka proved to be the best bet as far as the boys were concerned. There was a wide range of vegetarian delicacies on offer. Baingan Bharatha, a special favourite of mine, charcoal smoked aubergine cooked with onion and tomatoes was an obvious choice. And, it was cooked to perfection. Chaawal, steamed basmati rice served plain, is my all-time favourite. It is the perfect compliment to both vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes -- it goes with just about everything. The choice of bread at Massala is bewildering, but mouthwateringly enticing. The tandoori roti, whole wheat bread from the tandoori is irresistible. Richer still and sinfully delectable are the aloo paratha (pan- fried whole wheat bread with potato and the paneer paratha (pan-fried whole wheat bread with cottage cheese). The choice of dessert is equally compelling. The mango pista kulfi, traditional Indian ice cream made with chunky slices of juicy mango, is quite simply divine. The gulab jamum is perfection on a plate -- fried dumplings of creamy cottage cheese served in a delicate rose-flavoured syrup. Rich but utterly irresistible is the gajar halwa, shredded carrot cooked with cream and assorted nuts. Last, but not least, is the music at Massala. It was especially relaxing for me to dine listening to the sweet soft strains of Indian music. Massala, Karvin Hotel Al-Sabaa Emarat Square Heliopolis, Cairo Tel: 2690 6453 Dinner for three: LE200
