Malabar – South Indian Flavors
Rogan Josh with Lamb
The other night, Josh and I made an impromptu stop at an Indian restaurant. We were down in the U District, and it was late on a weeknight, and we were pretty darn hungry. Driving around, looking for something tasty, we spotted Malabar – a little corner restaurant boasting “Southern Indian Flavors”. Find a parking spot!
As we opened the door, we were immediately greeted with a warm aroma of spices and that unmistakable scent of Indian food. It’s one of those smells that if you weren’t hungry before you encountered it, you are now. The seating area was small, but very cozy, decorated with lots of tapestries and woodcarvings. Colored, eclectic lanterns hang from the ceiling, giving the room a dim, warm atmosphere. We were led to a booth and the waiter was very friendly. I snuck off to check out the restroom – you’re led around the corner on a path that feels almost maze-like. Hanging up along the way was a gorgeous tapestry, and the restroom feels like a converted closet. It’s quaint and tiny but most importantly, very clean.
Inside of Malabar
Inside of Malabar
When I got back, we took a look at the menu. The menu offered a wide variety of choices – a full page of appetizers, four pages of entrees with half of them being vegetarian, several kinds of soups, salads, breads, chutneys, desserts, and beverages. Every dish had a description, which is wonderful for those of us that aren’t quite savvy enough to know Indian food by name yet.
After much deliberation, we decided on:
Ragda Patties ($6.50)
Rogan Josh with Lamb ($13.25)
Chili Chicken ($13.25)
Naan ($2.25)
Mango and Coconut Chutneys ($1 each)
The appetizer was brought out – grilled potato cakes served with spicy chickpeas, diced onion, tomato and basil. Our first bite convinced us that this was going to be an amazing meal. The potato cakes were crisp on the outside, warm and soft on the inside… the chickpeas and chutney were just spicy enough to add some nice heat to the potato. The serving came with two patties, and we thoroughly enjoyed polishing them off.
Ragda Patties
Almost immediately after the plate was clean, our waiter brought us our entrees. Our plates were covered in rice and the meat was served in gorgeous copper bowls that I loved so much I actually asked where they got them. (Too bad I can’t go to India for dishes for our house…) I had the Rogan Josh with Lamb. The lamb was in thick chunks, and it was very tender. It was cooked in a yogurt with caramelized onions and spices. It was creamy and very satisfying, and not too spicy. I probably would have liked a little more spice, but I was still very pleased with my dish – what it lacked in heat it made up for in other delicious flavors. Josh ordered the Chili Chicken – chunks of chicken in a sauce with onions, ginger, chilies, garlic and curry leaves. It was delicious! Just enough heat to make you sweat a bit, but not too much that it hurt you. We had also ordered mango chutney and coconut chutney to try. The mango one was delicious. We weren’t as enthusiastic about the coconut chutney, but it’s all personal taste. We dug in, ladling sauce-covered rice, meat, and chutney onto naan (hot and crisp and soft – it tasted like it was fresh from the oven). A few bites into our meal, I looked at Josh and shook my head in awe. “I think….(talking around a mouthful of food – it was so good I couldn’t stop to talk politely) this is what heaven is going to be like. Just a little bit.” We were very satisfied with our meal.
Rogan Josh with Lamb
Chili Chicken
The servings were large enough that we were able to save leftovers for dinner. (As I type this, they are sitting in our fridge, and I am anxiously waiting for Josh to come home so we can have another amazing dinner!) We were curious about some of the more traditional desserts, so we wanted to save room… We decided on the kulfi – an Indian style ice cream made with sweetened full cream, pistachios and cardamom. It was served to us as two small cone-shapes of frozen cream. The sweetness of the cream and the ground pistachios seemed to bring out a lemon flavor from the cardamom. It was amazing.
Kulfi
Overall, I would highly recommend this restaurant. The staff was quick and attentive, the atmosphere is cozy and inspiring, and the food is amazing. We will be going back for sure. Next time, I want to sample one of several of their more interesting looking drinks. I’m thinking about faludha – a sweet traditional drink made from pistachios, ice cream, basil seeds, rose water and saffron. Yum!
[where: 1401 NE 42nd St Seattle, WA 98105]
Tags: Indian, Seattle Restaurants, U District Restaurants
