Spice Boy

There’s nothing like a spicy dish with steaming hot basmati rice on a rainy day.

One rainy day last week, a well-traveled friend and I caught the Curry Festival ("Curry good!") at the Spices Restaurant of the Peninsula Manila and found it eSPICE-ially good.

It was the type of rainy day when raindrops didn’t come in torrents; instead, they clung to glass windows, gently coating them with a shimmery glaze before trickling down. Now, that’s the type of day when you want to either crawl back to your bed or head out for a spicy lunch that gives you the sniffles (but, if on a "hot" date, tell the chef to ease up on the chillies in order to conserve your poise  and your Kleenex).

For that is what Indian food has – spice. Enjoying Indian food is therefore a very sensual experience – from the presentation, to the smell and the taste. There is also the lure of its being relatively unknown… you take a spoonful of every dish with some expectancy and a sense of adventure.

"Indian cuisine expresses itself best though curries," reveals "Spice Boy," Indian Specialty chef Bairagi Sahani, who’s been cooking professionally for over 20 years now. The Bombay native has been around the world with his hot stuff – from South Africa, to Dubai, to the Philippines.

Chef Sahani has his own bag of spices and can wax eloquently about the sensual spices that enliven the cuisine of the Indian sub-continent: Mace, garlic, cardamom, cinnamon and chili, fenugreek, coriander and bay leaves, turmeric, cumin and coriander seeds, and mixed and black masala.

Many of these spices insinuate themselves into his Kaju Ki Roll of fried potatoes and homemade cottage with a cashew nut crust and served with minted yogurt. The La Zeez Paslian (roasted lamb chops served with yogurt and gravy), garlicky Lasuni Naan and pastry pyramids of Gosht Samosa filled with minced lamb, peas and Punjabi spices remind one of the characters created and landscapes shaped by the likes of South Asian writers.

In Indian curry, one gets all the five tastes in Ayurvedic tradition (which the world-famous Deepak Chopra espouses): the bitter, sweet, salty, sour and astringent.

Sahani caps a splendid Indian food buffet with Keshar and Pistachio Kulfi, ice cream that comes with a dash of saffron and pieces of pistachio (which, unfortunately was not available on the day we dined there). Instead, I had sweetened carrot strips with chopped cashew. Yummy, too, but please bring back the kulfi.

* * *

Indians are known to be very particular about their digestion (just tune in to the "Kumars at No. 42," and you’ll know what I mean). Thus, it isn’t surprising that their dishes are rich in spices that particularly aid digestion (according to the Reader’s Digest manual, Foods That Harm, Foods That Heal, it is a misconception that spicy food causes peptic ulcers).

I asked Chef Bairagi, who was brought up on good fish curry, goat meat with onions, tomatoes, ginger, garlic and what he calls "hot herbs" by his mother Manink, what the "spices of life" are. Literally, okay?

"Chili powder, turmeric, ginger powder, masala powder (a combination of cloves, cardamom, cumin seed and bay leaves) and cumin powder," he answered after some thought.

According to Foods That Harm, Foods That Heal, chillies have been found to be useful in clearing mucus from airways and relieve congestion. Cardamom "relieves indigestion and sweetens the breath when chewed. It also helps stop belching and acid regurgitation." Cloves (which stand out in the basmati rice) ease toothache. In the past, cumin seed has been used to cure flatulence and colic. Ginger aids digestion, is a popular remedy for nausea, eases flatulence and may help clear nasal passages. It is also good for the liver. Turmeric, which gives a nice color to curries, "is said to be a tonic for the liver, to help calm inflammation and to relieve digestive problems." Turmeric "improves circulation and also has an anti-bacterial action."

* * *

It is unfortunate, Sahani bemoans, that the world thinks Indian food is all about chili and rich thick sauces that leave one lethargic and incapable of any physical activity. Though Indian food is not bland, most Indian dishes are spiced only enough to make them interesting.

"India has approximately 25 different spices that are used regularly, giving the cook an opportunity to use his imagination while designing exotic dishes. What passes off as curry powder in most households is certain to be ridiculed by the Indian chef to whom fresh ground spices are the order of the day, which he will vary according to the nature of the dish," he says.

The secret of the masterly art of Indian cooking, adds Sahani, requires a thorough knowledge of the properties of each spice and how it blends with other spices. Therefore, the characteristic of each curry relies entirely on the balance of herbs and spices that go into its creations.

* * *

When you feast on the "Curry Good" buffet at Spices, I suggest that you savor one dish at a time, because each dish is rich and flavorful. Don’t take large portions if you are not familiar with the dish – the buffet is just a few steps away if you want seconds (the prawn curry is very popular with Pinoys). 

If a lot of rice literally weighs you down, have some light roti bread on the side to foil a spice overload. Indian food is eSPICE-ially good, because the spices make you feel good during, and even after the meal.

(The curry festival is ongoing only until July 29, Friday. For inquiries, call 812-3456.)

* * *

You may e-mail me at [email protected]