OVER the past 33 years Simpson Kalathara, chef and owner of Bengal Tiger, has never left delicious well-enough alone. He is and always has been exploring new combinations from the myriad flavors provided by India’s rich culinary tradition.
Aware of the increasingly sophisticated palates of his customers, Mr. Kalathara keeps up with the tastes and diets of the day. Helpful notations on the menu alert diners to dishes that contain nuts as well as those low in cholesterol and salt. A new supplementary menu is the result of his recent trip to Kerala on the Malabar coast, where fish and shrimp are particularly plentiful in the surrounding waters. The restaurant has always offered loads of shrimp dishes, but now other sea fare has also been given a place. Look for rings of squid cooked with sliced coconut and curry leaves, salmon sautéed with turmeric, and a curry of mahi-mahi mingled with fresh coriander, coconut and chilies. Right now, the salmon dish will be available only on Tuesdays and on weekends, as will another addition, dosa, that long, crisp and golden crepe cylinder filled with vegetables and nuts.
Except for rashool (minced lamb in pastry armor), our starter selections from the standard table menu proved delectable. These included bhaji, airy fritters of onion or mushroom, and singara saag paneer, pastry triangles stuffed with spinach and Indian cheese. Papri chat is often sold from carts on India’s beaches, but this cold dish is just as appealing here with its lovely mix of crisps, diced potatoes, chickpeas, seasoned yogurt and agreeably tart tamarind. For tingly lips, try tawa chicken, pieces of tender chicken sizzled with green chili, or warm up with the deep tastes in chicken and pea soup.
Though $17 might seem a lot for three shrimp on a bed of soft seasoned onion, these models of the oxymoron are colossal, and the dish can be shared easily. The bumper shrimp appeared again in an entree called Chennai prawns, a gorgeous sauté that included coconut milk, curry leaves and coriander.
Not for vegetarians only, the black- lentil-and-red-kidney-bean dish called dal makhani is one of the great entrees, slightly creamy from a long slow simmer with onion, ginger and mellow spices. Almost as winning were small dumplings of pumpkin and sweet potato that came in a smooth sauce, fragrant and a tad sweet.
Marinated chicken mingled with sliced plums and onion in another fine dish from India’s south. Full of the scent of herbs and saffron, chicken akbari was one of several biriyanis, a style favored by the Moguls from the north. Kashmiri dishes are often lavish affairs, like chicken Kashmiri, thick with nuts and fruits. Less sweet and a good cold-weather choice, rogan josh, a marinated lamb dish, depends on the warming effects of cardamom and clove to make its mark; and lamb bhuna, with lots of fresh vegetables, is a sauceless dish simply loaded with flavor.
Basmati rice and soft, hot plain or whole-wheat nan, which we prefer to the fancier breads, go with everything. End with rice pudding, ice cream or Soan papadi, a sweet little cakelike halva, or with tea (masala chai) wafting ginger, cardamom and clove.
A flier at the door provides information for diners interested in the medicinal properties of spices. On one of our visits, as we departed after a meal so delicious that moderation was a line all too easily crossed, we noticed the comment about red chili pepper: “most likely to be effective in curbing tendencies to overeat.” Too late.
Bengal Tiger
144 East Post Road
White Plains
(914) 948-5191
www.bengaltiger1.com
EXCELLENT
THE SPACE Spiffy and fresh, with light wood paneling, brilliant textiles and prints and photographs showing some history of India’s relations with Western superpowers. Wheelchair accessible.
THE CROWD From business people to families. Warm greetings at the door; attentive service.
THE BAR Full bar and cocktail lounge usually occupied by groups or by waiting diners. Wines, lassi (yogurt drink) and beers, including Golden Eagle and Kingfisher.
THE BILL Buffet lunch: weekdays, $14; Saturday, $16; Sunday, $19. Dinner entrees: daily, $16 to $31.
WHAT WE LIKE Vegetable fritters (bhaji), pastry filled with singara saag paneer, shrimp with onion (jhinga ka khaja), papri chat, tawa chicken, vegetable and chicken soup; lamb bhuna, Kashmiri lamb (rogan josh), pumpkin with sweet potato dumplings (kadda malai kofta), chicken with plums, chicken akbari, Chennai prawns, dal makhani, plain and tandori nan. These and many other dishes are rotated frequently on the generous buffet.
IF YOU GO Lunch: Monday to Saturday, 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Brunch: Sunday, 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Dinner menu available from 11:30 a.m. to about 10 p.m. Reservations taken for large groups only. Municipal parking.
Reviewed March 2, 2008
