Spice of life: Adelaide’s best Indian food

Venture beyond the dishes invented for westerners, to discover some spicy surprises in Indian cuisine.

Jessi Singh inside his newly named and refurbished restaurant Daughter-in-law at 290 Rundle Street, Adelaide. Picture: Emma Brasier

Long gone are the days when Australia’s home cooks made curry with a single all-purpose

powder (the only spice in the supermarket aisle) and added sweetness with apple and sultanas.

But, in a country that prides itself on exploring the intricacies of different ethnic cuisines, most of us still have much to learn about Indian food. For starters, did you realise that the ever-popular butter chicken is not an Indian invention? Neither is chicken tikka masala.

Both recipes were developed in England to suit local palates by the immigrants who came from mostly northern regions such as Punjab.

Daughter-in-law puts its own spin on Indian favourites. Picture: Peter Tarasiuk

Australia has seen a similar pattern of migration and subsequently has for many years been restricted to a fairly one-dimensional view of India’s vast repertoire of cuisines. Not that there is anything wrong at all with the rich ghee sauces and powerful spicing of dishes such as lamb rogan josh or chicken korma. It is just that there is so much more to discover.

Head, for instance, to the opposite end of the country and the steamy, tropical climate and proximity of the coast mean the cooking is lighter and fresher with a coconut base and flavour fireworks from ingredients such as chilli, mustard seeds, curry leaves and herbs.

There is plenty of seafood, of course, and this is also home to the thin lentil-based pancake known as dosa that is rolled or wrapped around a range of fillings.

Aloo Gobi Rice dish at Adelaide’s Daugher in Law.

Over to the east, closer to the Himalayas, noodles and dumplings have crept over the border from Nepal and China. A long history of trade and conquest across the subcontinent also is part of the mix. When the Portuguese took control of Goa, for instance, they introduced the vinegar that is a key component of the region’s vindaloo. The best Indian dining reflects this vast repository of styles. In Adelaide, the two Cinnamon Club restaurants (Norwood and Henley Beach) are a good place to start, with an extensive menu that includes a variety of dosa and biryani, as well as more familiar curries.

The lucknowi goat curry is highly recommended. Daughter-in-law also casts a wide net in its cooking with a particular focus on the snacks and street foods that are a great match to its party atmosphere.

The legendary Jasmin has been turning out superior North Indian cooking for more than 40 years and dishes such as the tandoor lamb cutlets and Malabari beef curry are as good as ever.

ON THE MENU: DAUGHTER IN LAW

“Authentic” is a word bandied around by many restaurants when it comes to describing their food.

Daughter-in-law’s Jessi Singh, however, goes in completely the opposite direction.

Singh happily describes the food at his Rundle St Indian eatery as “unauthentic”, reflecting what he says is the limitless variations in the cuisine between regions, cities and even families.

“There is no such thing as authentic Indian food,” he says.

Jessi Singh at Daughter in-Law restaurant. Picture: Keryn Stevens

“If my mum makes a dal (lentil or chickpea curry) it will be completely different from my

grandma or aunties. Traditional food is just what you grew up with.”

Singh says the name Daughter-in-law honours the bold women in his family. Like them, the restaurant is prepared to push the boundaries and break a few rules.

He gives the example of the kingfish sashimi, which combines slices of raw fillet with traditional south Indian flavours such as coconut, lime and mustard seed.

Pretty in pink: Daughter in-Law restaurant. Picture: Keryn Stevens

Other popular dishes include the popular street snack Balls of Happiness, Colonel Tso’s IndoChinese style cauliflower, lamb chops with mint chutney and cumin yoghurt and tandoori chicken that is four days in the making.

An eye-catching pink and turquoise fit-out, serve-yourself drinks fridge and a playlist from the 1970s and ‘80s helps create a relaxed, party atmosphere and make Daughter-in-law stand out from the crowd.