New spin on old spice a welcome addition to Hobart dining scene
Our evening at this relatively new eatery was delightful, and it’s wonderful to see one of the world’s great cuisines given a more sophisticated treatment and presentation, writes Alix Davis
Food and Wine
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As we walk down Murray St on a recent autumn evening, the scent of subcontinental spices perfumes the air. We follow our noses and enter Amaranta, a sleek and sexy Indian establishment that opened in late December. Exposed brick, a chain mail curtain and low table lighting are all clues that this isn’t your standard suburban Indian restaurant.
Indian cuisine reflects an 8000-year history of various groups and cultures interacting with the Indian subcontinent, leading to the diverse flavours and regional cuisines found in modern-day India. It’s also a cuisine that has shaped international relations over millennia – for example, the spice trade between India and Europe was the primary catalyst for Europe’s Age of Discovery (1400-1600). Amaranta (the name is an Ancient Greek word meaning “a flower that never dies”) showcases this ancient culinary tradition and puts a modern spin on it.
Upon reading the menu, I am instantly a little downcast as there are so many dishes here that I would like to try, but there is only the two of us to eat them all. So I make some tough decisions and create a mental list of what I want to eat on my next visit (and who to invite).
We begin with “dirty samosas” ($22), a serve of two oversized samosas filled with spiced potato. These crispy parcels are served on a bed of chickpeas in a fragrant sauce and topped with coriander chutney, whipped yoghurt and a sprinkling of bright pomegranate arils. It’s a sophisticated take on a favourite and certainly whets our appetite for the rest of the meal. Our second entree is kurkuri bhindi chaat ($22) aka crispy fried okra. This northern Indian dish transforms okra (also known as ladies’ fingers) from a potentially slimy vegetable to crisp slivers coated in chickpea flour spiced with amchoor powder (made from dried green mangoes) and served with tangy tamarind chutney and raita. They’re very more-ish and I can see these as an excellent bar snack.
The staff at Amaranta are friendly and accommodating – happy for us to move tables upon arrival and to answer any questions about the food. Patrons are a mix of visitors to Hobart, groups of friends and some tables of couples, and there’s a happy buzz in the air as dishes emerge in a timely fashion.
Owner Deepak Attri says that the Hyderabadi bhuna gosht ($32) is currently the most popular dish with patrons – slow-cooked lamb in a sauce of caramelised onions and sesame seeds that originally hails from the north-east. However, we opt for the Lucknowi galiyon ka murgh ($32) which comes recommended by our server. This dish of chicken thighs, in a rich sauce, uses traditional spices found in street food and transforms them into a curry that’s flavourful and just begging for us to swipe our puffy pieces of hot garlic naan ($6) through. We comply, of course.
All dishes are available to order as either mild, medium or spicy, which is a boon for my chilli-averse husband, and I don’t miss the extra heat a bit, given the complexity of all the other spices used.
Tender lamb cutlets crusted with pistachios and baked in the tandoor oven ($35) are next to arrive – the meat is perfectly cooked and we find ourselves gnawing on the bones so that we don’t miss a morsel. In addition to fluffy basmati rice ($7) we have green papaya salad ($18) to accompany our mains. Given the ingredients, I am expecting a spicy, Thai-style som tam salad so am a little taken aback by the more neutral flavours of this salad. Attri (who also owns Bombay on the Beach, at Blackmans Bay) tells me that it’s a traditional Indian salad designed to complement spicy food rather than compete with it and is rarely found in Australian Indian restaurants. It’s proving popular with Amaranta’s patrons, so expect to see it sticking around.
We just have room for dessert and I’m intrigued by “crumb churma” ($16) – crushed roti that’s been combined with walnuts, almonds and jaggery (unrefined sugar) and formed into a warm ball of crunchy, caramelly deliciousness. It sits in a puddle of coconut milk and is a dessert I would happily eat again.
Our evening at Amaranta has been delightful, and it’s wonderful to see one of the world’s great cuisines given a more sophisticated treatment and presentation. We’ll be back soon to sample more of this menu’s delights.
AMARANTA
40 Murray St, Hobart
Opening hours: 7 days, 11am-late
On the menu:
Dirty samosas, $22; kurkuri bhindi chaat, $22; Lucknowi galiyon ka murgh, $32; pistachio-crusted lamb cutlets, $35; crumb churma, $16.
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