Indian Cuisine: Exotic flavors in Istanbul

Although the popularity of the Indian cuisine is on the increase among the exotic cuisines in Istanbul with its spicy and hot foods made with various herbs, the number of restaurants cooking Indian meals is still very low.

It is a truth that we, as Turkish people, shy away from trying new flavors. You can clearly see that prejudice by looking at the number of restaurants offering samples from exotic cuisines. Fortunately, there is an increase in the number of restaurants offering Chinese, Japanese and Pan Asian cuisine separately or under the single title of Far Eastern or Asian cuisine, despite the significant difference between the said cuisines and that of Turkish. Indian cuisine has many similarities with Turkish cuisine and it is very close to our taste. Yet, the number of restaurants where you can taste Indian foods is really quite low. 

Indian cuisine is the second most widespread and influential cuisine after Chinese. Characterized by herbs, spices, fruit and vegetables, the eating habits and philosophy of this cuisine are totally based on nature. In India, where a great portion of the society is fed on vegetables, only chicken and lamb is used as meat. There are naturally many varieties of food in such a multicultural and multi-layered geography where the language and the traditions change every 300 km. Indian cuisine also bears the influence of Mongolian, Persian and West Asian cuisines to a considerable degree. 

If you say, “I am not very open to new tastes; I don’t like hot foods or spice” then Indian food is not for you. However, if you still have not got to know that highly healthy cuisine based on nature and a certain philosophy, you can start with the few but qualified Indian restaurants of Istanbul.

Taj Mahal Tünel: Elegant decoration accompanies good taste
After Cihangir, the second branch of Taj Mahal has been open for business for two years in Tünel. 
With more authentic items of decoration and chic tables draped in white, the second branch has a more elegant appearance than the Cihangir branch…  Dividing his time between the two restaurants, Mr Zia is usually in the Tünel branch… While tasting the food that forms the basis of Indian cuisine cooked specially for us by Mr Zia, we talk about the eating habits of the Indian people. Mr Zia tells us that curry refers to the sauce of the food that is formed by mixing all the spices and that every food has its own special curry. Curry, which is obtained from the leaves of the curry tree, can be yellow, red, and green, dried, fresh or in seed form. For us, the essential element of the meals is onion and tomato sauce. In Indian cuisine, turmeric, curry and cumin make up the main sauce of the foods. Whereas we add most spices after the food is cooked, the Indians add them while cooking; In particular, turmeric, ginger, saffron, cumin, sesame, black cumin seed, onion and garlic are widely used.


Indians wake up before sunrise and start the day by drinking milk or eating yoghurt.
They usually drink hot milk in winter and ayran (made of yoghurt and water). An hour later, they have a breakfast consisting of egg, bread, and different kinds of halvah. Most Indians do not have lunch. They prefer to eat snacks. The have dinner at around 7 pm and eat at least two types of main food and saffron rice or plain rice. All the food is brought to the table and eaten as soon as it is cooked.
Mr Zia offers us Tarka Dal, Balti Butter Chicken, Vegetable Bhajhee, Vegetable Samosa, Poppadom, Garlic Nan and Vegetable Biryani that he has cooked for us. The taste of Balti Butter Chicken in a sauce of cream and almond is very good… Rice with saffron is quite delicious and light… Vegetable Samosa is similar to Turkish muska böreği (a triangle-shaped pastry stuffed with cheese or ground meat). Its flavor becomes much more delicious with various sauces. The food here of course is  not like the one cooked at home in India; this is more like a restaurant type… Sunflower oil is preferred in the foods. All of the foods we tasted are very delicious with their own special flavours. 
 
Address: Asmalımescit Mahallesi Nergiz Sokak No:4/A, Tünel
Tel: (212) 293 66 00


Dubb Indian: Indian food pleasure amid gorgeous scenery -
Dubb Indian has been open for service in  a five floor building for more than ten years at Sultanahmet. It is a quite large and pleasant place with exotic items and details in its decoration. The scenery from the top floor which overlooks Sultanahmet is magnificent. Dubb Indian is an ideal place especially for dinner. 3 Indian and  3 Turkish, making a total of 6 chefs work  for Dubb Indian. They can serve  100 people at the same time. The restaurant is appealing especially for tourist groups and most of the restaurant’s clientele  areforeigners living in Istanbul. A remarkable number of Turkish people are also regular customers of the restaurant... Be sure to make a reservation before going there  since it is fully booked at the weekends. The restaurant also gives delivery service as far away as  Beşiktaş. 

Among the most preferred appetizers are papad, which is authentic Indian crispy bread made of black lentil flour; Samosa, made of a pastry with potato and green peas; and the traditional appetizer of Indians, Pakora... One of the tandour kebabs Chicken Tikka is a hot dish cooked in a tandour after being salted in mashed hot red pepper. You should try a Dubb special Kallan Kebab made of chicken and ground lamb... If you wish, you can taste all of the tandour kebabs by ordering a mixed kebab called Kebab Apti Khatir which is served with Nan… Among the vegetarian foods Dal Tarka with yellow lentils  and cheese cubes and Palak Paneer made of spinach, which are some of the main dishes of the Indian cuisine, are  worth trying ... If you wish, you can prefer vegetarian or the  regular set menu. Do not forget to drink Indian tea with its  tranquilizing effect made with cumin, several spices and cardamom.

Address: İncili Çavuş Sokak No: 10, Sultanahmet
Tel: (212) 513 73 08

Musafir Indian: Few but essential dishes, maximum quality
Musafir Indian is an Indian restaurant doing business for six years at Talimhane...  It has 60 types of dishes on the menu… They focus on the quality of the food rather than the number of dishes.  The sauce of each dish is prepared with different formulas and right after the order. Mr Imran, who is himself a chef and has managed Indian restaurants abroad, says that Indian food makes people become addicts even after only one savoring. We had a chat while Mr Imran was serving us the food he cooked specially for us. He says that there are 3 different distinctions in the Indian cuisine based on two regional and one typical characteristic. As to eating habits, North and South Indian cuisine have different characteristics; and of course there is the distinction of vegetarian and non-vegetarian.  With the influence of Hinduism, 65 % of the Indians are vegetarian. North Indian Cuisine is more widespread and popular in the world...  North Indian Cuisine is also distinct in its own. Muslim Turkish people who came from Central Asia and have been living in North India for ages have also played an influential role  on the cuisine. Biryani, rice with saffron and vaporized food are among the foods that are coined by that culture… Coconut is widely used In the South Indian cuisine. As he is comparing the Turkish cuisine with that of Indian, Mr İmren pins down a crucial point and summarizes the situation: “You add the spices pinch by pinch; we add them spoon by spoon”.

After being marinated a whole day long and cooked in the Indian tandour, Chicken Tikka is both appetizing with a moderate hot taste and very delicious… One of the most popular specialties is Butter Chicken which is cooked with cashew peanut, almond paste, ginger and spice. You should also taste one of the biryani types of lamb, chicken or shrimp. Gulab Jamun whose preparation is quite demanding but taste is fantastic is a good alterative for the final part of your meal.
Address: Receppaşa Caddesi 7C Talimhane, Taksim
Tel: (212) 235 27 41

Taj Mahal Cihangir: Is now indispensable
Located formerly across from Alman Hastanesi (German Hospital) Taj Mahal moved to Cihangir Akyol Sokak and has been doing business there for eight years… With the menu and  dishes  prepared by Zia Mehmood, who is also a chef, the restaurant addresses  a rooted customer group mainly composed of foreigners in Cihangir with its comfortable atmosphere and reasonable prices. A remarkable number of customers who have become interested in the Indian culture after starting yoga and becoming vegetarians are also regular customers.… Unless you mention otherwise, the food is served peppery. The chefs can adjust the amount of peppery spices in the sauces as little and moderate. In fact, the degree of hot taste of the Indian food is not too much for Turkish people who can eat Adana Kebab and hot pickled peppers.

Balti Butter Chicken, a chicken dish seasoned with almond, cream and butter, is a less hot and delicious food for those trying it for the first time. Dating back to the tables of the 16th century Mongolian sultans, Lamb Korma, lamb with curry, is also another alternative with moderate hot taste that you can try. Tarka Dal, which is an indispensable lentil food of each meal in the Indian cuisine, and Palak Paneer, a spinach food with cheese, are the most preferred foods by the regular customers, especially the vegetarians… Prepared with spices, minced beef Keema Bhuna and green pea food Keema Mutter with minced meat are among the favorites of the regulars… Preparation of foods takes 15-20 minutes at Taj Mahal, which is open from 11 am to 11 pm. They give delivery service as far as Nişantaşı and Beşiktaş.

Address: Akyol Caddesi 47/1, Cihangir
Tel: (212) 292 58 96


written by: derya atakan
photographed by yücel zorlu

In Istanbul