It’s a phrase you hear all too often when you ask someone if they’ve tried Indian food: “too spicy.” There’s a common misconception around these parts that Indian cuisine is all about the heat, something that you would know was false if you’ve ever tried authentic Indian dishes.
Don’t know where to find the authentic thing around Metro Manila? Then Indian by Nature is your best bet.
Having opened in April of this year, Indian by Nature is a restaurant and bar nestled among the countless other eating destinations that line Jupiter Street in Makati. It definitely stands out from the rest of the crowd, however; its owners Raj Sharma and Rajesh Singh have done their best to make sure of it.
After sampling some of the various other Indian restaurants to be found in and around the metropolis, Raj noted that much of the food turned out to be toned-down and “Filipinized” versions of their dishes. Just as its tagline says, Indian by Nature is committed to “full-on Indian cuisine,” serving delicious food that everybody, particularly Filipinos, can enjoy, without sacrificing any of its authenticity.
Full-on Indian cuisine
Popular dishes such as chicken tandoori and palak paneer are faithfully served as they would be in their country of origin: rich, aromatic and flavorful, with dozens of spices available for use in their creation. Of course, all the spices in the world wouldn’t mean a thing without a great chef to use them in his or her dishes; which is exactly where Naushad comes in. Having been a chef in India for several restaurants there, Naushad plied his trade for 13 years before being recruited by Raj to cook at Indian by Nature. When it comes to spices, Raj says of Naushad, “that is his specialty… he knows exactly what to put in what dish.”
The various menu items in Indian by Nature all hail from the North Indian cuisine, which Raj describes as “very rich” and full of flavor. For starting dishes and appetizers, a variety of soups are available, plus other fare such as kathi rolls (toasted pitas wrapped around a variety of fillings), papadum (flatbread made out of lentils), pakoras (different fillings deep fried in Indian batter) and other light foods. Each dish typically serves two, and prices range from P100 to around P250.
A large amount of main courses are also available, starting with the courses cooked in the tandoor, a clay oven used in India and other parts of Asia. These include the classic chicken tandoori (one half or one whole baked chicken marinated in spices) and chicken malai tikka (boneless chicken cooked in cheese, cashew and spices). Fish, prawns, mutton, vegetables and paneer (South Asian cheese) are also available instead of chicken as the main ingredient in these dishes, which also include kebabs. The tandoor dishes generally range from P200 to about P400, which gets you a whole chicken with your choice of marinade.
A wide selection of other dishes, ranging from vegetarian to chicken and mutton are also included, many of which tend to go best with flatbreads such as roti, naan or paratha. Palaak paneer (paneer in spinach gravy) and mutton kasa (mutton with gravy and Indian spices) are just two items in the selection of main dishes. For those who prefer rice to the wheat or other grains used, there’s biryani, a special rice dish made out of Basmati rice and meat, fish, eggs or vegetables. For office workers and executives, special set meals are available for P199 and P349, combining convenience and affordability while still providing a whole meal. The meals are available in vegetarian and non-vegetarian versions, and all meat served in Indian by Nature is halal as well.
Dessert and other sweet things aren’t forgotten either, with yogurt, salads, lassi (a yogurt drink that can be taken plain or with fruit flavorings), carrot halwa (a grated carrot dessert with dried fruits) and others available as well.
Something different
“It was always my dream to own a restaurant,” says Raj, and that dream has become a reality as customers continue to come to Indian by Nature to experience the relaxing ambience and, of course, the food. Seeing that Filipinos are “open to different cuisines,” he chose to open a restaurant in the Philippines, in the process opening “something different” when it comes to Indian restaurants around here. What makes Indian by Nature so unique and, well, better than the others? Simply put, Raj says, “it’s the taste.”
Indian by Nature is located at 136-138, 2F Jupiter Place, Jupiter Street, Bel-Air, Makati City, Open from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. daily, tel. no. (632) 484-9629.
