The Indian Eatery In Kalyan Nagar Serves Up Tangra Chinese & Indian With Flair

We probably haven't had this much Indian food and enjoyed it as well, in a while, and it's all because of The Indian Eatery. On our preview night, we were joined by our friend and the hosts, including the co-founders Kristian and Sakina. We learn during our chat with them that Kristian is a fitness coach and Sakina was one of his clients back in the day, and over the years, it has changed into this client-turned-friends-turned-business-partners-but-still-friends situation. Kristian loves food, and Sakina loves her family's recipes, and what better combo do you need when it comes to opening a restaurant, right? 

If it weren't for the signage, you'd think that it's a brightly lit house in the residential part of Kalyan Nagar. Set inside a charming bungalow that has this old-world charm (quite rare in this part of town, we'd say), you can drop by with your family or for those solo dinners. If you are doing solo, then we recommend the al fresco seating, which also has a big screen showing live sports screenings. 

The Indian Eatery serves up Indian and Tangra Chinese fare. The latter, which we quite enjoy. While we were chatting with our other hosts, Kristian and Sakina started sending out food, and the first to arrive were the Thai Basil Chicken Bites, Lamb Chops, and Persian Chicken. Of the three, we quite liked the spiciness of the Thai Basil Chicken and the lamb chops were perfectly cooked. It's a great option to fill up on some heavy protein after your workout. (Even though we didn't ask, we think Kristian eats them after his workout.)

We washed down all that spice with a Kala Khatta cooler before the mains arrived. For a table of four, the Dal Gosht paired with Khamiri Roti and Dal Makhani, and Guntur Chilli Fried Rice with Kung Pao Chicken, felt like a feast. The roti paired well with the two kinds of dal, but if we had to pick our favourite, it was the Dal Gosht. We're pretty sure we haven't had such a dal dish, and we know we are definitely going back for more. We were happily stuffed beyond this point when Kristian sent what is one of their signature dishes, the Veg Kizhi Biryani, a perfectly spiced biryani wrapped in a banana leaf. It's like the Kerala dish of kizhi porotta, but somehow better. (Yeah, we enjoy a veg biryani.)

While this writer isn't a fan of Indian sweets, everyone at the table almost polished off the Phirni, Gajar Ka Halwa, and hot chocolate. 

It's comfort food served with no pretence and fuss. We didn't get to fully explore the Tangra side of the menu, but we know enough that we are going back for more.

Cost For Two: INR 1,500

Ratings: 4.8/5 on Google

Timings: 12 Noon to 11 PM

Social Handle: @theindianeateryblr