A Whirlwind Of Spices

A true blue Indian, will not miss home-cooked food at Devi. For here fresh flavours emerge from traditional Indian recipes at the hands of co-executive chefs Suvir Saran and Hemant Mathur, in the heart of Manhattan, New York. The cosy 75-seater restaurant is filled with colour and excitement where every plate has an array of taste and texture presented in a totally new way. The interiors of Devi blends aspects of home and temple by using clusters of brightly coloured lanterns, rich textiles, beautifully carved wooden architectural elements and a white marble staircase in an environment that is both enticing and comfortable.

So what should I write home about? There is this perfectly placed explosion of flavour in a roasted coriander seed and the appetising light airy coconut rice. Suvir and Hemant offer specialties from a diverse repertoire of regional cuisine: Tandoor Grilled Jamison Farm Lamb Chops with Sweet & Sour Pear Chutney, Curry Leaf Potatoes, and Jackfruit Biryani; Turkey Kaa Keema with Mint and Spinach and Parsi Halibut “Paatra Ni Machi” with Mint Coconut Chutney and Lemon Rice.

After working together in various capacities for over ten years, as co-executive chefs of Devi, Suvir and Hemant bring together their creative force and practical knowledge. With restaurateur Rakesh Aggarwal, owner of Baluchi's in New York City, and pastry chefs Surbhi Sahni (Hemant's wife) and James Distefano, the team at Devi have made a mark on the culinary landscape with their shared passion for the flavours of the Indian home and the highest quality of service.

Devi 8 East 18th Street (between Broadway and Fifth Avenue), New York City.

So ours was a party of seven including yours truly with Alyona, Paul Awasthi, Brij Sehgal, R Dhingra and Rajesh and Neena Bhardwaj. We started off with Spinach Chaat (USD 9), layers of crispy spinach with a salad of sprouted moong beans, chopped onions and tomatoes flavoured with lemon juice. And had a Trio of Samosas (USD 9) which had different fillings like spinach, with cheese, potato & peas and lamb. The collective choice was for Butter Chicken (USD 12) because if someone has to take the test of home cooking it has to be something familiar and Butter chicken passed the test. The specials on the menu caught our eye and we tried out brinjals in tamarind gravy named Abha Aunty's Baingan (USD 15). My sister's favourite corn curry (USD 15) was definitely untouched by the dictates of restaurant cooking…and as we became more and more comfortable with the thoughts of actually having simple ghar ka khana, the Karela ka Salad (USD 16) clinched it! Kathal biryani (USD 17) is a dish close to my heart and on a lot of cajoling even tried the Amritsari Fried fish and Chips (USD 25) which I can say one will only enjoy in Amritsar! Anyway, Turkey Kheema (USD 21) sounded intriguing and so it was with spinach and mint. Decidedly different! Gave the other meats a miss because our sweet tooth wanted to try out Surbhi's exotic presentations.

We were not disappointed for the array had a lot of choices. From Spiced Coconut Panna Cotta, Firni, Rose Flan, Falooda, Pistachio Kulfi, Mango Cheesecake, Shahi Tukra (with the perfect name of Emperor's Morsel) it was the Falooda (USD 9) which was truly a work of art. A great sundae of strawberry and mango sorbets, coconut-lemongrass milk, the usual cornstarch vermicelli and takmari (basil seeds). A distinctly Western touch to an Indian dessert.

At Devi, each plate is a journey, introducing layers of tastes and textures. In just one meal, you can experience a full spectrum of flavours. This is the essence of home cooking.