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Maharani - the Royal Cliff’s Indian Princess:
by Miss Terry Diner
Indian food captured the imagination of the western world for
many reasons. In the UK, for example, the spicy flavors were such a contrast
against the stodgy British cuisine that when some bright spark found that there
was nothing better than a curry after several pints of ale, the future of Indian
food was assured. So much so that ‘Balti’ curries have been claimed by the city
of Birmingham to be their intellectual property! And never forget that Chicken
Tikka Masala is also known as the British national dish! (By the way, it came
from Glasgow.)
However, the newly revamped Maharani restaurant in the Royal Cliff Beach Resort
does not have its origins in the UK. Visually, it has the crenated archways and
trappings from the Indian subcontinent, and the staff uniforms are also Indian
in style. The ambience is unmistakably Indian. The restaurant now has several
distinct areas as well, including an al fresco terrace and two separate
air-conditioned sections.
The cuisine is also Indian, from many areas including Kashmir and the Punjab
(and Sri Lankan), and Birmingham does not get a mention in the menu! The chefs
are also Indian, to further ensure faithfulness to the real origins of the
dishes.
Despite some (erroneous) opinions that you cannot match Indian food and wines,
this is covered in the menu with some recommendations from Ranjith Chandrasiri,
the internationally accredited wine judge. Amongst the wines he suggests were
some Indian labels and we drank the Shiraz Ivy, Chateau Indage, Sanyaori Valley
2006 (B. 1,100) and it was a very good quaffable wine. Other choices included
some Gewurztraminers (Australia, France and Germany) and an interesting Tuscany
Ruffino Chianti DOCG 2006. We did, however, begin the evening with a refreshing
ale, in this case a Kingfisher, from VJ Mallya’s Indian brewery in Bangalore.
We dined with Ranjith Chandrasiri and began with a selection of starters
including some very interesting Masala Poppadums, looking almost like a light
Indian pizza! The fish tawa masala was a boneless Alaskan halibut (B. 280),
according to the Royal Cliff’s Executive Chef Walter Thenisch, who also joined
us. This was accompanied by what was called Chicken 65 (B. 300), a deep-fried
boneless chicken marinated with southern Indian spices. Why 65? Perhaps 65
secret herbs and spices? I really don’t know, but it was very flavorsome. The
Vegetable Pakora (B. 160) was very notable for the exceptionally good batter,
again cooked lightly.
Our main dishes included a Kashmiri Roganjosh (B. 350), a hot and spicy lamb
curry, which we enjoyed with the long grained Basmati rice and the red lentil
‘Parrippu’ curry (B. 200) which was prepared at the table by our very gracious
hostess. And I love theatre at the table! This was a Sri Lankan style red lentil
mild curry cooked in coconut milk with a number of spices and finally flamed.
“Made from my mother’s recipe,” said Ranjith. A very filling item as well, and
do try it.
Of course, we did have numerous breads to go with our dishes, in correct Indian
fashion. There are 15 choices, and you can’t get through them all! All the usual
condiments, chutneys and yoghurts and onion were also on the table.
When we finished the meal I sat back and spontaneously exclaimed, “That was a
cut above.” This was haute cuisine, but Indian, rather than French. The delicacy
in approach and the range of subtle flavors placed this well above Birmingham’s
Baltis. Undoubtedly the best Indian dinner I have ever had. If I were to pick on
one item as the dish of the night, I would have to select the Sri Lankan curry.
Flavorsome, with the additional feature of being prepared and flamed at the
table. The theatre just adding to the enjoyment of the occasion.
If you are entertaining guests, the Maharani restaurant should be on your list.
You, and they, will not be disappointed. Highly recommended.
Maharani Restaurant, Royal Cliff Beach Resort, Pratamnak Road, South Pattaya,
telephone 038 250 421. Closed Mondays. Hours 11 a.m. until 2.30 p.m. for
breakfast/lunch and then 6 p.m. though to last orders 10.30 p.m. for dinner.
Secure parking within the Royal Cliff Beach Resort grounds.
Garlic and Lime Potato Wedges
Potato wedges are a very popular family dish. They are
also good to serve with pre-dinner drinks, but this recipe adds just a
little something more to the oven fried potato, with the addition of garlic
and lime.
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Ingredients serves
4-6
Small potatoes, cut into wedges 750 gm
Garlic finely chopped
1 clove
Extra virgin olive oil
3 tbspns
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Lime
1
Parmesan cheese, grated
1/3rd cup
Coriander chopped as garnish |
Cooking Method
Preheat oven to 375, oven racks in the middle.
In a medium bowl toss the potato wedges with the olive oil, the chopped
garlic, a few big pinches of sea salt and a liberal sprinkling of black
pepper. Arrange the potatoes cut side down on a baking sheet. Place in the
oven for 30-35 minutes, turning the potatoes with a metal spatula half way
through.
While the potatoes are baking, squeeze the lime and set the juice aside.
When the potatoes are cooked through, remove them from the oven, taste, and
adjust the seasoning. Add more salt and pepper to taste. Serve in a big
shallow bowl, sprinkle the Parmesan and coriander over them and drizzle with
the lime juice and present immediately to the guests.
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