Ancient Indian cuisine

In India, food is linked to one’s culture and identity so closely that it varies from region to region.Rich in taste, texture and satisfying, Indian food, or at least that part of Indian food that is prepared with minimal oil and healthy cooking methods is often considered one of the healthiest cuisines in the world. It is where rich spices are made.

With this said, Indian foods are generally believed to be chilly.  Gaborone-based Chutney restaurant chef Raguppathi Sridharan refutes this as a myth. “We eat mild, hot or very hot. Our country makes spices but sometimes our food are not even spicy,” he says. Their rich menu comprises rich Indian vegetarian starters such as chilli eggplant and paneer.

A paneer is a fresh cheese common in Northern India. It is unaged, acid-set, no melting farmer cheese made by curdling heated milk with lemon juice, vinegar or any other food acids. They also offer chicken reshmi kebab boneless which are marinated with mint and spicy yoghurt cooked in tandoor.

What sets their menu apart from the rest of other Indian eating places in Botswana is the presence of dosas and south Indian pancakes. A dosai is a crispy pancake made form rice and black kentil butter. Various dosa include masala, podi, prawn masala, kal, lamb and egg dosa.

They can be stuffed with fillings of vegetables and sauces to make a quick meal, but it is typically served with sambar and chutney. If you also have a throat for soup, talumin soup, which is made of chicken, prawn, vegetables, vermicelli and an egg, can work the trick. Alternatively, mulligatany and chicken lung fung soups can be served. 

Exotic non-vegetarian meals, which include chicken irani and chicken vindaloo, are also on the menu. Chicken vindaloo is chicken cubes with potato and onion in a black pepper gravy. A rare ingredient at Chutney restaurant is the presence of raithas or yoghurts mixed with other foods. 

A divine raitha known as the nawabi is made of grated carrot, cashewnut, almond and raisings with spicy yoghurt.

The food outlet also combines Indian cuisine with some delectable Chinese fusion. They also have wines and drinks.  All in all, Chutney food reveals the secrets of the authentic Indian cuisine in its original glory.