Today in Las Vegas Magazine

The Tandoor's The Thing

Whenever we visit ethnic restaurants, our gauge for whether it’s truly authentic is the nationality of the diners. Say, if we go to a Korean restaurant, are the diners predominantly Korean? And so on and so forth. We’re happy to report that India Oven is patronized mostly by Indians, which is really not surprising, since it’s been around for nine years. Unfortunately, Indian cuisine hasn’t quite reached the universal appeal of Chinese or Japanese food. It has largely remained under the radar, probably due to its use of spices and ingredients not generally found in the American kitchen.

Don’t let this discourage you, though, for Indian cuisine is wonderful; rich in spices and herbs, with a variety of dips and chutneys. For example, the Indian cook does wonders for vegetables that is light-years away from a handful of steamed or sautéed greens. Whatever you want to call it – colorful or exotic – one thing’s for sure, bland, it’s not.

Clockwise from top left: naan, chicken korma, chicken tikka masala, palak paneer and mukhwas

The restaurant specializes in North Indian cuisine, which is known for its heavy use of dairy, as well as the tandoor (coal-fired clay oven). It is here where the magic begins. From the chicken tikka masala we ordered, to the flatbread, naan (leavened) – both of which had that unmistakable, distinctive and smoky taste of being cooked in a charcoal oven. The naan came out piping hot, puffy and crispy on the edges. For a bread that looks so simplistic (looks like a pita), it takes a considerable amount of skill to make it, because it is ‘slapped on’ to the sides of the over-500°F-temperature tandoor – definitely no room for a novice. The naan is a perfect accompaniment to the chicken tikka masala, which in itself, involves a two-step cooking process of first baking the chicken in the tandoor, and then, cooking it in a thick gravy comprised of tomato sauce, cream and spices.

By default, we usually order butter chicken, which is similar to this dish, but proprietor Jitendra Patel (who has been in the business for 23 years) recommended this instead. The man knows his stuff, and now we have a new favorite to order. Being the closest to the “western style of cooking” has cemented its position as an Indian “all-time hit.” It is the most ordered dish in India Oven, and in the UK, it’s been hailed by the Foreign Minister as “Britain’s true national dish.” No surprise there. Large chunks of chicken meat remain tender, probably due to its marinade of yogurt and spices. The gravy is thick, creamy and tangy; rich with the blend of spices and practically a meal in itself, if you sop it up with the naan.

Other dishes we ordered were the palak paneer (cottage cheese and spinach), chicken korma (in a creamy almond gravy), basmati rice and, for comparison purposes, paratha (unleavened flatbread).

The palak paneer can look intimidating to someone new to Indian food, with its all-green hue; but in essence, it is spinach and tiny chunks of cottage or farmer’s cheese in a curry gravy. It’s enough to make anyone turn vegetarian. The multi-layered, pan-fried paratha, by the way, is great to eat with this dish. Another cream-based dish is the chicken korma. Although considered a mild curry due to its lack of chillies, this is still especially rich with the addition of almonds and coconut milk, resulting in the thickest of gravies.

Indian cuisine doesn’t shy away from spicy dishes, though the folks at India Oven have learned to temper the heat by offering “mild, medium, hot or very hot” options.

We didn’t have room for dessert, though judging from the menu, they’re all Northern Indian specialties like gulab jamun (dry milk and cottage cheese balls, deep-fried and dipped in sugar syrup) and kulfi (ice cream with pistachios).

All we could muster was to munch on a handful of mukhwas, the after-meal snack and digestive comprising fennel and anise seeds, and usually found in a bowl, by the cashier or main entrance. After all that richness and goodness, you’re going to need it.

-Rachel M. Sugay

India Oven
2218 Paradise Road. 702-366-0222. Open daily, lunch: 11 a.m.-2:30 p.m.; dinner: 5-10:30 p.m. Lunch buffet daily, $10.95 per person. Price range: Appetizers, $2-$11.95. Soups and Salads, $3.50-$4.50. Tandoori Specialties, $17.95-$24.95. Vegetarian Delights, $13.95-$17.95. Seafood, $18.95-$22.95. Chicken and lamb, $16.95-$24.95. Indian breads, $2.95-$5.50. Accompaniments, $2.95-$3.95. Rice, $2.95-$20.95. Dessert, $4.95. Beverages, $2.50-$5.50.