As a lover of all types of ethnic cuisines, the realization that the Martha’s Vineyard Chowder Company had brought back their Indian nights every Thursday from 4 to 9 pm during the off-season made me quite excited. With its exotic ingredients and hard-to- pronounce dishes, the restaurant has made those essential Indian dishes approachable to all.
For starters, we began with Chicken Samosas with Yellow Coconut Curry Sauce ($8 for 2) and a serving of their Naan with Tamarind Chutney, Mint Chutney, and Raita Sauce ($7). The samosas were delightfully crispy, packed to the brim with a spiced mixture of ground chicken that balanced well when dipped into the light curry sauce. The naan was out of this world: buttery, light, and just fluffy enough. Accompanied with three sauces, the mint chutney was my favorite — fresh, herbaceous, and light.
Other starters include: House-Made Hummus Plate Roasted Tomatoes, Vegetables, Olives, Naan ($12), Tandoori Chicken Wings ($12), and Vegetable Bhajia Brioche Sliders with Tamarind Chutney ($11).
Indian food is known for its intense use of bright spices and herbs, and you can discover a variety of them throughout your meal at Chowder Company. Entrees offer something for everyone, including vegetarians. The Saag Paneer ($12) is a blend of slowly braised spinach with Indian farmer’s cheese and served with a side of hot naan bread. Once you’re done, you can soak up the sauce with the naan — the perfect end to the meal. Another vegetarian option is the Channa Masala Chickpeas cooked in Onion Gravy with Diced Tomato ($12).
The Curry Chicken, Potato, and Peas in a Spiced Curry Sauce ($14) is served with either lemon or saffron rice, and I recommend the lemon rice. It adds a hint of tart brightness to the dish. The curry sauce has a great spice for those that like it hot, but not too hot. For those that love the spiciest of all, try the Lamb Vindaloo ($18). Chunks of Lamb in Spicy Curry Sauce with Raita Sauce are fork tender and a delight since you can rarely find lamb served at restaurants lately. Craving seafood? The Indian menu includes shrimp curry ($15) as well as a shrimp korma ($15) dishes.
Whether it’s curry, korma, tikka masala, or vindaloo, the sauces are all sourced and created by Indian chefs and are 100 percent authentic. Using no preservatives or artificial ingredients, the sauces are then worked on further by the Chowder Company chefs, who use their knowledge to tweak them to the New England audience’s taste buds.
“Essentially, Indian Night is an opportunity for us to continue to offer different things to the Island when we aren’t sure a stand alone concept would survive,” Chowder Company owner JB Blau said. “Instead of taking the risk right now to open an Indian restaurant, we can offer it on a limited basis and have some fun. If you attend an Indian night with a couple of friends, know that the regular bar menu is also offered for those not interested in diving into Indian cuisine. But I urge you to get out of your comfort zone and give your tastebuds a culinary adventure.”
Indian nights: every Thursday, 4–9 pm at Martha’s Vineyard Chowder Company in Oak Bluffs. For more information and reservations, call 508-696-3000.