PROFILED BY DEGROOTS MEDIAChef, Vivek, and his wife, Kanan, opened Aroma Indian Cuisine in cosmopolitan Hutt Street in 2007. Evening visits are made cosy with strands of winking fairy lights in the window but the interior is not of an elaborate Taj Mahal design, just simply suited to fit the humble menu. One of the most delightful aspects of this restaurant is Vivek’s assurance that meats used in his tandoori dishes are not pre-cooked. This is news worth celebrating, so do just that with Aroma’s tandoori platter. Coriander chicken tikka, lamb chops and seekh kebabs are the perfect entree into your meal. Tiger prawns which are marinated in olive oil, ginger, mint, garlic and herbs come out of the tandoor with a glaze of flavour. Prawn Malabar sees a bundle of the beauties sauteed with onion and tomato then finished with cream, coconut and coriander.
Duck comes braised with fresh ground Indian spices and herbs while spicy mango sauce makes the flavours of this popular dish linger on the palate. Curry lovers are smart cookies. They know their favourite dish gives them license to order towers of bread and mountains of rice. Kashmiri naan assists the stuffing process of your belly with its filling of crushed cashew nuts, sultanas and grated almonds. Steamed basmati rice with saffron ensures every drop of curry-full flavour is soaked up from your bowl.
Roz Taylor, June 2008
