Indigo takes the blues out of restaurant eating
Bar and lounge offers Indian fine dining; families also welcomed
BY JENNIFER AMATO Staff Writer

JENNIFER AMATO The Indigo restaurant and bar on Route 1 in North Brunswick has seating for 175 inside and for 25 outside. There is also a bar and lounge area with a full liquor and wine list.

NORTH BRUNSWICK - Vijay Shetty said he was born into the restaurant business. His father was a restaurateur, and he himself has had restaurants in Manhattan, Hong Kong and Bombay.

Vasant Mangal Pakhiddey graduated with a degree in hotelmanagement and has been a chef since 1981. He has cooked at India's equivalent ofNewYork'sWaldorf-Astoria hotel, and has been featured at European food festivals. After 18 years he came to the United States to share his food expertise.

Shetty is now the managing director of the Indigo restaurant and bar, located next to the Ramada Inn hotel at 999 Route 1 south, and has brought executive chef Pakhiddey and two other partners along with him.

"We are experienced. We know the business," Shetty said.

Pakhiddey said that Indigo "targets American people who know about India and Indian food." He said the menu is comprised of healthy ingredients such as whole-wheat flour, sprouts, fresh vegetables from local markets and vegetable oil.

Chef Pakhiddey

"The people who really want to go to a fine dining restaurant [come here]. In New Jersey, there are somany restaurants. Here,we are trying to give thema regional alternative to Indian food," Pakhiddey said.

The chef said he creates his own recipes which are not featured anywhere else. He said he designs "authentic dishes thatwe try to present in a fancy style" along with four cooks and three helpers.

He said that a common misconception is that all Indian food is spicy, when it is actually full of flavors and spices but not necessarily hot.

He also said, "Here, we make for each and every dish a different sauce [from scratch]," but that "whenever we cook we feel we keep in mind that nobody likes oily food."

The meal begins with the washing of hands. The patron places his or her hands in a clay pot and rubs them with lemon as hot water is poured over.

Next, the choice of appetizers include Chatpate kholapuri prawn, which is fried shrimpmarinated in paprika and chilies; lipata gosht taka-tak, which is lamb cubes cooked with onions and peppers; chicken tikka, which is chicken marinated in a spicy garlic yogurt; a bean sprout salad; and Bombay ragda patties, which is a vegetarian patty served on a bed of chickpeas.

There are a variety of breads, including rosemary, basil, whole-wheat, potato- or cheese-stuffed or fried. Pakhiddey said the Indigo Special Bread, which is filled with nuts and raisins, and the rumali roti, which is made of thin whole-wheat bread, cannot be found anywhere else.

The entrees, which are featured from all regions of India, begin with a drier, purer curry flavor using the tandoor clay oven. There are tandoori fasal which are vegetables; whole tandoori fish; lamb shank coated with a cream tomato-onion sauce; basil malai chicken tikka which uses fresh basil, garlic, green chili and cream; and venison chops marinated with whole gram masala.

Other choices includemurgh tikka lababdar, which is chicken cooked in a cream tomato sauce; methi gosht masala, which is spicy lamb curry; coconut lamb curry; lamb chops cookedwith Jaipur spices; andKholapuri goat masala which is marinated goat cooked on a slow fire.

For vegetarians, Indigo offers tikona paneer lababdar, which is paneer cooked in a cream tomato sauce; shahi palak paneer, which is paneer cooked in a cream spinach sauce; baingan patiala, which is eggplant cooked in an onion-tomato sauce with sesame seeds, raisins and cashews; methi aloo channa masala, which is chickpeas cooked with fenugreek, onion and tomato; aloo kalimirch, which is diced potatoes sautéedwith fresh black pepper; and dal Indigo, which is black lentils cooked in spices.

In addition, there are matki-dum biryanis, which are made with whole spices and cooked basmati rice. Vegetables, chicken, lamp, shrimp or goat can be added.

All of the food is served in clay pots to retain their warmth.

Shetty said the menu changes every few months, and dishes can be made to order.

"We are putting a new experience into new types of food-making," Shetty said.

There is a chef devoted entirely to desserts, Pakhiddey said. He bakes everything on premise, and "each and every dessert is made and presented and picked out by hand."

The desserts include kesari phirni,which is crushed rice cookedwithmilk and saffron; kala jamun, which are honey dumplings; fresh strawberry kulfi, which is ice cream; carrot halwa,which is like a carrot pudding; pista rasmalai, which is milk dumplings in pistachio-sweetened milk; and mocha or mango tiramisu.

Indigo also offers birthday cakes, and a photograph of the person celebrating as a souvenir.

The beverages include tea, coffee,masala tea, cappuccino, espresso, soda,mineral and sparking water, a complete wine list including wines from India and a full liquor bar.

There is a lunch buffet offered Tuesday through Friday from11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. and on Saturday and Sunday from12 to 3:30 p.m.

Dinner off the menu is served from 5:30 to 10:30 p.m. on weekdays, and until 11:30 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.

The bar is open every night until 2 a.m.

Indigo also offers off-site catering, and can host parties at the Ramada.

In addition to the food, Shetty said Indigo offers a "dining experience." There is live entertainment, patio seating, and live cooking of kebabs during the summer.

Yet despite the upscale atmosphere, Shetty said he welcomes families. Although there is no children's menu, he said parents often share their selections with their kids.

The 10,000-square-foot Indigo seats 175 people inside and 25 people outside. Reservations are required, by calling (732) 247 - 5500. Proper attire is required.

Formore information, visit theWeb site, www.IndigoRestaurantBar.com.