If you have an urge for spicy goodness and dim lighting, then Shanti is the way to go. Not only is the food mostly authentic, but spicy and savory enough to sate any ravenous creature after just a few bites.
Shanti serves typical the cuisine typical of northern India, which involves using spices such as cardamom, cumin, saffron, tumeric, chili, garlic, ginger and onion. Most sauces from that region involve some amount of coconut or another, as well, unlike south Indian that uses tomato or potato in most of their marinades. Besides the latter, south Indian style uses black mustard seed in their curry also.
When you first arrive, you are greeted by a subdued library-like atmosphere that makes you feel as if you should speak softly and leave the big stick at home. However, you’ll get over that fairly quickly as the staff is quite friendly; although at times a little slow as they were in getting us our entrees. But for the amount of food, attention, and reasonable prices, you’ll appreciate the meal as soon as you sit down.
To start with, we were given papadum, sort of like the Indian version of nachos, and three sauces, or chutneys, to go with it: onion and picante (red and hot), cilantro (spicy and sour), and tamarind (sweet). Go slowly and mix and match. The great thing about most of these sauces is that their tastes complement one another no matter how many you dump together.
For appetizers, we ordered garlic Naan ($2.95) and onion Naan ($2.99). Both of these are breads, fried in oil and lightly spiced, meant for dipping. For our dipping delight, we had Raita (1.95), a cucumber, yogurt, and pepper combination to cool off your taste buds and mixed pickles (1.95) to tweak your tongue. These starter foods may also be taken with the entrees as they do not get in the way of enjoying the main dishes.
The heart of the meal turned out to be the Malai Kofta ($10.99) and the Murg Tikka Masala ($10.99). The former is the Indian version of meatballs composed of rice, ground beef, and a mild cheese. When cooking, ricotta can be successfully substituted as the strengths of their flavors are roughly the same. The latter is a truly rich dish made up of thick tomato-based sauce with chunks of chicken and laden with onion, ginger, and many other spices.
Ordering drinks can be an adventure. Traditionally, you’re supposed to wait for dessert until you’ve finished your dinner (vegetables included). But the sweetness of the mango Lassi (basically a mango and milk smoothie) or the sharp spices of Masala chai tea (cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, and black tea) will make you rethink your plans on just what you might want to fill up on. A good wine to try (by the glass if you’re driving) is the 2000 merlot, raised in the San Rita vineyards of Chile. A pleasant aftertaste and smooth bouquet await the senses.
The restaurant itself sports a single flower in each vase with rainbow tinted blown glass lanterns that only add to the ambience. The bathrooms are equally as tasteful, unique and clean without being gaudy. The only real criticisms I had, besides the slow speed of their service was the size of the chunks of meat. True Indian food is meant to be “fingerfood”. In other words, the pieces must be small enough to wrap in bread and dip in sauce. However, to adapt to American standards of knives and forks since the general public tends to be unfamiliar with the eating habits of other countries, they are large enough to cut up.
The total meal came to $39.09 (between three hungry people) including the discount accorded with the presentation of a UMass ID that will land you a whopping 20% cut off the tab. Shanti presents a truly sensual, sensory experience.
4/5 stars. Shanti is located at 277 Huntington Avenue, Boston or 1111 Dorchester Avenue, Dorchester and online at www.shantiboston.com. Check them out!