Delhi's Masala Library offers drama on a platter

Delhi's Masala Library offers a flavourful twist to food from across the subcontinent

A levitating chocolate dessert, an ash-coloured kulfi, a mandarin orange tree and a fake egg yolk — the menu at the newly-opened Masala Library by Jiggs Kalra tricks, surprises and delights the palate.

The restaurant, located in Janpath, has kept its interiors minimalistic so that the diner’s focus is solely on the food. A custom-built chandelier is the only ornament to adorn the space, besides a mezzanine wine cellar that holds a selection of 80 wines. I am told that if the menu at Masala Library, Mumbai, represents progressive Indian cuisine 2.0, the Delhi one takes it several notches higher with a 4.0 version. But for jalebi caviar, the Delhi menu is entirely different from the Mumbai one. With 70 covers, the restaurant will only be open for dinner (between 7 pm and 1 am) for the next few weeks. Later, lunch service will start.

Post-modern and post-molecular techniques have been applied while keeping the flavours from across the subcontinent authentic. The smoke-and-mirror effects one associates with molecular gastronomy are served in muted tones and “have not been employed for drama or theatrics, but to enhance texture and impart flavour,” says Saurabh Udinia, the culinary force behind Masala Library by Jiggs Kalra and Farzi Café. Udinia travelled across India, especially in the Northeast, staying at people’s homes in hamlets and towns. These experiences have helped shape the menu with dishes from Nagaland, Mizoram, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Assam and more making an appearance.    

The chef’s tasting menu is extensive and you need nearly three hours to experience it. I start with an amuse-bouche of fake egg, which comes in a nest and bursts on your palate in a gush of fresh mango. Next up is a crunchy vada, accompanied by rasam which has been churned six times to give it clarity. This is followed by a mango pirada served in a rambutan>shell with cheese poee — Udinia’s take on the traditional Goan bread. There is a different set of crockery for each dish to reflect its essence. The Farmer’s Staple — bajra ki roti stuffed with caramelised onions and served with a dollop of white butter — is served on an earthy plate with rough edges. The Kashmiri nadir choorma, a crispy air-fried sliver of Thai lotus stem served with radish-walnut chutney, comes on a stone Udinia picked up from a river bed.

A galouti kebab with sheermal make an appearance soon after. The kebab and the light-as-air bread melt in the mouth. In contrast to the softness of the galouti are the sharp flavours of the curry leaf prawns served with thayir satham. Next is an interesting recipe from Udinia’s home town in Rajasthan — tawa keema and pickled bitter gourd. The bitterness has been leached out of the bitter gourd by treating it in apple cider for six days.

The most comforting of all recipes is the Mizo chicken stew served on a bed of black rice. This complex, aromatic broth sings on the palate and makes for a perfect meal on a rainy day. The last dish in the main course is the curry bread — three basic Indian curries, palak, makhani and kofta, served with breads such as tingmo. You will be surprised at how well the steamed Tibetan bread goes with the white kofta gravy.

For desserts, first up is the ashen kulfi that gets a unique grey colour from the banana leaf ash. The meal ends in style with a levitating dessert of Blueberry and Yuzu chocolate shell, leaving me a little wide-eyed.

The chef’s tasting menu is priced at Rs 5,000 for two plus taxes. An average meal from the main menu costs Rs 4,500 for two plus taxes