All the way from Reading to the strange hinterland around NW1, Masakali is an Indian restaurant that stands out anywhere.
Where does central London end and the boondocks begin? Personally when I cross the Euston Road heading north I begin to feel ‘here be dragons’. Where once rows of Georgian terraces once stood, now there are council blocks from the 1970s, and those few houses that are still left standing seem marooned and appear unloved. All grey net curtains and the snaggles of door bell buttons that speak of multiple occupancy.
Go any further though and you hit Camden which, whilst it still has some seediness, is definitely a step up.
Why Masakali have just chosen to open a partner restaurant to their Reading outlet here is a bit of a mystery, although perhaps low rent might be one answer.
As you go in, the tiled entrance reveals this building was once a pub, ‘Lord Nelson’ is spelt out in tiles. Inside small hints of pub decoration can still be seen behind what is otherwise a rather glamorous interior.
Although it is quiet at 12:30, no surprise really, the staff are keen and welcoming even if there is some difficulty in understanding them and us, them. When I ask what their lager is called, they assure me it is indeed served cold, and this rather Clouseau-ish exchange goes on for a few minutes.
They really mean well though, and fuss over us very pleasingly.
The name, by the way, comes from an iconic Bollywood song. Not one I know of, of course, but then I don’t know any Bollywood songs.
The menu is a good size, although sadly we’re told the Dosas are off, which is a shame as I really like Dosas. However we are soon up to our necks in popadums, chutneys (and cold lager) and happy.
A ‘nibble’ of Chana Garlic, spicy deep fried chickpeas is remarkably fabulous, I could eat a whole bucket of these, their salty, spicy, savour goes so well with lager that it’s almost criminal.
Even better is Prawn Sukka. Sukka means ‘dry’ and these massively meaty prawns are coated in a spicy coconut sauce, not submerged in it. They have been butterflied to remove the black tube, a process that also allows more surface area to absorb the delicious spice paste.
We mix this with Mirchi paneer hera pheri, spicy paneer with peppers and chillies. This is also gorgeous, the stir-fried paneer cubes nicely chewy, the peppers still crunchy and there’s a fair bit of chilli heat too. This is all very good stuff, all fresh and tasty.
K, a veteran of Indian reviews, has become enamoured of Dal Makhani, that buttery creamy and utterly delicious lentil/ kidney bean ‘stew’. He’s had it high and low, in Michelin Star places and in places where you get your car keyed outside if you’re not lucky. Usually we both have it as a side, but it’s very filling, so today he’s having it as his main dish.`
The trick is the slow-cooking, ideally if done Punjabi style, over a wooden fire but a slow cooker or even a pressure cooker can work almost as well.
This one is very good indeed, needing only the perfectly cooked Pilau rice to mop it up, along with plenty of plain nans. Very good, yes, but it is filling and K cannot finish it, even with my enthusiastic assistance, and so the staff very kindly box the rest up for him to take home.
Mind you he has had some of my Lamb Rana, which was superb. Minced lamb and lamb chunks slow cooked in tomato and onion gravy may sound simple but this is all about the quality of the lamb, the textures and the spicing. So much going on with a depth of flavours that kept surprising me and coming back for more; some sour notes, some sweet, a bit of heat but not too much, it was all perfectly judged.
I don’t usually go for desserts and K, now in a post Dal coma, wasn’t capable, but Rasmali Tres Leches, a version of the popular Latin American sponge cake dessert, sounded interesting, and it was.
Dried apricots and nuts in sweet cream ghee pooled all all around a cardamom infused cake, topped with saffron Rabdi – rich, creamy, condensed milk. It’s well worth it, the creamy ghee decadent and the sponge light and airy. I needed a straw, really.
Masakali is, as you may gather, very good indeed. Plenty of dishes I’d rush back to try and my only regret is that I live in SW16 and not NW1, and I don’t say that very often. Proper Indian food fans should head on over asap.
48 Stanhope St, London, NW1 3EX