Thayir vada is a doughnut made from lentil flour beneath a layer of yoghurt with savory spices. Photograph by Richard Foss.
I prefer it when eating places show symbols of culinary tradition. The pictures of village markets laden with unique produce, bakers proudly holding recent loaves, grandmothers stirring pots over wooden fires, and households on the desk are greater than mere ornament. It’s a reminder that these recipes are the legacy of numerous generations of loving experimentation in residence kitchens. These photos whet diners’ appetites for the feast to return, permitting them to think about themselves in these photos, having fun with that hospitality.
It’s due to this fact boggling when a restaurant that represents one of many longest unbroken culinary traditions in human historical past has naked partitions. I first visited the Copper Pot Indian Grill in Redondo just a few days after they opened, and figured the stark white expanse could be lined with artwork after they settled in. Greater than a month later, that hasn’t modified. Given the richness of visible artwork from South Asian custom, this must be a deliberate omission, however I can’t think about why.
One merchandise I might nominate for the décor could be a big map of South India, as a result of that’s the place this delicacies is from. It’s a area most People don’t know a lot about, and it has a particular delicacies based mostly on ecology. Amongst different issues, they use extra seafood, lentils, plantain, and coconut than they do in Punjab and northern areas, which traditionally had probably the most immigration to America. The cooking model is completely different too, with extra flatbreads and rice dishes and distinctly completely different seasonings.
This implies Copper Pot has some choices which might be very completely different from most in our space, however sadly the menu does a horrible job of explaining them. There are 5 completely different kinds of biryani rice dish supplied, however few or no clues about how they’re completely different from one another. Some are named after elements which might be unfamiliar to most individuals – would we desire the one which comprises gongura leaves to the one with rogan spice? Fortunately the restaurant wasn’t very full so our server was capable of spend time explaining a number of the dishes. We ordered just a few that we knew, just a few that we didn’t, and sat again to see what occurred.
The very first thing to reach was thayir vada, doughnuts made from lentil flour beneath a layer of yoghurt with savory spices. Eat this as quickly because it arrives on the desk and it’s wonderful – a heat doughnut with natural overtones beneath cool yoghurt topped with herbs and chillies. It’s spicy and cooling and heat on the identical time, one thing just about with out parallels in European cuisines. It was aptly adopted with one other showstopper from South Indian delicacies, a masala dosa. This merchandise surprises individuals once they first encounter it, as a result of it’s a crispy tube of batter virtually two ft lengthy – and I had ordered a small one.
The dosa, a crisp crepe that may be as much as 4 ft lengthy, is a specialty at Copper Pot Indian Grill. Photograph by Richard Foss
(They make a four-foot lengthy dosa for household celebrations, however even the usual measurement is prone to activate the telephone cameras across the desk.) Dosas aren’t as a lot meals as they appear like as a result of most of that tube of crisp batter is empty – the center has a layer of seasoned vegetable stew, and you’ll crunch on the cracker-like sourdough crepe by itself in between scooping up the stew with it.
That sourdough batter that makes such a light-weight crepe may also be ordered in an uttapam, which isn’t precisely the identical factor as a pizza however occupies the identical ecological area of interest. I had one together with a samosa after I visited for lunch, and it’s satisfying for all the explanations I like an excellent pizza. The samosa was good too, the traditional rounded pyramid of crispy dough with barely completely different seasoning on the greens than normal.
One other merchandise that may be a good starter is egg kothu parotta, which sounds odd if you clarify it. It’s a flaky flatbread that’s torn into items after which briefly sauteed with spicy sauce and scrambled egg. I used to be accustomed to an identical dish in Ethiopian eating places, a legacy of the centuries of commerce between India and Africa. This dish is sort of spicy until you request it in any other case, however nicely price making an attempt for the mixture of flavors and textures.
In the event you like to start out a meal with soup, you would possibly think about the crab laksa, which has loads of shellfish in a broth with a little bit coconut and a little bit pepperiness. It’s mildly spiced in comparison with many different dishes right here, and even those that are averse to peppery flavors ought to discover it inside their warmth tolerance.
For our fundamental programs at dinner, we ordered an Alleppey fish curry, lamb Gilli biriani, mutton ghee roast, and at our server’s suggestion a tandoori hen variation known as murgh malai tikka. This was fairly completely different from the everyday tandoori hen with its shiny pink coating comprised of a tamarind-based sauce – as a substitute the hen is marinated twice, as soon as in lemon with ginger, garlic, and spices, the second time in yoghurt, herbs, and cream. Yoghurt and lemon each assist tenderize the meat and infuse barely tart flavors, and the ensuing dish has an virtually Mediterranean lightness and ease with the complexity of Indian flavors beneath.
One other merchandise that used citrus in an sudden method was the Alleppey fish curry, which mixes coconut milk and tangerine juice for a outstanding tropical impact. It jogged my memory of a seafood dish I had within the Caribbean, which might be not an accident as a result of South Indian laborers in Trinidad and Tobago strongly influenced that delicacies. The tinge of candy fruit juice and recent coconut milk with the spice was an ideal impact, and I extremely advocate this dish.
I ordered each a lamb and A mutton dish so somebody at our desk who had by no means favored mutton may attempt it facet by facet with lamb. The mature sheep meat has a repute for being closely gamey and difficult, and it may be each when poorly cooked, however a delight when used appropriately. A marinade that breaks down the fibers within the meat takes care of the toughness situation, and the extra full-flavor is an asset when paired with sturdy spicing. This recipe is a contemporary and considerably uncommon one in that the mutton is put in a strain cooker with a garlic and ginger paste and clarified butter, then mixed with spices and roasted. The 2 cooking strategies infuse the spices into the tenderized meat, which is comfortable however not mushy. In the event you’ve by no means had mutton earlier than, this can be a nice option to attempt it, and after you do it’s possible you’ll determine you like it to the milder lamb.
That’s to not say I wouldn’t order the lamb biryani once more, as a result of I definitely would. Gili biryani is a contemporary recipe through which meat that has been marinated and partially cooked is completed in a pot of rice and greens which might be simmered in spiced vegetable inventory with a touch of rose water. That is rice pilaf given a particular Indian twist, and it has made the resort in Chennai the place it was invented into a spot of pilgrimage for connoisseurs of Indian meals.
Indian desserts are supplied, and though it’s simple to over-order right here, you must save room for some. The kesar pista, an Indian-style pistachio ice cream on a stick, shouldn’t be made in home however price a attempt, however I desire thandai phirni. This can be a creamy pudding with cardamom, saffron, and nuts, much like a rice pudding. In case you have a little bit of leftover warmth in your tongue, it will cool issues down in a most pleasant method.
Costs at Copper Pot have been fairly affordable, with a dinner for 5 individuals costing about $120. Service was earnest and pleasant, by individuals who appreciated our curiosity in studying extra in regards to the delicacies. There are issues that want work– the restaurant has poor acoustics that might be improved by placing material on the partitions, which might additionally gown up the drab environment, and so they really want a menu rewrite with extra detailed descriptions. For many who are culinary adventurers, the expertise is in contrast to that at any Indian restaurant in lots of miles, and Copper Pot ought to be a vacation spot for anybody who needs a style of Southern India.
Copper Pot is at 1511 S. Pacific Coast Hwy., Redondo. Open for lunch and dinner every day besides Tuesday – test web site for occasions. Wheelchair entry good, car parking zone, no alcohol served. CopperPotLA.com, telephone (310)504-0777. ER
