Missouri Life September 2023

FIND DINING

Spice of Life Indulge in the alluring

flavors of Nawab’s. STORY & PHOTOS Chef Daniel Pliska

makes it more flavorful and succulent. On the side of these two dishes, I had a traditional garlic Naan that had also been baked in a tandoor and was served warm and slightly smoky. Krish is originally from New Delhi, where he began his education in the restaurant business before traveling abroad to Melbourne, Australia, continu ing for a short stint in Germany, then settling in the United States. After managing other restaurants in Springfield, he made the decision to open his own. He came up with the name of Nawab’s and told me the idea originated with his sister. In India, the name conjures associations with splendor and royalty. Nawab equates to a viceroy and historically was used for a ruling prince or large landowner during ancient times in the reign of the Mughals. Krish is proud that his menu offers tastes of his homeland and features special types of street foods popular in New Delhi along with Indo-Chinese fusion dishes coming from the border region of Tibet and Nepal. Among the popular menu offerings are a type of Indian/Chinese dumplings known as momos . The stuffed, street food favorites differ from their Chinese counterparts because the dough is made from rice flour instead of the wheat flour used in the Chinese style. They are served steamed or fried, and according to Krish, are not served anywhere else in the city. The restaurant has a full bar that serves a wide vari ety of premium cocktails and specialty nonalcoholic drinks. Krish recommended that I try the carbonated, cumin-scented Jeera, which I would describe as slightly sweet, salty, and sour. It was a refreshing contrast to the spicy, flavorful food. On another occasion, while on a dinner date with my wife, I had Nawab’s mango lassi —a fruit and yogurt beverage. There’s also an Indian soda made with lime and mint. Nawab’s is destination dining for those who enjoy the multilayered flavors of this global cuisine. With spice levels ranging from mild to devilishly hot, Nawab’s authentic Indian food will please every palate.

I

ndian cuisine is perhaps one of the most underrepre sented global cuisines in this state. With that in mind, I set my sights on Nawab’s Indian Cuisine, a unique restaurant situated in southwest Springfield. It features exotic flavors with a vast array of spices and cooking styles from the Indian sub-continent. Nawab’s arrived on the Springfield scene about a year and a half ago. It is an à la carte restaurant with an intimate, warmly lit dining room adorned with inter esting Indian accouterments. India is the second most populated country in the world, with ancient traditions and a multitude of culinary options and flavors. On a recent lunch, I sat down with the Chef/Owner Krish Verma and was served some of Nawab’s more popular dishes. The first dish was a light appetizer called Bhelpuri Chaat, a Delhi street food made with puffed rice and flavored with mint and tamarind chut ney, topped with gram flour (a chickpea-based flour) vermicelli. I have read that it is also a popular beach snack in Mumbai, and I found it to be flavorful, slightly sweet, and tangy. Next came the main course of Tandoori Murgh, which is commonly known as tandoori chicken. I requested that mine be mildly spiced. The dish, which is a specialty of Northern India, was served on a siz zling hot platter with onions and cabbage. It was very moist, unlike other tandoori dishes I have had in the past, and came with a small side of cilantro mint chut ney. The enticing flavors of layered spices in the dish were enhanced through baking in a traditional tandoor clay oven. Krish says they use fried mustard seed oil as well as yogurt in the marination of this dish, which

Clockwise from left, Tandoori Murgh, known to American diners as tandoori chicken, is marinated in yogurt and fried mustard seed oil, then baked in a clay oven. Bhelpuri Chaat is a popular Delhi street food that has become a favorite among the restaurant’s customers. Krish Verma is Nawab’s owner and chef.

CHEF DANIEL PLISKA is a certified executive chef and author. He teaches culinary arts at Ozarks Technical Community College in Springfield.

Visit Nawab’s at 3654 S. Campbell Ave., Springfield.

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