Take a culinary tour of India at Tamarind on Rochdale

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If you never had a reason to visit northwest Regina, you do now.

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If you never had a reason to visit northwest Regina, you do now.

Tamarind is the city’s newest Indian restaurant. It opened last month, tucked into one of the many strip malls now surrounding the north Superstore.

But this is not typical strip mall food. Maybe it’s the array of fresh-ground spices at the ready. Maybe it’s Chef Vinu Paily’s sheer love for his job — he literally cooks with a smile. But the flavours at Tamarind are off the charts.

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So is the presentation.

Head chef Vinu Paily prepares some salmon in turmeric at Tamarind restaurant in Regina.
Head chef Vinu Paily prepares some salmon in turmeric at Tamarind restaurant in Regina. Photo by TROY FLEECE /Regina Leader-Post

“I used to work in Western cuisine, so I know garnish,” Paily said of a cucumber and carrot flower surrounded by four pieces of spiced chicken.

The restaurant’s tagline is “the real taste of India,” and that’s what Paily and co-owner Aji Vilavinal are going for.

Their focus is on fresh food and authentic flavours, reflecting the entire map of Indian cuisine.

“We just keep the authentic way,” said Paily, who has enjoyed cooking since childhood, helping his parents in the kitchen.

“I know what is the authentic food back home, and I used to work on different continents, so I know what is the difference between this country and other countries from back home as well.”

Paily worked as a chef in India and Singapore before moving to Regina in 2010 for his wife’s nursing career.

“If you’re trying other restaurants, you can feel like they’re a bit Canadianized,” said Vilavinal, a Regina resident since 2011. “We have a little bit more spice here.”

That includes Paily’s go-to five-spice garam masala, which doubles as décor on the restaurant’s front counter: cardamom, fennel, cinnamon, star anise and cloves.

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The restaurant is inviting, with buttery yellow walls, orange and red seating, and a lot of wood. Sunlight pours in through two full walls of windows, providing warmth on even a frigid day.

The food does likewise.

The menu’s “chef’s specials” section reflects the recipes Paily and Vilavinal grew up with in Kerala, southern India.

One of those dishes is the fish moilee, a salmon that tastes almost caramelized. It is first boiled in turmeric-spiced water, then finished in coconut sauce with tomatoes and spices (including a base of black mustard seeds).

Head chef Vinu Paily prepared a beautiful garnish of cucumbers and carrots at Tamarind restaurant in Regina.
Head chef Vinu Paily prepared a beautiful garnish of cucumbers and carrots at Tamarind restaurant in Regina. Photo by TROY FLEECE /Regina Leader-Post

A chef’s special usually goes out to every table. Paily is glad people are trying something new, because “you can get the butter chicken anywhere in this world.” That staple is on the menu though, and rooted in northern Indian cuisine. Each region has a different curry (sauce) that people typically cook at home.

Palak paneer is another northern Indian dish: cubed cheese in a subtly spicy sauce of creamy spinach and onions.

Keeping it fresh, Tamarind’s menu is “comparatively smaller” to other Indian restaurants in Regina, said Vilavinal.

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Meat is delivered each morning. Few things in Paily’s kitchen are canned or frozen.

The four-person cook staff makes fresh sauces in bulk each day or two; they’re time intensive at an hour-plus from scratch. (Even mid-day, “white gravy” simmers in a big pot, full of onions, cashew nut paste, ginger and garlic.)

The sauces are the base of most meals here, and attention to detail is key.

“I worked on Western cuisine. If you follow the exact recipe, the product will be (the) same as long as you know how to cook. But Indian food never happens like that,” said Paily.

“There is a lot of details. If you blend too much, it’s going to be another taste. If you blend less, it’s going to be another taste. The timing is important as well.”

“If you cook it two seconds more, it changes the taste,” said Vilavinal.

“If you add at the beginning, the taste is different. If you add when you make the sauce, also different,” said Paily.

Head chef Vinu Paily plates some food at Tamarind restaurant in Regina.
Head chef Vinu Paily plates some food at Tamarind restaurant in Regina. Photo by TROY FLEECE /Regina Leader-Post

Tamarind is located at 4400 Rochdale Blvd. Reservations are recommended for larger crowds, but couples can usually drop in on a weeknight.

The restaurant is open 11:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Sundays, and closed Mondays.

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