The Republic of India is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous behind China. Yet most of us (who haven’t been to India) have a singular vision of Indian food. It’s yellow curry over basmati rice or bright orange tandoori chicken with naan. They’re flavors and textures that are familiar to even the least-traveled Americans. That style of Indian food is what Prem and Sonal Desai, owners of Indigo Kitchen, refer to as “colonial cuisine,” a traditional version of Indian food that’s been Westernized by British and later American influences. After my third visit to the Desai’s Indigo Kitchen at the Silos of Easley, in my jaded, well-traveled opinion, this is the most intriguing food being served in South Carolina.
On my first visit I was served corn bhel, a cold salad of diced tomatoes and scallions, tossed with a sweet vinegar, cilantro and mint dressing, with puffed rice, threads of dried graham, and something akin to corn flakes. It’s a crunchy and aromatic surprise that Prem told me is served like London fish and chips, rolled up in a newspaper, a joyous afternoon snack eaten on the go. Their waffle-cut sweet-potato fries are topped with their own dry spices and squirted with a roasted red pepper and garlic sauce that reminds me of the best romesco. Their chaat bombs are tiny, delicate shells that barely contain a spicy yogurt filling that holds more flavor than an entire 7-Eleven. And their chicken wings? Until that first wing at Indigo Kitchen, my standard had been the smoky wings from our dearly departed Bacon Brothers and the phenomenal wood-roasted wings at Knoxville’s J.C. Holdway. Both of those examples now take a back seat to the outrageous flavors that the crew of Indigo Kitchen coax from this humble protein.
You’re going to want something to drink from their clever list of beverages. How about a lassi? It’s a yogurt drink flavored with blueberries and rose water, or banana and cardamom. At Indigo, familiar foods are combined into novel flavors and textures. Even their branding beckons with a clever pop.
“I’m not a cook” says Prem. “I’ve been in the fast-food business, Subways and the like. My wife, Sonal, while she may be VP of a bank, she’s the real cook. We’ve traveled to Thailand, Singapore and of course India, and in all these great places there’s amazing street food. We wanted to create something equally as memorable, something we could call our own that would give us a way to connect with a person we’d never met before. A bite of something that, for someone that’s never been to India, would make them smile.”
Prem, Sonal: I’m smiling.
Indigo Kitchen is at 122 Folger Ave., at the Silos in Easley
“City Juice” is a colloquial term for a glass of tap water served at a diner.
John Malik is a culinary adviser and broker with National Restaurant Properties. He can be reached at chefjohnmalik@gmail.com.
