Each time I write about an Indian restaurant I get a lesson in one of the most intriguing cuisines in the world. What seems simple at the outset — steaming bowls of chicken curry, vegetables grilled and marinated in deep red sauces licked with saffron, soft charred buttery bread — is actually very complex, each flavor made up of a mélange of spices and herbs that can reach dozens of hidden ingredients.
At Tulsi those ingredients merge in delectable, delicate and alluring dishes with a subtlety and finesse I travel long distances to find. Named for the holy basil of India, Tulsi is a charming little spot with fewer than 30 seats, small, understated, yes, but offering what just might be the best ethnic cuisine on the Seacoast.
Those who go to the Portsmouth farmers market or who used to stop into Kittery's Divine Cuisines, a catering and take-out Indian spot, might recognize Janet Howe and Rajesh Mandekar, chefs who've turned their old store front into Tulsi. They still offer up their dishes at the market and indeed they've gotten some familiar faces from the market to staff the restaurant, a staff who knows the cuisine pretty well. If they don't know an answer, they ask and learn themselves (there's much to learn). Our waiter Dennis was very nice, friendly and fast. The décor is subtle and charming with some mellow modern art on the walls, but it's the aroma when you walk in that gives away the real ambience — it's all about the flavors.
It's good to go with a crowd so you can order many dishes and share. Our party of four tried many appetizers and entrees and to go over all I had in two visits is a monumental task. For the most part, dishes come out in small bowls with basmati rice peppered with bright yellow saffron rice. First you'll get some mini papdadum, a little flatbread wafer made with lentils and spices. Dip them into your cilantro puree or sweet and sour tamarind sauce to start. Be sure to order some bread as well as you'll be dipping it into all of the sauces in each dish. We tried the laccha paratha for one, a Tandoor oven baked whole wheat, soft, hot and buttery and the onion kulcha stuffed with spiced onions.
There are usually some specials like two mildly spiced lamb chops rich with cumin ($12) and while the menu is small, there are many vegetarian dishes to choose from. While the menu is divided into appetizers and main courses, I had a hard time distinguishing them except by the traditional "type" of food. For example, the lamb seek kabob is two mint infused ground lamb tubes grilled on the tandoor served with arugula and cucumber, so it's a bit lighter than some of the more richly sauced entrees. It is a good start with a great tang from the cooling mint. The malai kabob, small medallions of chicken marinated in sour cream is very mild, bland even, but would be good for those finicky kids ($8.50).
You won't find fried food here like the ubiquitous samosa, which is refreshing. Mussels pooriyal are plump and plentiful, poached in a mild curry sauce great for sopping up with the naan ($9.50). Shrimp balchow is a Goan dish, originating by the sea, with a mild tang and a hint of heat and ginger ($9.50).
You won't find a shockingly hot vindaloo here either, although some of the entrees are spicy enough. I suppose asking for more heat is fine, but I wouldn't want to mess with the balance of flavors here. A Kashmiri lamb curry has a dark gravy great for mixing with the rice ($16). Kashmiri cuisine does tend to use many spices and the version here is particularly aromatic. Chicken Tikka Masala is unlike any version of the dish I've had, the tender chicken breast marinated in a mild yogurt, tandoor grilled and then stewed in a cream sauce with more tomato than I've seen in the dish before the effect of which is terrific and vibrant ($14).
We tried some of the vegetarian dishes which were also fantastic. The yellow dal was mild and hearty with two kinds of lentils slow cooked to a thick stew. Hints of cumin, garlic and ginger run throughout ($10.50). Navratan Korma had nine vegetables including crisp green beans, cauliflower, corn and carrots in a light saffron sauce ($11.50). Palak paneer is the traditional spinach pureed with cubes of housemade cheese, a good side dish to some of the meats ($11). Another great dish was a crispy pan-fried wild Alaskan salmon on an onion and tomato mix ($22). The outside was crunchy, the meat a deep orange, mild and very fresh. It was some of the best salmon we've had in awhile.
The wine and beer list is very small here but they're going to expand it. Try a thick creamy mango lassi ($3.75), a cool sherbet drink. Desserts are also interesting, a bright orange carrot and ginger gajar halwa is sweet and flakes off for easy picking and sharing and the smooth and cool kheer rice pudding is soothing. Dennis brought out some lime pickle to try with it, which made us all pucker up. The flavor is "exotic" for Western palates, one of those tastes you might have to get used to if you didn't grow up on it. I mixed it with the sweet, milky pudding, which made it better.
Indian cuisine in general is difficult to describe and I have no trouble admitting that it's tough to do it justice, even more difficult with the food at Tulsi because it's so good it just seems there must be much going on within the dishes that's a secret, elusive, complex, and simply exquisite.
Rachel Forrest is a former restaurant owner who lives in Portsmouth. Her column appears Wednesdays in Go & Do. Her restaurant review column, Dining Out, appears Thursdays in Spotlight magazine. Hear her on Wine Me Dine Me" on alternate Wednesdays at noon on WSCA-FM 106.1. She can be reached by e-mail at rforrest@seacoastonline.com.