3 generations of the Singh family & their team at India Samraat
India Samraat is celebrating it’s 20th Anniversary as one of Boston’s favorite spots to enjoy Indian cuisine.
But, after two decades, this restaurant is more than just a great place to eat. It’s become part of the lives of many neighborhood diners who’ve walked through its doors.
I’ve eaten in many Indian restaurants but have never felt more welcome than at India Samraat. It’s almost as though the Singh family has invited me to eat at their home. And, when you stop in, you can see just how much family effort and care has gone into preparing every dish.
Penny has all the mouth-watering details...
On August 1st, the Singh family celebrated the 20th Anniversary of the opening of their India Samraat restaurant on Massachusetts Avenue between Commonwealth and Marlborough.
When a restaurant has been around this long, it becomes part of the memories of people in the neighborhood. “India Samraat has special meaning for our family because when my son, now 29, was about 13 we ate dinner there once a week, while his sister took skating lessons in the winter. It was his choice, his favorite restaurant, and our date night with him. We got to know them and the excellent menu very well over the course of several years. We became such regulars they even gave us India Samraat T-shirts,” said Marlborough Street resident Margaret Pokorny.
Even something as simple as Papadum is done perfectly at India Samraat
20 Years Of Consistent Quality
Pardeep Singh recalled that those t-shirts were made for their 10th Anniversary. He went on to talk about the restaurant. “My father has been doing this all his life and he’s the head chef still.”
While officially “retired,” restaurant founder and family patriarch, Joginder Singh spends a couple of hours each morning in the kitchen supervising the daily preparation work for the restaurant. He makes sure the food is always up to his standards.
Pardeep describes India Samraat’s food as, “North Indian, specifically from Punjab.” This region is famous for its tandoori oven preparations and for providing a diverse range of dishes. Samraat offers a good selection of entrees and breads cooked in the tandoor. This includes two of their most popular items, Chicken Tikki Masala and Naan.
He also explained that his family’s style of cooking produces food that is more like a home-cooked meal– less oily and cleaner tasting. While not vegetarian, the family is happy eating meat-free meals. That is reflected in the menu, making this restaurant a good choice for vegetarians. Saag Paneer, spinach cooked with fresh homemade cottage cheese and curry sauce, is their second most popular menu item.
Daily Specials
One distinctive feature of India Samraat is its daily specials. “I try to come up with some different ideas, although the base of the recipes remains traditional... We want to do some new add-ins. Some things become very popular, and I do add it to the menu,” said Pardeep. Specials sometimes include family favorites and foods like okra that appeal to their large following of Indian students.
Take-Out and Catering
Even when the dining room is quiet, the family is busy preparing food for take-out, delivery and catering orders. They provide food for parties, showers, and special events. “We do a lot of office lunches... Some companies do at least once a month with us.” They also cater meetings at MIT, Boston University and Northeastern.
They Spice It Your Way
Pardeep and his family are always ready to help those who would like to try Samraat’s food for the first time. “Some basic types of entrees, although they have a variety of spices in them, are still pretty mild for anybody to try– even Chicken Tikki Masala. Normally, it’s not spicy. It has a little sweeter sauce than the regular curry.” He explained that they can adjust the flavor of a dish from mild to hot. “We do variations in spiciness according to the customer.”
If you haven’t discovered this little gem on the western side of Massachusetts Avenue, their 20th anniversary is the perfect excuse to give it a try. If you are one of their long time customers, stop in and wish them a “Happy Anniversary.”
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Details:
India Samraat, 51A Massachusetts Ave., Boston, MA 02115, 617.247.0718 ( Map )
Best of Boston
Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Adapted from Penny’s feature in the Back Bay Sun
Photography: © 2009 Penny Cherubino
