Authentic Indian and Middle Eastern cuisines - are you concerned on food colouring? If yes, read on.

Have you tried chicken tikka masala or tandoori chicken and doubted the colourants? Red colourants usually gives the dish its distinctive red appearance, which have been linked to hyperactivity, asthma and cancer. Chef Bharat Batra from Spice Garden shares about how to check if food are with colouring and how to detect plastic in oil. One could dip their finger into the dish, let it dry and wash away after half an hour. If the colour retain on the finger then the food contains colouring, and not using natural herb.  While fried chicken or fried food will appear shiny if there are plastic in the cooking oil. Most dishes on the market are also covered with oil n spice that covers our taste bud and we can't identify if its not fresh. 

Colouring could be everywhere but the choices is always on us. By educating the consumer, we will make a better choice on our food that leads to a better health. I check out the original spices and herbs dishes without artificial flavouring, colouring or preservatives at Spice Garden LINC KL branch and found some mouth watering dishes to share with you.

Mutton Khazana Biryani (2Pax) RM80

Chef Bharat claim Spice Garden is the first briyani bakery in the world. The best selling and famous Mutton Khazana Biryani is cook to perfection, mostly through a “tandoor” which is a barrel-shaped open top clay oven that is fired by charcoals. This method is use so that it's evenly flavoured on all angles. Trapping steam inside a Tandoor will rest on meat hence the mutton is tender and juicy, and there is not a need to use a knife to cut the meat. This dish is made out of 40 percent cook rice and  60% meat cook in gas before going in the tadoor for a complete cook.

Lamb are the hardest dish to prepare as it need correct spices and to cook at the correct timing. With the chef expertise, there are more than 40 successful dishes of lamb in the restaurant, which gives them the restaurant with of the most lamb dishes in the world. 

Spice Garden is a well-known semi-fine dining restaurant, serving authentic Indian and Middle-Eastern cuisine that is popular with residents and expatriates living in and around the Klang Valley, as well as tourists.

All are made from time-tested traditional recipes that blends fresh spices and herbs from India and cooked to perfection, mostly through a “tandoor” which is a barrel-shaped open top clay oven that is fired by charcoals. All dishes are all freshly cooked and not reheated which can cause it to become oily.

The restaurant also offers catering services for weddings, birthdays and other events.

Venison Kebab RM58

Red colour tandoori should comes from the marinated and not colouring. Here they use yogurt with  herb and spices, together with the heat of Tandoor that brings it a natural pink, not red.

Tandoori Chicken (Full) RM60

We cook our dishes using centuries old recipes and techniques that are indispensable to the preparation of truly authentic Indian cuisines,” said the restaurant’s chef Bharat Batra, who is also a director at Focus 88 Sdn. Bhd., the company that owns and operates Spice Garden restaurants.

Chef Bharat Batra, second-generation director, whose father, Pradeep Batra, founded the restaurant.

Chef with culinary expertise and attention to details will determine the outcome of the dishes.

Thus, the cooks from Spice Garden are sent to India for a year to master the knowledge, skills and techniques needed for the preparation of truly authentic, Indian and Middle-Eastern cuisines.

Bharat, who claims to be a master of spices, explained that the restaurant can tailor its dishes to meet specific customers’ needs such as preventing them from feeling sleepy after meals or to provide more energy.

“We cook our meals in a balanced manner that is suitable for everyone, young or old,” he said. “Plus, our pork-free cuisine can be made to order such as if the customers prefer their meals nut-free, gluten-free and not spicy." Here are some others delicacies that they are offering:

Fish Kolivada RM35

Curry for more spicy taste

Venison Masala RM58

Chicken Almond Gravy RM32

Sea Bass Fish Curry RM42 

Palak Paneer RM30

Assorted Bread Basket (Multigrain, white flour . Whole wheat) RM42

Where Is This?

1. SPICE GARDEN Restaurant
The LINC Development Sdn Bhd,
1-3 1-3-AF, First Floor,
No-360, Jalan Tun Razak,
Kuala Lumpur 50400

2. SPICE GARDEN Genting
Lot H/G6.00, Genting Grand Hotel,
Genting Highlands Resort,
Pahang Darul Makmur, Malaysia.
Tel: +603-6101 1118 Ext:7709 / 57615

3. SPICE GARDEN IMPERIAL
No 2, Jalan Delima,
Off Jalan Bukit Bintang,
50200 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Tel: +603-2142 2220 / 2223

4. SPICE GARDEN LANGKAWI
Holiday Villa Beach Resort and Spa Langkawi,
Lot 1698 Jalan Pantai Tengah Mukim Kedawang,
07000 Langkawi,
Kedah Darul Aman
Tel: +6 04 9532338/+6012-9850744